How to Bag root cuttings and WHY
With cuttings, I know a lot of people just bung them in the ground, but for new growers it’s too risky- especially for those that spend quite a lot on a cutting. They want the safest fastest way to get it to grow, so this article is aimed at giving their cutting the best chance of survival
The reason I do it this way and don’t just pot it or poke it in the ground is because sand is a really good conductor of heat and by bagging it and sealing it closed , We are keeping that heat enclosed which will speed up the process of growing roots and gives your plant a better chance at growing.
What you will need :
Electrical tape
Rooting hormones or honey or cinnamon
Zip lock sandwich bags
Alcohol wipes
Builders sand ( don’t dampen it or dry it , use a fresh bag and use it as is )
Vivid

Begin by making sure that your frangipani Branch has a clean smooth end and no leaves.
Make sure there are no jagged edges or browning if it is a fresh cut.
If it is Freshly cut dip the cutting using either rooting hormone , cinnamon or honey and place aside to allow it to heal (otherwise known as callusing) .
In winter and spring time this will happen very fast - 4 to 5 days as the sap is dormant. In summer time and autumn it will take a bit longer so set-aside for a week or two but make sure it doesn’t dehydrate so place it out of the sun.
Once you have a solid callus - this is ESSENTIAL or your cutting will be likely to rot- Soak your cutting overnight fully covered in liquid with a small amount of thrive or seasol , to rehydrate it. It must be completely covered in liquid to soak it up. Damp paper towels will do the job too.
Remove the cutting from the liquid, towel dry it and prepare your ziplock bag by labelling it with the colour and date and filling it halfway with fresh builders sand and then firming it down.
Dip the cut end of your Frangipani In the rooting hormone , cinnamon or honey again to act as a barrier from bacteria and help stimulate root growth.
Push the cutting into the bag of sand leaving enough room underneath it for the roots to grow.
Holding the neck of the bag tight to the stem of the cutting with one hand , Grasp the bottom of the bag with your other hand and slowly twist the bag in a circular movement, forcing the neck of the bag to tighten around the stem .
While still holding it tight, use the electrical tape to tape it tightly by winding it around and around from the bottom upwards. It’s ok to get the tape on the Frangipani as it will not hurt it.
Your end product should look like the photo below with the firmly bagged cutting that can stand upright on its own with no gaps between the sand and the bag.
Place the Bagged cutting in a container and fill it to the tape level with more sand, then place the container on a heat mat out of sunlight or on top of the hot water cylinder. Leave it for at least three weeks in winter ( usually you will know when to check them as there will be signs of growth from the tips. Winter rooting us slow, often taking over a month and sometimes longer ) . Summer rooting is much faster so check it every 11 days or so
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