garden

Older Psychotria viridis can produce a fair amount of leaves during the winter when in a grow tent.

Someone on Reddit posted that you could air layer TBM, so I figured I'd try it out before the summer. The trick is apparently to let it callous after taking the cut. Should be able to slice at the base, place it over an empty terracotta pot, and let the exposed area dry without harming new roots.

Uploading for reference before posting newer photos. Beginning of second year growing in zone 6b/7a (winter indoors; summer outdoors).

Uploading for reference before posting newer photos. Very early after buying TBM cuttings. Growing in zone 6b/7a (winter indoors; summer outdoors).

Air layering update: it took three months, but this green P. viridis stem grew the perfect rootball to thrive after a transplant. Only the top few leaves wrinkled once potted. Seems like this is the most efficient way to propagate, and it also benefited from the additional months of growth.

This is an older picture, but I wanted to show off how easily this plant flowers when regularly provided with small amounts of magnesium sulfate (epsom salt). The green flowers can still be used before they dry out and make a mess.

Attempting to air layer my P. viridis. For those who are unfamiliar, "air layering" is when you apply moist substrate around an aerial branch in order to trigger safer / faster rooting before propagation. I'm testing with a 50/50 blend of Psychotria soil and coco coir on a young branch.

It took roughly six months for these leaf cuttings to root and another six months before they grew to this size. Full-size leaves grew multiple shoots, so I intertwined them for strength—each sapling cluster will eventually merge into a sturdier bush. Divided / rotted cuttings grew smaller sprouts.

I have one leaf putting out three shoots at the same time. For this, I used the “whole leaf wrapped in damp paper towel placed in a sandwich bag” tek (patent pending). This leaf fell off four months ago—now it is growing much faster than my “takeout tek” cuttings.

It took eight months for all of my “takeout tek” cuttings to produce shoots. I’ve always struggled with propagating P. viridis during the winter.

The stem cuttings (rooting in soil, water, and coir) developed crystals on the surfaces and undersides of leaves. I was told that this is referred to as "plant edema," and is often the result of high humidity and cells over-hydrating till bursting (this releases nutrients, salts, oxalic acid, &c).

Stem cuttings in different mediums. From left to right: a stem cutting in water (I will be transferring to coco coir in a week or two), a stem cutting in 50% coco coir and 50% soil (pasteurized), and a stem cutting in coco coir (pasteurized). I trimmed the leaves back a bit to reduce water loss.

Leaf cuttings in coco coir (pasteurized). I've never succeeded with this technique. Usually I have success with root growth, but then they stall or rot. Perhaps this time will be different.

Small leaves with stems and leaf cuttings wrapped in wet paper towel. I will be transferring these to soil in a week or two.

Hi, my salvia seems to have some issue, which I am struggling to identify. Some leaves seems healthy. Any help will be appreciated.