Not only are almost all Salix (Willow) easy and fast to root in water, they can lend some extra root-hormone to cuttings that share their water.
Brilliant, Jeanne. Someone reportedgood luck using a bubbler with Brugmansias. but Clems, I never would have guessed.
Can we discuss what age of wood to use?
The reason that active-growth tips are removed is beacause they are in maximum growth and are expecting a ton of resources from the roots, which will halt a stem that hasn't any. Leaves are loosing water all of the time, so reducing them to a minimum reduces the demands on the stem that is trying to root.
The thing is, will wood from last year still root? What is the best age? Green turning brown and barky? Freshly grown bark? Dark green but no bark? Clematis books say things like "semi-ripe." Perhaps we can lend a commoner's description of this?
K. James
I've DISCOVERED the SECRET!!
WOW...all the excitement going on from yesterday!!..Oh, gezzz...please let them all have success!!...In most the books that I have read it said to use semi-mature wood?..Does that make sense...the wood is brown as you can see...here in Texas My clematis emerge around the latter part of February and then by May 1st most of my pruning group 3s have finished blooming and are ready to be pruned back half way for their second round ....so this wood is at least 6 weeks to 8 weeks old?..wouldn't you agree?? I have also read that willow water is excellent for aiding in plants taking root!!..The aspirin is new to me..but I know if you put an Aspirin in your vase with your flowers ..they last longer...so, there must be something to it!!
Pat ( did I get the name right this time?..LOL) You really went all out...looks awesome...You and your cats will have a blast!!...Mine kept getting up on my Potting Bench and stuck his nose in mine out of curiosity then left...they love anything new and different...you can purchase the "T's" at Walmart too!!..They are next to the other items you bought..I am going to take a pic of my stone..Just for Shirl!!...Jeanne
Ps..I musta bought a really cheap pump..LOL..Mine only has one speed...FAST
All three of my things I bought at Wally World
These are the "T's" she was talking about!!
Clematis "Comtesse de Bouchard" is now all potted up!!..I will dig a hole in my garden, drop in the pot where she will receive only morning sun and then plant her in one of the Three new Flowerbeds I am designing!!..Oh Happy day!!...Wish her luck....Jeanne
Jeanne, the pump comes with a little air flow valve. It looks like I have the same one as yours. If you turn it one way it shuts down the air flow, the other, it opens it up.
About the age, that makes sense. So the cuttings can't be from the tips. And is this also why you cut off the end piece? How far back down the vine should you go? I think I remember Wallaby saying it should be new years growth. I think that thread was late last winter sometime.
Kenton, so glad you joined in. The voice of experience among us amateurs running amok. I'll be the first to admit I don't have a clue what I'm doing! Fun isn't it?
I'm sure it is just my imagination and wishful thinking, but it looks like something is already forming on the bottom of the geranium cuttings. Maybe it is just tissue from the stem falling away a bit. I did put a capful of H2O2 in with the water last night.
I just saw a rabbit hop out of my garden. Yesterday I found a yellow cosmos with all the ferny leaves eaten. I was blaming the volves. Time to grate up some more Irish Spring soap.
I disturbed Lefty in his contemplation of the bubbling water. Just before I took this pic, he looked like he was falling asleep staring at the glasses.
he probably keeps hoping little fish will suddenly appear in the cups! lol
when I finally got of work and caught up to my beastly rest, ran to Wally's and got the pump. Threw in some hose and t's and stones, ran home and put it all togather. dropped three hoses into the glasses containing my crepe mrtyls and passion flower and now have to wait. Thank's for the adventure. I love trying new things, whether they work or not, I have found in life that I have to try it to learn from it, otherwise it stays in short term memory and then disappears.
My willow cuttings are rooting just fine, but the rest of the cuttings (gardenias, hibiscus, and something else can't remember just now have not produced new feet yet. I am giving it more time. So many possiblities if they don't root, so I can't worry about it.
Going out of town in the morning and returning in 2 dys, hope for the best that when I get back the water hasn't been all used up in the bubbling cups and roots have started.
speak to ya'll again soon,
calvin
The step-by-step will be helpful to people, Jeanne, well done.
Calvin, we hope youi terutn to rooted cuttings! Keep us informed on the other genera. I have had luck with water-rooting Passifloras- only I have kept their water fresh by just replacing it daily. That only happens in those bored days of winter, of course.
You have no idea how rich "The voice of experience" comment is, Pat!
Could some one help me. I have been following this tread for a while now :) (silent stalker lol) anyway, today DH and I went and bought my black mulch for my flower garden and as I was spreading it :( I accidently stepped back and broke my Lobelia Cardinalis (queen victoria) all the way down to where there is just a piece of it showing, I am hoping it will come back next year from the roots. Anyway I have the pump and all, got it today cause I have a clematis I want to try to root, Do you think this water air treatment will work on the piece I broke off? I put it in water straight off.
Forgot to add:
Also, do you have to have the air valve controler, I forgot to get that :(
Connie
This message was edited Jun 26, 2006 6:24 PM
I'm not familar with this plant, but I wouldn't be surprised if it came back yet this year. It's not like a lily is it, that has one bloom stalk a year? As far as propagation, who knows. I now have some hardy geranium bubbling away with my regal. I'm going to add some lantana tonight. I'm still considering which clematis to try. maybe someone in the perennials or propagation forum could answer whether this is a good way to propagate this plant. Otherwise, wait and see.
Thanks Jeanne for the great information & pictures (greatly appreciated). Thanks Pat for your step-by-step info.
I never made it back to Walmart or K-mart yesterday. We're having violent thunderstorms (lasting for hours & hours) for the past 2 days with flooding. Some parts of Maryland are "under a state of alert" because we have received so much rain in the past 2 days that creeks are overflowing & officials are worried that dams might not be able to hold back the water. You know it's bad when the Federal Government had to close down several agencies & tell employees to stay home due to standing high water. Apparently, a 100 yr. old tree fell down next to the White House because of very saturated grounds. The tree I'm referring to is pictured on the back of a $20.00 bill (right side). The Weather Service has put the entire MD/DC area under alert until late tomorrow night. Once everything dries out, I'll head back to the store for "air stones".
Good luck everyone with your "bubbler" propagating & please keep us informed of the progress.
Oh, wow, Shirley. I hope your clematis make it through OK. Did you get a Fujimusume this year? Debbie told me not to water like other clematis. She said it likes to be on the dryer side. It rained here all day Saturday and my big basket hook toppled over. No real damage, but I moved it to sturdier ground.
okay thanks
Connie
Connie..You don't have to have the air controller valve..I am not using mine..DH..was the one that picked that up..LOL..I was also told not to water my Josephine like other clematis too but I think Washington is wetter and has more rains than here in Texas..I had to water mine more because the leaves were getting grown and crunchy..so I think you need to do what is good for your area....'cause regardless Clematis like to have their roots stay moist..ALL of them...Jeanne
thanks so much, Connie
Would love to know how the passifloras do. I can not get mine to root.I only have five varieties, but would love to bring some inside, too. I'm on my way to Wal mart this morning. What a cool concept!
wanted to keep posting and updates. I left for dallas two days, to celebrate my and my DW's 12th anniver. Being gone so long I filled the glasses with extra water and left for Dallas with fingers crossed.
When I arrived home, I immediately checked all plants in the garden and the cuttings. Plants were fine, but I noticed a small amout if slime looks like fuzzy lint on all the stems on the cuttings. Not sure how or why it is there, I have never done this kind of propagation before. So, I was tempted throw everything away, but my passion flower is in there (b/w it has the most fuzzy lent--- slime) and I don't want to lose it. I have no other passiflora's and really want this one (it was a gift cutting so it carries more sentiment than goin to a store and buying one). I am leaving everything in the cups to see what happens.
calvin
Calvin..I don't know why yours got slimy either?...Jim told me he put a capful of Hydrogen Peroxide in his to alleviate that...Just a thought...Jeanne
I've been changing the water ever other day and putting in a capful of H2O2 at the same time. When I change the water, I'm also changing containers so I can give them a good wash before they go back into service. It might be overkill, but I haven't noticed any slime. The problem I'm having as I thought I would, is the cats. They are all fascinated with the bubbling water and they love chewing on anything green. I came home yesterday and found one of the cuttings out of water. I wasn't sure if it was all over with it or not, so just stuck it back in the container. Any guess on how long before we might see some roots?
Tanya, this is how my Passiflora cuttings are doing... Sorry it is too late to show you the roots on that batch. They seem to go more readily with semiripe wood on the end of the stem. Longer cuttings on older wood take much longer.
Well here we are 3 days later and the darn cat is still staring at bubbles.
LOL ..at least your cat is being entertained!!...Jeanne
I also want to try the bubbler method of rooting. Thanks to all of you who have contributed their thoughts and experiences. i plan to go to WalMart this afternoon, it is 25 miles away so can't just run down there anytime. Hope they will have everything needed.
Donna
beaker, optimistic kitty is hoping for fish....
beaker, your cat is beautiful. Don't you just love cats? I sure do.
Hi Pauline, Love cats? let me think about that for a minute. Before or after they knock all the junk mail out of the junk mail basket and then go sliding in the living room? Before or after they bring me a dead mouse at 3:00 am, leaving it on my pillow?
Vossner, I've been wanting to talk to you about the trellis pillar from Lillian Vernon and your Regal geranium. I'll Dmail you.
Well, I did not have good luck at the 'local'Super Wal Mart. They did not have a single item on my want list for bubbler rooting. So won't be trying that for awhile.
Donna
I wonder if there has been a run on them? Hum...
None at my Wal-Mart either. the Lady in the said she has ordered them but I have been waiting for 1 1/2 weeks.
I spent 11 bucks today total at my third stop: a local animal shop/nursery. Got tube for 10cents a foot, a large Rock Thing you guys are usning for a buck 30 and the rest for the pump. Heck of a deal. I just loaded a glass with passiflora incarnata (all softwood) and 'Polish Spirit' Clem. with mostly hard, or semi-hard. I'm now thinking there have to be valve diverters where the 'original' clear tube can be hooked into so several other tubes can be attached and led to other water filled glasses. I bet this piece exists, just gotta find it.
Thanks so very much. Funny thing is, I took 144 cuttings the other day of various clematis - "leaf bud cuttings" and like always and even with fungicide in the soil and on the plants and with bottom heat and misting - they're dying just like always.
I'm stoked. This is the ticket!
Thank you,
Dax
Well I thought I might give this a try also.
I trimmed back my Dalechampia - Bow Tie vine yesterday and figured I had nothing to lose in trying this procedure. I already had the pump and tubing from my compost tea supplies and I had a nice 1 gallon clear plastic jug. I am using some of my stored rain water as my water here is very hard. I started about 15 long pieces yesterday, and was amazed at how they freshened up after about an hour in the water. They wilted on me from the time I cut them till I got them into the bubbling water.
Dax, yes they do have muli hose valves. Mine has 3 and I have 2 of the tubes in the water now.
I'll keep everyone informed on how these do. Wouldn't it be nice it they all rooted...woo hoo, I got vines for trading. lol
Donna
update everyone,
I lost it all..............:(
My passiflora too.
I tried switching out the water daily and adding HP as suggested but they all went away/died.
I could have done something wrong or too late in the stage don't know. Not willing to give up though.
Now, since some of ya'll seeem to be having some success, congrats and hooray. got to go, break is almost over here at work.
calvin
Oh bummer Calvin!!...Jeanne
Hey y'all...
been watchin' all this... will this method work on Kolanchoe?? I know they will start from broken leaves and stems... but I figured this might be faster...
--Helen
beaker- We just got back from 9 days at our summer cabin cats and all. They had a great time. It is a log cabin with a high ceiling and lots of windows. They had a hard time deciding between the windows and the rafters. Little miss chubby chose the windows. I wish they could talk, they hate the ride so much I can't decide if we should take them along all of the time or just when we will be there for an extended period.
Update!!...I broke some of my branches on my Tropical Hibiscus "Double Red" and recut and stuck in my bubbler..that was on July 5th..check this out 5 days later!!..Jeanne
I have ben watching this thread for a while now. On June 30th I bought everything I needed, took some cuttings, and plugged it in and so far nothing.
Hello everyone,
I am another "silent stalker" who has all brown thumbs when it comes to rooting things, but ya'll let me know when all those clematis (and other goodies) are rooted and I'll be glad to trade/SASE (after I clean out the couch, chairs and any other place my change might be hiding ;-)
Good luck to all bubblers,
Deb