Keeping your stems moist-Part 3 of 4

January 7th, 2010 by Dane

Why is it important to keep the cutting’s stems moist?

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

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