Gardening and Horticulture - roots
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01-10-01, 09:52 PM
i looking for information on how to make a branch on my citrus tree to root. this might sound crazy but my parents have done this before. Where you cut into the branch put some (stuff) into the cut, wrap it and in time this section will grow roots so you can later cut it off and it will be on its own a tree. what i need is the stuff. Can you help me out?
01-11-01, 08:23 AM
The "stuff" you are looking for is called rooting hormone.
It's a powder (talc with the hormone in it). You can find it at any good garden center; not so sure about the big box home centers. Rootone is one brand but there are others.
The process you describe is called air layering. Basically, you are going to cut into the twig (say half way through)at a diagonal. Dust the inside of the cut with the hormone. Insert a toothpick or wooden matchstick piece into the cut to keep it open. Wrap the cut area with moist sphagnum, then wrap that with plastic to keep from drying out, securing both ends with a string or rubber band. Keep the sphagnum inside moist. In time you will have roots growing into the sphagnum. When it appears that there are enough to support the new plant, cut off the stem and pot up!
This method can can be used on a lot of other plants as well, and works especially well with house plants that have gotten too tall for your liking - you can root the tops and then discard the bottoms (or cut down and let resprout).
Have fun!
It's a powder (talc with the hormone in it). You can find it at any good garden center; not so sure about the big box home centers. Rootone is one brand but there are others.
The process you describe is called air layering. Basically, you are going to cut into the twig (say half way through)at a diagonal. Dust the inside of the cut with the hormone. Insert a toothpick or wooden matchstick piece into the cut to keep it open. Wrap the cut area with moist sphagnum, then wrap that with plastic to keep from drying out, securing both ends with a string or rubber band. Keep the sphagnum inside moist. In time you will have roots growing into the sphagnum. When it appears that there are enough to support the new plant, cut off the stem and pot up!
This method can can be used on a lot of other plants as well, and works especially well with house plants that have gotten too tall for your liking - you can root the tops and then discard the bottoms (or cut down and let resprout).
Have fun!