heuchera taking cuttings

Hi All
Lots on here now have the bug "Dim" thats all I say .......
I should imagine most of us have one or two or have in the past grown this up and coming plant and so many varieties to choose from who could resist......

I normaly just pull a piece off, clear away the old leaves and put in a pot off mutipurpose added grit bit of vermiculite in the shade but my new plants arrived yeterday (6 large plugs) 8 varieties now !!. Can you cut the stem up into smaller pieces ?? best time of year any tips would be advantages to us all and they we could have a massive GC swap.

Spruce

 

Spruce count me in .

 

if it grows from cuttings, I'll have loads of different huechera to give away

 

I thought as much

You didnt reply to my PM I think I will make you happy ssshhh dont tell anyone on here

Spruce

 

Dim me 1st

Spruce

 

ok ... how do I do this?

 

We will wait and see Dim have patience:WINK1:

Spruce

 

nooooo .... I have never tried growing stuff from cuttings ... and i really want to give this a go

I have loads of 9cm pots ... and some stuff called take root ... and I have a bag of plagron bat mix compost which is very light and which has perlite

I'm working at a client tommorow where I have planted loads of huechera georgia peach and huecherella solar power

do I just cut a stem with a leaf, and pop it into a pot with compost?

 

Here you are dim .

http://www.gardenguides.com/89519-propagate-heuchera.html

 

thanks ... had a quick read ...

I don't understand this part?:

Gently cut down the center vein and through the stem of the leaf. Lay the leaf on top of the soil and gently tuck the cut end into the medium

 

Is it just saying, cut the leaf in half straight through the vein in the middle of the leaf and carry on through the stem. The cut edge is then placed in/on the soil ?
gazania

 

As I read it the cutting stalk is already inserted into the compost, so I reckon it is a vertical cut up the leaf, splitting it into two, and then tucking the cut edges into the compost. But I've never heard of that method before.

Dim: Never done Heuchra cuttings before, but my general technique would be:

1a. Prepare potting mix. I use 50% multipurpose and 50% perlite. Doesn't need anything fancy, the plant will have to survive on whatever nutrients it has onboard, and you can give weak liquid feed once it has rooted [i.e. prior to potting on]

1b. Get the moisture level right. Squeezed into a tight ball in your fist and no water should come out, but the compost should stick together, and the ball should break cleanly apart at a touch.

2. Immediately put any material taken from the garden in a plastic bag, seal the neck (tie a loose knot or rubber band or a zip-lock bag) - i.e. reduce transpiration.

3a. There are other methods, such as a heel, but most common is to cut immedaitely below a leaf joint with a sharp knife. I use a scapel (cheap enough bought in a box of 10, from you favourite Hydroponics shop ) and suitably sharp, plus no need to sharpen, just chuck away when no longer sharp enough.

3b. Remove any lower leaves, leave any buds that have not yet broken on, but remove any side shoots. Do this for the length of stem you want to insert into the potting compost.

3c. If there is lots of top-leaf then cut them in half [across the leaf]. This is to reduce transpiration. You can also remove leaves.

3d. Remove any flowers (and preferably choose a non-flowering shoot in the first place!)

4. Dip in rooting powder if you have some. You are just trying to get some on the surface of the cut. More is NOT better. Shake off [gently knock on the side of the rooting powder's pot] ALL excess.

5. Fill the pot to the brim with your potting mix. Just level off at the top, do NOT firm it.

6a. Use a dibber (I use blunt end of a pencil) to make a suitable hole, put cutting in, put index-and-middle finger either side of the stem and firm in (properly firm, no need to be delicate in this step ). Firming-in will reduce the height of the compost to the normal watering-lip level.

6b. Put the cuttings around the edge of the pot. I use "Pans" rather than "pots" ("Pans" are relatively shallow pots) and I go for 4" to 5" diameter - smaller than that is more difficult to get the moisture right, but smaller does allow one-per-pot which avoids breaking roots apart when you pot on.

7. Unless it is something that doesn't want covering I usually cover with a clear plastic bag - either whole pot in a ziplock bag, or a bag over the top [open end downwards] and an elastic band around the bag-and-pot [i.e. the bottom of the pot is still "open"]

Assuming I have put a bag over them I don't add any more water. If it takes weeks to root, and the pot becomes "light", I stand it in water for a few minutes. Nothing is drinking much water in there, so don't overdo it. If no bag then spray/mist regularly, and water sparingly, but don't let it dry out, as such.

8. I stand them on the South end of an East or West facing windowsill - i.e. they are in the shade except for very early morning (or late evening) sun. Or I put them under the bench in the greenhouse (heavy shade but surrounded by bright light, so will get plenty of reflected light)

9. As soon as new growth is spotted open the bag (similar to a hardening off process - do it in stages)

10. Don't be in a hurry to check for roots. I wait until I can see roots at the drainage holes. Then tip it out, carefully separate, and pot on individually.

 

thanks Kristen .... I will try your method

 

I've split this plant up like a hosta, cut straight through the plant and then pot the little plants up. I haven't lost any and this is their 2nd year

 

Dim I have read it as well and dont fully understand , do them mean it will grow from the leaf inserted into the compost ??

Spruce