HUMIDITY
This is the bane of my existence currently.
I learned the hard way that cuttings are very sensitive to fluctuations in humidity. I’ve started all my cuttings with plastic bread bags as a makeshift humidity dome.
My first batch was doing seemingly very well and leafing out until, several weeks in, I read in “The Incredible Pomegranate” that humidity domes cause mold and rot and it’s better to just mist cuttings daily. I had noticed some mold on a couple, so I pulled the bags off and misted them a couple times a day. Within a day or so leaves started dropping like crazy, so I replaced the bags.
Many weeks of bags on, bags off, on, off, etc and ultimately I think it’s probably time to toss most of them. 2 currently have leaves and might be ready to up pot soon but I’m really not sure when it’ll be safe. I’m also terrified of losing them as I transition them out of the humidity bags.
The cuttings in more recent batches I’ve not taken the bags off for long. If condensation builds up and touches the leaves or cuttings, they do not like that, so I started removing the bags and turning them inside out to keep condensation away from the cuttings, then replacing them inside out. I’ve also started adding a hole to the bags every day or two to try to wean them off the bags.
I would love to find a safe alternative to humidity domes and bags. It’s sooo time consuming and I feel like it’s impossible to truly keep it just right. I’ve seen some people have success wrapping with parafilm, and even some that use no wrapping or humidity domes.
Has anyone had success without humidity domes? Rooting outside?
CONTAINERS
I started with red plastic cups with holes drilled into the bottom and the cultivars written on the cups in permanent marker. My most recent batch I’ve used clear cups and it’s very useful to be able to see the roots forming. Once I can see roots, I add a colored cup over the clear to protect the roots from light. I purchased some rooting plug trays, but for now I think I’ll stick to my current container method so I can monitor them closely until I really get a good system down. I will also try to write the dates I stick the cuttings on the containers in the future since I keep starting new batches as I go.
MEDIUMS
I started with a 70/30 coco coir/perlite mix, then after watching a YouTube video with Jeff Moersfelder’s talk on propagation, my newer batches were started in 50/50 perlite/vermiculite mix. I think I prefer the perlite/vermiculite because it seems to have less issues with mold, but that could also be due to me monitoring the newer starts for condensation more closely.
OTHER NOTES
All of my cuttings have been dormant hardwood cuttings. Most I’ve purchased, only one batch I took myself from an apparently prolific local producer of an unknown variety.
All have been started on heat mats, and I add grow lights once some start leafing out.
I’ve used Bonide Bontone II Rooting Powder exclusively and have seen leafing out on all but 1 cutting out of dozens I started. Root rate TBD, but I suspect quite a few of the first batch rooted but died.
Of the 9 cuttings I’ve stuck in the most recent batch from the local pomegranate, 7 have leafed out, and 2 have visible roots as of today, 4/12. 8 of those were started on 3/8, with 1 started a week later on 3/15.
I bought some 4’ long, adjustable height folding tables from Walmart that I’ve been using recently for my “propagation station.” The top height is good for working while standing without having to hunch over.
