Phrag. bessae with a very long

[abax]

new growth crawling out of the pot. Has anyone ever tried a technique
similar to grafting with these crawlers? The idea being to loosely wrap
the growth where there has been some roots with moss and see if the
growth will throw out new roots. I've used this technique with other
types of plants and it's usually successful...air layering is the common
term in the nursery trade. Assuming the growth gets new roots, it can
then be detached from the mother plant and potted. Can anyone think
of a reason this definitely wouldn't work?

 

[John M]

I do that all the time with my besseae's. Works like a charm.

 

[phrag guy]

As John said this does work

 

[jeremyinsf]

I did this earlier in the year and it worked so well, the growth bloomed before I had a chance to do anything more with it.

 

[NYEric]

If you look on Page 36 of my miscellaneous stuff thread you will see some stolonous Phrags rooting this way.

 

[abax]

Thank you all. I need a bit of reassurance. Did anyone wrap the growth with sphag. or
just plug it back in the pot after detaching.

 

[John M]

Do the "air layering" thing and once it's got it's own roots, just pot it up normally. If you detach it before any roots have grown, there is a much better chance that it won't root; but, once you've got at least a couple roots, you're good to go.

 

[abax]

Oh goodie! Something new to try in the greenhouse!

 

[John M]

However, also remember that you will never get the best quality flowers if you don't allow the plant to grow into a multigrowth plant. When you do allow a plant to become multigrowth, it's important that each growth has it's own roots. So, with besseae, it's important to get creative and try somehow to accomodate the ascending habit while still providing the base of each growth with the right conditions to encourage root development.

 

[abax]

Thank you, John. I'm going to have to think on this information a bit and
how I might accommodate the plant's growing habit.

 

[John M]

Thank you, John. I'm going to have to think on this information a bit and
how I might accommodate the plant's growing habit.

Give it a large, shallow pan to grow in and the stolons will grow out horizontally, instead of vertically.

 

[Cheyenne]

This is what I do. When I see the new growth starting to vrow away from the original growth I take a pot (usually a three inch or so) and cut one of the holes bigger in the bottom of it. Then I stick the new stolon through the hole I cut bigger. Then I let it grow a little, when I see it is starting to grow and spread its leaves out I take fishing line and tie the new pot to the old one. Then I fill the new pot with regular phrag bark mix. It gives it a terrace effect. The new growth will grow roots and your done. You can now stack another pot if the next growth grows up again. Then when I have to repot I decide weather to cut them or just empty the mix out of the pots or just fill them back up.. I have a Hanna popow with three pots staced up right now.

 

[abax]

Very interesting idea, Cheyenne. I'm also interested in the trellis idea, but
don't quite know how to anchor the newbies to the trellis...sphag. maybe?
I did my air layering today and we'll see what happens.

I wonder just how moist I should try to keep the sphag. around the cut
through the base of the leaves. The moss is wrapped with plastic wrap and tied off, but it's surely going to dry out over time.

 

[NYEric]

I keep the sphagnum in net baskets and wet so the roots will grow into it.

 

[abax]

Eric, have you a photo of the net basket on a Phrag.? Do you keep
the sphag. really wet? I can untie the top end of the sphag. ball and
water it, but it seems I might disturb any root development. I'm trying
this on the Phrag. bessae 'Peach Cobbler' x 'Colossal Peach'. Has your plant
bloomed?

 

[NYEric]

Yes, my peach besseae bloomed but it's semi-peloric.
I posted photos of stolonous growths rooting in baskets of sphagnum moss in my "Miscellaneous Stuff" thread. It has to be moist for the roots to grow.