Reptile & Amphibian Forums

would it be stealing if i broke peices of a branches off trees at store and took them home to propagate?

like if i broke a ficus tree branch off and brought it home or an umbrella plant branch....granted it would be small enough to fit in my pocket and fit in a ten gallon tank (for my anoles) woudl the store call it stealing??

would you call it stealing i mean it is one little branch.

just wondering

In all fairness...

I am suprised there is really any question about that.

The store pays their ditribution center for the item. They offer the complete item to a customer. you pay nothing. You go into a store and take something they were not giving away. Since it is a plant and will grow back - it really does not matter.

Would it be stealing to open the 2lb bag om M&Ms and take a couple?

How about if I were to open up the big bag of PVC fittings they sell to contractors and just take one?

My local store has a ton of leopard Geckos...they are all mating..so they will replace their #s. I would not think to take one.

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Adam
Portland, OR

1.1 Jacksons Chameleons (Female is red phase)
0.0.4 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1 Uroplatus Phantasticus

Just because you needed to ask, you know that it is wrong... but then again, im sure they wouldnt do anything if they found you with a peice of stolen tree... well except maybe laught at you
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Gabriel - Montreal
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your examples are all opening a bag or somthing...

i was just wondering what people would say...ive never done it and i was wondering if other have.....i dont think the stores would care if one 3 inche branch was taken from plant.

also i would just buy the entire plant and cut it into peices if i needed to.

I'll tell you what.... Pay for the shipping and I'll send you some branches off of my trees. Tell me what you want. Hibiscus? Ficus? Mulberry? How about Apricot?
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV

n/p

OK, the horticulturist, former nursery worker, current garden designer has to chime in here....

Gardeners are always giving "cuttings" to friends/ other gardeners, etc. to begin new plants. We own the plant; it is ours to do with as we please. Whereas a nursery/grower/garden center and yes, even Home Depot, pay for the items or put the time and effort to grow new plants from seeds, cuttings, tissue culture - regardless it all takes time and effort and someone is being paid to do it - so yes, it is stealing.

How is opening a bag of M&M's and taking a few any different? Well, simply put - it has a price tag on it and you are not paying for the portion that you are taking.

On a side note, something to consider is that different plants require cuttings taken from different part so of the plant, most need to include a node, rooting a woody portion of a plant is very different from a herbaceous one. Some require very high humidity, others will rot with too much and yes, there are some that will just root in a glass of water. What would you do after you get it home?

An alternative is to go to the GardenWeb forum, there is a board for plant exchange. See if you can trade something for the plants you want.

lele
Plant exchange

It would be stealing, but, have you ever tried "breaking" a limb off and try to propagate it? It doesn't usually work. The best way to do it is to "shave" a layer of bark of of the tree in question, so you see the "flesh" underneeth. Take an old cloth, soak it in water, and root tone, and tie it around the "wound". Keep the cloth semi moist, and roots will sprout, and then you cleanly cut the limb off, and plant it. I have propagated many plants, and this is the best way to do most trees, or shrubs. So, you can buy one foot tall ficus "bush, and propagate every branch on it for about $5.00, since a ficus cost $3.00, and root tone $2.00. I would have to say, you are pretty cheap if you decide to steal a ficus.

I assume you speaking of ficus in particular? There is no "right" way to propagate all plants. As I said in my post it is very varied. Some plants will not root if rooting hormone is used and there are different strengths as well. Fortuantely, most of the ones that are used with chams are relatively easy to propagate but woody (ficus) is different than herbaceous (pothos). The plant exchange site I posted is a viable option for people. I got a curly willow form someone ther eyears ago. had I know I'd be decorating herp cages one day I'd have brought it with me when I moved! Now I BUY curly willow stems.

lele

>>It would be stealing, but, have you ever tried "breaking" a limb off and try to propagate it? It doesn't usually work. The best way to do it is to "shave" a layer of bark of of the tree in question, so you see the "flesh" underneeth. Take an old cloth, soak it in water, and root tone, and tie it around the "wound". Keep the cloth semi moist, and roots will sprout, and then you cleanly cut the limb off, and plant it. I have propagated many plants, and this is the best way to do most trees, or shrubs. So, you can buy one foot tall ficus "bush, and propagate every branch on it for about $5.00, since a ficus cost $3.00, and root tone $2.00. I would have to say, you are pretty cheap if you decide to steal a ficus.
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles (Jaida, no name)
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - (still no names)

Yes, I was refering to the ficus, since that was the tree mentioned. I didn't want to elaborate any on hardwoods, and semihard, or herbacios cuttings, because I didn't know if anyone would care. lol You are correct about the diffrent methods of propagating cuttings. Since the weeping fig plays such a large role in most persons chameleon care. I figured air layering would be sufficient. (I love all of the new ficus hybrids they have now.) Is there a plant forum on this site? It would be nice.

My parents owned an orange grove and people walking down the road would pick the ripened fruit off the trees nearest to the road. By the end of the season, those trees would not have any fruit. Yes, they had a lot more trees to pick from, but people seemed to think it was ok to pick the fruit and not pay for it. Stealing!
If every one got cutting from home depot or any other garden store, their plant would be picked as bare as my parent's trees.
The fact that you are asking shows that you question the morality of the act, listen to your conscience and sleep better at night:}
elliott