Hello everyone Just got back from Hong Kong. Glenda was right... I did look for seeds and plants in every park I saw. I got some seeds and cuttings. I will send pics with the plants I got them from. I would like some PROMPT reply to this, as to what I should do with the cuttings. I put them in plastic bottles on the way home and now they are in a jar in water. I would like to know if it's better to keep them in water till they make some roots. OR should I plant the cuttings in flower mix and wait? PLEASE let me know what you think. They are cuttings from hibiscus and other kinds of shrubs that normally make flowers and thus I think they propagate through cuttings. THANKS CALIN
Calin, I found this info on propagating hibiscus, there are some species of hibiscus that you can root from cuttings, some have to be grafted. http://www.trop-hibiscus.com/rooting.html Since each of your plants will be different, you probably should do a google search for propagating each one. Some will root in water, some have to have rooting mixture, some might even root in a pot of soil. Good luck on your search. Also a word of warning, check with some horticultural groups in your country to make sure you haven't brought home some plant that has become extremely invasive when taken out of it's native environment. The southern U.S. has big problems with plants like the Kudzu vine, a certain type of water hyacinth and some others that were imported then started running wild down here.
Calin I collect plant cutting all the time and simply stick them into a jar of water and wait. They either root or they don't - most times they do. :-D I've heard that some cuttings can be dipped in hormone rooting powder and then planted in a multi purpose soil but I've never used it myself. I think I'd listen to Toni rather than to me as my way of rooting cuttings isn't exactly 'by the book'.
I have done it both ways but if you are going to just put them in a potting or starter mix soak them 24 hours in a rooting hormone first. Then, every few days water them with a weakened hormone mix. 3 tablespoons of the hormone in a gallon of water. I have also started plants in water. You could try adding a small bit of the hormone to the water. Dooley
I do like Eileen ,stick them in water and wait.If it roots fine if it don't fine. Glad you made it home ok.
I'm a bit non-prompt with this, but in the greenhouse where I used to work we dipped cuttings in rooting hormone then stuck them in perlite, with a warming mat underneath, and kept them constantly damp. You can get much the same effect by filling a plastic bread bag with perlite, cutting slits in it to poke in the plant, and putting it on top of a fridge. I first read that awesome bit of advice on, um, oh yeah! Gardenstew!
