I have been trying different methods of propagating my Aroids, now that I have the room. I am now starting to favour different methods for different plants and cuttings. No one method works best nor does ‘one size fit all’.
Here, I want to talk about starting stem cuttings in Zip Loc bags and Spagnum Moss.
Initially, I couldnt see the point in wasting so much plastic and having bags of moss everywhere. But I have come around, due to the difference it has made to the cuttings I have trialed the method with. Even ones I thought were a waste of time, money and would do nothing. (Im talking about my first P. Verrucosum cutting especially) Look further down in the post to see the difference this has made.
WHAT TO DO:
The pics below are pretty self explanatory. Take a zip lock bag and line the bottom, 2 – 4 inched deep with Moss that has been wet and well wrung out.
Then put the cutting into the moss, deep enough that you can fully, but lightly, cover it with the moss. Then hang the bag in a warm spot with indirect light. Its that easy!
To maintain the cutting, simply mist every few days with a mister or squirty bottle and seal back up. Once the cutting has grown roots and some foilage, you can pot it in soil or another medium to further grow the root sytsem. To assist the new plants adjustment, putting a closhe or a ziploc bag over the cutting will help maintain the humidity that it is accustomed to.
THE RESULTS:
On April 4, I bought this P. Verrucosum cutting on a whim. Until I put it in a bag of moss approximately mid July, It had done nothing and I had written it off as a waste of money. After a week in the moss, I was so suprised to see the new shoot emerging from the stem. In 3.5 months in a warm greenhouse with high humidity, this cutting did nothing. This example is what has really sold me on using this method. Hopefully roots will soon follow.
On 24th July, I nervously cut my P. Majestic for propagation. Of the 5 pieces I had, these two below were just peices of stem with no leaf or signs of growth. Now two weeks later, look at them! Both have the beginings of a new shoot and has twice the growth of the other 3 cuttings. Again no roots yet, but they will come.
This P. White Night cutting was another that I had given up on. The piece of stem is so small and cut so awkwardly, I didnt think a node would grow at all. The leaf side that needed to produce a shoot is just over 1cm long and cut way too short. In the end, I decided to remove the leaf, and have put it into a bag of moss. After a few weeks, I was suprised by the results.
Isnt nature amazing. The new leaf shoot is emerging from the tiny bit of space that was left above the removed leaf. Its so stuck for room that its right on the edge of the cut stem. One thing I learnt when I was growing veggies on a large scale was that plants are on a mission to survive until they can share their genes on. Its why many herbs and veggies bolt, to get to that goal faster when under stress. This is why I never throw a cutting or node away until its rotten and there is no saving it. Even the most unlikely to grow peice of stem has found its way forward. Im so glad I didnt give up.
ess my aversion to wasting plastic was an issue and the bags are reusable. So why not!
Id love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for reading and happy growing. Xx
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