I'll get the bad news out of the way first; the Layer/cutting that was doing so well to start with - it did not survive.
The new green shoots were lying on the top of the potting mix
- "Something" knocking them off, perhaps? I tried relocating the plant to another part of the shade house - still the same problem
. I placed a small tray of snail/slug pellets on the soil surface in case that was the problem. Still happening.
Relocated again, away from the shade house but still happening. Possibly the same "critter" that ringbarked my Gingko? I just don't know
Gave it Seasol to try to invigorate it but it all came to nothing as the plant browned off, roots died off (I could see them through the clear propagator side). I left it in the hope that it may yet survive but to no avail.
Other Alocasuarina Littoralis in pots were growing well and untouched so I have no solution - very frustrating.
The
good news is that the large layer with the dead side that was showing promise of roots when checked on December 8th, 2021, 12:28 pm, has two roots with fine roots branching off them and heaps of callousing (white knobs) that is looking promising.
20230101_132550 New roots.jpg
No problem with this one as gravity is taking the roots in the correct direction this time. I "buttered" the callous with a honey/hormone powder mix (it works on cuttings so worth a shot) in the hope of getting enough root to separate this layer this season.
20230101_135224 Refreshed layer.jpg
While it has been an odd year so far, trees are starting to move in response to the increased warmth and rain so
. I'm trying to be patient to ensure that this one survives. Nature has already done a far better job on it that I could have
Another layer at the other end of the grove had bridged but still showed good thickening in the area that I'm hopeful of roots so on the way to a decent taper. I cleaned up the bridging area and "buttered" this one with the honey/hormone mix, applied moist sphagnum, fresh, thick plastic and closed it up to wait for roots
I don't give up easily. The first layer to develop roots was thinner that the two remaining and younger, and with a vigorous young shoot to encourage growth but it has shown the possibility of layering these successfully; the older material may take longer but the new roots on the thickest and oldest layer has given me hope.
I await developments.