Thought a few of you might like to see what I have done..

I keep a florescent light on top of my fridge as a night light for my kids.. It is kept on 24/7.. I decided to take advantage of the heat the light put out.. not much.. but as the light is on top of the fridge the air temp up there is a bit higher as well.. also provides a bit of light that isn't direct burning sun light...


I started out putting cuttings in peat pellets and putting the pellets in cups and putting the cups in zip loc baggies.. But I think I keep disturbing the process when I take them out to check the roots.. so I skipped the cups for the Key limes.. all I have to do is pick up the bag and look at the bottom for roots and the condensation recycles to the pellet as it drips down the side of the bag....


I have several root stock cuttings rooted this way and a Cal.. I finally decided to bite the bullet and try other citrus.. pictured in the first pic are.. Key lime, dwarf lime, rough lemon, and Frank (Meyer) Lemon..
If this continues working well I might try others as well..
also have a couple of coke glasses with avocado pits rooting in the pic.. Hopefully they will be grafting size by spring..

Gina *BabyBlue*

I am having the darndest time rooting cuttings.

I will now be using the heating pad that I use for my seedlings. See if that works. Now that half of my Shikwasa seeds have sprouted I'll have room on the pad...

So I cust a fresh end off of my budwood.
Strip bark on a inch of budwood
3-5 second dip in my rooting hormone (Plant starter. Has a different kind of acid than what I have seen recommended here. Problem?)
Pop into pellet
Place pellet on heating pad in tray
Cover with baggie
Open and mist every day

What else?

I have never tried peat pellets, but Gina seems to like them. I always use a 50/50 mix of peat moss and perlite. However, I ALWAYS root in Root Maker Air Pruning Containers (no exceptions). Also, I don't massacre the bottom of the cutting by removing 100 percent the bark. I just remove a strip, one on each side. Place in a plastic bag, which will not require much misting at all, or much better place under a mist system in a mist bench if you have one. I'm sure there are more than one successful way to roots cuttings. - Millet

Interesting. Ok I will try the Gina method and Millet Method next go round along with the enhanced citrusboy bonehead sure to kill method...

Won't be ordering the rootmaker system as they sell by the carton. Wife is already giving me sideways glances about my science projects aound the house...

http://cgi.ebay.com/CLONE-MACHINE-20-FOR-CUTTINGS-HYDROPONIC-FREE-SHIPPING_W0QQitemZ130038503541QQihZ003QQcategoryZ43555QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I use the Gel2Root from planters pride I have said this a couple of times but it really does work and there is no need for misting as long as it is in a mini greenhouse or in a plastic bag, also you don't have to water it. You can see the roots forming to so it is really easy here is a pic.

http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/en/img/japanUK/photo/gel2root.jpg

Thanks valencia guy, Just bought 2 six packs!

your welcome they work really well for me

those are soo cool!! I love watching roots grow.. That is why I went with the pellets.. well.. kind of.. it doesn't take long to see the root coming out of the pellet.. I tried peat/ perlite mix.. couldn't tell how far along the rooting was.. wasn't sure if was enough to plant up or not.. couple times I checked and did damage to the new baby roots.. Millet... how do you tell when the root system is established enough to pot up/ not require misting system??
I bought peat pellets in bulk this yr!! LOL Paid $.02 each!! bought 100.. thinking maybe I should have gotten 200.. LOL gonna have lots of rooted cuttings my next spring...
only sideways glances Citusboy??

I think the added heat will help lots!! Seems to have increased how quick mine root..

Good luck Citrusboy!!!!

Thanks for all the input!!

Gina *BabyBlue*

Getting a cutting to develop some roots is close to being the least important aspect of the rooting process. Getting a cutting to root is easy. In a smooth sided gel container, or for that matter, with any common smooth sided container, one can get roots to develop. However, looking at the roots in the gel I cannot see even one single secondary lateral root that has developed. It is all important to get secondary lateral root structures to develop all along the first 4 inches of the new begining root system. Rooting is all about producing energy, if one desires to grow a robust strong healthy plant. if you start with a week root system that produces little energy, problems will abound. Superior rooted cuttings always produce superior plants, whereas poor rooted cuttings can never be turned into good quality plants. A big part of this quality and productivity is a direct result of the root system. Simply put, one white root tip can absorb X amount of water and nutrients in a given period of time. If that root is forced to branch so that there are 10 lateral root tips, absorption is increased ten fold, and if those 10 lateral roots are forced to each branch 10 times there are now 100 root tips to support the top, and so on. The importance of roots and root branching cannot be over emphasized. When roots in a smooth sided container reach the bottom or sides, whether growing in gel or in a growth medium, all they do is bend and continue to grow longer and longer. Because the white root tip is not pruned (air pruned or otherwise) no, or very few, secondary lateral roots develop, therefore no tertiary root develop. The importance of roots and root branching cannot be over emphasized. "The four inch rule" should always be observed, when selecting containers. The air pruning containers are 4 inches in height, and have many air pruning openings, and guiding ledges with in the container to guide the roots so they will become air pruned.The first four inches in the life of a root system is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the root system's development. In keeping with "The Four Inch Rule" it is aslo important to be sure that the root tips are NOT PRUNED before they have reached four inches in length. Due yourselves a favor and look into air root pruning. -Millet

Another thing about my experience with the gel rooting is that the first root produced went to the bottom, and then curl and stopped growing and laterals started, and so on. I kept mine a heat mat so i think the heat transfered quickly and killed the root tip so it put out laterals. If i was like Millet and had access to Root builder (which i do not) i would go with them but this is the best i have locally for myself.

Valenciaguy, you certainly could be correct in your thinking that with your gel containers setting on top of a heat mat, that the higher temperatures could possibly "heat prune" the new root tips, especially if your mat reaches a temperature of 95F+. However, this probably would not happen to any of the roots that grow along the sides. Roots can be pruned by the following methods.....mechanical pruned, air pruned, heat pruned, trapped pruned, and also copper pruned (however, I would not ever recommend copper pruning). But as you say, "You have to work with what you have available." Take care, I'll send you a present.- Millet

Always learning new stuff!!! and looking at old stuff from new angle...
Might get my mind wrapped around Air pruning.. Have to read over some stuff couple dozen more times..

SO tugging on the cutting too soon and breaking what roots have started doesn't count as root pruning since the root wasn't over 4 in right?

Well.. I was going to ask a BUNCH of root pruning questions.. but I think I will see if I can't find the answers.. probably already read the answers and missed them..
Before now root stocks were the only things I could get to root for me.. I tried Cal orange and Meyer Lemon both I was told was easy to get rooted.. and I tried rooting things I was told would be almost impossible to root such as my meiwa kumquat of course they didn't take either..
I think I butchered the root stock cuttings I had done last year... one I remember taking it apart just to look at the root system.. others I tried to do mini grafts that didn't work.. I know I have none of them left.. Oh well.. Learn, Learn, Learn, and Learn some more..

Gina *Baby(off to research pruning roots more)Blue*

Can someone explain what this "Root maker air pruning containers" are? I never heard of them.
I trim bark off bottom...dip in rooting hormone & put in 1/2 peat & 1/2 perlite in a 8 - 16 oz clear plastic cup. No plastic bag...just a sunny window without a draft - esp in winter. When I can see the roots thru cup wrapping around the sides, I will pot up. I only use mini greenhouse / baggies for seed starting.

Thanks millet for aprricating my input and trust me i would use air pruners if I had easy access to them.

Patty there is a lot of indo on root maker in another thread, I think the title was best containers or something do a search, or go through the citrus in containers.