Cloning plants for my chameleons

[ColorCham427]

So I am planning on doing this...

Anyone know how easy it is for Umbrella Dwarf plants? Ficus?

One of my family members knows that Pathos are easy and she's done it before. Just curious about the other two... Thanks for any help!

 

[morpheon]

I don't know for the Schefflera, but for my Ficus Benjamina i simply cut a few small branches with a few leaves on it, and put them into an inch and a half of water for a month or two. Once i can see some roots, i plant them! It's that simple!

 

[ColorCham427]

word, thanks dude! if it is that simple i will do this year round! lol

 

[morpheon]

Just remember that the bigger your branch will be, the longer it will take to get the roots out of it! But it's not that bad either. Personally, i tried both with 2 to 3 inch branches and with 6 inch branches, and both worked well!

You can also add some "rooting powder", but i don't know if it's really useful or not!

Ficus like sun (behind a window is great), so finding them a good and sunny window is perfect!


Good luck!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Ive done fiscus before. I find its cheaper and easier just to buy them - but here's what I did:
Rooting hormone, moist (not wet) vermicultie/perlite/sand medium, "older" wood is better (not too green), not too many leaves, cover (tent) with clear plastic, lots of indirect light.

 

[morpheon]

Wow, that's pretty complicated compared to what i am used to do!! I guess you are better than me with plants Sandra!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Wow, that's pretty complicated compared to what i am used to do!! I guess you are better than me with plants Sandra!

or maybe I overly complicate things

 

[morpheon]

I don't know!! We'd have to try both ways and compare our results!

 

[ColorCham427]

how did it come out cheaper for you sandra????

 

[james L]

Being you live in NJ and the cold is right around the corner, your going to have a hell of a time trying to grow Ficus and Scheffs where you live, unless you have a green house. No green house = Buy plants. You will be growing twiggs without one. Sun and heat are key when growing these two plants. Pothos is easy. All you need is cuttings, water, container, and time. Add a little heat and light to the mix and you should have grown 10-16inches to each pothos cutting within a few months.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

You wont have any trouble growing schef or ficus. They dont require alot of sun just make sure they have some sun. Its hibiscus that require full sun and high temps to thrive. Ive grown ficus and scheff indoors with nothing more than grow light fl tubes. It takes longer than growing outdoors but it will work.

 

[sandrachameleon]

how did it come out cheaper for you sandra????

I guess it isnt all that cheaper. Not having a suitable window available, I had to buy another plant grow bulb. Which really wasnt all that expensive. I already had suitable sand, vermiculite, clear plastic, rooting hormone and soil. It would be more accurate for me to say its FASTER and EASIER to just buy them. It takes a long while for the cuttings to reach decent size.

 

[morpheon]

I don't know for the schefflera, but any indirect or direct sun works fine for a ficus benjamina. And they grow like crazy under a simple UVB and heat light in a chameleon enclosure!

Last winter, in Quebec (ie way colder than where most of you live), i managed to get some roots off my Ficus Benjamina's cuttings with indirect sun through a normal window and room temperature. It just takes time!!

And like Sandra says, it does that a LONG time. My first try is now maybe 8-10 inch tall, and i started the project in april!!!