ficus cuttings, low strike rate?

[Greth]

The buds which are usually present in the forks of branches contain meristematic tissue, which is undifferentiated and ready to grow, I suspect it would be this tissue which readily gives rise to roots. For the same reason roots are more likely to develop at a leaf node along a stem, rather than on a plain piece of stem, tho they can be induced in the meristematic tissue of the cambium layer, especially given enough hormones.

Interested to know whether people have more success with airlayers at old leaf node/branching points'?

If you still havent had any sleep, please don't try to read that bit fast.

So I always make sure to bury at least one leaf node area of a cutting, and like heel cuttings.
And be patient, with some species, like lemon verbena, anything better than a 1 in 6 strike rate I consider pretty good.
EXCEPT once we were watching a gardening program talking about honey, so in the interests of demonstrating scientific method to son, we put in 4 each of lemon verbena cuttings with 4 treatments:
honey
hormone powder + honey
hormone powder alone
control ( no treatment)
RESULT: 15 out of 16 cuttings took, I think it was one of the hormone only which failed.
Interesting that we did it just after New Year, seriously hot weather, a tree specialist has since told me its actually quite a good time for cuttings, as the plants are in summer dormancy and not trying to grow leaves fast, seem to root better.

[Jamie]

thanks greth, you pretty much explained what i was thinkin, is my typin showing it that bad that i havent slept?


jamie

[Greth]

I read fluent typonese, jamie, you aren't doing that badly considering. Hope you are having plenty of extended rests if you can't sleep, Ive been thru similar stuff with pain in the past.
Im not sure Ive ever heard it stated like that, was just the impression gleaned from a whole heap of ideas. But it kinda makes sense, differentiated bark or root or leaf tissue cant turn into roots, they must grow from undifferentiated stuff, which is either the thin layers within the cambium, or bud tissue somewhere.