Well, I no longer think it's difficult. Apparently, you just need to know the right time and the correct techniques to successfully propagate it by cuttings.
Plant the Cuttings in the Rainy Season
No matter how I tried, I was not successful getting cuttings to root in the dry season which is around March to May. I even tried misting the leaves every fifteen minutes - a rather ardous task if you do it manually. All the stem cuttings I had would drop their leaves from three days up to one week. This, by the way, is a sure sign that the stem cutting failed.
I was, however, successful in getting the Rangoon Creeper cuttings to root in the rainy or wet season. Maybe it's because of the higher humidity in the rainy season. The first chart below shows the "rainiest" months showing the months with the number of rainy days.
The second chart below shows the average humidty for the year. You will notice that the humidity is near the peak at the months July and August which happen to be the rainiest months.
The Rangoon Creeper cutting was planted during the last week of July. After successfully rooting and growing new leaves, it was repotted in the last week of August.
How to Plant Rangoon Creeper Cuttings
- Select a mature yet still greenish branch. The cutting's stem should be around 2 to 3 inches long. The top part should have a node and a pair of leaves like the one below.
- Bury roughly 1 inch of the stem cutting in moist (not soggy) soil. The Rangoon Creeper has large leaves and so you may want to allot space for it. Cut the leaves in half to save space and avoid excessive water transpiration. I use seedling trays for cuttings.
- Position the stem cutting in partial shade or filtered light. I have my stem cuttings in seedling trays placed in the wall-mounted nursery racks I built.
- Mist the leaves of the Rangoon Creeper stem cutting around 2 to 3 times a day. Misting is spaced 4 to 6 hours apart. You could use a garden sprayer for misting. Sometimes, I just use my hand to sprinkle water around the leaves.
- It may take a while for the Rangoon Creeper stem cutting to root. If both leaves drop, then discard the stem cutting and plant another. There's virtually no chance for a leafless stem to root.
- A successful cutting may root in a month or so. A new shoot would grow from the node and new leaves will sprout from the shoot.
- If the old pair of leaves start to blacken, then cut the black parts with a pair of scissors. In the photo above, new shoots and leaves and sprouted while the old leaves have blackened. The old leaves were cut to remove the black parts.
- After a month or so, you'll notice roots at the base of the stem cutting. After picking the seedling plug from the garden tray, you'll see a network of tiny roots.
- Repot the seedling plug from the garden tray into a seedling bag or pot.
Notice the two new pairs of leaves on the rooted stem cutting.
Go ahead, post your comment below!
thanks for this guide
You're welcome, and thanx for dropping by.
had you used growth rooting powder ?
what kind of soil or fertilisers should I use for cuttings?
No, I don't use rooting powder. I only use ordinary soil mixed with coco dust (which we have plenty here), maybe compost, and just a little aged cow manure. I don't use other fertilizers for cuttings.
thanks again
Will this plant grow as a ground cover? Must it have something to grow up on?
Ground cover - no. Something to grow on - yes. In fact, it needs something very strong (fence, trellis) to grow on.
After battling literally years on countless unsuccessful attempts
to root this beautiful plant I have stumbled onto your terrific tips
on how to propagate the "Rangoon," as I like to call it. Many
thanks! I'm in central Texas. We're a week short of October.
Do you suppose I can still get a few cuttings to root? With
thanks! Jim.
Hi James. Thanx and welcome! I believe the success of the stem cuttings is due to the humid and rainy months (see chart). I'm in the Philippines by the way, so I don't know how it is in your area. The easiest way to propagate for us though is through root division or suckers. The link to do that is in the article. But of course you need to have a mature plant for that.
Hi I'm from Australia. Are your periods for Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere
Hi Madturk69. I'm in the Philippines, above the equator and in the Northern Hemisphere.
Hi I am in Dominican Republic. I have an adult plant that my neighbor gave me when it was tiny. We at the nursery had been trying to propagate it from cuttings but never succeeded. Needless to say that I am so grateful to have found your tips and will try them immediately!!!! Thanks and many blessings!!
Thanx Mati. If you have a robust mature plant growing in a container, the easiest way for me is to propagate by root division. Good luck!
i will try to plant it for my mom's house, thank you...
Good luck Indisa and thanx for dropping by.
Thank you for the excellent clear guide! I'm in Brunei so the climate is similar to the Philippines, and it will be just the right time now as it is approaching the end of July.
Also, I wonder if there is a way to get the long spurs to start growing form the bushes, or if that just what happens as they get mature. I've got three small 2 foot bushes, and one has just started putting out long climbing spurs.
Thanx Dominic. Yes, I'm guessing the climate is similar. The spurs, as you call them, would be ready only with a mature vine. Good luck.
Thank you Blackdove. I'll send an update later with my results for cuttings and sucker splitting.
May Quisqualis indica be delyivered in April whithout any green part?
It seeems a dead tree.
Hello Maria. Not sure what you mean by that. If you mean can the cutting root in April without leaves? It may, but it will be difficult, in my experience.
Hi, where can I get this plant in Manila? Thanks.
Greetings. I'm in Dubai. It's end of June 2018. Temp is about average on dry 40s. Will get more humid in s month.
I have a Rangoon creacre it's kind of doing well creaping up to aboit 3meters.
Some leaves turning yellow.
I water every ray abouy 3 litets coz it's hot and dry. No flower s yet.
AM I watering to much?
Should I trip the base??
Is it to hot to frryilfer?
Regarfs
Amjad
Thank you. Now I know what I was doing wrong
My Quisqualis / Rangoon Creeper produced seeds but I haven't been successful in getting them to grow. I tried scarifying, also planting straight into the soil. I do have 2 seedlings that have come up under the parent plant, but seeds placed into potting mix haven't germinated. Any ideas please/ Hunter Valley NSW Australia.
Good for you. I haven't had any luck on getting them to seed, so I don't know.
In Manila, I'm not sure where to get it. Try the Sunday morning market at Centris in Quezon City. We got ours in Los Banos, Laguna.
Hello Amjad. Yes, try cutting back on the watering for now.
I read that the best way to propagate a Rangoon Vine is to pick a mature, woody, brown cutting that is as thick as a pencil in diameter and at least four or five inches. Trim all the leaves off and plant the cutting about a third of the way in and water well. Keep it in a partially shaded spot, water regularly, and after about a month, new leaves will grow and then you can transport it to plant wherever you'd like.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my Rangoon Creeper !! We've had it for at least 4 years and each year it's more beautiful than the year before !
The 1st year it started out like a rounded shrub but after that , it took off !! Each year I cut it back after it dies back and then we place leaf cover over it during the colder months here in Texas. We had a place made just for this amazing and fragrant plant cut into the flooring of our patio deck.It grows each year up a handmade trellis I fashion for some fencing wire ( about 16 inches or so ) and in the winter it's protected from frost , Ect. by being under our deck.
At night the flowers are the most fragrant and smell a little like a citrus type tree or plant.
Each time it flowers , there are hundreds of clusters of blooms ! I am so wanting to try to gorw a few more by cuttings. I would also like to find somewhere to get the seeds . ANY SUGGESTIONS !!
Have anyone check for the seeds? I have grown many from seeds,in fact my original Picuala was grown from a seed that my mom brought from Cuba over 40 years ago.
I keep on checking for seed on the dirt by the vine.
Lourdes
Hi Blackdove, thanks for this. I'm in Bangkok and new to Rangoon Creeper. I have one in a pot on my WNW facing balcony. It is currently blooming very happily, but new vine growth has been zero for weeks. Is that because the plant has been so busy making the flowers? Once the blooming stops, will it start creeping again? Any advice would be much appreciated, I love this plant and want to see it really take off.
Hii! I'm from India. Thank you so much for your guide. I followed your weather plan and I grew a small plant out of a young stem branch.
That's great news! Thanks for the update.
To propagate, my best bet is via root division. Unfortunately, I've not seen any seeds from it. Sorry.
Hello Cyberpixie. Yes, the rangoon creeper has its resting phase - especially after blooming profusely. But as it matures, expect it to bloom almost yearround!
I cheated. I purchased my plant a year and a half ago.I have been gardening w tropicals for forty years now. For some odd reason, I had missed Quis Qualis.My purchased plant arrived superbly packed and in top condition (3' tall) It went into a very large pot. Two years later, it has scrubbed and vinegar up a structural column to about 30'. A month ago, I finally had a few flowers - fabulous plant. I am in love