Why you should not use softened water to root cuttings with your misting system

Kinda makes me glad I have good water

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11 reasons you should bypass your water softener when rooting cuttings with a misting system

According to the article, a more in depth one is coming. Once that one is published, I will be sure to let you know.

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As I wrote in Part 1:

The bottom of the stems should be kept warm because roots tend to develop quicker. 68 to 70 F is a safe range to shoot for. Higher rooting medium temperature can be beneficial, but because the sun will raise the mediums temperature anyway, shoot for the 68 to 70 F range and you will be less likely to cook the cuttings. If you try for a higher medium temperature and the sun warms the soil even higher, the cuttings will surely suffer.

So how do we go about keeping the bottoms of the cuttings warm?

There are a few ways to accomplish this, but the easiest and less expensive way is to use soil warming cables.

Soil warming cables do exactly that; they warm up the rooting medium to help the cuttings form roots. Cables can be purchased in various lengths to accommodate different misting bed configurations.  The better soil warming cables will tell you how many square feet the cable will cover. Using a misting bed dimension of 4 foot wide by 10 feet long (4′ x 10′=40′), you would need a soil warming cable capable of warming 40 square feet.

Which type of soil warming cable should you use?

There are basically two types of soil warming cables:

• One that utilizes a built in thermostat
• One that requires a separate thermostat to be purchased

The cable with the built in thermostat will be less expensive than the one that needs a separate thermostat but is less versatile. The built in thermostat is designed to activate at a preset temperature, usually around 74° F. If the soil temperature falls below the 74° set point, the cable will activate and begin to warm the soil.

The cable with the separate thermostat can be set for a particular temperature usually between 40° and 100° F. This gives you more control over the temperature of your soil. Because every plant differs in terms of rooting requirements, the biggest benefit of the adjustable thermostat is the ability to “dial in” the optimal temperature for the plant you are rooting. For instance, Forsythia tend to root better with soil temperatures around 86° F, where other plants root well with lower temperatures. Being able to increase or decrease the soil temperature to suit a specific plant can greatly increase your success.

How do you install the cable?

It is actually quite simple, but first you need to prepare the misting bed for the soil warming cables and thermostat.

• Before you add your rooting media (sand, peat/perlite, etc), place a layer of vermiculite at least 2″ deep at the very bottom of the bed and level it out. The vermiculite will insulate the bottom of the bed and help retain the heat and funnel it upward to the bottom of the cuttings.
• Lay your cable on top of this layer, being sure that the end that will plug in, will be above the surface of the rooting media. Be sure to not let the cable touch itself at any point or it may overheat and burn out.
• Next, add a 1″ layer of your rooting media, ie; sand or peat/perlite. On top of this layer of rooting media, place a piece of wire mesh to ensure you do not mistakenly dig into the cable when digging out your cuttings.
• Now fill the remaining space in the bed with your rooting media.

It is also advisable to use a rigid foam insulation along the inside of the misting bed sides to help insulate the rooting media. The rigid foam insulation comes in 4′x8′ sheets and can be cut to size using a knife or handsaw. Attach the pieces to the inside of the bed with a few screws. Once the bed is filled, the rooting media will help hold it against the sides of the bed. If you decide to use the insulation, be sure to install it before the layer of vermiculite, cable, wire, and remaining rooting media.

Install the thermostat in a location that has an outlet available and where the end the the soil warming cable will reach it once the cable is installed in the bed. Some thermostats are designed to be used outdoors with no protection and others are not designed for wet locations and may need protection from the elements. Be sure to choose the correct one for your location. It is also advisable and in some cases required by law to use a Ground Fault Interrupting circuit for all outside electrical outlets. Check with your local code office or an electrician for clarification.

That’s it! Simple now wasn’t it?

HINT: Until you get a good feel as to which plants like really warm soil, a good temperature to start with is 68-70° F.

For detailed reports on how to build your own misting system to propagate plants for fun and profit, Click Here Now!

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Stock plants are those plants that you have chosen to be the source of your cuttings. They can be planted in blocks, rows, or simply be planted in your landscape.

Why is it important to prepare them for taking cuttings?

Preparing the stock plant is done for many reasons, but three of the most important are:

• To keep the plant in the juvenile stage
• To be sure the cutting has reserves of nutrient
• To be sure the plant is healthy and disease free

Lets learn why these are important.

Keeping the stock plant in the juvenile stage

Research has determined that many cuttings root easier if the stock plant is still in its juvenile stage of growing. Plants, like humans, go through stages of growth, and once the plant reaches maturity, the cuttings you take do not root as easily. Keeping the stock plant in the juvenile stage ensures your cuttings will root easier.

There are a few ways to keep the stock plant in the juvenile stage, but the simplest way is to simply prune them hard. Pruning them hard forces them to continually produce new, young shoots, exactly what you want to start with.

Ensuring the stock plant has enough nutrients

First, if you haven’t read my article on why it is important for the cutting to have nutrient reserves, please do.

To make sure your stock plants have reserves of nutrient, all you need to do is fertilize them. Of course, you need to fertilize them in advance so the plant has a chance to actually absorb the nutrients. You can use either a foliar feed like Miracle-Gro® or use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote®. A good practice is to keep your plant on a regular feeding schedule so they are healthy and have the required nutrients in reserve for the cuttings.

Having healthy and disease free plants

Proper feeding of your stock plants will help keep them healthy and ward off diseases and other pests. Along with proper feeding comes proper watering. Ensuring your stock plants are properly fed and watered will help reduce stresses associated with drought, insects, or diseases. A healthy plant is more likely to survive these attack and recover quicker too.

If you notice a stock plant struggling, investigate and correct the problem immediately. Never take a cutting from any plant that is infested with insects or displays signs of disease. Doing so will unduly stress the stock plant even more than it already is. Rooting a cutting that is already infected with a disease is never a good idea. The cutting needs to put all its energy into creating roots, not fighting a disease.

Rooting cuttings that are infected with diseases has the potential of spreading the disease to other cuttings. You also have the potential of inadvertently selling an infected plant and spreading the disease even more.

For detailed reports on how to build your own misting system to propagate plants for fun and profit, Click Here Now!

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Un-rooted softwood cuttings need to be kept moist for a few reasons.

• To help keep the leaves cool
• To provide moisture to the cutting

As I mentioned in Part 2, the cuttings cannot be allowed to overheat and wilt. Shade will help tremendously with this, but with softwood cuttings, humidity also helps. Keeping the cuttings moist reduces the temperature of the cuttings because as the moisture evaporates it draws heat away from the cuttings. Think of stepping under the spray from a hose on a hot day. You feel immediately cooler because the moisture that is on your skin is evaporating and you feel much cooler. It is basically the same way with the cuttings.

As well as wicking away heat, the evaporation process actually creates a “vacuum” on the surface of the leaves which draws water up through the stems and into the leaves. Until the cuttings form roots, this is the only way the cuttings get moisture.

Is there such a thing as too much moisture?

Yes. If the rooting medium does not drain quick enough water will be setting against the stems. Wet rooting medium will cause the stems to rot well before they can form roots. as well as the stems rotting, wet rooting medium is an optimum environment for fungus, something we can do without. Coarse sand or a mixture of peat, perlite, or vermiculite are all quick draining rooting mediums that will hold the correct amount of moisture against the cuttings stems.

How can the cuttings be kept moist?

Intermittent misting systems can be used to keep the cuttings moist and cool at the same time. As mentioned before, shade will also slow down the evaporation rate and keep the stems moist.An enclosed structure like a poly covered hoop house or a greenhouse can also be used to keep the moisture from evaporating. Poly houses and greenhouses actually keep the evaporated moisture in the structure. As the water evaporates, it raises the humidity in the structure, keeping the cuttings moist.

By providing the correct conditions around the cuttings stems, you greatly increase the odds of their surviving the rooting process

For detailed reports on how to build your own misting system to propagate plants for fun and profit, Click Here Now!

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An electronic leaf is a device that controls when and how often your cuttings will receive mist. There are a few different varieties, but they basically work the same way; as the mist falls on your cuttings it also falls on a mechanical leaf that is attached to an arm that pivots. As the moisture lands on the leaf, the weight pushes the arm down. When the arm is all the way down, a switch on the other end is triggered that interrupts the electrical signal that operates the misting solenoid. As the moisture evaporates off the electronic leaf at a rate that simulates the actual evaporation from the cutting’s leaves, the arm will slowly pivot upward again. When the arm has pivoted upward enough the electrical signal will once again pass through to the solenoid allowing mist to fall on the cuttings again. This process repeats itself and because the moisture on the electronic leaf is mimicking what is happening on the cutting’s leaves, the cuttings get only the amount of moisture they need.

Electronic leaf pros

One of the best reasons for using an electronic leaf is that it mimics the actual evaporation rate of moisture from the cuttings. Because of this, the cuttings only get the amount of moisture they need. If your misting beds are located outside and not under a poly house, the moisture in the environment changes frequently. In the event of rain or drizzle, the electronic leaf will compensate for the changing levels of moisture automatically.

Another great reason for using an electronic leaf for controlling your misting system is that you will use only as much water as the cuttings require. No over misting or wasting water. Over misting can cause the stems to rot, allow fungi and diseases to spread, and leach out the nutrients in the cuttings. Using just enough mist to keep the cutting moist will greatly reduce the likelihood of any of those happening.

Electronic leaf cons

As nice as they are, electronic leaves also have a few weaknesses. One is that the mechanical leaf can be affected by things like bugs, slugs and birds. These are most likely to happen outside a poly house, but they have been know to happen inside one as well. If anything like a bug, slug, or bird dropping lands on the electronic leaf, the arm will pivot downward and shut off the misting cycle until the bug or slug decides to move away. If the bug or slug decides to take their sweet time moving, you cuttings will not receive any moisture when they should and you could lose the entire crop. Bird droppings are obviously worse because they will never move away on their own. Unless someone notices the problem quickly, the entire crop of cuttings will surely be lost.

Another downfall to the electronic leaf is the accumulation of salts and minerals on the mechanical leaf itself. These salts and minerals will add weight to the arm which will throw off it’s calibration and accuracy. If you have hard water these deposits may need to be removed quite frequently, pretty much making the electronic leaf more of a hassle than it is worth.

Conclusion

Electronic leaves can be quite useful when propagating plants, but carefully weigh the pros and cons before you purchase one. The upfront cost of the leaf can far outweigh the benefits if you have to frequently service it or you lose an entire crop because a wayward bug decided to take a snooze on it.

For detailed reports on how to build your own misting system to propagate plants for fun and profit, Click Here Now!

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So how do we keep the tops of the cuttings cool?

Using an intermittent misting system is one way of keeping the tops cool. As the mist lands on the leaves of the cuttings, it will immediately lower the temperature slightly. For some propagators, this is enough to keep the cuttings from getting heat stressed. Other propagators may find that they need to lower the temperature even more by other means, namely shadecloth or other shade producing structures.

Shadecloth comes in many forms, and can range from as little as 40% shade to 95% shade. To clear thing up a bit, 40% shadecloth will reduce the amount of sunlight falling on the cuttings by 40%. That may not sound like much, but if you reduce the amount of direct sun that falls upon your cuttings, you do three things:

1. Reduce the temperature of the leaves
2. Reduce the amount of mist you need to keep the cuttings moist
3. Stop the magnifying effect that drops of water have on leaves

The mist that lands on the leaves already lowers the temperature a small amount, but providing shade for the cuttings will lower it even more by reducing direct sunlight on the leaves.

Providing shade may allow you to reduce the amount of mist required to keep the cuttings moist. Less direct sun means there will be slower evaporation. Slowing down the evaporation rate will allow you to reduce the seconds of mist or lengthen the interval between mists. This will surely reduce water consumption and may also help keep your stems healthier (more on that later).

When a cutting is in direct sunlight and a drop of water is on a leaf, that drop essentially turns into a small magnifying glass, intensifying the sunlight into a small area. You remember as a kid using a magnifying glass to burn small holes in leaves, or torturing small insects, right? Well, that is exactly what those droplets of water do in direct sun. Providing shade reduces the magnifying glass effect of those droplets, which in turn reduces the temperature under the droplet and stress on the leaves.

Are there alternatives to shadecloth?

Of course! You can use lathes or lattice. Lathes are nothing more than small strips of thin wood that are attached to a frame that allows you to position the shade over your cuttings. The lathes are laid out so there is a space between each one.One drawback with shade provided by homemade lathe is not knowing the percentage of shade. The drawing below represents approximately 25% shade.

Lattice may be the better choice because it comes straight from the factory with a known percentage of shade; approximately 50%. If you find that is not enough, simply add a few extra strips to the lattice to reduce it even more.

Simply find the easiest way to hold your lathe or lattice over your cuttings and you have instant shade! You can do this by sinking a few 2x4s in the ground right beside the misting bed and attach the lattice or lathes to them.

If you currently mist in full sun, try providing shade to your cuttings. You may be surprised at the results.

For detailed reports on how to build your own misting system to propagate plants for fun and profit, Click Here Now!

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The rule of thumb when rooting cuttings under mist is to keep the tops cool, the stems moist, and the bottoms warm. So essentially what we are shooting for is a range of temperatures when rooting our cuttings.

Cool tops

What is meant by cool tops? Basically we need to keep the top of the cutting cooler than the stem and bottom. The reason for this is to reduce the amount of water that is lost through the cuttings leaves. As moisture evaporates from the cuttings leaves it draws moisture up through the stems to replace what has evaporated and cools off the leaves. Because the cutting has not formed roots, this transfer of water to the leaves is essential for the cuttings survival. The higher the temperature, the more evaporation, however, too high a temperature is detrimental to the cuttings because the leaves will not be able to draw enough water through the un-rooted stems to replace what is lost and the leaves will get hot and begin to wilt.

Moist stems

Moist stems means keeping the stems moist enough to allow them to supply the leaves with the amount of moisture they require. However, stems that are too moist will begin to rot or diseases or fungus will begin to appear. This is why the rooting medium needs to be well drained. Well drained rooting medium retains enough moisture for the cuttings to root but is dry enough to not allow the stems to rot. Again, the stems need to transfer only the amount of water the leaves require because of the evaporation.

Warm bottom

The bottom of the stems should be kept warm because roots tend to develop quicker. 68 to 70 F is a safe range to shoot for. Higher rooting medium temperature can be beneficial, but because the sun will raise the medium’s temperature anyway, shoot for the 68 to 70 F range and you will be less likely to cook the cuttings. If you try for a higher medium temperature and the sun warms the soil even higher, the cuttings will surely suffer.

So how do we actually go about keeping the tops cool, the stems moist, and the bottoms warm?

Read parts 2 through 4 for the answers!

For detailed reports on how to build your own misting system to propagate plants for fun and profit, Click Here Now!

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Unrooted cuttings rely on their reserves of nutrients to help the cutting survive until they form roots. Until the cuttings actually form roots, they do not absorb new nutrients from the rooting media. The cuttings get these reserves from the parent stock plant the cutting was originally taken from.

Cuttings absorb nutrients from the rooting media or potting media once the roots have formed, but until the formation of roots has completed, leaching of the nutrients from within the cutting is possible. Hardwood cuttings tend to be more susceptible to leaching than softwood cuttings because the softwood cuttings retain more nutrients in their cell walls which make the nutrients harder to leach out. The level of nutrients in the cuttings is highest when first taken from the stock plant, declines as the cutting is rooted, and increases again once roots develop.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron and boron are the most likely nutrients to be leached out of cuttings while they are under mist. The result usually will be first seen as foliar deficiencies. These deficiencies may be yellowing of the leaves, spotting, and other symptoms.

For a better understanding of the leaching process, check out this animation:

Most small plant propagation nurseries do not have the facilities to properly test for nutrient leaching. So what should you do?

• Be sure the stock plant you will be taking your cuttings from is healthy and well fed with fertilizer before actually taking the cuttings. This will ensure that the cuttings you do take will have the maximum amount of nutrients in them. Ensuring the cuttings have high nutrient levels will increase your odds of them surviving past the critical stage of when the unrooted cutting turns into a cutting with roots that is able to absorb new nutrients from the soil.
• Do small scale tests and record your findings. Add a small amount of slow release fertilizer to your rooting media. This will ensure the cutting will have nutrients available when it needs them. Too little fertilizer is better than too much! Note which plants do best and the amount of fertilizer you used. Good record keeping will enable you to duplicate the process when you find the one that works. Your records will also keep you from making the same mistakes over and over again!
• Do not over mist. Over misting will leach the nutrients from the cuttings much faster. You want to keep the leaves of the cutting moist but not too wet. On the other hand, never let the cuttings wilt during the misting process.

Ok, I can hear you thinking…why not use liquid water-soluble fertilizer like Miracle Grow? A few reasons.

• It leaches out of the rooting media quickly.
• Some cuttings do not do well when the fertilizer is applied to the leaves or stems.

Paying careful attention to your stock plants nutritional health before taking cuttings is one of the easiest methods you can do to be sure your cuttings have the nutrients available to them during the rooting process.

For detailed reports on how to build your own misting system to propagate plants for fun and profit, Click Here Now!

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You want a sneak peak of a detailed misting system report? The detailed parts list: Misting controller (1) propagation controller (requires electricity) 24 volt AC solenoid* (1) 3/4 inch thread Wire* 18ga two conductor wire (length determined by system builder) 3/4 PVC pipe (10′ length schedule 40) 3/4 socket x 3/4 male pipe adapter (1) 3/4 male pipe x female hose adapter (1) 3/4 PVC glue-on cap (1) Misting nozzles (4) Waterproof wire-nuts* (2) 9 volt battery (1) PVC primer and cement Teflon tape How about putting the misting system together: The detailed assembly of the parts: Step 1 Install the two 3/4 male adapters into the solenoid. Be sure to wrap Teflon tape around all pipe threads to reduce the likelihood of leaks. The 3/4 x female hose adapter should be installed on the inlet side, the 3/4 male IPS x 3/4 socket on the outlet side. The solenoid has a direction of flow arrow to help you determine which end is the inlet, and which is the outlet. Be sure to not overtighten the fittings, or the solenoid may crack. Install the on the inlet side of the solenoid. Step 2 Wire the controller to the solenoid. Remove the from the controller. You will see two are attached. On the left is a that if read from top to bottom, has screws for… Step 3 Starting from one end of the 10 foot length of PVC pipe, measure and drill on these marks. These holes should all be in line. The best way to keep them in line, is to use the writing on the pipe. Drill the holes along these markings. After drilling the holes, . Be sure to dry the ends of the pipe before beginning the next step… Order Yours Right Now!

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