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[PaulKruger]

Well done TBM, it is nice to see people explaining the finer techniques of their TEK.

I saw another method done by a university student as a project who actually rooted the leaves by cutting the stalk end of the leaf off and putting that around 1/2 inch in between the two sides of a wet kitchen towel. They did not specify this, but one would assume the guys used a rooting hormone of sorts here. The entire setup is then stuck into a Ziploc bag and once a day the baggy is opened and new CO2 rich air from you lungs used to fill the baggie.

After a couple of weeks the leaves seemed to have rooted very well and were ready for transplanting. I will try to find the details and post them here ASAP.

Thanks again TBM

[Bach]

Great! can you upload some photo? one more question is, How many inches/feet a healthy viridis plant can reach in height for one year?

Pics at post #86 here:

http://www.thenook.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=78927&st=60

You have to register as a member but it's worth it!

I never actually measured their growth but maybe about six inches a year since my plants are 18 years old and the tallest is just over 8 feet.

[TBM]

Impressive pictures to say the least! Those are worthy of sharing on the STS Forum Plant Gallery

[TBM]

Time for update pics! Notice how in pic 4 the plants are much taller, but have only two sets of leaves (and it's two separate plants), while pic 5 it is shorter (and only one plant), yet already has the third set of leaves coming in, the only difference? Pic 4's plant faces a south window, while pic 5's plant faces a west window. I don't think which window affected how many plants formed, but rather I think it may have affected what the plant focuses it's growth on (height vs foliage)

I don't see myself trying to separate the two baby plants in pic 4, if there was more than 2 maybe but I don't see it being a problem.

[Seed Collector]

Looking nice.

Very nice. 

[Bach]

Good work there TBM. You are well on your way!

[Shpongle Lover]

Changing to a different potting mix after they root and shoot can cause transplant stress, too often seriously enough to kill the plant. I have settled on rooting them in the same mix that they will end up in as adult plants. I use regular commercial potting soil amended with perlite and maybe some vermiculite if I happen to have it at the time. 2:1:1 or even 1:1:1 ratio.

Bach:

I have all those supplies on hand from other grow projects done in the past  and have one quick question on the 2: 1: 1 ratio you recommend.  That is by volume, correct?  I know it's not critical and that ballpark is fine, but just wanted clarification.

I agree wholeheartedly about transplant stress, and it would be a shame to lose plants and months of time due to stress.  Partly it's laziness, and partly it's drive to succeed, but my plan is to cultivate viridis in a fairly large pot from the outset so it will be a LONG time before transplant is needed, if ever.   

[New Wisdom]

I hope mine do fine after transplanting.  I have mine in 1/1/.25 perlite/coir/washed sand. 

[TBM]

Thanks for everyone's input! It's nice to read what others have been using as soil for their P. viridis plants, all good info to know!

[Bach]

They generally don't seem too picky about the soil. Pretty much any standard mix will suit them fine, with one caveat which should be clear by now: a lighter mix like I mentioned above works better when rooting out leaves. You can go heavier on the organic component once they get bigger.

And yes Shpongle Lover, 1:1:1 ratio by volume. 

[Frog Pajamas]

Has anyone tried rooting in water? I read on a site that sells unrooted leaves that it works as an alternative to soil.

[Greentoe]

I know I've rooted psychotria alba leaf cuttings in a cup of water. I don't imagine rooting p viridis would be much different. I've also found puttin them in a cup filled with moist perlite then putting that in a bag seems to work pretty well. They seem to root quicker like that than just putting them in water.

[Bach]

Yeah, it can work, but soil of some sort works so much better. I don't do it that way myself and can't really recommend it.

[Saros]

So i've got roots all over the place right now. I have pots with leaves rooting in random places where I thought there was a good chance they'd be happy. And also in a variety of substrates... some in a mix of potting soil/coir/pine bark/perlite, some in straight pine bark, some in just perlite, and some in a mix of perlite and vermiculite.. it looks like all of them have starting putting out roots now.

So now that i'm thinking "what's next?" I'm wondering, since transplant shock was brought up, what should I do with the ones in just perlite, pine bark, or perlite and verm to increase their chances of survival? There's not much in the way of nutrients in there so I'll have to move them at some point.. but when? Should I do it now before they get accustomed to what they're in? 

Eventually I aim to pot them all in the mix of potting soil, perlite, coir, pine bark since my Albas seem really happy there.

[TBM]

You can try to lesson transplant shock by including whatever you've chosen to root the leaves in into the mixture that they will be transplanted in. Since I have started the plants I intend to keep in pine bark, I will be blending pine bark into the potting soil that will be used once they're big enough for the next transplant, hopefully that will be in my favor.