Cuttings question?

Hi everyone, none of my cuttings seem to be working out I've just looked at the bbc website which says that they should be taken with a straight cut & for some reason I always cut them at a bit of an angle /. Could this make any difference to the roots forming? Throughout the summer I had taken quite a few softwood cuttings & just placed them in compost on a warm windowsill or the greenhouse but they don't seem to want to root.

 

Bit of an art, and some luck required (or green fingers ...)

Marking the cut immediately below where leaves were growing is the normal form. Must admit I always make a straight cut. I expect that after care is as important as the preparation. Not too much light, plenty of humidity (e.g. seal in a bag, to start with) so they aren't having to fight to just get the liquid they need.

 

You can buy one of those cheap and cheerful plastic propagators for about £2 ish, use a fungicide ( i immerse the whole cutting in a bowl of the copper sulphate before inserting into compost), mix the compost with vermiculite and water only when necessary. I think a windowsill is too light and may be causing rapid water loss and hence they are rotting before they are rooting. Cuttings is a knack thing-I made a right hash of it at first but I got there and you will-it really is just a practice thing.


Kristens advice is spot on.

 

I don't use the copper sulphate, but I do use hormone rooting powder although many people don't feel its necessary, I guess its just a case of what works for you. Don't be too despondent Freedom, I always take more cuttings than I need in the expectation of some failures and its worth bearing in mind that some cuttings root better than others. Lollipop is right, it's a 'knack' thing - I've never yet managed to successfully take root cuttings, but I'm not giving up on it.

 

Just a few tips,if you take cuttings from new growth you don't need hormone rooting powder as growing tips have a high concentration of hormones in them,cuttings from older wood(heel cuttings) you can use it,cutting just below a leaf node as Kristen said is another point on the stem were hormone activity is high take this pair of leaves off so the energy goes into making roots,always cut with a sharp blade that is sterile any cutting not cut cleanly and gets bruised will have a greater chance of rotting,if you use a sterile blade and sterile compost you don't need any copper dips or anti fugicides,it is important to prevent water loss either pop into a sealed plastic bag as Kristen says or I use those clear cups or yoghurt pots and make little bio-domes over the plant pots,if the leaves are large above the cutting take some off or cut them in half, again with a sharp sterile blade.

 

I don`t use anything on my cuttings, and i am quite happy with it, I do find though they seem to root better if they are pushed in the compost against the side of the pot

 

Thanks for the advice everyone! I won't give up, hopefully I'll get the hang of it.

 

The only time I've ever had success with cuttings is when I went against all the text books and kept the compost very wet for the first couple of weeks. Doing it by the book has never worked for me.

I am going to try a trick I read or saw on telly though (I can never remember where I heard stuff, I just remember what I heard). They said to fill a pot with moist compost, cover the top with clingfilm, and then poke the cuttings in. Apparently keeping the root side moist while letting air circulate around the top. Not tried it yet though.

 

I saw the clingfilm method on telly for striking Saintpaulia cuttings, supposedly a foolproof method. Unfortunately, not foolproof enough when I tried it :(

 

I tried the 'cling film' method - it didn't work for me either! I find the freezer bag over the top works best. I usually stand the pots on some perlite, or similar, and keep that on the wetter side of damp (if that makes sense) - I don't know that its actually necessary or makes any difference, but its the method I used when I first had success with cuttings and I've just stuck to it.

 

I had terrible results with my first attempt earlier this summer. I just stuck the cuttings in compost and left them to it - did not work.
However, around 4-6 weeks ago i did it more 'properly' and cut straight across, just below a leaf node, then i used a clean knife to make a clean cut on an angle (still below the leaf nose), then i removed the leaves at the leaf node to help concentrate the hormones on rooting instead of growing leaves.
I put the cuttings around the edges of my pots and put a little stake in the middle of the pot and placed a freezer bag over the top of the pot. Secure the freezer bag with an elastic band around the pot. I placed the pots in a gravel tray which i have kept moist. This allows the soil to keep damp but not soaking wet. The bag helps stop the leaves drying out. They get light but not direct sun from the shed window ledge where i keep them. Only thing to watch is that it doesn't get too hot in there!

I took two cuttings from my blackcurrant sage and one has shot up, the other is not so good. My rosemary cuttings also look good.

 

When I pruned my Wigella after flowering I looked at all the cuttings and thought " what a shame", so i pushed about 12 around the outside of 2 pots, no fuss just cut with secateurs below a leaf joint, and pulled all the lower leaves off, then i pushed the pots out the way,

Anybody want a Wigella "Bristol Ruby" :lollol: