24. Bin Propagation
How do you make a portable mini greenhouse?
I tried something new this fall for propagation: stackable storage bins.
Last year, I had tried, and mostly failed, at propagating cuttings. I didn’t have a good plan last year. I re-used pots with soil I found from my garden and left the pots outside. I suspect not using the right medium and exposure to harsh elements was the source of my failure last year. So, here is my new attempt!
The Medium
It was only this year that I realized using soil directly from my garden might be causing the root rot that destroys my cuttings. I read that using a clean medium that drains well may give you better results. Here is my medium recipe that I used this year:
Bottom of a bag of organic sphagnum peat moss (Perfect Plants)
Full bag (432 Cubic Inches/7 Liters) of Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss (Mosser Lee)
Full bag (8 dry quarts / 8.8 Liters) of Horticultural Grade Perlite (Harris)
Put the ingredients into a bin and mix!
Moisture Level
I mixed the ingredients together and then added water until the medium was saturated but not soaked. I poured out some of the water that was collecting at the bottom. I then flattened the medium and poked little holes into it for each cutting.
My Set Up
Since my parent plants are located all over the yard, I set up a propagation station on wheels. I stored my dilute bleach solution and rooting hormone glass containers with lids.
10 Step Cutting Process
Here is how I took my cuttings (rhododendrons) on September 23, 2023 . I took my cuttings in the morning and watered the plants the night before.
Find new growth green shoots on my parent plant, preferably on the north side of the plants without blooms
Roughly cut long cuttings
Pull off I most of the leaves from the bottom of the cutting
Cut the remaining leaves in half
Estimate roughly 6 inches from the top of the cutting
Find a node and cut just below it
Cut into the cambium to expose more of the interior of the stem
Soak my cuttings in diluted bleach solution for about 5 minutes
Dip each cutting into the rooting hormone and hold for 5 seconds — I used dip ‘n grow
Place each cutting into the medium
Label and Cap It
Once my bin was full, it was time to put on the lid. I labeled the top of the lid with where each of the cuttings was taken.
Storage
At first I stored my bin in the garage next to a window. Once my greenhouse was set up, I moved the bin in there, along with a box of evergreen cuttings. The hope is that these self-sufficient bins need no intervention (no watering) until the spring.
Timestamp
Here is a snap shot of what the cuttings looked like on October 14, 2023. Rhododendron cuttings on the left and a mixture of black dragon cryptomeria, arborvitae cheer drop, and arborvitae (unknown variety) on the right.
The next step is to hope I have better success this year than last!