Re: Propogating N. rokko from cutting.
Oliver T Massey CFS (massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu)
Fri, 30 Jun 1995 09:31:39 -0400
> Fellow growers,
>
> I fear I may have done something wrong, and I'm wondering if I can fix it
> before I lose my cutting. I ask your advice.
>
I cut the plant with a razor blade just above
> a leaf, but below the little nipply thing on the stem. (I'm not certian if
> that's the right latin term, but you know what I mean) Then I dipped the
> cut end in #2 rooting hormone and potted it in a 1:1:1 mix of sterilized
> sand, pure peat, and orchid bark. It's in a free draining hanging basket,
> still in the same terrarium. It gets regular watering and misting in a
> constant high humidity environment. This was about 3 weeks ago.
>
The cutting slowly began to troop, the leaves folding downwards
> and looking unhappy, but still green. Now the lowest of the leaves is
> actually dieing, and the rest of the cutting seems a bit worse off day bay
> day. I've seen no new growth at all. Should I be putting something
> special in the compost? Reducing light?
> - Andrew Flostrand <flostran@sfu.ca>
I have found N. rokko cuttings to be a little more difficult than some
of the other Neps. Don't know why. I use a different planting mix and
make the cut a different place, but the three issues I would suggest you
consider are 1) give it more time, 3 weeks is too short for any real
development to occur; 2) when you take an apical meristem cutting I
believe it is best to include at least four leaves besides the unopened
growing tip; and 3) cut off about 1/2 to 2/3rds of each of the lowest
leaves (not the newest leaf or the unopened tip) to reduce loss of
moisture through transpiration.
Tom in Fl