Hump
Mame
Sorry dumb newbie question. When planting a cutting and removing the bottom half of the leaves, do you remove just the leaves themselves, or the little stems too? In this example, from a maple.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Question for successful cuttings
- Thread starter Hump
- Start date
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
That's not a dumb question at all. If you don't know something you should either research for yourself or ask someone who knows.
As for your question, yes you should remove the lower leaves and petioles as well. Reason is becuase if you don't chances are high that they will rot before the cutting can root. If that happens, kiss the cuting bye bye. To reduce transpiration leave just two leaves up top and remove half to a third of the leaf.
DO NOT LET THEM DRY OUT
As for your question, yes you should remove the lower leaves and petioles as well. Reason is becuase if you don't chances are high that they will rot before the cutting can root. If that happens, kiss the cuting bye bye. To reduce transpiration leave just two leaves up top and remove half to a third of the leaf.
DO NOT LET THEM DRY OUT
Good to know. I've never had much luck with cuttings, but am trying again with some dwarf barbados cherries and some serissa.
KillerButts
Mame
“As for your question, yes you should remove the lower leaves and petioles as well.”
In my limited understanding I was under the impression petioles have food stored still after it’s leaf is cut, that falls back into the branch as it dries. Do you do this because there might be Auxin inside, or just for less transpiration tax?
In my limited understanding I was under the impression petioles have food stored still after it’s leaf is cut, that falls back into the branch as it dries. Do you do this because there might be Auxin inside, or just for less transpiration tax?
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
If you leave it on the cutting and stick it in some media it will rot, and that will eventually rot the cutting. Leaving it on while doing a graft is acceptable. In fact when doing a graft all leaves are removed.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I am just giving a big thumbs up to this comment. Anything that goes into the ground has to be clean stem/wood. Above ground you can experiment with the ratio of foliage to cutting diameter, but IN the ground it has to be 100% clean.
However cuttings are easy to play with. If you want to experiment, just get a large landscape tree and strike 60 cuttings from it, and try 20 with no foliage below ground, 20 with only petioles, and 20 with full leaves. See how you do. My comment is based on my personal experience - and what I do.
Kanorin
Omono
Thanks for asking this question @Hump and thanks for the answers @Pitoon and @Bonsai Nut ! I had been leaving petioles on my cuttings, which probably explains part of my terrible success rate.
I'm guessing you cut the petioles off right at the base with a small sharp knife? Or maybe some really small thin scissors might be able to do the job (like fingernail scissors).
I'm guessing you cut the petioles off right at the base with a small sharp knife? Or maybe some really small thin scissors might be able to do the job (like fingernail scissors).
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
@Carol 83 cuttings aren't really that hard. The key to successful cuttings is knowing the requirements for that specific plant you want to take cuttings from. Time of the year I would say is the most important factors. Specific cuttings have specific open windows. Doing a cutting out of that window, your rate of success drops dramatically.
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
Cutting isn't required. Depending on the type of plant you can either pinch where the leaf and petiole meet and pull down with a quick pull or pinch the petiole where it attaches to the stem and rotate 180 degrees or pinch the stem and pull the stem through your fingers to remove all the leaves you want at one shot (I prefer this method as it's faster)
JoeR
Masterpiece
Once you get a good system going they become easier.
A large aquarium, with gravel or a screen in the bottom has worked best for me. Keeps humidity high. When freshly taken, the cuttings sit in a shallow layer of water. As they form roots, lifting the pots up with gravel or a screen prevents root rot. This has worked well for me as a simple set up. A plastic chamber with timed misting was more effective, but depends how many or how serious you are about cuttings
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
Not a dumb question! You’ll NEVER know until you find out! (Words of a little Cajun Chef who was training me)
Try everything... Think of your cuttings as a “skillset” you keep adding experiences (good/bad) and altering methods as well as modes of operation.. pertaining to YOU.. your ability to care for, your climate... your plants... your SIZE cuttings... your amounts of leaves left...
Everyones “cuttings game” is different... unique to THEM and their relationships with plants. “burrow” and adapt procedures until you construct an amalgam of your own.
...don’t be sorry, be yourself. (Words of a “Shaman” met in “sacred territory” on the pacific northeast coast.
Try everything... Think of your cuttings as a “skillset” you keep adding experiences (good/bad) and altering methods as well as modes of operation.. pertaining to YOU.. your ability to care for, your climate... your plants... your SIZE cuttings... your amounts of leaves left...
Everyones “cuttings game” is different... unique to THEM and their relationships with plants. “burrow” and adapt procedures until you construct an amalgam of your own.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Hm.. Did you see my earlier post?
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
I'm curious to see how your aquarium set up looks like. I basically use a pot, 4 sticks, and a bag for my cuttings. It has worked well for me with my set up, and i'm able to move them around as needed. I'm guessing it will change once i get an actual greenhouse set up.
Here's some of my cuttings for this year (several hundred here). I've already potted some up, as the cuttings root i immediately pot them and start the process all over.
HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
leatherback
The Treedeemer
going about cuttings
Decided to moe this out of the thread to keep @sorce s thread clean.. What is your trick to deciduous cuttings? Being new to cuttings beyond taking them for mom I haven’t had any luck. Trying random samples all year trying rooting hormone water etc. I haven’t found a good way to nail down what...
JoeR
Masterpiece
I've also done cuttings this way. The only problem for me was that if I wasn't careful the inside would get too hot in the sun. Ill take a picture
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
JoeR
Masterpiece
Nice, didnt notice that the first time. What are your plans for all the cuttings?
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
For personal use, trading, and selling (hopefully)
Pitoon
Imperial Masterpiece
When I do cuttings I do a surplus expecting a large amount of die off. I couple months ago I did a trial of a weeping cherry, that i was excited about.....out of 30 cuttings only 9 rooted, the rest rotted. Those 9 started to rot as well and i lost those too. I re did the cuttings as the window is still open, but by the time i took cuttings for the second try the japanese beetles had already emerged and started their damage on the leaves. I took 125 cuttings this go around....but the leaves have damage (damage leaves in a high humidity environment = rot) not sure if these will be any better. So i may have lost the chance to grow these this year......timing is very important.
