[CH] Cuttings from chile plants
Cameron Begg (begg.4@osu.edu)
Wed, 06 May 1998 08:13:59 -0500
Hi C-H's,
Further to Brent Thompson's good advice, permit me to make a couple of
comments about technique:
Cut off a longer piece of stem than you want to end up with. With a sharp
razor blade cut the stem cleanly (don't crush it) at an oblique angle with
the cutting area under water. This will prevent air from being drawn into
the plant vascular system. Allow the cutting to root.
{............three or four weeks later}
Make a slurry (thin paste) of potting soil and water. Support the now
rooted cutting in the appropriate position in a small peat pot. Pour the
slurry into the pot and gently move the cutting to spread its rootlets in
the soil. You may have to support it somehow but when the surplus water is
absorbed into the peat, the rootlets of the plant will be perfectly in
contact with the soil particles.
Warning: Some Capsicums do not seem to have sufficiently forceful roots to
penetrate some kinds of peat pots. If in doubt, rip off before
transplanting.
Regards, Cameron.