My first Salvia: from a cutting - 3months later.

[Youpi]

Strain: -
Lighting: -
Grow Media/Soil Mix: -
Fertilizer: -
Temperature Range: -
Humidity:-
Started From: Cutting Seed or Clone
Start Date: 13/08/08

I don't really know if it's OK if I post here, I'm sorry if it's not.
So I just had this cutting from the outdoor Salvia plant of a friend, I will be growing it indoor, hope it will works.

Here it is:



So, here are a few questions:
- Should I put it near my window, under a light, or something ?
- The temp is ~23°C here, is it OK ?
- Should I put a humidity tent on it ?
- Does my cutting looks good ?

[hmuzik]

The cutting looks great. It is definitely going to need a humidity tent. Get the 2 liter bottle or make one from plastic or something. Its the only way it will be able to take up water until it starts rooting. Also - as many have done on here - cover the cup in foil and poke the cutting through that. Will keep it nice and dark for the new roots.

Should be fine by the window as long as it doesn't get to bright or hot.

-hmuzik

[Youpi]

Okay, I covered it with aluminium foil and I'm searching for a 2 litters bottle.

[VampireElf]

That cutting is looking good.  I just took my first cuttings 12 days (three cuttings total) ago so I have pretty much zero experience on the subject, but... I did not use a humidity tent and the mine are doing well..  I'd say its best to mimic the environment of the mother plant as much as possible so tent as neccessary. 10 days after cutting went into water (distilled) I got roots on all three.  They are next to a window in glass jars and no tinfoil.   Good Luck.

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

To help with rooting you can also add an air stone. I found it speeds up the rooting process and the clones will get roots in just a few days. I made and article on how to do it cheaply with some 2 liter bottles here...

http://www.salviasource.org/forum/index.php?topic=2338

JARG

[Youpi]

Hey, I just woke up and all the leaves are like falling, the plant is verry weak..

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

It needs a humidity tent then. It is having a hard time getting the water it needs through the leaves at this point until the roots develop. Cover it with a 2 liter and mist the leaves and also seriously consider getting an air stone in the water to oxygenate it.

JARG

[Youpi]

It has a humidity tent but I think it's now dead..
The plant is very very very weak..

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

It can't die that quickly. You could also try cutting off the bigger leaves at the bottom and adding an air stone.

JARG

[U_Wrang]

If you've got really hard tap water, try replacing that with distilled, deionized water, or filter the tap water with a Brita filter pitcher.  Hard water can have a pH as high as 8.5 - 9.0 which is way too high.  A good general purpose fertilizer like Miracle Gro 15-30-15, mixed very weakly at 1/8 teaspoon per gallon of water will help ease the shock of cutting and handling.  Also be sure to mist often and make sure the tent has a 3/4" to 1" vent hole at the top for fresh air! 
Another advantage of adding an air stone is that not only is the cutting immersed in highly oxygenated water for optimum rooting, it also provides a source of fresh air at 100% humidity.

[Youpi]

It was Brita water, I put demineralized water (is it OK ?) for the night + the humidity tent and put it in the light this morning, now it's really better, the leaves are going up and not down anymore.
I will post pics later!

[Sea Mac]

I would advise removing the 2 largest leaves on the bottom. This reduces the amount of pores and increases the turgor pressure in the stem. It's OK if you wind up with a stem with roots: as long as the stem survives It'll grow more leaves!

It HAD roots to support water transport before it was cut: now it has more pores than the stem without roots can uptake water for!

[Youpi]

I just removed the biggest leave at the bottom, the plant is now fine since it's in DEMINERALIZED water, I've an humidity tent and aluminium foil to keep the roots in black.
Do you still think I should remove the last leave at the bottom ?

Here are pics:




What do you think, it's been 3 days I have the cutting, 4 days the cutting was made.

[JustAnotherRegularGuy]

It's looking real good. I would only remove the bottom leaf if it starts to wilt real bad, but I have a feeling it will do just fine now.

JARG

[Youpi]

Nice, I was so sad when all the leaves were down and I thought it was dead, now she looks like really fine