Propagating in Fluval Stratum

Propagating in Fluval Stratum

The Plantry’s Signature Field Method

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Suitable for — Every Grower

Every cutting, I have long maintained, is simply a plant with ambitions — give it proper footing, my dear, and stand back. In my years of travel I have rooted cuttings in jam jars, teacups, and once, regrettably, a borrowed top hat. But no vessel has served me so faithfully as a clear cup of Fluval Stratum: a mineral-rich volcanic soil gathered from the foothills of Japan’s Mount Aso. Aquarists prize it for their underwater gardens; I prize it because each granule holds the perfect balance of moisture and air about a developing node. Roots raised in Stratum arrive thicker and sturdier than their water-grown cousins, and they take to soil with scarcely a sulk. Every cutting that leaves our greenhouse was raised this very way — what follows is the method, faithfully recorded.

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The Apparatus

  • A clear cup with no drainage holes
  • Fluval Stratum
  • Fresh water
  • A cutting bearing at least one healthy node
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The Method

I.Fill

Fill your cup roughly two-thirds full with Stratum. Resist the urge to rinse it — the granules are soft-bodied things and will crumble if fussed with.

II.Water

Pour slowly until the water sits just below the surface of the granules. Saturated, never flooded — the Stratum will wick moisture upward to the node, which is precisely the point.

III.Plant

Nestle the node a half-inch to an inch deep, so it enjoys full contact with the granules. The leaves remain above the surface, taking the air.

IV.Light

Bright and indirect — near a sunny window, but out of harsh direct sun, which cooks a clear cup faster than one might imagine.

V.Maintain

Top off with small sips of water as the level retreats. The granules should look dark and moist, with little to no standing water atop them. Puddles are the enemy of progress.

VI.Watch

The clear cup is your window — most cuttings root in two to six weeks. When the roots reach an inch or two, your young charge is ready for a pot of its own.

On Potting Up

Plant the whole root ball, Stratum and all — there is no need to pick the granules away, and the roots will thank you for the courtesy. Tuck it into a well-draining potting mix, water it in, and keep the soil slightly more moist than usual for the first fortnight while the roots settle into their new home.

Should Something Look Amiss

A green film or algae — too much standing water, or too much direct sun. Pour off the excess and retreat from the window.

A mushy stem — lift the cutting, trim back to firm tissue, and begin again in fresh Stratum. No shame in it; even the finest gardeners restart a cutting now and then.

Slow to root — patience, dear grower. Warmth speeds things along, and some plants simply take their time.

— faithfully recorded by Mr. Phileas Plant

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