Viability of SeaKale (crambe maritima) Root Cutting (Picture)?

Howdy,
Someone had gifted me with this root cutting of Sea Kale, just a couple days ago. From what I'm reading in Perennial Vegetables, it seems like this might be on the shy side size-wise for a viable root cutting, but if anyone has experience with propagation from cuttings, I would appreciate it.

I potted it in a mix of peat, compost, soil, base fertilizer, sand, perlite, added some Bio-tone Starter Plus for some beneficial bacteria, humates and mycorrhizae with the side labeled 'top?' sticking about 1/4" above the soil surface and watered thorougly and stuck it under grow lights.

I'm interested if anyone can share some perspective on whether or not I'm going about this in a good way...



Any perspective is appreciated.

For the past half year, since last summer, I have been frustated with being able to germinate the difficult to germinate crambe seeds, but they I lose the crambe young plants due to root rot. So often I have tried to perfect the soil and still does not work. Any drying to extra sand weakens the seedlings and then they die.

Also crambe young plants seriously dislike my growing lights but seem to prefer the natural sunlight. So my advice is: play extra careful with that cutting if its the only that you have,

Crambe is one of those plants that seems very "wild" to me, being quite picky with its growing conditions in germination and seedlings stages.

Thanks Paulo. I appreciate you sharing your experience. Unfortunately, at this time, it is the only cutting.

I was not surprised to read some of what you wrote - I am also trying to germinate some seeds. While I have read it is very difficult, I have found the following information with respect to germination of c. maritima seeds:

"The large seeds may be started in the spring in a greenhouse, under lights or by planting directly in the garden. Germination takes from 1 to 3 weeks. The seed has a substantial, round, spongy pericarp surrounding the nutlet. This pericarp can get in the way of germination. It helps to give 2 weeks moist refrigeration to soften pericarp before sowing in warm soil. Another method is to soak seeds overnight and then pick away the pericarp with thumbnail or similar tool, leaving the brown nutlet exposed in at least one place, then plant."

I also have read that the seeds' germination viability drops significantly if they are not freshly harvested. Again, this is all from information sources and not my personal experience.

I planted 8 seeds about 3 weeks ago, so I'm hopefully expecting them to start coming up any day now.

As for the cutting, I'm still wondering if I've got the orientation on the cutting straight - with the top being the top, as I showed in the pic and if it's planted deep enough, etc.