What's new
By:
Filters
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

How big of a cutting?

ilbasso

ilbasso

While repotting my big nep, a couple of vines were damaged and removed. I can't waste a nepenthes so I will make cuttings of what I don't get rid of and I was wondering if there is any set rule as to how large a cutting should be? I've only done small cuttings before and was wondering what would happen if I trimmed the leaves and planted a foot long vine?
Would it look like a foot long piece of wood with a plant poking out of the top or will new grow points be activated along the vine?

Thanks,
B
 
Some people have done 1 node cuttings, but I never make them that small. I usually do 3 node, but I have done 2 before, both with equal success. You don't really need to trim the leaves....its pretty unnecessary unless you are going to try to root the plant in an environment with humidity less than about 40%. The gowth points thing depends...2 nodes could be activated, or only one, or 5, etc. SO yeah, it could end up looking like a long piece of wood with a plant coming out the top, or it might not. Even if only the last node is activated, the main vine won't die quickly, so it wont look like just wood until a long time after you plant it.

What are you cutting up btw?
 
Personally I like sticks with plants coming out of the top. It makes it look so cool, like a carnivorous palm tree.
 
phissionkorps said:
Some people have done 1 node cuttings, but I never make them that small. I usually do 3 node, but I have done 2 before, both with equal success. You don't really need to trim the leaves....its pretty unnecessary unless you are going to try to root the plant in an environment with humidity less than about 40%. The gowth points thing depends...2 nodes could be activated, or only one, or 5, etc. SO yeah, it could end up looking like a long piece of wood with a plant coming out the top, or it might not. Even if only the last node is activated, the main vine won't die quickly, so it wont look like just wood until a long time after you plant it.

What are you cutting up btw?
Click to expand...



Don't know! Folks around here are leaning towards a N. miranda and I'm going that route more and more. There are pics of it in the ID this plant forum.
 
Personally, I prefer shorter cuttings. I find that foot-long cuttings take a much longer time to root for me.
 
How short, Cindy?
You use 100% perlite to root cuttings, right?

Cheers,

Joe
 
Two node works for me, more plants and it fits under the lights. I fill styrofoam cups with perlite, stab holes 1" above the bottom the cup, dip cutting in hormones and pack into the perlite, fill with water, insert into plastic bag, tie it up and leave it under the lights. A couple months later most of the cuttings are ready to go and since it's only two nodes they're easy to pot and don't take too much space in the terrarium.

Peter
 
Griffin, the cuttings are about 1.5-3" long...rooted in pure perlite and water.

I have also tried 1" cuttings in LFS. Careful watering is required or the cutting will rot.

Cuttings with tight internodes are hard to root. But I do take them once in a while when I want basal cuttings.

For me, it does not matter how many nodes the cutting has but rather the length of the cutting. A upper vine cutting is going to be longer and with less nodes compared to a lower vine/basal cutting.
 
2 sounds bout right
 
  • #10
Are the nodes always visible? One of my N. miranda has these little elongated bump things coming out between every leaf, but all my other neps don't.
 
  • #11
All nodes are visible. It's where the leaf meets the stem and those bumps are just waiting to sprout in case the apical meristem is broken off.
 
  • #12
So if I broke off part of the ones where I can't see them will it die?
 
  • #13
I don't know what you mean by that...

If you whack off the top of the plant, one or more nodes below where you cut will activate and grow a new vine. No guarantees of course, but I've never heard of a node not activating eventually. On an old, woody vine a node can activate it's self, too.
 
  • #14
I mean are they there if you can't see them?
 
  • #15
Cindy,
So, are you doing one node cuttings 1.5-3" long? Did I understand that correctly?

Cheers,

Joe
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top