I've got a few cuttings in a container with water. Is there any way to speed up the rooting process? I've had them in the container for the past 2 months, and still no roots. The cuttings are still very much alive, and the cuttings were taken from the right branches that they should root. Any advice would be appreciate.
Paulina--few plants will root in water...only the easiest ones work that way. Both camellia and rhodo are regularly rooted in a mix of peat and perlite, peat and sand could also work well, say half and half. Try filling a container with that sort of mix, moistening it after sticking your cuttings in, and enclosing the whole thing in a clear plastic bag. Keep this in a bright spot out of direct sun, and let some air in the bag every day or so. A bit of heat underneath the container would also help the process. There is rooting hormone available at any garden supply, use a medium or high strength for those hard wood cuttings before sticking them in the mix. This will speed up the rooting process with these species. Best time is late summer onward, but you can always get surprises so give it a try if you like.
Paulina, I would suggest refining the answer from Growest on rooting camellias or rhododrenrons. The peat and sand mix is fine, but you need to moisten it prior to putting the cuttings in it. It should be damp, but not wet - you should be able to squeeze it without water coming out. The best time to take camellia cuttings is right after the new growth has hardened (semi-hard). In Texas, this is approximately the end of June. You should remove a little of the outside bark to expose the green underlayer of the end of cutting. Cut off excess leaves, retain only 2-3 leaves on cutting (cut large leaves in half) to keep the cuttings from losing too much moisture. Look on internet, there are many sites that show how to prepare cuttings of camellias, roses, etc. Using some rooting hormone as suggested and some bottom heat, if available. Cover with a plastic bag or a large soda bottle (much better). Cut off bottom of bottle and discard. Place bottle with cap installed over cuttings. This retains the moisture. Remove the cap daily and spray a little water mist on cuttings. Leave cap off for a short time and then reinstall. The cuttings should root within 2-3 months. Keep the cuttings out of direct sunlight but they need good indirect light to succeed. If you have a number of varieties that you want to root, use a ball point pen and write a designation on underside of leaf. The mark will eventually turn brown so you have a ready identification after they are rooted. I have over a hundred camellias and have successfully rooted many cuttings. I use this same basic method to root camellias, azaleas, hydrangeas, roses, etc. good luck
