Re: [CH] Re: Seattle WA Area Chile Heads--Rocoto Starts V7 #331

L Anderson (lowella@serv.net)
Mon, 09 Apr 2001 12:23:23 -0700 

Cameron Begg wrote:
> 
> Hi C-H's
> Lowell Andersin wrote:
> 
> >About all it takes is to snip off a stem just below a branching node,
> >trim the lower leaves leaving a top leaf or so,  dip the end in rooting
> >harmone, stick it in potting soil, place it in a high humidity covered
> >tray, place the tray in a warm lightly shaded area, and keep things
> >moist.  It takes a month or so to root and it's difficult to fail.
> 
> Maybe your rooting compound is more powerful than mine! Here is my
> often posted recipe:
>

Perhaps.  I use something called Dip 'n Grow.  It's a liquid
concentrate.  It seems to work better than Rootone.  Perhaps another
factor is I was talking only about rocoto cuttings.  I have not tried 
cuttings for any other pepper.    

 
> For those of you who have a problem with over extended seedlings, or
> would like to propagate your chiles, here is a fix. Have ready a
> razor blade, small pair of scissors, bowl of tepid water, very small
> flower vase or test tube full of water
> 
>         Hold the seedling gently by an upper leaf and snip off the
> top, leaving at least one pair of true leaves on the original.
> Immediately get the cut end of the top under water in the bowl. Using
> the razor blade - under water if possible, but that's tricky - slice
> the stem at 45deg. just above the scissor cut. Quickly remove the
> top, dip it in hormonal rooting compound (e.g. "Rootone") and place
> it in the vase or test tube. The walls of this container should be
> opaque, or made so with Al foil. Maintain the level of water in the
> vase or tube over the next few weeks (depends on temperature etc.)
> and keep the plantlet in a bright location indoors until a suitable
> root system forms.
>         Make a slurry with seedling compost and water. It should have
> the consistency of pancake batter. Hold the rooted cutting in the
> center of an egg cup sized peat pot and pour in compost slurry. Keep
> the stuff in motion by shaking (Rael could use a vibrator) so that it
> flows around the roots. Tap the pot to settle it and pop out air
> bells. If necessary support the cutting with a bamboo skewer. The
> excess water will be absorbed as the peat rehydrates. Keep the plant
> damp and in a well lit place.
> 

Again, I was talking only about rocoto cuttings and not seedlings.  When
I take my potted rocotos back outside (in a week or so now this year), I
prune them back because their stems are smallish, long, and a bit weak
from growing inside all winter.  For example, on my oldest plant (3 yrs)
one stem is about 2 feet long with leaf nodes every two to four inches. 
If I cut the stem back to just before the first leaf node, I can make
about two or three, two node cuttings using the oldest portion of the
stem.  Leave the leaves on the top node, strip the leaves from the
bottom node, dip in rooting compound, stick in a 4" pot with ordinary
potting soil, and keep warm and moist in a covered tray out of direct
sunlight.  Nothing fancy, and it seems to work most of the time.  I have
had many more rooted cuttings succumb to slugs than I have failed to
root. I'm not going to do cuttings this year because I have almost 100
sprouted rocoto seeds potted so far.

I do have a question about your recipe however.  You state that it's to
solve "a problem with over extended seedlings".  By this do you mean
"leggy", "spindly", ect. due to reaching for the light?  If so,  have
you tried just planting the seedling deeper?  I have on rocotos and it
seems to work because they root so easily.  I haven't tried it with
other peppers though.

Regards,

Lowell Anderson