Re: Lavender Cuttings
susannah@cyber-dyne.com wrote:
>
> Thanks for your thoughtful note. How DO you usually root lavenders, then?
> I use the plastic bag method because, since they take a while to root,
> they seem to always wilt & die first, if they don't have a bag. I haven't
> had problems with rot unless they get extremely soggy, but I'm interested
> in other methods.
>
> -- Susannah
>
> At 01:57 PM 11/24/99 +1300, you wrote:
> >susannah@cyber-dyne.com wrote:
> >>
> >> Raelene, have you tried putting a plastic bag over the cuttings?...
> >
> >Just a word of warning.
> >While many sorts of cutting do much better in a moist chamber of some
> >sort, a few cannot tolerate such a damp atmosphere and rapidly succumb
> >to rot. I have particularly found this with lavenders, but other
> >silver-leaved shrubs in particular may react similarly.
To be perfectly honest, I haven't had a lot of success with lavenders,
but the ones I have rooted were uncovered. I think a lot must depend on
getting the right material at the correct stage of growth. Probably new
growth produced after flowering would be best. Woody cuttings don't seem
to work well.
I have tried them both with a standard peat/sand medium and also with
what I use for almost every cutting now - straight sawdust. This works
even when fresh, but perhaps better when weathered and is really great
for a lot of cuttings. Apart from fussy things like lavender, i usually
combine it with a cover. I prefer the bell jars Tony makes by cutting
the bottoms of largish plastic bottles, as unlike bags these stand up
without any support.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
