Mum: Where are all my large tupperware containers?!? They keep on disappearing! Me: (pushing my propagation project under the bed) hmm...that's weird... that's suspicious...
I have a ton of active growing sphagnum. My go to method for rooting is to grab a handful of live moss, wrap it around the node, drop into a venti cold cup from Starbucks (don't judge my refresher addiction) and put the lid on it. They stack well and fit on a window sill. The hole in the lid allows venting and the panoramic clear view lets you easily check for root rot.
Could you please tell me where you got your live sphagnum moss? I have seen numerous people say that if you are patient, the dry moss has the possibility to green and start growing, but I'm not sure the best brands to do that with. Also, I've heard that in the United States, the companies who produce sphagnum moss have to disinfect it in a way that totally kills the moss....I don't know, so much conflicting info. Lol. As for the propagation method, I've heard conflicting info about that too. Some people say moss is the way to go, and others say they have had awful luck....im testing out some ideas. Currently, I'm trying a perlite and vermiculite mix in a prop box. The vermiculite hols moisture and nutrients but stays fairly fluffy and the perlite holds a lot of space for air flow and oxygen. So far so good! Happy propagating! Lol
I literally just stumbled across your channel last night. Honestly, best videos because they are straight to the point and super helpful without wasting 15+ minutes of my life. Great concise videos! :)
I created a propagation box with a little 3-tier bathroom shelf and some LED strips taped to the underside of the top shelf. I changed to your propagation method 2.5 weeks ago and already all the pothos and philodendron are ready for potting, compared to my water propagated cuttings which usually take 4-6 weeks. Thank you!
I do this with most of my cuttings but I cover it with cling film instead of using the lid so the plants can get more light. I poke the cling film with tiny holes all over so the plants can "breathe" a little and mist it with water every week of so depending on the room's ambient temperature and humidity. I do spray the cuttings with 3% hydrogen peroxide to clean them before propagating in the tub so I can re-use the media and minimise the risk of accidentally infecting new propagation projects with bugs and fungus.
You are my go-to plant guy! Thank you so much for all of your hard work and time planting, experimenting, and posting videos for us. I hope you and your wife had a lovely Thanksgiving.
Wow, thank you! yeah it was a nice and relaxing time! we also have an accepted offer on a house ( it has been chaotic ) so hopefully that all goes through well and we can move, which means i can expand the channel exponentially and really produce some good content and a TON more experiments!
I have another video that shows with a food scale exactly how to replicate the moistness level of sphagnum moss. so you can get a feel for it too if you need any further clarification!
That expanded clay or LECA is an amazing product. When I used to work for an interior plant company we were in the process of switching over to only LECA for potting up the tropicals. It works great for all plant types. What a great home propagation kit. Excellent video
Can confirm it works and it’s the best way to do it! I use it for trees, although it takes more time on my side because... trees are just behaving like trees.
Hello from Greece Love your videos I just found them And today I am setting up my propagation bin About the moss... Do I moist it again or only in the beginning? And again thank you ☺️
I've tried a small version of this box and my string of hearts cuttings just exploded with root growth, they just love it. Plus, thanks for accidentally helping me to identify the peacock spikemoss! I always use it when making moist environments.
Instead of opening it everyday you can actually just drill a couple holes in it, and if you accidentally drill too much and you find that it's drying out too fast you can always just cover those with tape until you find the right in between
Excellent! I've watched all your propagation videos and was always pleased but this looks like a great all-purpose method for large quantities. Just what I always wanted! ❤ 🙏
I was looking for a pathos propagation video and stumbled upon your channel. You have in just 3 videos become my favourite YT channel. Thank you for putting out amazing & educative content
You could add springtails to your propagation bin and they would eat any mold or fungus that would grow in there. They work great in my tree frog terrarium
Super tip for starting cuttings. Idea: I have dozens of pc case fans ranging from 80 mm up to 140 mm. I may use your system but add a small pc fan to the tote lid on one end and drill exhaust holes on the other end of the lid. If my propagation room is 50% humidity or higher, there should not be a problem with the sphagnum moss from drying out too quickly. This would eliminate having to open the lid every day. What do you think about my idea?
sounds like a good idea, but maybe put the fan on a timer. I think if it runs 24/7 it would dry it out but I think you will have to experiment with it to find out a good setting
I have done this and it works great, I use this method for my begonias and sub charcoal instead of clay pebbles. I'm going to try your method for my airoids!
you reminded me to check on my alocasia bulbs i’m trying to get a sprout on. i have them in mason jars & i feel like they’re taking forever 😩😄 patience is a virtue i guess 🤷🏽♀️
2:00 I get around this by recycling food-container lids that just can fit exactly on top. Yet due to its shape it allows the terrarium to breathe without having to drill holes allowing it to dry out. I repurpose food containers but not with their original lids. I also notice it forms a dew in the morning/on cooler nights regardless of the temperature outside the terrarium. The dew seem to happen only when it is cooler outside, it is as though the plants inside the terrarium react to the weather outside the house. Not sure if this how all terrariums are but that's how mine tends to be.
I havent noticed but my room is already like 45% humidity. if you want you can leave the lid open like /14 or 1/2 way to reduce the humidity significantly. you will still get good propagation results you just need to monitor the sphagnum moss wetness more rigorously because its going to dry faster. but that should help your more sensitive plants adapt once removed. So far i havent had issues like that but again everyones environment is diff.
Once plant cuttings develop a sound root system, they will actually DECLINE if kept in that high humid environment. They just out right rot. They actually NEED to be taken out. Initially they focus all of their energy and resources on root growth. After that, they shift to foliar growth. That is your queue that they should have been taken out already. Leave them in there much longer and they will start to rot... so no. They NEED to be taken out once they have a good root system. Opening the container to let in oxygen as he suggests becomes more critical the larger more developed the root systems become. The only exception to this is in vitro or tissue culture. Those definitely do need to be gradually acclimated to normal/lower ambient humidity.
great video, good idea. Did you try to cut a hole in the box and put a mesh in it? Would be easier than open the box everyday. I also had trouble with molds last winter, now I put a fan next to the plants, hope it works.
This method looks like it would work really well. I gotta try it out sometime with a piece of gardening fabric between the clay pebbles and sphagnum moss.
I love your videos, thank you so much for making them and the updates as well! I'm trying to propagate some cuttings that were given to me but I don't know what I'm doing wrong, it's not rooting! A couple of them have a tiny new root but after 3 weeks, that's pretty much it! Even the ones I have in water (Pothos neon) have been there for 6 weeks (I changed the water every 2 days at first, until I saw your other video) and it's been about 3 weeks with no water change but still nothing. They're still alive so I'll keep waiting but I want mine to work like yours! Haha!
Thanks for the super helpful information! A few questions: Can you use pumice in place of perlite? Would you ever put the cuttings in individual cups before putting them inside the prop box, or just straight into the box like in the video? I’ve heard that if you keep them in individual cups inside the bin, you prevent the roots from different cuttings getting tangled in each other. If I drill holes in the lid, do I still need to open up the bin daily?
the cups is a good idea for what you stated. honestly i hardly open up the bins these days and they are still cruising along so i wouldnt drill too many holes or the humidity will fall. ive never used pumice but it would probably work
nope lol, im going to open up an affordable plant shop, I wanna sell even """rare""" plants for like 15-20 bucks. My philodendron melanochryzm is "worth" like 80 bucks for a cutting. thats a load of crap. Im propagating the heck out of it now so i can get a solid inventory and then im selling them cheap so this hobby doesnt become a bunch of rich people "collecting" "rare" plants for status. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE i could go on for hours. but people are justifying selling crap like Pink Princess for like $300 dollars when they were 19.99 on logees like 3 years ago.
@@TechplantChannel Mother natures the one who deserves all that money. I bet all my plants and fishing equipment that us outdoor boys and girls donate more to nature than those “collectors” 😂! And these bidding wars does not help either
I found this video after doing leaf cutting propagation from my Sansevieria Coppertone. Then, I decided to re-do it with this LECA-sphagnum-perlite complex method in a big glass jar. Should I half-close the lid? Thanks!
Question for you. My prop box was doing well. Roots were growing great. Today I opened my box to find my cutting were COLD. I have a grow light on them and they’re in a west facing window. Suggestions?
i hardly every spray it, it stays pretty wet. i only spray to make the sphagnum wet, but avoid getting too much water in the reservoir. i hope this helps, i realize i wasnt very specific in the video! sorry!
This is such a good video! I have been wanting to try lecca and sphag but I haven’t been brave enough. I really didn’t know how to use them but you explained everything so well that now I want to try this method. Does it works if you place the box outside if u don’t have grow lights? I can place it on my carport where it would get east facing sunlight.
Great video. I have those crates, lots of sphagnum moss, and pumice in various sizes. Do you think pumice would work instead of perlite? I also have alot of horticultural charcoal...it's chunky and absorbs odors. Might it work at the base instead of the pebbles?
This seems super easy to do and incredibly useful! Thank you so much for this incredibly informative video! Love it! :D Now it's time to start my own bin
never tried honestly so i have no idea, maybe keep it cracked so its not 100% i feel like herbs are far more sensitive to like molds and stuff that could form
Wow... Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences sir.. What do you recommended to replace sphagnum moss because it's hard to get one here in our area.. We can buy coco chips here though..
soon i will do some experiments with coco chips, but i havent used them much so i dont know if its a good replacement. you could always try a small scale attempt. some people have also used pure perlite to propagate in bins
I just soak them for like 1 min when rinsing, they will suck up any excess water on thr bottom of the bin if they didn't get totally saturated during rinsing/soaking
Do you think coco coir with a bit of worm casting, mycorrhizae, and pumice would work just as well? Also, did you water it often? Do you think this is better than water propagation?
Great setup! Just wondering: in your other video you show that adding a small amount of fertilizer to water propagation speeds up growth x 4. Would it not help to add a tiny amount of fertilizer to this setup, too?
I only tried to propagate roses once and they were from a bouquet. There was another person who commented on this video saying he propagates trees, this way. So I think you probably could since they are both woody plants so it seems like it will work. Cant guarantee tho, I have 0 experience so sorry! Good luck tho, i hope it works well for you
Hi mate. I'm a beginner and would love to know you mind on this - will forest bark be acceptable as a base of my propagation box instead of pebbles? I want to propagate monastera from seeds. I'd appreciate your advice! ❤️
Hi! Hope you're well. I need help. I've acquired few monstera stem cuttings (no leaves). I've put them in a clear box with moss. I do not have grow light so keep it in the balcony where it gets the morning sun (at least 6 hrs). I kept them in the box 2 days back and opened the box today only to find out part of stem on all the cuttings had turned black. I cut the rotted part and put them in the box again. But I've kept the box in shaded part of the balcony where it doesn't get direct sunlight. Please advise if I need to do something different.
1. warm Temperature 2. humidity 3. light gravel an paper towels work too It is actually better to put a whole plant in a paludarium, but that needs space.
@@TechplantChannel That is actually not so hard to make. A lot of people start using an Ikea glass cabinet. Place a larger plastic box at the bottom and heat+filter it. That will provide humidity. The other way is to build one with wood, front glas and again a water box inside. A paludarium is defined by water at the bottom. Everything else can be custom, especially when it is only for plants. I highly recommend default neutral white LED strips. That saves a lot of money compared to "special" plants lights.
sorry i flubbed it, i make sure that the sphagnum is wet-damp. you dont want it sopping wet where its smothering the plants and really heavy but you dont want it super light and kinda moist. Its so hard to explain. the watering will really depend on the size, and how often you take the lid off and or leave it off. you dont want lots of water sitting at the bottom
Had to redo my box because it was a mold and smelled like mildew and the the cuttings started getting brown spots so starting over with new cuttings and hopefully it doesn’t get too smelly this time
I usually just throw plain sphag into a bin and keep it moist but not soggy. I usually just soak the sphag and threw ring it out and water it a little when I add it in to the bin.
@@erickperez8770 the sphag just acts like a sponge so you can water it in like potting soil. Just don’t do it often because it’s really not needed. As far as disturbing cuttings goes it’s not a problem
Dunno what I’m doing wrong but I have a similar set up and getting a lot of rotting cuttings. I air it frequently too. Did you say you had a grow light on it? That’s the only thing I can think but I have it in a south facing conservatory on a heat mat.
The additional heat mat may be the problem? Because it's already in an enclosed space that's causing condensation, the heat mat is probably keeping the environment more humid/wet if that makes sense. I've realized through trial and error that plants really don't need that much moisture to root. (I'm also just now discovering this awesome channel because I'm always up for improving my propagation techniques!)
@@zyramiller4606 I tried without a heatmat before and it was way worse, because it was cold moisture. With the heatmat it actually dried out quicker and I am having to add moisture to it. But I know what the problem was. The grow light I was using was bad so I'm guessing the plants just couldn't get any energy to survive for the most part and it was winter at that. I bought a Sansi bulb and replaced it and have started having great success with only a few cuttings dying. I also cleaned it regularly since I was mainly using it for water propagations with molar clay at the bottom that I could add water to to create humidity. But I've just now recently changed to the exact setup Techplant uses with leca, moss, perlite now and hoping I get as great of a success with it. :)
Also wondering if there is a specific type of sphagnum moss and clay pebbles to use? Prices and reviews vary significantly…. I want to start out right.
The really expensive stuff is mostly for orchids and looks nicer and is cleaner but you can get away with some cheaper stuff it just will have sticks and other crap in it. the clay balls are pretty much the same everywhere
Awesome video, definitely will try it out once I have a few cuttings to propagate. :) I've listened to a super interesting podcast episode of 'on the ledge' where they talk about tissue culture and the interviewee mentioned how we can apply some concepts of tissue culture (or rather some hormones) to maximise even hobby propagation. I've been super curious about that and thought that tissue culture is something that kind of seems related to your channel content, because you take an experimental approach. I realize that getting a full in laboratory kit is not exactly feasible but I've been wondering about these hormones/chemicals they mentioned and how they could help speed up the propagation process. Anyway, I suggest you to give it a listen, it's super interesting, maybe you find some insipration for a future experiment? :) Have a great day and keep your awesome videos coming ☺️
I would like to try that! But I always notice that water propagation is the fastest way to create roots... at least for me, do you think this way its better than water propagation?
if water works for you keep doing it! but some people have bad water and it inhibits growth, so the sphagnum helps a lot and the general humidity as opposed to pure water with what ever issues it may have. If your water is good then keep using it, saves a lot of money in the long run!
What size container are you using in this video? I'm having an issue locating clear storage totes with clear lids in my area as all the ones I find have colored lids.
Silly question and all but to combat mould and fungus etc what's your thought on using springtails? I use them in all my props atm and never have an issue... just a idea 👍🏼
@@TechplantChannel obviously where you get them will depend on how they arrive but I had mine sent to me (NSW Australia) from interstate, took 6 days from send to receive and they were still perfect. Currently have a mother culture with 6 smaller cultures as a just incase or use in terrariums 👍🏼
Would running a small fan inside the prop box alleviate mold issues, or is fresh air daily really the best? I drilled holes in the side of the prop boxes, which worked great for mold, but allowed fungus gnats inside.
no, because the clay pebbles are dried in like a kiln they are like "puffed" meaning there is a lot of air pockets inside the pebbles. regular clay would smother it
Could an activated charcoal layer in place of the clay pebbles, or sanitizing everything entering the box, resolve any fungi issue and help avoid the obligation to open every day?
maybe, I havent tried it. sometimes i let it go like 3 days tho and it doesnt seem to cause issues. maybe you can release some springtails in there to keep fungus at bay, but mold is tough and with a lot of propagations sometimes the leaf on the node dies off so the new growth can come out. bacteria and other things quickly over take those leaves so i think its good to just peak in there very 1-3 days to see whats going on
Mum: Where are all my large tupperware containers?!? They keep on disappearing!
Me: (pushing my propagation project under the bed) hmm...that's weird... that's suspicious...
Yes. My wife's totes seem to disappear and end up in my propagation room... somehow. lol
lmao
Lmao 🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂
I have a ton of active growing sphagnum. My go to method for rooting is to grab a handful of live moss, wrap it around the node, drop into a venti cold cup from Starbucks (don't judge my refresher addiction) and put the lid on it. They stack well and fit on a window sill. The hole in the lid allows venting and the panoramic clear view lets you easily check for root rot.
amazing! I like that clear cup idea!
Could you please tell me where you got your live sphagnum moss? I have seen numerous people say that if you are patient, the dry moss has the possibility to green and start growing, but I'm not sure the best brands to do that with. Also, I've heard that in the United States, the companies who produce sphagnum moss have to disinfect it in a way that totally kills the moss....I don't know, so much conflicting info. Lol. As for the propagation method, I've heard conflicting info about that too. Some people say moss is the way to go, and others say they have had awful luck....im testing out some ideas. Currently, I'm trying a perlite and vermiculite mix in a prop box. The vermiculite hols moisture and nutrients but stays fairly fluffy and the perlite holds a lot of space for air flow and oxygen. So far so good! Happy propagating! Lol
I literally just stumbled across your channel last night. Honestly, best videos because they are straight to the point and super helpful without wasting 15+ minutes of my life. Great concise videos! :)
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching!
Excellent point! Some sites are excessively chatty.
I created a propagation box with a little 3-tier bathroom shelf and some LED strips taped to the underside of the top shelf. I changed to your propagation method 2.5 weeks ago and already all the pothos and philodendron are ready for potting, compared to my water propagated cuttings which usually take 4-6 weeks. Thank you!
I do this with most of my cuttings but I cover it with cling film instead of using the lid so the plants can get more light. I poke the cling film with tiny holes all over so the plants can "breathe" a little and mist it with water every week of so depending on the room's ambient temperature and humidity. I do spray the cuttings with 3% hydrogen peroxide to clean them before propagating in the tub so I can re-use the media and minimise the risk of accidentally infecting new propagation projects with bugs and fungus.
You are my go-to plant guy! Thank you so much for all of your hard work and time planting, experimenting, and posting videos for us. I hope you and your wife had a lovely Thanksgiving.
Wow, thank you! yeah it was a nice and relaxing time! we also have an accepted offer on a house ( it has been chaotic ) so hopefully that all goes through well and we can move, which means i can expand the channel exponentially and really produce some good content and a TON more experiments!
@@TechplantChannel How exciting! Nothing like your first house together. I do hope it goes through for you.
It's been over a month, and I just realized that was meant to say *your first house, not first hour.
Thanks so much for that beautifully detailed video about how much water to add to the moss. It was perfection!
I have another video that shows with a food scale exactly how to replicate the moistness level of sphagnum moss. so you can get a feel for it too if you need any further clarification!
That expanded clay or LECA is an amazing product. When I used to work for an interior plant company we were in the process of switching over to only LECA for potting up the tropicals. It works great for all plant types. What a great home propagation kit. Excellent video
Thanks for sharing!
Can confirm it works and it’s the best way to do it! I use it for trees, although it takes more time on my side because... trees are just behaving like trees.
Good stuff! Never thought to try it with woody plants!
Yes. I've been propagating fruit trees for several years. They are definitely slow growers. Gotta have lots of patience. lol
I love your videos. I just want to say Thank you for these videos they are so helpful.
You are so welcome! Thanks for taking the time to watch them
Hello from Greece
Love your videos
I just found them
And today I am setting up my propagation bin
About the moss... Do I moist it again or only in the beginning?
And again thank you ☺️
I love your videos because they're interesting and educational 😁😁
I have been using a setup like this after seeing it on Harli G’s channel and it works really well!
Awesome!
I've tried a small version of this box and my string of hearts cuttings just exploded with root growth, they just love it. Plus, thanks for accidentally helping me to identify the peacock spikemoss! I always use it when making moist environments.
Thanks for sharing!
Instead of opening it everyday you can actually just drill a couple holes in it, and if you accidentally drill too much and you find that it's drying out too fast you can always just cover those with tape until you find the right in between
good suggestion! thank you!
Thank you for the video. I really like the fact that you show the progression of the propagation over time
yeah its fun looking at the footage, thanks for watching
Excellent! I've watched all your propagation videos and was always pleased but this looks like a great all-purpose method for large quantities. Just what I always wanted! ❤ 🙏
Great to hear! same, managing a bunch of diff cups and bags is a pain, you can basically scale this to any size bin!
I was looking for a pathos propagation video and stumbled upon your channel. You have in just 3 videos become my favourite YT channel. Thank you for putting out amazing & educative content
Thanks for taking the time to leave nice comments!
Your video on propagation method was truly good. Was of great value for me .Thank you .God bless us
Glad it was helpful!
You could add springtails to your propagation bin and they would eat any mold or fungus that would grow in there. They work great in my tree frog terrarium
I gotta! Good thinking!
Awesome prop method that I will always swer by. I have 8 of these bins going strong, low effort and great results 👌🏽
Thanks for the tips on IG, i love seeing your prop bins!
Super tip for starting cuttings.
Idea: I have dozens of pc case fans ranging from 80 mm up to 140 mm. I may use your system but add a small pc fan to the tote lid on one end and drill exhaust holes on the other end of the lid. If my propagation room is 50% humidity or higher, there should not be a problem with the sphagnum moss from drying out too quickly. This would eliminate having to open the lid every day. What do you think about my idea?
sounds like a good idea, but maybe put the fan on a timer. I think if it runs 24/7 it would dry it out but I think you will have to experiment with it to find out a good setting
This is a great idea, using the leca as the base is perfect. Definitely doing this for the next round of propagations I do!
nice, good luck!
I have done this and it works great, I use this method for my begonias and sub charcoal instead of clay pebbles. I'm going to try your method for my airoids!
awesome! I should try the charcoal too! thanks
@@TechplantChannel Me too. Just bought some charcoal in fact! Thanks for the idea :)
I always use Leca in pots and prop bins. However, I’ve never added pearlite to sphagnum moss. Def going to try this!
Your videos are the best. I really enjoy your experiments and the results are satisfying to watch 💚
Thank you! Cheers!
you reminded me to check on my alocasia bulbs i’m trying to get a sprout on. i have them in mason jars & i feel like they’re taking forever 😩😄 patience is a virtue i guess 🤷🏽♀️
that is so dang true in this hobby! Good luck with them i hope they sprout soon!
2:00 I get around this by recycling food-container lids that just can fit exactly on top. Yet due to its shape it allows the terrarium to breathe without having to drill holes allowing it to dry out. I repurpose food containers but not with their original lids.
I also notice it forms a dew in the morning/on cooler nights regardless of the temperature outside the terrarium. The dew seem to happen only when it is cooler outside, it is as though the plants inside the terrarium react to the weather outside the house. Not sure if this how all terrariums are but that's how mine tends to be.
very cool! I've been using deli cups from Pho take out for a lot of stuff they are perfect.
Coming from such a lovely humid environment do they have issues transitioning to “normal” life?
I havent noticed but my room is already like 45% humidity. if you want you can leave the lid open like /14 or 1/2 way to reduce the humidity significantly. you will still get good propagation results you just need to monitor the sphagnum moss wetness more rigorously because its going to dry faster. but that should help your more sensitive plants adapt once removed. So far i havent had issues like that but again everyones environment is diff.
Once plant cuttings develop a sound root system, they will actually DECLINE if kept in that high humid environment. They just out right rot. They actually NEED to be taken out. Initially they focus all of their energy and resources on root growth. After that, they shift to foliar growth. That is your queue that they should have been taken out already. Leave them in there much longer and they will start to rot... so no. They NEED to be taken out once they have a good root system. Opening the container to let in oxygen as he suggests becomes more critical the larger more developed the root systems become. The only exception to this is in vitro or tissue culture. Those definitely do need to be gradually acclimated to normal/lower ambient humidity.
ack, I was at bed bath and beyond today and wanted to buy a bunch of tubs. Will walk back tomorrow and follow through! thanks for this vid
nice, they work really well!
Yesssss i love your propogation videos!
me too, i love how you can literally make copies of your plants. its like "Plant Pirating"
When I see you have put out a new video I get so excited, like a kid... get to learn something new ...Love your videos! keep up the good work..
Awesome! Thank you and will do!
they look so healthy
They LOVE the bin
great video, good idea. Did you try to cut a hole in the box and put a mesh in it? Would be easier than open the box everyday. I also had trouble with molds last winter, now I put a fan next to the plants, hope it works.
you can totally do that, maybe ill try it with the next one
This method looks like it would work really well. I gotta try it out sometime with a piece of gardening fabric between the clay pebbles and sphagnum moss.
thats a good idea!
I love your videos, thank you so much for making them and the updates as well! I'm trying to propagate some cuttings that were given to me but I don't know what I'm doing wrong, it's not rooting! A couple of them have a tiny new root but after 3 weeks, that's pretty much it! Even the ones I have in water (Pothos neon) have been there for 6 weeks (I changed the water every 2 days at first, until I saw your other video) and it's been about 3 weeks with no water change but still nothing. They're still alive so I'll keep waiting but I want mine to work like yours! Haha!
My setup is about the same as yours and everything roots!!! Thanks for the video
Good stuff!
That's exactly what I do and it works so well!!!!
yup yup!
Thanks for the super helpful information! A few questions:
Can you use pumice in place of perlite?
Would you ever put the cuttings in individual cups before putting them inside the prop box, or just straight into the box like in the video? I’ve heard that if you keep them in individual cups inside the bin, you prevent the roots from different cuttings getting tangled in each other.
If I drill holes in the lid, do I still need to open up the bin daily?
the cups is a good idea for what you stated. honestly i hardly open up the bins these days and they are still cruising along so i wouldnt drill too many holes or the humidity will fall. ive never used pumice but it would probably work
what do you do with all the plants? do you just have infinite room for them?
nope lol, im going to open up an affordable plant shop, I wanna sell even """rare""" plants for like 15-20 bucks. My philodendron melanochryzm is "worth" like 80 bucks for a cutting. thats a load of crap. Im propagating the heck out of it now so i can get a solid inventory and then im selling them cheap so this hobby doesnt become a bunch of rich people "collecting" "rare" plants for status. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE i could go on for hours. but people are justifying selling crap like Pink Princess for like $300 dollars when they were 19.99 on logees like 3 years ago.
@@TechplantChannel you're a saint
@@TechplantChannel Mother natures the one who deserves all that money. I bet all my plants and fishing equipment that us outdoor boys and girls donate more to nature than those “collectors” 😂! And these bidding wars does not help either
I found this video after doing leaf cutting propagation from my Sansevieria Coppertone. Then, I decided to re-do it with this LECA-sphagnum-perlite complex method in a big glass jar. Should I half-close the lid? Thanks!
i would, just monitor it and see how it responds
This is a really good idea. 🤔
I also noticed the Techplant logo on the UV chamber thingy beside the bed. 😂
I was trying to make a techplant sign with it but never finished lol nice catch
Question for you. My prop box was doing well. Roots were growing great. Today I opened my box to find my cutting were COLD. I have a grow light on them and they’re in a west facing window. Suggestions?
hmm thats weird im not really sure what the issue would be but as long as they arent hitting like sub 50s you should be ok
What's your water schedule/amount? Like, one spray a day or actually adding water into the pebble "reservoir"?
i hardly every spray it, it stays pretty wet. i only spray to make the sphagnum wet, but avoid getting too much water in the reservoir. i hope this helps, i realize i wasnt very specific in the video! sorry!
This is such a good video! I have been wanting to try lecca and sphag but I haven’t been brave enough. I really didn’t know how to use them but you explained everything so well that now I want to try this method. Does it works if you place the box outside if u don’t have grow lights? I can place it on my carport where it would get east facing sunlight.
just be very careful with the temperature. the sun can heat that bin up surprisingly fast and youll be left with steamed vegetables!
Great video. I have those crates, lots of sphagnum moss, and pumice in various sizes. Do you think pumice would work instead of perlite? I also have alot of horticultural charcoal...it's chunky and absorbs odors. Might it work at the base instead of the pebbles?
This seems super easy to do and incredibly useful! Thank you so much for this incredibly informative video! Love it! :D Now it's time to start my own bin
This is cool! Can we use this for sun loving herbs like basil or vegetable cuttings too?
never tried honestly so i have no idea, maybe keep it cracked so its not 100% i feel like herbs are far more sensitive to like molds and stuff that could form
I so wanna try it out with my Begonia cuttings. Thanks :)
Good luck!
Might have to try that out. My spikemosses don't really enjoy sitting in just perlite and water.
they love this box! ive also had some do well in a jar
I subscribed because I’m learning how to grow plants and your videos are the best. 😍 Thank you very much! Merry Christmas!
Thanks for subbing! Merry Christmas to you too!
Where can I get the Plat light panels you have in the back?
Great video! I'll try it out. Does it work for aglaonema and anthuriums?
not sure about agloanema, but im growing anthuriums this way as well
Love your videos! Stupid question, do you reuse your bins with your mix multiple times for cuttings or do you start fresh everytime?
i just keep chucking things in there, eventually it will get bad but its mostly the top most layer
Wow this was very helpful! Thank you so much for sharing!
Wow... Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences sir..
What do you recommended to replace sphagnum moss because it's hard to get one here in our area..
We can buy coco chips here though..
soon i will do some experiments with coco chips, but i havent used them much so i dont know if its a good replacement. you could always try a small scale attempt. some people have also used pure perlite to propagate in bins
@@TechplantChannel thanks... I have tried rice hull and it doesn't do well..
Wild mosses from the rocks is far better..
Thanks for sharing your very informative video I love this kind of methods I will definitely try it my self thank you I found you stay safe
Glad it was helpful! Its almost been a year now since ive been using bins, im using more and more because they work so well and are maintenance free
Hello 👋 Question, the LECA at the bottom, so I first soak them in water before laying them down in the box??? Thank you.
I just soak them for like 1 min when rinsing, they will suck up any excess water on thr bottom of the bin if they didn't get totally saturated during rinsing/soaking
Do you think coco coir with a bit of worm casting, mycorrhizae, and pumice would work just as well? Also, did you water it often? Do you think this is better than water propagation?
Great setup! Just wondering: in your other video you show that adding a small amount of fertilizer to water propagation speeds up growth x 4. Would it not help to add a tiny amount of fertilizer to this setup, too?
yeah maybe! i think i will try that next time, I do mist with some maxsea every now and then
Thank you, this is really helpful! Would you recommend using this method for roses? (of course, only roses that are not patented, etc)
I only tried to propagate roses once and they were from a bouquet. There was another person who commented on this video saying he propagates trees, this way. So I think you probably could since they are both woody plants so it seems like it will work. Cant guarantee tho, I have 0 experience so sorry! Good luck tho, i hope it works well for you
@@TechplantChannelAlright, thank you!
Hi mate. I'm a beginner and would love to know you mind on this - will forest bark be acceptable as a base of my propagation box instead of pebbles? I want to propagate monastera from seeds. I'd appreciate your advice! ❤️
pebbles arent necessary you could just use sphagnum moss only. I would not put bark or wood in there as it will start to break down and rot
Hi! Hope you're well. I need help. I've acquired few monstera stem cuttings (no leaves). I've put them in a clear box with moss. I do not have grow light so keep it in the balcony where it gets the morning sun (at least 6 hrs). I kept them in the box 2 days back and opened the box today only to find out part of stem on all the cuttings had turned black. I cut the rotted part and put them in the box again. But I've kept the box in shaded part of the balcony where it doesn't get direct sunlight. Please advise if I need to do something different.
Can i makes the moss layer thicker, maybe 3.5 inches?
Can i leave 1/4 inch of water in the bottom?
should be fine just dont let the moss soak so much that its heavy and not airy
1. warm Temperature
2. humidity
3. light
gravel an paper towels work too
It is actually better to put a whole plant in a paludarium, but that needs space.
i wish i had a giant paludarium
@@TechplantChannel That is actually not so hard to make. A lot of people start using an Ikea glass cabinet. Place a larger plastic box at the bottom and heat+filter it. That will provide humidity.
The other way is to build one with wood, front glas and again a water box inside.
A paludarium is defined by water at the bottom. Everything else can be custom, especially when it is only for plants. I highly recommend default neutral white LED strips. That saves a lot of money compared to "special" plants lights.
maybe i missed it, but how often did you add water into the box (and how much) during those two months?
sorry i flubbed it, i make sure that the sphagnum is wet-damp. you dont want it sopping wet where its smothering the plants and really heavy but you dont want it super light and kinda moist. Its so hard to explain. the watering will really depend on the size, and how often you take the lid off and or leave it off. you dont want lots of water sitting at the bottom
@@TechplantChannel thanks for the clarification! gotta try making one like this one day
@@TechplantChannel how do you water it? Add water from the side so it only goes to the leca and wicks up to the moss? Or do you spray the moss?
@@janet_chung_ i spray everything, once the top later looks wet I stop then it sorta balances itself out
Had to redo my box because it was a mold and smelled like mildew and the the cuttings started getting brown spots so starting over with new cuttings and hopefully it doesn’t get too smelly this time
I usually just throw plain sphag into a bin and keep it moist but not soggy. I usually just soak the sphag and threw ring it out and water it a little when I add it in to the bin.
Nice that works well too
How do you keep adding water to the bin without having to take out the cuttings and disturbing them?
@@erickperez8770 the sphag just acts like a sponge so you can water it in like potting soil. Just don’t do it often because it’s really not needed. As far as disturbing cuttings goes it’s not a problem
@seizedcarcass8440 oh ok I was afraid of thr moss compacting which would reduce air circulation withing the roots. Thank you
@@erickperez8770 it won’t compact if you don’t pack it in. It holds a fair amount of air anyway
Dunno what I’m doing wrong but I have a similar set up and getting a lot of rotting cuttings. I air it frequently too. Did you say you had a grow light on it? That’s the only thing I can think but I have it in a south facing conservatory on a heat mat.
yeah i keep a light on it for like 10ish hours a day
@@TechplantChannel I'm going to clean it up and restart again with a grow light this time. UK winters are not the greatest tbh haha.
@@TechplantChannel Mmm so I tried a grow light but still having the same issue. It's very odd. :/
The additional heat mat may be the problem? Because it's already in an enclosed space that's causing condensation, the heat mat is probably keeping the environment more humid/wet if that makes sense. I've realized through trial and error that plants really don't need that much moisture to root.
(I'm also just now discovering this awesome channel because I'm always up for improving my propagation techniques!)
@@zyramiller4606 I tried without a heatmat before and it was way worse, because it was cold moisture. With the heatmat it actually dried out quicker and I am having to add moisture to it.
But I know what the problem was. The grow light I was using was bad so I'm guessing the plants just couldn't get any energy to survive for the most part and it was winter at that. I bought a Sansi bulb and replaced it and have started having great success with only a few cuttings dying. I also cleaned it regularly since I was mainly using it for water propagations with molar clay at the bottom that I could add water to to create humidity. But I've just now recently changed to the exact setup Techplant uses with leca, moss, perlite now and hoping I get as great of a success with it. :)
DOes the moss need to be thoroughly removed before potting? Or whatever that remains attached to newly grown roots is safe to go into the soil?
Are you using a grow specific bulb in your shoplight…?
I use barinna grow lights and barrina shop lights
Do you use any temperature/heating control for propagation bins or more generally for your plants outside?
nope my grow room is about 72 degrees, sometimes it gets in the 80s so anywhere in that range is pretty good
How long (how many hours) do we leave it open to air? My cuttings aren't doing great, but it was also a chop/ prop project.
Nice vid! Do you ever let the cuttings callous before putting them into the propagation bin?
never, some people do tho. if you have issues of rotting then maybe give it a shot
@@TechplantChannel cool thanks!
lovin your vids dood keep em coming!
Thanks! Will do!
Also wondering if there is a specific type of sphagnum moss and clay pebbles to use? Prices and reviews vary significantly…. I want to start out right.
The really expensive stuff is mostly for orchids and looks nicer and is cleaner but you can get away with some cheaper stuff it just will have sticks and other crap in it. the clay balls are pretty much the same everywhere
Awesome video, definitely will try it out once I have a few cuttings to propagate. :) I've listened to a super interesting podcast episode of 'on the ledge' where they talk about tissue culture and the interviewee mentioned how we can apply some concepts of tissue culture (or rather some hormones) to maximise even hobby propagation. I've been super curious about that and thought that tissue culture is something that kind of seems related to your channel content, because you take an experimental approach. I realize that getting a full in laboratory kit is not exactly feasible but I've been wondering about these hormones/chemicals they mentioned and how they could help speed up the propagation process. Anyway, I suggest you to give it a listen, it's super interesting, maybe you find some insipration for a future experiment? :) Have a great day and keep your awesome videos coming ☺️
Ill have to check it out! i bought a book on tissue culture and as soon as i get some space ill build out a mini tissue culture lab!
I would like to try that! But I always notice that water propagation is the fastest way to create roots... at least for me, do you think this way its better than water propagation?
if water works for you keep doing it! but some people have bad water and it inhibits growth, so the sphagnum helps a lot and the general humidity as opposed to pure water with what ever issues it may have. If your water is good then keep using it, saves a lot of money in the long run!
What size container are you using in this video? I'm having an issue locating clear storage totes with clear lids in my area as all the ones I find have colored lids.
How many times should I add water?
Can I use stons instead of the leca?
For how many minutes should I let the lid open?
Could you add springtails to the bin to prevent mold and fungus growth? That way maybe you dont have to open it so often?
Yes you can
Silly question and all but to combat mould and fungus etc what's your thought on using springtails? I use them in all my props atm and never have an issue... just a idea 👍🏼
Its a fantastic idea! I gotta get some but I'm worried they will die in shipping
@@TechplantChannel obviously where you get them will depend on how they arrive but I had mine sent to me (NSW Australia) from interstate, took 6 days from send to receive and they were still perfect. Currently have a mother culture with 6 smaller cultures as a just incase or use in terrariums 👍🏼
Have you tried peperomia leaf or leaf tip propagation in sphagnum moss? They are so little, it's hard to not burrow them completely in the moss
I have not, but a good friend of mine has had really good luck with them
Did you pre wet the pearlite? Also, would adding a fan inside help prevent mold without opening the box?
Would running a small fan inside the prop box alleviate mold issues, or is fresh air daily really the best? I drilled holes in the side of the prop boxes, which worked great for mold, but allowed fungus gnats inside.
Superglue some screen mesh to the holes to solve your fungus gnat problem
How awesome. Love you experiments.
I live in an area with a lot of clay in the soil...do you think I could use that instead of the clay pebbles?
no, because the clay pebbles are dried in like a kiln they are like "puffed" meaning there is a lot of air pockets inside the pebbles. regular clay would smother it
do you use fertilizer with spaghnum or only tap water ?
Sometimes I add fertilizer when watering or just sprinkle some osmocote the algae will grow very fast on the surface tho
Awesome! Love your vids!
Thanks for the kind words!
So how often do you water it in there? And do you spray or do you just add water to the bottom where the leca is at?
I spray the whole thing down and add a little bit of fertilizer too
Excelent video. So helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Can I use pumice as a substitute for Leca?
im not sure, as ive never tried
Could an activated charcoal layer in place of the clay pebbles, or sanitizing everything entering the box, resolve any fungi issue and help avoid the obligation to open every day?
maybe, I havent tried it. sometimes i let it go like 3 days tho and it doesnt seem to cause issues. maybe you can release some springtails in there to keep fungus at bay, but mold is tough and with a lot of propagations sometimes the leaf on the node dies off so the new growth can come out. bacteria and other things quickly over take those leaves so i think its good to just peak in there very 1-3 days to see whats going on
I have 2 questions, I hope u can answer me... do I have to use a lamp for it? Or do I have to take the box outside to take the sun?
Do you add water to the LECA later?
I sprayed it a little bit you can add a bit more water when you make the bin and the LECA with absorb the excess
Do you water this at all? Im still
New to this.
Pls let us know how do u pot these cuttings from propogation tray to pot .... most of the time they die with this shift ... pls
Ok i will show soon since the yare getting close to needing to be repotted
@@TechplantChannel thank u !! Wil wait ...
Very good idea
Thank you! Cheers!
Do you open the lids of the boxes every day?
No some go weeks without being opened
What’s the point of adding the perlite if I may ask?
I really want to try this. It's winter here, should I use a heat mat?
mine was sitting kinda close to the heating vent, and the grow light kept it warm. if you put a light on top you do not need a heat mat
@@TechplantChannel ok, thank you.. love your videos.
Awesome I want to try this!
You should!
@@TechplantChannel ok thanks