Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

I have a big vine around 1.5 feet long and 15mm thick. With a 2 inch basal. Thinking of propagating.

What do you guys usually do? Cut the basal? Or decapitate the main vine?

Has anyone tried rooting a thick vine?

Oh this is an M. Miranda by the way.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Hi Arvin,
It all depending on what you're hoping to get. If you wanted to it to flower, then obviously you don't want to cut the main vine. If you want to replant another plant that produce lower pitcher, then you take the cutting of the basals. Hope that help.

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Thanks nepnut, I guess my aim is just maybe better chances of success as well as maybe possibility of getting more plants out of the main plant.

I mean, is it safe to cut the main vine this big and cut it into 2 and successfully root the middle and the tip cutting? Or just better cut the basal and root that?

The difference is if I cut the vine, and am successful, then I will end up with 3 plants. If I cut the basal then only 2 plants. of course if I cut the main vine and the middle cutting does not survive i still end up with only 2 plants.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

If you trying to get more plants, the safest way is probably to cut the main vine as you mentioned. This way, if the cuttings didn't root, you at least still have the basals as backup.

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

thanks nepnut, fully understood and noted.

Anyone have experience doing a cutting on these big, thick vines? Is it easier to root or harder? How many internodes for a Miranda cutting you guys do?

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

My 2 cents: the last time I tried to root a wood piece of Miranda, it failed to root. The top cutting also kept dehydrating and died soon after (but I think maybe that's because I left too many leaves). The basal shoot with the parent rootstock grew bacck nicely, but was a bit slow. I think green cuttings (those that are not yet woody) have higher chances of rooting compared to thick stems..

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

unless the main vine isn't growing well, otherwise cut the basal and reroot it.

If your idea was to get more plants out of the cuttings then cut the main vine. usually taking 3 nodes for each cuttings to reroot.

The basal will not die as the main roots are attched to it.

Have you examine the whole plant. sometimes the basal already has roots attached and separating the basal from main plant both with roots will ensure their survival.

can you show photo of the plant?

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Hi Arvin,

I agree w/nepnut's ideas. I have rooted a bunch of mirandas, both tips and thicker stems. The tips almost always make it through fine (use a bag for higher humidity) and I've had 50/50 luck on the lower sections of stem, generally using 2-3 node cuttings. Almost all of them seem to form a growing point within a month but often they don't root and die off some months later. One the other hand, your basal growth will really get a big boost at growth when all the energy gets shifted to it. My shortest N. miranda to flower has been about 3 feet tall but thick as my finger, so it might be a while anyway! Good luck!
~Shawn

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Thanks everyone, I will try to post photo of the plant in question, but uploading photos for me is a bit slow these days.

Also noted about the chances and risks, so I will probably experiment with basals instead of the nice main vine. My Main vine is mostly still green though.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Finally got to post to photobucket. Here are the photos:

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n.../miranda48.jpg

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n.../miranda50.jpg

I was surprised actually there are 3 basals, there are 2 that are under the potting medium, and there is a small one on the woody part fo the main vine. The small one might die eventually but I will try not to cut it off until its a bit bigger, if it grows a bit bigger.

I am still hesitant to disturb the potting medium to see if I can already separate the two bigger basals from the mother vine, but I probably will soon, as I have decided I want to keep the main vine as it's the thickest and probably top 3 longest in my collection (shows how pathetic my collection is). The other two long vines are Alata and Ventrata :(

Comments about my plan to propagate? I guess I should not try be greedy and try to root the main vine :)

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Or you can simply use the air layering method.This method guarantees 100% survival of the plant.

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Ali,

Thanks for reminding me, I have been wanting to try to Air layer some neps as experiment, I have to admit that my air layering on some citrus plants did not work at all, but will try on some neps, but not on my Miranda yet though.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

I've always wondered about this, how do you do air-layering on a nep. Kinda hard to tell the cambium layer. Perhaps tourniquet method?

Regards
cj

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

It will be easy for nepenthes that's producing uppers becuse the internodes will be longer.:1thumbup:

But i haven't try myself yet though:2thumbup: because my plants not many with uppers.Only ventrata,rafflesiana,miranda and gracilis.

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Below are links that I got from google when im searching "air layering method nepenthes "

http://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8130
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...133924578.html

Re: Cuttings cut the basal or cut the vine?
 

Hm.. I should try :D