May 16, 2016

Rooting cuttings in water - Ficus Religiosa / Peepal tree - Part 1 & 2

Tree Species : Ficus Religiosa (Peepal tree)
Collected On : April 2, 2016

Softwood cuttings of Ficus Religiosa roots easily in water, specially green branch tips with leaf buds. You will never need their seed again !

If sand, cocopeat or soil was my rooting medium, then I would have had to cut away most of the leaves, which is a setback that you can avoid totally, by rooting in water. Besides, I would expect only 2-3 specimens to survive. I did not remove any leaves, after collecting this rootless sapling.


Rooting cuttings in water - Ficus Religiosa / Peepal tree


My concept here is INSTANT BONSAI (mini) and this method for this species gave me tiny healthy saplings instantly, the moment I collected it from location, with all the already miniaturized leaves intact. And anybody can do this ! No prior knowledge, experience or green fingers needed.

I changed water every 3-4 days & kept in shade, avoiding direct sunlight. To boost local humidity, I sprayed water on leaves twice a day & covered the plant with the top half of a plastic bottle, with the cap removed, for air circulation. I plan to let some of the above specimens grow in water & transplant the rest into cocopeat or coarse sand. This method definitely works for softwood. Hardwood or even semi-hardwood cuttings of this species tends to rot in water. Its a good idea to inspect daily and smell the cutting, till you get the hang of it.


Water Rooting - Part 1 
Water Rooting - Part 2 

No rooting hormones were used and I am not a fan of them. I believe that air-layering in air-pruning containers can easily offer far superior results than any brand of rooting hormones.

2 comments:

  1. Loved your informative videos on propagating Ficus Religiosa cuttings. Thank you! You made my day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Are working on bonsai or full size tree?

    ReplyDelete

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