Cuttings

Whilst I have grown a number of plants from seed, I have never done much with cuttings. In the past it was hit and miss - with as much miss as hit.

However I have recently had another go, as I had some plants I wanted to propagate vegatatively. So far the results have been virtually 100%. I read a comment that with cuttings, the trick is not to get the cutting to grow roots - it does that by itself automatically, which is why many people never bother with rooting powder. But the trick is to keep the cutting alive for the two or three weeks to give it time to grow the roots.

The problem is that cuttings lose moisture through the leaves, but don't have the roots to absorb moisture from the compost, irrespective of how wet it is. In the past I could see my cuttings were distressed because the leaves went limp and drooped - even though they were often in a closed propagator.

So this time I put my cuttings in a large propagator, which had a solid bottom. I first put a glass of water with them in the propagator, but later just poured water over the bottom of the propagator. The net result is that with a closed lid it created an atmosphere of 100% humidity as recorded on my humidity gauge. After just a day or two in the propagator I noticed how healthy the cuttings looked - they positively glowed, with healthy green leaves held upright. This was even true of some Leonotis cutting material very kindly sent by Lady of Leisure from Portugal. After a three day trip, the material looked understandably rather sorry for itself. But in the 100% humidity, the leaves actually absorbed moisture rather than giving it out, and after a couple of days they too were glowing.

The propagator must be out of direct sunlight, but have plenty of light. Because its the sunlight that provided the energy to create the roots. I took the lid off for a short time every day to change the air. My main fear was rot, as it is ideal conditions for this. But so far no problem. I did use rooting powder - as much for its antifungal properties as for its rooting properties. Athletes foot powder would probably have done as well, and is used by some people.

So far I have only done about 40 cuttings, but at the moment the record appears to be almost 100% successful. Almost everything had roots on after 2 weeks and good roots after 3 weeks. Being impatient I potted most up individually at less than three weeks, which is too early. So I put them back in the intensive care area for a short while to recover, before weening them in the real world. It may be the method, it may be the time of year (which is ideal for many cuttings) or it may be that the particular plants I chose were easy ones, but the method has certainly done them no harm.

 

Any particular plants you would recommend as fail safes Pete? I have always had cuttings die on me, but am tempted to try your method! :D

 

Being a confirmed skinflint, instead of a propagator I use small pots and fasten a plastic bag over it with an elastic band.
Remove all bar the top two leaves, that way there is less surface area to release moisture.
Pelargoniums are about the easiest plants I have taken cuttings from.
I have had limited success with roses, mainly climbers and ramblers, propagating roses is far better done by budding onto briar root stock though, a lot of rose varieties don't do that well otherwise.

 

Hi Dave. The plants I tried first were Salvia 'Mystic Spires', Salvia guaranitica 'Blue Enigma', and Phygelius 'Cherry ripe'. The reason I chose these is that they are all cracking good plants, which I wanted to propagate - but must be done vegetatively. Leonotis is nearly done, and now I have put in Verbenas, Centranthus (white), Salvia microphylla and Diascia - which again are looking very happy.

I read recently that cuttings of the mint family are easy. The family includes Agastache, Mentha, Monada, Nepeta and Salvia. So it might be worth trying those. Perhaps I had just chosen easy plants.

Smaller propagators are usually plastic lids on seed trays that have drainage holes. I would be tempted to line the tray with polythene, and then pour water on it. Because there should be no loss of moisture from the plant, you can leave more leaf on that you would usually do with a cutting. I am just going to try different things as an experiment. I wanted some white Centranthus (so couldn't use seed as I have both white and red in the garden), but as I have so much cutting material, I put bits in the propagator with huge amounts of leaf on. They have only been in for just over a week, but the cuttings are growing strongly. New shoots have already grown two inches - I am sure there cannot be any roots yet. I also put all my cuttings of each type in a single pot. They always say that cuttings prefer to be together - but there is no explanation of why this should be.

One thing that won't like this method is geraniums (Pelargoniums). They rot very quickly in an enclosed space, and should not really be covered.

Mike, I used to do it that way - but it was a bit hit and miss for me. The method I used above allows you to leave more leaf on, which I think speeds up the process.

 

I never realised this aspect of taking cuttings. I've got some Choysia and Potato Vine cuttings. I'll try "misting" them a couple of times a day and see how that works. Be interesting to see which system works the best.

 

Great thread PeterS I've not ventured into the world of cuttings yet...but might have a go with some Geraniums to start me off

 

Thanks Windy. - Don't try Geraniums (Pelargoniums) this way - they hate humidity and will rot.

I have read a bit more about cutting methods since. Professionals use mist chambers, which are usually too expensive for amateurs. Mist chambers keep the humidity extremely high, and I think this method simply does the same. If you take cuttings by the normal method of putting them a pot in a polythene bag, you cannot keep the humidity levels high enough so you must cut off most of the leaves and keep out of direct sunlight. But with a mist chamber - because there is effectively no loss of moisture - you can retain more leaf and put it in direct sun. The combination of more leaf, full sun and the extra temperature generated by the sun should make the roots grow quicker.

 

Just been out to an area behind my greenhouse as I had taken my tray of Albertina Fuchsia Tip cuttings and 16 have rooted now ready to pot up to 2 "pot.This will be start of stock plants for next year.

Also mimulas free seeds from AT magazine but they were slow to germinate , have just potted them in to root trays. Got more about 30.

 

Wheres a good place to get cuttings from? I've only ever grown from seeds so far. I dont suppose a garden centre would like you taking cuttings off their plants

 

Pete,

Reading your comments have told me all i needed to know about root powder, explains why my cuttings never took.

I bow to your experience oh wise one :D

 

best time to take cuttings is when nobody is looking! i'm a professional gardener, and when people ask if they can take cuttings of plants in our gardeners we don't mind, just ask them to take them from the back of the plant.

 

How nice and thankful from a Professional gardener to say so.

I remember a few yrs ago we went on a canal boat along Stratford with friends and hanging basket fuchsias were beautiful we so admired and did ask one lady in a shop if she would not mind and she even gave as a pair of scissors not sectarors and a poly bag.

If I can recall it rained then as well .

 

Hello,
Can anyone tell me how to propogate a Lavatera `Baby Barnsly`, what time of year and what method?
Any help would be appreciated,
Regards,
Stoko

 

Softwood cutting now should work- see:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0602/softwood_cuttings.asp

 

I have had some success with midsummer cuttings of Spirea Arguta, Kerria Japonica,Forsythia, Lavatera,Hebe Midsummer Beauty, Solanum,Various Fuchsias,Clematis Various, Lupinus Arboreas and Penstemon. I put them round the rim of a 6 inch pot Sometimes with rooting hormone, sometimes not. I have them on a bench in a fairly sheltered spot, no plastic bags or propogator and I would say I have about 80% success