[Iamnumber]

Hi,

6/6 seeds turned into health plants. Not enough light > stretch > under more intense veg light > leaves started to grow > bend the stretched stalk and bury into ground .. Looks fine so far.

Trouble with lights and plants started to flower / show sex > the lone survivor (of past germination) was male (sigh). Time to take cuts and test how things go.

4 cuts - all healthy from top of the plant.

1 tall glass, light chlorinated water.

1 tall glass, light chlorinated water + willow bark tea.

1 mug with wet (ight chlorinated water.) perlite (one cm <> half an inch), cut sits on this, more perlite to give support/stability.

1 mug with wet ( light chlorinated water + willow bark tea) perlite (one cm <> half an inch), cut sits on this, more perlite to give support/stability.

While this was quick and dirty experiment, I did wash my hands and razor blade in light chlorinated water.

I have read many wonderful threads about taking cuts .. There are minute details on technique that are not generally discussed. Maybe someone will fine my notes / pondering helpful.

Selection.. As my plant is doomed.. I can pic up the 'best' parts (top growth) for cuts.

Break away cut .. roughly half way between nodes. Leaves enough for mother to dry/close the would (I hope- so far been ok) AND enough for me to make the final 45 deg cut on cuttling.

Put into same lightly chlorinated water I will use on this experiment. I hope plant will suck up water and keep capillary veins watered up (no air bubbles).

Cleaning the cuttling.. I found that working the stalk up/down while cutting the leaves/ pistons and then turn the plant and work the stalk again to take out the piston that was left by the first cut.

my other hand is 'behind' the cutting point (safe place) holding the cuttling. I lodge my razor blade between stalk and piston/leave (center or clock dial). contact point is ~middle of the blade at roughly 30 deg angle to the stalk. Plan is to take leave and ONE piston away. Cut towards 10:30 <> 11:00 (or NNW) rather bringing the razor up as cut it performed (as oppose to 'down' which would cut into stalk. using sweeping cut rather than chop. .. hmm.. as my hand moves as described above .. I use my wrist to enhance the slicing motion by angular motion.

Once all the nodes have been cut I work the cuttling again cutting away the remaining pistons. I have two techniques. 1) copy the described one but cut towards 1:00 (or NNE). 2) Similar method but cutting towards myself. Naturally both techniques with much less force and much more caution. single piston dose not require force where as cutting a leaf away will require a bit.


I did put the cuttling back to water while I worked the rest before doing the final 45 deg cut to the stem.

Once I had cleaned all four I started the final cut phase..

Prep where you are about to put it.
__ Make the final cut at 45 deg angle to stalk. I aimed to start the cut tiny bit below the bottom node and on the opposite side.

I did the final cut in air.. many say that it is better to do under water and I would agree. As I did this Q&D it just felt better .. we shall observe how the plants fare and perhaps do a side by side comparison at later point.

Cuttlings ware place under a dome. Low intensity light . would make seedling strech.

Leavese were not 'halved/ cut' yet. we shall see how things develop.

Wow.. quite a wall of text

[yesum]

I have been using the edge of a sharp pocket knife to trim off the sharp end of the seed and peel the edges on either side. Wipe alcohol on the blade first and use nitrile gloves for keeping a good grip of the seed and also to avoid contamination.

I use a loupe or headband affixed magnifier to make sure I do not go into the embryo with the cut.

[3snowboards]

4 Super Fruit seeds from a norcal friend
that i started soaking this morning at 830 and seriously
3 popped by 1230pm
Other then scuffing them up with a finger nail buffer and adding 1 drop of
Superthrive
to my initial 12-20 hour soak in h2o @85to90°
100% success rate.
These superfruit seeds are special though
I germinated another group once before
And the popped very fast also before getting eaten by fly larvae in shoddy soil