Juniper procumbens nana cuttings

WavyGaby

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Hello,
I started these juniper procumbens nana cuttings in spagnum peat moss in July 2019. I realized that I don't like straight peat moss for a rooting mix bc it gets so water logged. I was able to manage moisture by keeping it under my house soffits though.

Out of curiosity, I checked on a couple smaller cuttings the other day and I didnt see any roots. I figured I would see some sort of root growth as it's been six months and they are still green. Is it possible that they are still making roots? Are they dead?
I haven't checked the best looking ones yet so they could have roots.
Thanks for looking
 

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Housguy

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Hi Gsteil, I am doing the same thing right now and I am over 6 months in and haven't grown much at all, but are still very alive. They grow slow and as they are still green, keep watering them and just wait until they grow a lot. It might take over a year or more, but time will only tell until they completely turn brown, then you know it is a goner.
 

WavyGaby

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Hi Gsteil, I am doing the same thing right now and I am over 6 months in and haven't grown much at all, but are still very alive. They grow slow and as they are still green, keep watering them and just wait until they grow a lot. It might take over a year or more, but time will only tell until they completely turn brown, then you know it is a goner.
Thanks. Ill keep on. Good luck with yours. I would love to hear how yours turn out.
 

brentwood

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Bottom heat helps, mine didn't start roots until they warmed up in July. Growers use heating mats, cheap on Amazon. Did you use rooting hormones?

Brent
 

WavyGaby

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Bottom heat helps, mine didn't start roots until they warmed up in July. Growers use heating mats, cheap on Amazon. Did you use rooting hormones?

Brent
I'll look into that. Are the outdoor mats for greenhouses only? I used hormone.
I've also got another 6 pack of cuttings in peat, perlite, coarse sand that I did in August. They are a bit larger and woody. I figured I would wait until late spring to check those.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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You don’t need a greenhouse. If you are inside it helps to have wood covered with sheet plastic underneath rather than laying it on concrete.
I’ve heard of heat mats used outside with another layer of plastic atop the mat underneath bonsai trees that are mulched in on top of the heat pad. Apparently you can only do this to the same tree every 3rd year? I think it was on a recent Bonsai Mirai lecture series.
DSD
 

Shibui

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Juniper cuttings often take a long time to root. Usually some in a batch will root in a few months while others take much longer. I've had nice healthy cuttings for up to 2 years before they grew roots. They will root much faster in the warmer months or with some bottom heat.
 

brentwood

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The mats I saw on Amazon were small, obviously for home use - look for something under $30 to start.

Good luck!
Brent
 

RKatzin

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I used pumice sand for shimpaku cuttings taken in April. Kept in morning sun and shade the rest of the day. Kept moist with daily watering. All dozen did well all summer and are now in winter storage with the rest of the herd. I did one the year before and it did so well I did a dozen this year.
Any dwarf variety of any species will invariably be harder to strike roots on cuttings and airlayers. So your nana juniper may take a bit longer and bottom heat and anything else you can throw at it to get a leg up on it. I don't simply because I'm not plugged into a power line.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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@RKatzin - living off the grid, you da man!

I occasionally root cuttings of Shimpaku, not doing it for profit, so I don't care what the success rate is as long as it is above Zero. I take my cuttings in August. They sit without roots for up to 2 years. First callus forms, then, eventually roots will follow. No hormones needed. I get around 25% take rate.

Sometimes I get roots quickly. Sometimes it is the second growing season before roots form. I leave my flats with cuttings outside all winter. I make no effort to protect them from cold. They root just fine, but often not until second summer. Most common, cuttings struck in late July to late August, most often form callus by November-December. Usually some will begin producing roots by the following July. Some cuttings will stay green but rootless until the second July, a full 24 months later. When cuttings start growing, and make significant increase in size, that is a good sign they have rooted.

With a heat mat and hormones I bet I could get yield up to 75% or better and the time down to 12 months or less.
 

WavyGaby

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@RKatzin - living off the grid, you da man!

I occasionally root cuttings of Shimpaku, not doing it for profit, so I don't care what the success rate is as long as it is above Zero. I take my cuttings in August. They sit without roots for up to 2 years. First callus forms, then, eventually roots will follow. No hormones needed. I get around 25% take rate.

Sometimes I get roots quickly. Sometimes it is the second growing season before roots form. I leave my flats with cuttings outside all winter. I make no effort to protect them from cold. They root just fine, but often not until second summer. Most common, cuttings struck in late July to late August, most often form callus by November-December. Usually some will begin producing roots by the following July. Some cuttings will stay green but rootless until the second July, a full 24 months later. When cuttings start growing, and make significant increase in size, that is a good sign they have rooted.

With a heat mat and hormones I bet I could get yield up to 75% or better and the time down to 12 months or less.
Wow, thanks for the heads up. It looks like I have a way to go as I am using similar methods. I am interested to see everyone's progress.
 
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