Re-trying J Maple (acer palmatum) and other cuttings...

エドガー

Shohin
Messages
492
Reaction score
300
Location
Orange County, CA
Today, I made and am re-trying Japanese maple cuttings.

I tried last year (May
-June 2019); but all 40-50 was a 100% complete fail (n00b mistake of not even covering/enclosing them, especially in dry hot SoCal).

But, this year, I have new weapons to hopefully improve my luck/success - a mini-greenhouse for humidity, and hydrogen-peroxide for fungus/mold (used at initial soil watering and the occasional foliar mist/spray).

Cultivars are:
Katsura
KiyoHime
Shindeshojo
Akaji Nishiki
Shojo no Mai

Also in the greenhouse are:
- Eugenia/brush-cherry (from my landscape)
- Pyracantha (from a jog)
- Firepower Nandina (from landscape)
- An almost dead Kurume Azalea at the left (it’s 4 months old, and just started dying when I removed it from greenhouse to acclimate to real-world; so I re-entered it in greenhouse).
- New Kurume Azalea cuttings in the middle (re-trying this too; as my last batch all died... seems a lot harder to root/survive than Satsuki... all my last Satsuki cuttings made it)
- Ficus (from a jog)
- 3 diff cultivars of pomegranate (Omi, Toyosho, Evergreen’s Red Dwarf)
- 10 small pots of Cotoneaster Horizontalis root-cuttings (cut off from picture at the very bottom). Started the root-cuttings May 13; so idk if they will grow/survive (I heard root-cuttings should be done in late-winter/early-spring).

Really hoping these J Maples And the Kurume make it!
 

Attachments

  • 274056A1-D4C8-442F-98F0-1A3D2738F4B6.jpeg
    274056A1-D4C8-442F-98F0-1A3D2738F4B6.jpeg
    250 KB · Views: 66
  • F152947D-5ECE-461A-B61D-FBFA4B3C79F8.jpeg
    F152947D-5ECE-461A-B61D-FBFA4B3C79F8.jpeg
    363.9 KB · Views: 79
  • CEAF4116-9F3A-4664-B94B-BA0F462E9A6B.jpeg
    CEAF4116-9F3A-4664-B94B-BA0F462E9A6B.jpeg
    383.4 KB · Views: 91

GGB

Masterpiece
Messages
2,067
Reaction score
2,222
Location
Bethlehem, PA
USDA Zone
7a
This is my first year trying semi-ripe cuttings. I have a similar set up as you. I refuse to spend a ton of money on a cloner system.
 

Canada Bonsai

Shohin
Messages
461
Reaction score
1,377
especially in dry hot SoCal

In your area, taking the cuttings early in the morning will significantly improve your chances. If you did not take them in the morning, there is no way to fix that now, and you’re starting with a disadvantage.

Also, your greenhouse is likely to overheat. Adding a cold humidifier or mister might not help if they too are overheating! Make sure the water in the lines of your misting system is not getting hot in between mistings

You can probably do morning sun, and total shade from midday onwards. That won’t be enough light for your cuttings though, so you may want to add artificial lights (to replace the hot sun)

all 40-50 was a 100% complete fail

If you follow the old guidelines set-out in this manual, you are guaranteed sucess
 

Attachments

  • 3E7DB4A0-4BE5-43DF-968A-1CB9696C4FC8.jpeg
    3E7DB4A0-4BE5-43DF-968A-1CB9696C4FC8.jpeg
    268.7 KB · Views: 92
Last edited:

エドガー

Shohin
Messages
492
Reaction score
300
Location
Orange County, CA
In your area, taking the cuttings early in the morning will significantly improve your chances. If you did not take them in the morning, there is no way to fix that now, and you’re starting with a disadvantage.

Also, your greenhouse is likely to overheat. Adding a cold humidifier or mister might not help if they too are overheating! Make sure the water in the lines of your misting system is not getting hot in between mistings

You can probably do morning sun, and total shade from midday onwards. That won’t be enough light for your cuttings though, so you may want to add artificial lights (to replace the hot sun)



If you follow the old guidelines set-out in this manual, you are guaranteed sucess

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I've heard that early morning is best; I took them in the mid-late morning. I hope that's good enough.

Ah yes, the heat is def worrisome. We've already had a few heat-waves in the 90s this past spring; so I aired them out (and re-misted) on those days. I put my greenhouse in the coolest/shadiest area in my yard - north facing wall, and under a big palm tree. I hope that is sufficient enough and I'll cross my fingers.

Thanks for the tips! Misting-systems and cold-humidifiers and anything electric-operated are much too complex & expensive for me though. But I'm sure they'd help a lot. Just trying to keep it as simple as possible.

For now, I am brainstorming/thinking how much I should open the top zippers for ventilation on hot days, without releasing too much humidity. It is a 3 sided zipper for the top/upper flap... so options are: I could partially open 1 zipper-side maybe halfway, or open 1 side fully, or open 2 sides fully, or open 3 sides fully and clamp the corners so it doesn't flap with the wind, or I could open all 3 sides and have the top fully open. I've also heard it's good to totally open the doors/top during the night (if a humid night) and re-close in the morning.
 
Last edited:

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,222
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
The wet concrete will add some humidity to the area but I think you could do better with a tub of water in there. A large, shallow tray full of gravel is good. The pots sit on the gravel so they are not sitting in water but the tray below holds enough water to maintain humidity through the day.
 

Deep Sea Diver

Masterpiece
Messages
4,414
Reaction score
9,129
Location
Bothell, WA
USDA Zone
8b
Today, I made and am re-trying Japanese maple cuttings.
Really hoping these J Maples And the Kurume make it!
Wow! Best of luck on this effort. I’m having indifferent success with my seed batch as of now. Mostly due to damping off despite some precautions against this. For my cutting this month I’m going for the Serenade!
cheers
DSD sends
 

エドガー

Shohin
Messages
492
Reaction score
300
Location
Orange County, CA
The wet concrete will add some humidity to the area but I think you could do better with a tub of water in there. A large, shallow tray full of gravel is good. The pots sit on the gravel so they are not sitting in water but the tray below holds enough water to maintain humidity through the day.

Ahh, excellent idea! Like baking! Haha... or, a humidity tray.

I will put a pint/quart-container of water in there asap. And also add a few tbs of hydrogen-peroxide to ward off any mosquito-eggs, insects, fungus, etc.
 

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,222
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
A larger flat tray will provide more space for the water to evaporate and give higher humidity. If the tray is filled with stones or coarse sand the mosquitos should not lay eggs or breed there and you can then sit the cutting pots direct on the gravel for even better humidity.
The peroxide is a good sanitizer but I don't think it lasts very long. Effectiveness is probably gone in a few hours as it breaks down quick.
 

エドガー

Shohin
Messages
492
Reaction score
300
Location
Orange County, CA
Thanks! Ah, okay... makes sense! I'll look for some large baking pans.
Perhaps 1-2tbs of horticultural-oil in the water would work better in the long-run (for insect eggs).

Would it be advisable to crack open the upper/top zipper door a little, during hot days or the summer? If yes, how much? Right now, I only have 1 zipper-side partially opened, but only 3-5" open (only to release any possible hot pressure).
 

エドガー

Shohin
Messages
492
Reaction score
300
Location
Orange County, CA
Added 2 humidity trays.
Found a couple junk/burnt/old baking-pans in the garage... and luckily I have a lot of gravel in my landscape/yard.
 

Attachments

  • 6179E4B1-426C-47A7-9DC0-6DA9AD0D8E74.jpeg
    6179E4B1-426C-47A7-9DC0-6DA9AD0D8E74.jpeg
    357.3 KB · Views: 56

Shibui

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
7,545
Reaction score
15,222
Location
Yackandandah, Australia
USDA Zone
9?
Excellent humidity trays. I can't offer specific help with opening the top because I can't see and feel your days. You will just have to make judgements based on each day as it happens. With this sort of jerry rigged setup there's a balance between humidity and over heating that's very hard to judge. You can see why commercial propagating has automatic controls.
 

Arlithrien

Shohin
Messages
395
Reaction score
502
Location
Tampa, FL
USDA Zone
9b
I'm using a 55 gallon terrarium as a mini greenhouse. It has a mesh lid that I lined with a trash bag so it's airtight. Sitting on my porch in the shade but gets indirect light. One new thing I am trying this time is a heat mat off Amazon. Have heard great things about using bottom heat but cannot attest personally. It does however raise the humidity level significantly.

So far I'm trying

- pomegranate
- bottlebrush
- red Japanese maple
- yoshino cherry
- red maple
- bougainvillea
- sparkleberry (has roots but not many)

The cherries rooted easily last summer but I bare rooted them to see and they died. All jap maple cuttings failed last year although one grew a long root from its bud.

Bottlebrush had been going for a while until I moved it out to clean the terrarium and 75% of its leaves shriveled up and died.

Sparkleberry seemed to be doing fine on its own roots initially but has gone downhill over time. The leaves don't seem to droop like with most plants, they just kinda turn brown and die rather suddenly.
 

Attachments

  • 20200524_194401.jpg
    20200524_194401.jpg
    203.6 KB · Views: 41
  • 20200524_194506.jpg
    20200524_194506.jpg
    285.1 KB · Views: 36
Last edited:

エドガー

Shohin
Messages
492
Reaction score
300
Location
Orange County, CA
Almost forgot to make cuttings/backups of these ones (didn’t have any backups of these yet)... Seiju elm and Nanking cherry.
 

Attachments

  • A028895A-A6AB-4BD9-BCC9-68D9BA10031F.jpeg
    A028895A-A6AB-4BD9-BCC9-68D9BA10031F.jpeg
    328 KB · Views: 28
Top Bottom