Little new plants from Nepenthes cuttings

[HealthCare]

Hi! I would like to ask you about new little Nepenthes plants obtained from my old Nepenthes x ventrata. The main plant was too high for my windowsill so I decided to cut it. I did not want to propagate it but for unknown reason I cut it into pieces with 2-3 adult leaves and put all of them into a jar filled with water. Since July (so the time I did it) I've noticed that all of my cuttings died. All - apart from two, showed in photos below. They are still in water, producing new little leaves. I would like to grow them as my new pitcher plants. But please tell me what I should do - should I cut it near 2 and put in a pot with peat or leave it just like it is in the picture and put the "1" end into peat? The new plants do not have any roots.





(I'm sorry for any grammatical mistakes, I'm not a native English speaker )

 

[Grey Moss]

I wouldn't cut them. Leave them as is and stick them into media. Chances are that at least one of them will root after some time.

 

[Acro]

I wouldn't cut them. Leave them as is and stick them into media. Chances are that at least one of them will root after some time.

Would rooting hormone help improve results?

 

[HealthCare]

Grey Moss, thank you for your answer!

I wanted to ask exactly the same question. I have somewhere an old rooting hormone for green and woody plants. Should I use it? If so, should I soak my little plants in rooting hormone (for, let's say, 15 minutes) before sticking into media or use the rooting hormone with peat together (I mean - to put N. cuttings just for 5 sec. into the hormone and then transfer it immediately into media)?

 

[Grey Moss]

I wouldn't know anything about the effectiveness of rooting powder, I've never used it. However, I can't see it hurting the process so feel free to use some.

 

[nimbulan]

Some people swear by rooting hormones, others say it doesn't help. I'm inclined to go with the "doesn't help" side - placing the cuttings in conditions that promote rooting will be far more effective.

 

[Plant Heathen]

I tried rooting hormone before and it did absolutely nothing for me.

 

[HealthCare]

So placing the cuttings in peat will be a better way to keep them alive and in good condition?

 

[nimbulan]

Peat's not generally recommended. You don't want to keep the soil too wet while attempting to root cuttings, because it can cause the cutting to rot.

 

[HealthCare]

I've been told one time that when I want my new plants (for example from cuttings) to produce new roots, I should put them in pure peat (and change the media when roots will form), because it keeps water inside itself much longer than, for instance, a mixture of peat and perlite - and that it's better for roots. So you recommend more draughty media?

 

[hcarlton]

If you want new roots you want a medium that provides the proper conditions for good root growth for whatever plant may be in question, ie. a well oxygenated medium here. Pure water often is enough for Nepenthes but if not a sphagnum or sphagnum-perlite mix. Anything sphagnous is going to remain plenty moist (you don't want wet) so long as you keep with the same attention any fully rooted and growing plant has, but peat is too dense and anaerobic, likely to rot the base of the stem and/or subsequent roots.

 

[HealthCare]

You totally convinced me, thank you for the answer. I will use the mixture I have for my mature plants, not pure peat. I'll do it this weekend and then let you know how they are doing.

 

[HealthCare]

I planted the cuttings in media I usually use for Nepenthes. I was soaking one of them in rooting hormone for 5 minutes, maybe we'll notice a difference later. Should I cover them with a Petri dish for higher humidity or is the 60% humidity value enough?

 

[HealthCare]

Unfortunately the one with rooting hormone is dead. It turned black and was covered by mould. The second one seems to be doing good. So far so good.

 

[Acro]

Unfortunately the one with rooting hormone is dead. It turned black and was covered by mould. The second one seems to be doing good. So far so good.

Wow . . . I never thought that rooting hormone would harm them. I figured it would either help or do nothing at all.
Good Luck with the survivor!

 

[Vidyut]

Just to check, you just dipped the part to form roots in the hormone and not the whole cutting, right?

Rooting hormone hasn't worked for me so far, but the plants don't rot. They just do a whole lot of nothing till they slowly die.

 

[HealthCare]

I hope that the last one will also be the strongest one! Let's call him Rocky.

Vidyut, of course I dipped only the bottom part, maybe it was because of the rooting hormone (natural one, from algae), maybe the 2nd N. cutting was weaker or maybe just an accident. We'll see what happens in upcomming week.