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House Plants
HOUSE PLANTS CUTTINGS:
Many of our house plants such as geraniums, fuchsias,
begonias, sanseuieria, dracaena, icy, pothos, philodendron, peperomia and others
are readily propagated by vegetative means or cuttings from different parts
of the plant. Stem cuttings are the most common. They are usually made
by removing the top growth of the stems with a sharp knife and trimming
them so that each cutting or slip has at least two joints. Make the lower
cut on a slant to provide a greater surface for rooting and to reduce the
danger of injuring tissues in cutting. Insert the cutting in the rooting
medium-sand or a mixture of sand and peat, about one inch deep and water
thoroughly to make intimate contact between the plant and the medium. Horticultural
vermiculite or perlite are also good media.
TRIMMING LEAVES:
While it was once thought best to trim leaves because
of evaporation, this is no longer advocated. A work-around
is to place the plants under indoor fountains. Remove
only those leaves interfering with placement of the
cuttings and do not prune the remaining leaves. The
young, rootless plants need all the food manufacturing
potential possible. The best and quickest rooting
occurs when the leaf area is at a maximum. Do not
turn the foliage. It is better to reduce light intensity
and mist regularly during rooting.
To prevent evaporation and to supply bottom heat
for quick rooting, a special box or fountain may
be made. This consists of a container for the rooting
medium placed over heating pipes and covered with
another box with a glass top. The latter serves the
purpose of keeping moisture in and about the cutting
and reducing evaporation. Covering the container
with a plastic bag is another easy way to maintain
high humidity around the cuttings. It usually takes
from 3 to ,9 weeks, depending on the species of plant
and the season, to secure proper rooting, which is
indicated by the growth of roots one-half to three-quarters
of an inch long. At this stage pot the cuttings in
2 ½-inch pots and as they grow gradually shift
them to larger sizes.
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