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Post by Hermopolis on Dec 11, 2009 16:45:47 GMT
I have a nepenthes gracilis that I'm trying to propagate.
I've tried to root clippings in water and spaghnum but the plantlets have always rotted first. Thus, I would like to try air layering. Has anyone tried air layering? lf so how well does it work and do I have to do anything special for nepenthes?
Thanks,
-Hermes.
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Post by gardenofeden on Dec 11, 2009 17:56:51 GMT
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Post by Hermopolis on Dec 11, 2009 18:10:11 GMT
Great tutorial! Thanks!
-Hermes.
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Post by Dave Evans on Dec 11, 2009 21:52:45 GMT
Hello Hermes,
Could you explain the conditions which lead to the cuttings rotting? I don't think I've ever had N. gracilis not root, I've even rooted leaves, but these never grow into plants.
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Post by Hermopolis on Dec 12, 2009 2:45:22 GMT
I've tried it on three different occasions without success. The plant is always throwing out new shoots, so I do feel free to experiment a bit. However, I am tired of failing so I want to try something different.
The first time I tried it, which was I guess 8 or 9 years ago, I topped my parent plant. I subdivided the vine into 3 sections and put them in plain distilled water. One section I treated with root hormone. No roots and each section of the vine turned black and rotted.
Recently, I tried again but planted the vine directly into a nepenthes soil mix. Again, turned black and died.
My guess is that it is being attacked by fungus. So maybe air layering it with sphagnum with provide enough of an antifungal environment to give it a chance to root.
-Hermes.
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Post by rsivertsen on Dec 12, 2009 18:10:53 GMT
Hey Hermes, Some Nepenthes seem more difficult to root than others; using your old potting mix is probably not the best choice as it is far from sterile. Until the cut end forms a callus, it's very prone to fungal and bacterial pathogens that cause a systemic stem rot.
I've had a high rate of success in using live sphagnum tips and rinsed perlite with the cutting laying just on the surface, with the cut end exposed in a closed container, like a covered fish tank under lights, and recently, with nothing at all, just suspend the cuttings over a thin film of sterilized distilled water, in a 10 or 20 gal tank that is covered, and mist it once or twice a day with the same.
I boil the water, and heat any perlite mix in the microwave to boiling point, and let it cool before using it. I also pour the perlite into an old colander and shake out the smaller pieces while rinsing it out; I lose about half of it, but what's left is the perfect size.
In about 2 months, when I notice small root tips forming, I'll pot it up in a mix of damp sphagnum and perlite (about 50/50, or with a little more perlite) in a small clear plastic cup, and let it get nearly root-bound before I transplant it into anything with peat in the mix. It's also important to sterilize the blade you use to cut the stem, as any spores of these pathogens on the blade will come in contact with the open stem tissue. I have better results without using any rooting hormones, or Vit. B1 (thiamine mononitrate) solutions. I've heard some people have tried dipping the cuttings into things like honey (because it contains some antibacterial and anti-fungal agents) as well as cinnamon, but I might be tempted to just eat them with that stuff! (j/k) It could be another interesting experiment to give it a try tho'. - Rich
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