I'm rooting in 3 batches this year. I've started the first 2 batches, using perlite in clear cups only. I'm 5 weeks in on the first batch and my success is 38%. I expect it to go up (I hope it goes up!), but it has hit a lull after a huge leap during weeks 3 and 4. However, there is a lot of bud/leaf growth despite the lack of visible roots in the "un-rooted" cuttings, in both batches #1 and #2. I'm going to start batch #3 this weekend.

Last year, overall, I had a 75% success rooting, under different conditions. I didn't use dedicated lighting (for the first half of rooting) and heat mats like I am this year. As such, last year's first roots of batch #1 didn't become visible until into the 7th week. After setting up lights last year for batch #2, I saw roots at about 4 weeks.

Has anyone here used ReadyGro Aeration mix as a source of coir? I went to my local garden specialist store yesterday and that seemed like a better product than the flat coir brick. It has a formula of 70% Coco Coir to 30% Perilite already, with a few additives to buffer the mix. They have already treated the coir to remove the salt and toxins, so it seems all you have to do is add a little perlite to get the optimal 50/50 mix.

Mara…. funny you should mention!  I haven’t tried this yet but, I’m about to.   After reading Frank’s post and comments, I decided to go for it.  I went to my local hydroponic warehouse and after much discussion with the expert about their selections of coir, I walked out with a bag of the Botanicare ReadyGro Airation mix.   1.5 cu ft was about $22.50, which I thought pretty reasonable.   Here’s the make-up:

Readygro formula contains a ratio of 70% Coco Coir to 30% Perlite. Also, contains worm castings, humic acid, seaweed powder, and yucca extract. These inputs occur in trace amounts meant to buffer and condition the media, and do not provide a major food source for plant growth. 

This coir is double washed to remove salts, so it says on the bag.  I’m hoping to acquire a few new cuttings and trying this.  I’ll let you know how it turns out for me.

Does anyone use a moisture meter to measure the level of moisture with their rooting cups? What level do you keep the moisture level at, on a scale of one to ten, one being bone dry and ten being very wet? Having the cuttings too wet is listed as one of the biggest causes of cutting failure.

One suggestion was that if there is moisture drops on the side of the cup, they’re wet enough. But the heating mat seems to dry them out faster. After a week and a half without water, I decided to use a moisture probe for a more accurate measure reading at the bottom of the cup. The probe registered some of my cuttings around Level 1 in moisture, but they still had moisture drops on the side of the cup. That seemed a little too dry, so I watered them.

When do other people water their cuttings? When is dry too dry? Do you use a special fertilizer water?