Great ideas often take time to show results. And as I mentioned recently, surprises can interfere with our plans and progress.

None of that has to do with my root ball experiment. To remind you, I had ordered some plastic balls that hinged open. The concept was to put these around a branch of a tree with wet sphagnum peat moss inside and the tree branch would form roots. I did this months ago and you can read the original article under Trivia and Odd Stuff. It is entitled, Wascals and Woot Balls.

So, I was surfing YouTube about a week ago and found a video entitled, CLONE Your Favorite Plants & Trees | AIR LAYERING | Simple Propagation Techniques | BEFORE & AFTER. After watching this 30-minute video, I realized I was on the right track, but not the right train.

As you will see the ball and the peat moss were right. But this gentleman also used a rooting hormone power AND applied it to the branch after completely removing a one-inch tall layer of bark. I had just scratched the surface. Instead of the purchased balls, he used a small water bottle (a large one could be cut down) and covered it with aluminum foil to keep it dark inside. This would also help reduce the internal temperature from sunlight.

So, I am going to get some additional supplies and try again. I am so grateful for the technology of YouTube, and all the other communication tools available now. But I am 10 times more grateful for the people who share their experiences, taking the time to produce a 30-minute video. I’ve played with making videos and am far from putting one on YouTube. For their sake, please hit the Like button.

If you search for “clone plants” or “rooting plants” you will find many similar videos. One interesting video is 8 POWERFUL HOMEMADE ROOTING HORMONES| Natural Rooting Stimulants for Gardening. The images below are from the first video.

Please share with us any cloning / rooting experiences you have had.