North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark and Alisha Fehringer" <markandalishafehringer@peetzplace.com>]

Hi,
I have Lon's book and have read and re-read the section on callusing several
times.  I have rooted grapes before using the 'plant directly in the ground
and hope for the best method', but I am starting to demand more predictable
results. The combintation of low humidity, high winds and intense sunlight
in my area dries out rootless cuttings in no time.  The best luck I've had
was packing cuttings in a plastic lined box, and putting the box in the
furnace/water heater room in an upstairs apartment where the temperature
stayed around 80 degrees.  However, I don't live there anymore.  Also, when
doing that, many cuttings leafed before callusing and rooting.  I think this
is partly due to cuttings taken very late in the spring.  Do cuttings need
air to callus?  A callusing temperature of 80-85 degrees is recommended, but
can warmer temperatures be used?  How warm is too warm? Soil temperatures in
a black pot sitting in a sunny window have gone over 100 degrees on the
sunny side.  Using a heat lamp, I can adjust the temperature fairly
accurately by changing the distance.  Has anyone else used a fairly
controlled environment to callus that produces reasonably consistent,
predictable results?
Mark