Stages 1 & 2: From unrooted to rooted cuttings
Moisture Management Saturated, or Level 5 soil moisture, will decrease the uniformity and speed of rooting for most crops, so it’s important to emphasize the proper soil moisture during Stage 2. Ideally you can maintain a Level 4 soil moisture during root initiation and then start drying down to a Level 3 as the roots start to elongate. Dry soil below a Level 3 during Stage 2 can stall the root initiation process, so too dry can be a problem as well. Fertility The cutting has been losing nutrients ever since it was severed from the stock plant and this is our first real chance to start to replace this lost nutrition. Ideally, you can provide some fertility in mist during Stage 1 of propagation. The biggest benefit of this will come from the increased EC of the soil, as the water makes it to the propagation media. This is ideal because, as the cutting strikes a root, we want to have some nutrients there for it to start taking up immediately. Regardless of whether you foliar fertilize or not, you should start fertilizing the soil in this stage to bring up the soil EC – 75 to 100 ppm N of a balanced fertilizer like 17-5-17 is a great place to start. As your soil starts to dry down and the roots begin to elongate, you
can recharge the soil EC at each irrigation, but be careful not to push too hard. This is a great environment to promote stretched internodes and rapid growth, so try to balance the fertility at this point until you can get your liners into a better environment for toned growth. PGRs – Controlled Growth Management This is likely the first stage in which a grower will start to treat liners with growth regulators . Not all crops will need treatments in this stage, but because of the need for controlled and compact growth, combined with an environment that provides conditions that aren’t favorable to this type of growth, we may need to begin PGR treatments. HIGHER Mist Frequency Crops Average Days to Root*
AVERAGE Mist Frequency Crops
Average Days to Root*
Coleus
4 to 6 4 to 6 4 to 6 5 to 7 5 to 7 5 to 7 5 to 7 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8 6 to 8
Ipomoea
Perilla
Impatiens, Double Impatiens walleriana
Iresine
Verbena
Alternanthera
Bacopa Bidens
Brachyscome
Cuphea Diascia
Euphorbia
Gaura
Heliotrope
Impatiens, New Guinea Impatiens, Interspecific
Lamium
Lysimachia
Nemesia Petchoa Petunia
Argyranthemum
5 to 7 7 to 9 8 to 10 8 to 10
Plectranthus Rudbeckia
Thunbergia Angelonia Bracteantha
Salvia
Basil
7 to 10 7 to 10 7 to 10 7 to 10 7 to 10 7 to 10 7 to 10 7 to 10
Osteospermum
9 to 12 (URC) 9 to 12 (URC)
Calibrachoa
Scaevola
Dahlia
LOWER Mist Frequency Crops
Average Days to Root*
Erysimum Evolvulus
Purslane
5 to 7 6 to 8 7 to 9
Lantana Lobelia
Streptocarpella Helichrysum
Strobilanthes
GERANIUM Group
Average Days to Root*
*These are average days to root for URC, depending on environment and location
Zonal Geranium Ivy Geranium
7 to 10 7 to 10
12
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