Two weeks ago I cut back my I. fuchsioides in preparation for winter storage (I don't have indoor space appropriate for keeping the plant in active growth, but have been successful with dormant storage in my garage.) I was very rushed to get everything into my garage before going on vacation & left the "cuttings" outdoors. To my surprise, I just looked out the window and can see that the cuttings are still fresh looking, even tho they're just lying outside...not in water & still holding all their leaves! The tips of the stems haven't even wilted. Maybe these stems are telling me they want to survive, so I think I'll try sticking some cuttings & see what happens.
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
Good luck with those Patrick. I cut back most of my iochromas to get them inside and tried rooting the nicer cuttings. I had about 40 and am down to 7 that still look ok though none have put out roots. I have miserable results with iochroma cuttings. I've had very good results rooting passifloras in water with bottom heat. I've found that layering mandevillas works well though it was by accident that I discovered it. lol I'd tried rooting mandevillas in soil and water with and w/o bottom heat and rooting hormones and all were unsuccessful. I had a mandevilla on a post that grew like crazy and several branches had been laying on the ground in a nearby flower bed. When I finally went to move them I found that the parts that were covered with a bit of garden soil had developed nice root systems and I just separated them from the mother plant.
Karyn
I haven't had any luck when previously attempting to root Iochroma cuttings in water. That was a major factor in not saving these trimmings to start with. But I would have expected them to be quite wilted by now, just lying exposed in the backyard. Maybe they'll feel desperate enough after that treatment to go ahead and root. lol
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
Patrick, I have been trying to root plum cuttings for about a month. So far, they're just sitting there, not wilted or rotting, but also not rooting. If yours grow, maybe I'll toss mine outside & threaten them a little. LOL Anybody tried air layering them?
I got about 50% of mine to root one time when doing them in wet sand. It still took a long time to get roots and it was during the heat of the summer.
Karyn, I'll try your method of rooting mandys and passies next year. I would sure like to be able to hold some over. As expensive as shipping is getting to be, the orders are more and more every year. Thanks for the info.
ChSam (Shirley Morr)
Chariton, Iowa
Zone 5
This message has been edited by ChSam on Nov 19, 2007 6:49 PM
Patick I would try recutting the ends a little and giving them a try in damp sand, but keep them really cool though. I think fuschoides may like it cooler than the others. I had one in a pot I kept outdoors under cover, close to the house, all winter except for the 4 or 5 coldest days. Kept most of it's leaves. They also seemed to complain a lot more than other iochromas when I tried it in my warmer basement grow room for the winter.
Tom, have you tried any Iochroma cuttings in your "rooting machine"?
This plant stored well in my chilly garage last winter. It lost all its leaves (don't remember whether I stripped the leaves or they just fell off). In early spring, it started to sprout out and once it was outdoors, it took off & grew nicely.
My Plum Beauty is still pretty small. I hope it overwinters successfully...love the color.
It's pretty nippy out, but I see my hummingbirds are still chasing one another away from the feeders & the remaining flowers. To any of you in the Puget Sound region, please consider keeping a feeder out for the Anna's hummers and use a 3:1 water/sugar ration for the winter...and no coloring in the water, please!
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
Haven't tried any iochromas in the aeroponic propagator. I was worried it was a little to warm where I have it set up. So far I've just used the bag method with sterilzed super-high-drainage soil; kept them cool. I think I might try damp sand on my next one.
I had trouble rooting Iochroma for a long time. After careful study, I finally found a successful method for reproduction.
1. Use only terminal end cuttings that are green and somewhat firm.
2. Cut them into pieces no more than 4" tall and with at least three leaf nodes.
3. Make a soil mix of 3/4 perlite to 1/4 sterile seed starting mix.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of rooting hormone (I use Rhizopon) to a quart of water and mix thoroughly.
5. Dump the mixture into the soil mix and stir.
6. Place cuttings into the mix.
7. Enclose the pot in a large ziplock bag and place in a warm (75 degrees)semi-shady location.
8. Open the ziplock after about a week and remove aborted leaves if necessary.
10. You should have roots in 6 -8 weeks.
The key here is low moisture. Too wet and the cuttings will fail.
That sounds very interesting, Liz. How much potting mix should be made? If the trick is low moisture, a quart of liquid should moisten a lot of potting mix. I'm thinking in terms of what it'd take to work with 5-6 cuttings.
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
