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Theoretical (sort of) question on cuttings.

Let's just say, for arguements sake, that I was about to make a bunch of cuttings of nepenthes. And let's just say they were about to be traded in the trade forum. Have people had success mailing fresh cuttings? Or do I have to root them here before sending them? Do they survive the mailing?

Capslock
 
I have been the recipient of Nep cuttings this summer. They were bound in peat and kept moist, in a plastic bag. Of the six that were sent, one was stolen, one died, and the four remaining are alive. One is sending up a new leaf. They were shipped in a box.
 
Cutting will do fine in shipping as long as they are properly taken and properly packaged. I generally ship fresh cutting in a bag full of living Sphagnum moss so humidity is at most 100% in the bag.
 
I traded for a cutting this summer and it was in bad shape when I got it,it didnt make it.There was moss in the bag it was packed in,but it had fallen away.I didnt tell the person who sent it,I just took it as a loss.I wont trade for a unrooted cutting again.

Jerry
 
I've had fine luck rooting cuttings that have come in the mail. I always give them my cutting treatment which seems to work:

1) Shave off the lower 1/2 - 1" of outer flesh from the stem using a clean xacto blade. I sometimes do this with traded plants who have rather weak roots, better to just start over.

2) let cutting soak in room temp (70-75*F) water for a while (anywhere from 10-30 minutes)

3) wrap shaved end with few long strands of sphagnum

4) pot snugly (so it doesn't wobble) in a starter pot of pure sphgnum or sphag and fine bark

5) place in proper grow chamber (highland, intermediate or lowland). Kept in open air or on a windowsill cuttings have not survived for me at all. But in a terrraium nearly 100% rooting success (except with N. ampullaria stem cuttings)

6) mist the leaf (or leaves) often but water the soil only about 1/2 as much as active growing Neps. This seems to encourage faster root development when I do it and there's far less chance of rot on the buried stems of slow rooting Neps. Once there are a few new leaves then water as normal and repot if necessary.

If you're worried about complaints just be sure to make a notice in your post that "these cuttings are unrooted and it's up to you to keep it alive". Then they can't/shouldn't be able howl!
smile.gif
 
I received one over the summer...fresh ONE NODE cutting....and it successfully rooted. Now, I'm afraid I may have killed it...What with moving and forgetting to water it (well, overlooked it while watering the others). DOH! And it had just made it's first pitcher. Might recover....cross your fingers...

But I go off on a tangent.

Yes, you can ship fresh cutting if you keep them sufficiently moist, and the post office doesn't loose the darned package for weeks.
 
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