| By stacking plastic bread trays, I can place the cuttings approximately 8 inches below the lights. I usually lay strips of aluminum foil under the cuttings. The reflection increases the effectiveness of the lighting. the temperature in the basement is about 55 - 60 degrees fahrenheit. After one month I remove the plastic bags and give a gentle tug upward on each of the cuttings. |
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| If I feel resistance I know the roots have formed. If not rooted, the bag is replaced and another check is made in two weeks. I have realized a 95 percent success rate using this method. The cuttings now can be transferred to a greenhouse, cold frame, or simply placed outdoors when the temperature permits. Like any tender young plant they should be hardened off gradually and protected from the direct sun for a day or two. |
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| A few weeks after taking the first cuttings the tuber usually will generate multiple sprouts as shown in photos. Again, follow the process demonstrated earlier. This is the time you will quickly increase your plant supply. I have 7 plant trays with tubers and each night I take 4 - 6 cuttings. The 7 trays will probably produce 120 new plants before late April. Since the cuttings take 30 days to root, I cease making new cuttings after the third week in April in anticipation of late May plant date. The tubers in the trays can also be planted as well. As the weather begins to warm, the cuttings will be transferred outdoors. |
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| It is the beginning of May. Here on Long Island, NY we generally don't plant until the end of the month. Since some of the country has a warmer climate I will complete the final portion of the essay now. Before planting I harden off the cuttings in a polyhouse, usually over a 2-3 week period. See photo. This transition phase eliminates the shock of going from a warm propagating climate to the cool soil. |
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