Question
QUESTION: In October 2008, I received a zebra plant as a gift. As a rank amateur plant owner, I watered it only when I noticed the leaves drooping. It continued to grow taller even as leaves would fall off.

About four months ago, it seemed tall enough for a larger pot, so I brought it into a local plant shop, which repotted it and told me to fertilize it in the spring. When I went in last weekend, I ran across another customer with a wide, full-bodied zebra plant, which she said was one year old. She said she soaked it in the sink twice a week. I wanted one of those.

I brought the plant in today, and the assistant there cut off one of the two stalks (just above what appeared to him to be a new growth on its way out), dipped it into a bag of growth hormone, and stuck it into the soil. He sprayed some black goop onto the cut end of the stalk.

I put the whole thing in my window in the office and noticed about an hour later that the cutting pretty much collapsed. I let it sit for a couple of hours out of the direct sunlight, and then gave it a bit of a soaking.

(I also noticed that most of the black goop on the cut end of the stem has disappeared.)

Can you please give me recommendations on saving the cutting and promoting the health of the plant? I have read a few ideas on the internet but they don抰 seem consistent with one another.

How much light? How much watering? Watering or soaking in a sink? Fertilizer? What kind, how much, how often? Direct sunlight or muffled?

I don抰 even know what else to ask about. I would really appreciate any wisdom or resources you might suggest. Thanks.

ANSWER: Dave,

If you hope to have the cutting survive you need to cut off 3/4ths of each leaf and then set the whole plant in a large clear plastic bagand twist tie the bag closed. This will give it less leaf to support while it is trying to grow roots and the bag will give it a humid atmosphere like a greenhouse. Open the bag once a day to exchange the air and reclose it. If you choose to not put it in a plastic bag you should fill a spray bottle with plain water and spray the plant 2-3 times a day.

After the top has rooted you can start by leaving the bag open for 2 hours a day for a week, then 4 hours a day the next week, 6 hours a day the next week and so on until you remove the bag entirely.

Keep it in a pot with a drainage hole and a drain tray under it. Water it from the top and water it until a bit of water runs in the drain tray then an hour after you water it empty the drain tray. To tell when you should water it again I reccommend that you pick up a water meter at a garden center. They run between $5.00 and $10.00. When the surface of the soil is dry insert the meter to within an inch of the bottom of the pot. If it registers in the dry area it is time to water. Waiting for the plant to wilt causes the leaf drop and deterioration you have had. Fertilize it once a monthwith a Miracle Grow type water soluable fertilizer, it can be a generic type.

How much light? In the winter I would keep it in an unshaded east or west window. The sun is to the south then and less strong in east and west windows. In the summer when the sun is high in the sky and stronger in east and west windows I would set it in a south facing unshaded window. It likes very bright light and  will stay healthier in bright light. It can go outdoors for the summer months but will need to be in a shady area when it is outdoors because the sun will be much stronger. If you have more questions feel free to write again.  Good luck.

Darlene

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Darlene,

Thank you for this advice.

To be clear, I understand this to mean I should remove the cutting from the soil for now and replace it in the pot roughly three weeks after it has rooted. Am I correct?

How do I know when it has rooted?

Thanks again.

Best regards,
Dave

Answer
Dave,

I am copying our private exchange here so others who regularly read my answers can read it.
Good luck.

No, do not remove it from the soil. Put the pot, soil and all in a large clear plastic bag. You can get clear trash bags if it takes one that big. You can tell that it is rooted when you pull on it very lightly and there is resistance, do not pull it out. Now, with that clarification if you have more questions feel free to write again.

Darlene

Thank you, Darlene.

As you may have noted, the 搈other plant,?from which the cutting was taken, is still in the pot. Will the bagging hurt that plant? Thanks.
- Dave
No, it will make it very happy, It will probably sprout all kinds of new growth when it is in that highly humid environment. Just be sure to open the bag each morning for a few minutes (3-5) to air it out, then close it again.