School propagation demo project

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by Ralph Walton, Nov 18, 2004.

  1. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    I'm trying to guide my youngest (11) on a school project that I also need guidance on. The rough plan is to do cuttings every 2 days for 2 weeks so that on the following Monday he will have 7 cuttings (visible behind glass) hopefully with the first one by then showing visible roots and sprouting, and the rest stepping back in the progress department!
    Can anyone suggest a readily available hard or green plant source for cuttings? Our only concern would be speed of this initial response, but of course some will end up in the garden or inside containers. We have lots of trees around here: poplars, alder, maples, oak, hawthorne, various conifers, some vines: virginia creeper, concord and interlaken grape, or I could go to a local nursery and grab a sacrificial lamb for the project. Suggestions please for speed and ease of sprouting?
    Thanks in advance, Ralph
     
  2. growest

    growest Active Member 10 Years

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    Ralph --none of the trees would root for a long time, if at all this time of year. Indeed, looking around outside now, it's hard to think of much that would root quickly, many things are getting quite winter dormant with hard wood that roots much slower than in say June/July.

    I would tend to just grab cuttings from newest growth on English ivy, but even it wouldn't show much in 7 days would it? Make sure it is from the juvenile form, not the plants that are starting to flower/fruit (they lose most of their rooting tendencies at that stage).

    Sounds like a very good project for school, get those kids turned onto horticulture early...I know I was and it stuck!

    Glen
     
  3. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Ralph, maybe you should try the experiment with an indoor plant. Many house plants are very easy to strike cuttings from.
     
  4. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks but...

    Thanks Eric, but the only indoor plants we have are a Jade plant and a Christmas Cactus (currently blooming), and it would not go well for me if I was to prune either of these for any reason! I'll be going to town tomorrow and will stop at one of the local nurseries for specific advice and hopefully a house plant to dismember. I can see some Christmas presents coming out of this too.
    By the way, interesting terminology: to "strike" a cutting. I've seen it before and it makes me think of a sword rather than an x-acto knife. I wonder about the origin.
    Ralph
     
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2004

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