AusBonsai

Pup, do you re-use your striking medium or dispose after use? Seem's to me that it could be used over and over again

Steven

G,day Guys, Steven I use the liquid one when I use it as I have found that using a small paint brush.
That does not foul up what is left as with the powder.
Have not used it this time only soaking it in hormones (aka Superthrive Planthrive a local one pr baroca ) and as I said I have used Honey.

Here are some updates on the ones I put down 4 weeks ago in water. So it is up date 3

Sorry Pup, I was referring to your mix of granite and peat. Is it single use or can you recycle when you pot up your cuttings?

Steven

AusBonsai wrote:Sorry Pup, I was referring to your mix of granite and peat. Is it single use or can you recycle when you pot up your cuttings?

Steven

G, day Steven yes it is re usable providing nothing nasty has happened.
I ease the cuttings when there ready to go into individual pots and always have some mix on hand. So when I have finished most of the soil is ready for use again I have used it up to 4 times by then it seems to start smelling that tells me it is getting sour.
Some of the commercial nursery friends I have met over the years say to use Charcoal in the mix but I reckon 3-4 times is cheap enough.
Pup

teejay wrote:Sorry about the lack of geographical information Pup I'm trying to fix my profile currently. I live around Melbourne and the majority of them are around 8-10cm. It's been a very cool beginning to Summer also. I have them in a make-shift little greenhouse (a modified crate with poly over the top) and they've been there for about a month.

Cheers

A month is not long enough if it has been cold. It is not AIR temp that matters it is soil when the soil is cold that is when Deciduous trees are dormant so the cuttings will not start moving till the soil warms up. One of the most important tools of Bonsai is. Patients .
When the temps get to approx 22--23 the soil should start to warm up enough. Pup
There are alot of Members here that belong to Melbourne but we dont hold that against them.
If you watch the post you might find someone you can pal up with to be your Mentor or I like Bonsai Buddy better

Pup wrote:One of the most important tools of Bonsai is. Patients .

that's like one of my favorite sayings...

take your time, its the fastest way to achieve your goal.

Pup: One of the most important tools of Bonsai is. Patients .

I'm learning that rule in a big way lately, by finding out that I've made mistakes after jumping straight into something and then trying to correct them at the wrong times of year etc... frustrating!!

I did sacrifice one of my cuttings for the cause last night and it had a couple of roots going so there seems to be some success. I'll just wait 'em out then

Cheers Pup.

Pup wrote:Steven the cuttings are 9 months I have in the past used a poly styrene box with a perspex lid. I will still use this with other cuttings. Being of the senior citizens group I need to go with smaller trees so I take cuttings to create small trees.I have in the past used Honey when striking this is instead of hormones. thanks for your comments Pup

Hi Pup, seems you have learnt a lot of tricks of the trade over the years. I was wondering if there was a particular brand or type of honey that you prefer or have had more success with? I have been using the hormone powder, dipping the cuttings in water, then brushing the powder on. But I find as soon as you insert the cutting into the medium, most of the powder falls off. I'd be interested in trying honey in future.

Poke a hole in the soil then insert cutting to the bottom of hole, push soil around the base of the cutting.

I am pretty sure any honey is fine. Maybe creamed honey may not be the best though

Cool topic very interesting...Ive heard the honey trick before from several people who swear but it.
Just wondering where one would buy crushed granite from....Bunnings?? Aquarium shops?? or elsewhere
And what size is it?

Cheers

Lee

Crushed Granite is really hard to find here in Queensland at least (granite is a good source of Co2 used a lot in planted aquariums )as for the hormone powder there is a hormone gel that would probably do the job like honey ,this is available at Bunnings

Barry

TreeHugger wrote:Cool topic very interesting...Ive heard the honey trick before from several people who swear but it.
Just wondering where one would buy crushed granite from....Bunnings?? Aquarium shops?? or elsewhere
And what size is it?

Cheers

Lee

Hi Lee, try large landscaping Garden Centers. It took me a while to find over here but eventually I found it at Daico's ... however it was simply sold (by the bag) as crushed rock I identified it as granite (as the assistant didn't have a clue). One thing was it needed a decent wash and rinse as it comes with lots of dust that sits moist in the bag as a mud coating. I stocked up in summer so I could wash and dry off in batches, now I have plenty clean and dry ready for use. It is graded at about 3-7mm.
Good luck in your search, it is out there, just often called something different

There's no crushed granite in this thread , only Carnarvon river sand.


https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=ca ... jM2DVj_wIw

The reason I mentioned crushed Granite I thought it might be easier for Members in the Eastern states to acquire. Aquarium shops sell gravel for the fish tanks! it is more expensive this way.

Any honey will do, as Brett has pointed out not creamed. It is also not a hormone it is a fungicide, which in turn stop any rotting of the wood before it callouses and starts forming roots.

When I do use rooting hormones I use the liquid one as this sticks to the wood better I find.

Cheers Pup

Hi all,
Regarding the using of honey for rooting cuttings, my old neighbour built a wonderful, primarily Australian native garden using just tube-stock and cuttings. He has only ever used honey as a rooting aid and told me that any honey works but ideally raw honey (that hasn't been heat pasturised) is best. You can buy raw honey from a health food store.

Cheers,
Mojo