BRT from Cuttings? Advice.

[penumbra]

I apologize for bringing this up but I didn't find what I was looking for in the archives. I am bringing my Brazilian Rain Trees in now for winter which necessitates pretty severe pruning. Last year I had no luck with propagating these from cuttings, yet I know there are those of you out there that have had success with this. Any suggestions or advice would be very welcome.
Thank you.

 

[Carol 83]

I haven't had much luck, but am trying again with a few cuttings. We'll see, I don't hold out any great hopes. I know @LanceMac10 has had some success. Maybe @Clicio @leatherback could offer some advice. They have had success with growing from seed. I would be interested in any tips and tricks also.

 

[sorce]

I'd take a lot and watch the leaves to know if they are in a spot they like. Don't they open and close?

Sorce

 

[Carol 83]

I'd take a lot and watch the leaves to know if they are in a spot they like. Don't they open and close?

Sorce

Not if they're dead like all the ones I've tried.

 

[leatherback]

Not many tips here. I just took cuttings in spring, dipped in rooting hormone. Potted in perlite and enclosed in a ziplock baggie. Waited for all the leaves to fall off. And now I see new leaves growing.

 

[Carol 83]

Not many tips here. I just took cuttings in spring, dipped in rooting hormone. Potted in perlite and enclosed in a ziplock baggie. Waited for all the leaves to fall off. And now I see new leaves growing.

I have three sitting under a plastic bag now, guess I'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Clicio]

Well, I don't have tried BRT cuttings, but plenty from seed.
Maybe one difference could be the freshness of the seeds, they are easy to get fresh around here.
Tips?
No secrets at all.
Sow by the end of the winter in pure sand, sprouts in 10~12 days, repot next spring, up pot from then on.
I don't have to cover the seedlings, but we don't have any winter here.
Keep them moist all the time.
I find them very easy to grow from seed, but my climate helps I guess.

 

[Carol 83]

Well, I don't have tried BRT cuttings, but plenty from seed.
Maybe one difference could be the freshness of the seeds, they are easy to get fresh around here.
Tips?
No secrets at all.
Sow by the end of the winter in pure sand, sprouts in 10~12 days, repot next spring, up pot from then on.
I don't have to cover the seedlings, but we don't have any winter here.
Keep them moist all the time.
I find them very easy to grow from seed, but my climate helps I guess.

Send me some seeds please !!

 

[Clicio]

Send me some seeds please !!

Call me inbox.

 

[Mycin]

Why don't bagged up cuttings suffocate? I've been doing something similar in gallon-sized tupperware but I've been opening the lid for a few minutes each day to get fresh air in. Would love to hear that this step is unnecessary

 

[leatherback]

Why don't bagged up cuttings suffocate? I've been doing something similar in gallon-sized tupperware but I've been opening the lid for a few minutes each day to get fresh air in. Would love to hear that this step is unnecessary

Plants create oxygent, but also burn oxygen. I suppose the night time burning balances it out more or less. Never really had any problems. But then again.. My bags are not airtight.

 

[canoeguide]

My post in another BRT thread:

I made 3 cuttings this summer after the solstice and gave them a dip in powdered root hormone and stuck them in some used bonsai soil. 2 pushed leaves right away, while the third did nothing (except die back, turning brown down the stem). Eventually, it sprouted leaves near the base. All got some morning sun for a couple hours a day and then bright shade.

My research led me to believe that the best chance of success for cuttings is achieved with "hardwood" cuttings that have begun to get striped bark on the stem. 100% success with this method for me, although it's a sample size of 3.

 

[LittleDingus]

I think it might have been @LanceMac10 in a recent thread I can't seem to find again who suggested taking a branch where new buds were swelling and stripping all leaves but the very end few and put under plastic. I may have the details off but I got the impression the new bud growth on hardened wood was key.

That's what I'm hoping to try this winter when mine come in anyway. I pruned them back a bit a week ago hoping to trigger some back budding before I harvest some cuttings. I'm not sure I got the timing right or if I have the room for cuttings this winter so we'll see if I give this a go or not...

 

[leatherback]

I pruned them back a bit a week ago hoping to trigger some back budding before I harvest some cuttings. I'm not sure I got the timing right or if I have the room for cuttings this winter so we'll see if I give this a go or not...

Did you at least stick the trimmings?

 

[LittleDingus]

Did you at least stick the trimmings?

Naw...wasn't worth it to me for as thick as the trimmings were. Just hoping to induce some back budding on a few branches that will need to be pruned to fit back indoors for the winter.

I currently have 2 BRTs that I'm trying to thicken up for a few years. I'm hoping they'll develop a twisting trunk. I really only want to get a few cuttings to have something else to play with while waiting on these guys to get fat.

 

[canoeguide]

I also forgot to add that I sharpened the root end of my cuttings by shaving the bottom of the stem so that it resembled a sharpened wooden pencil. I don't know if this really helps or not, but I must have seen it done somewhere.

 

[LanceMac10]

Used akadama, light coating of milled sphagnum. Wet soil thoroughly. Take woody, chopstick-sized cutting with concave cutter, then, expose a thin layer of the "greenstuff" at the base of the cutting around it's circumference. Dip slightly in hormone shaking excess free. Dip chopstick in hormone and insert into soil, stop short of reaching the bottom to make space for the cutting, Insert cutting, Tamp soil gently, add sphagnum and gently moisten. Shotgun a Heineken.


three weeks later....sept 19 2017....might of had a couple weeks outdoors before brought under cover for winter....no plastic bag at anytime.

end of March "18


july '19..

august '19

august '20..






early days growing roots were mostly spent baking in a south facing window under "your father's" T-5s. Straight akadama w/sphagnum dries out real quick in those conditions. I do think it helped them to be a bit more to the "dry" side as the roots developed. At least these seemed to respond to this treatment, your opinion may vary.

....now, maybe one or two might be any good, but.......

 

[LanceMac10]

Here's a great candidate......hmmmmmmmmm

 

[BRT_newbie]

I think it might have been @LanceMac10 in a recent thread I can't seem to find again who suggested taking a branch where new buds were swelling and stripping all leaves

This is admittedly my first time, but back in April I took a cutting from my BRT where new buds were coming in (it was getting very tall to begin with). I took off a few of the leaves, plopped it in a jar of water and left it on a a South-facing windowsill. It developed roots in the water. About two weeks ago, I put it in some planting mix and seemed to react well to its new planter. I then moved apartments, which caused it to get mad at me and lose all of its leaves. Within two days, though, many small new leaves have been coming not only where the old leaves were but also where I had stripped the leaves a few months ago. Hoping it will continue growing.

 

[cmeg1]

I hear they root......anybody got Michael Dirr’s propogation handbook nearby...I’m at work

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