Growing plants from cuttings ?

[crw.dft]

Originally Posted by EricM

Most of the frog tanks I use have a screen vent on the top. When the tanks are first started the vents are covered with some plastic to keep the humidity high. Usually a plastic ziploc bag folded over does the trick. Like Chuck stated, high humidity is really the make it or break part of getting the plant going. Otherwise they dry out quickly.

It is also good to let the plants get established before adding frogs, especially larger ones like tincts or galacts; they can destroy smaller delicate plants by traveling over them.

Another good strategy is too start a cutting tank with sensitive or delicate plants along side something that grows incredibly fast and is bullet proof. The fast growing plant will create a humidity gradient in the tank that may allow the delicate ones a better chance to establish itself. It is imperative to keep an eye on the fast growing species so it doesn't choke out the slower growers. Once the sensitive plants are established the fast growers can be removed or cut back.

The two fast growers I use are Begonia thelmae, a dark green Philodendren, and a Pepperomia sp. All three of these are soft stemmed and easy to cut or pull out of vivariums. Plus they grow like weeds.

For small epiphytes like Dischidias and ferns, place the cuttings on a slab of tree fern in a tank with high humidity. I usually put a layer of wet sphagnum moss on the bottom of the tank and then lay the treefern piece on top of it. If the lighting is good and the tank is pretty much sealed the cuttings will do well. The moss should stay wet for a long time if you lightly mist the tank a few times a week.

Many plants will seemingly not grow for a long time and then take off. So be patient. It may be a month or so before you really notice anything, some of the plants take forever it seems, but once they get going you will be able to make more cuttings and start them up in other tanks.

Hope this helps
Eric

Great info, thanks a ton.

[disiwolf]

I have always taken clipping and placed them stright into the viv and they have taken off faily fast. About three months ago i planted some red wondering jews the clipping was about 4 inches. Now it is about a foot and half with 5 or 6 off shoots on it.