Bougainvilla Cuttings

What is the best way to try to root this? I dipped it in rooting hormone powder, and have it sitting in water. Should that be OK? How long will it take? The leaves still look fine, just like when I took the cutting, so I hope that means it's doing OK. Any advice would be appreciated.
Deb

Deb,

I just propagated 4 bougainvillea cuttings. Here's how I do all of my cuttings:

Start with a 6-8 inch cutting.

Cut the leaves and branches off of the stem, leaving 2 or 3 leaves near the tip of the cutting. If the leaves are large, cut them in half, the short way.

Take "skin" off of the cutting, with a razor blade, 1 inch long, starting at the base of the cutting - where you cut it from the parent. Do this on two sides of the cutting. Don't cut through the stem -you're just trying to get the skin off.

Run it through the rooting hormone - the powder will stick to the places you took the skin off. Tap off excess powder.

I use growing medium - you can buy a seed starting mixture. I make my own - 3 parts sphagnum peat moss to 1 part vermiculite.

Fill a 3" or 4" pot with damp (not soaked) medium. Use a pencil to make a hole in the center, all the way down, so that when you put the plant in, the hormone doesn't rub off.

Measure 2 inches up the stem, and plant the cutting 2 inches deep. Pack the medium around the stem, amd water thoroughly.

Put the pot in a zip-loc bag. I think I use a 1 gallon size. Some people put a couple of air holes in the bag - I don't.

You don't want the leaves touching plastic. If they do, insert some plastic straws in the medium, at the edge of the pot, to push the plastic away from the plant.

Zip the bag, and you're done! Bougainvilla are going to take a few weeks to root, so be patient. You never have to add water - it gets sealed in the bag.

Put the bag in a place that has bright light, but never in direct sunlight.

When you think it's rooted, get it out of the bag.

I never propagate in water. I'm sure it works great for some plants,but I don't know which ones.

Good luck! Steve