Rooting cuttings indoors

As I do not have a misting system, propagating olive cuttings was almost impossible, until I came up with this simple solution. Using discarded clear plastic bottles, I drill several small holes in the bottle for air circulation, remove the top section and cut several one inch slits in the bottom of the section to allow it to compress into the plant container for a tight fit. Using the same media that I will grow the plant in, I treat the cutting with hormones and insert it into the media. The inside of the dome is sprayed with plain water and the cutting is placed on a heating mat under a grow light with a photoperiod of sixteen hours. Only occasional misting/watering is necessary to keep the cutting moist. For me, this method has been very successful in cloning olives. The second photo is an Ascolano plant that rooted in 38 days using the dome above. Also, it is not necessary to transplant the cutting after it has rooted, as it can grow in the starting container for several months.

 

It's a great method Hydrogardener I use a similar one but with the top half of the bottles and remove the lids occasionally for air

 

Cute, reminds me of a ship in a bottle. My grandmother used to say: "There are more ways than one to skin a cat." Not that I remember the poor old dear ever skinning a cat.