How to plant a cutting

The offers an extensive list of plants, resources and other information at www.epiphyllumsociety.org. Its annual show and sale is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden in Arcadia ( www.arboretum.org). A plant can be started from a cutting by following these steps:

Prepping: Dip the cut end in rooting hormone, such as Rootone. Let a callus form over the cut, which takes about 10 days.

Soil: Fill a small container, about 4 inches wide, with one-third potting mix or azalea/camellia mix, one-third perlite, and one-third orchid bark . Or use cactus mix instead.

Plant: Place the cutting in the soil deep enough to cover one or two areoles or notches. Add slightly damp soil (try not to compress it), until the cutting stands on its own.

Water: Don’t water for a week or two. Then mist lightly. When roots form, begin watering gradually, never letting the soil dry out.

Light: Filtered light is best.

–

Ellen Hoffs