Question on the baggy method

[junglegal]

I had the stick in a baggie for 3 weeks and removed it this week. Existing leaves looked fine at first upon removal. Now they are dried out looking. At this point, would it be beneficial to cut them off to let the energy go into the roots (well assuming it rooted)

This was the auction plant Lee brought. It had beautiful leaves but was not rooted. Everyone also got a stick with no leaves. Mine that did not have leaves looks fine and is throwing new growth.

 

[junglegal]

50 views and no replies? Really? Well I went ahead and removed the plant from the baggy right or wrong and cut off all the dried up leaves. Some all, some 1/2. It's yet to push new growth but is hanging in there.
I have 8 more using the bag method from my trip to Ft. Lauderdale to see Rick. Guess I'll be winging it for those too. Here are a few. As always, IDs unknown.

 

[ScotTi]

Bren, I hear you should cut the leaves in 1/2. I have not tried to root a cutting with leaves yet.

 

[Phil Stager]

The bag method was described in length by the Blaumans in one of the early Croton Society newsletters. When rooting cuttings, whether in a greenhouse, mist house, bag, cold frame or whatever, the goal is to prevent or minimize transpiration losses through the leaves. To assist in minimizing transpiration losses, most of us remove some of the leaves - total leaf or part of the leaves - since that stick in the ground just cannot move water fast enough to suport all those leaves. I usually leave cuttings in the bag until I see roots growing out the bottom of the pot - which can take anywhere from a few weeks in the summer to three months over a warm winter. I also use the bag method to encourage weak air layers to grow roots rapidly esp when I screw one up and it stays soggy for moths and produces few if any roots. Read the suggested propagation methods in Dr. Brown's book; the bag method is a simple variation on keeping high humidty with a bit of ventilation.

 

[Phil Stager]

...and for those that insist on keeping as many leaves as possible on a cutting, some have had success by putting a rubber band around the leaves (the ones in the Postal Service bulk mail facility work great for this). This also enable one to fit more plants in a given area.
...and never put the cuttings into full sunlight unless you want a bag full of cooked croton mush. (Ever wonder why glass house or green house windows are whitewashed).
Google 'rooting cuttings' for more info than you'd care to read in one night.

 

[Phil Stager]

Here we go - step by step:
1. Take two fresh cutting that were broken off the parent plant by a heavy fructescense from a Livistona chinensis ($#@!*). The semi oak one with lots of leaves is a vanHoutii and the other is a Vietchia. Too good to trash so let's root them by the bag method. vanH has waaaay too many leaves and the Veitchia has a few too many. See photo 1

2. Trim, trim, trim so the cutting does not die from trying to move water from a non-existent root system to all those leaves. See photo 2. that's all the cut-off leaves at the right.

3. A dip in some Rootone and into a 1 gal pot full of potting mix. See photo 3

4. Into a clear plastic bag with a vent hole in top and into a shady area. See photo 4. I may check the bag once a week at most for the next month or two depending on the weather. No need to hurry this time of year especially since the humidty is quite low here. I wait until I see nice roots popping out of the bottom of the pot before removing it for good from the bag.

 

[Phil Stager]

Here's plant that's been in the bag for one month. Whoohee, I can see a few roots coming out the bottom of the pot. Good, but with our low humidty right now, back in the bag it goes for more roots. Another week or two in the bag before it gets acclimated to whatever weather we'll have then.
And if it is cool, windy, with low humidity, it can stay in the bag even longer.

 

[Phil Stager]

...and don't forget to give everything a very good watering before putting it in the bag. We're looking for 100% humidty so any condensation inside the bag is good.

 

[junglegal]

Excellent tutorial Phil. Thanks!

 

[palmisland]

Phil, I assume keeping them on a seedling heat mat would speed up the rooting considerably.

I used an old aquarium on a heat mat last winter with decent results.

Randy

 

[Phil Stager]

Yes, in cooler temps, a seedling mat or other source of controlled heat should speed things along esp if temps below 60F are expected for days on end...

The key elements - warmth plus humidty plus some sort of growing medium and moderate light are all one needs

 

[junglegal]

Phil,

I am going to capture your photos and commentary and add it to the propagation page in the wiki for future reference. Thanks again for taking the time to post this!
Bren