Using jars and plastic bags with cuttings

Hi all,,

A few days ago I took some softwood rose cuttings (and put them in a mix of two-thirds sharp sand and one-third compost).

A lot of blogs write that you should place a mason jar/bottle/plastic bag over the cuttings to help keep the cuttings moist.

I wanted to check if this was necessary now (during late spring/summer) or if it's only needed during autumn/winter?

Thanks,
Shy

 

Probably more relevant now than during the winter, its to create a humid atmosphere and stop the cutting losing moisture.
But keep it out of direct sunlight otherwise the cuttings will cook.

 

Yes. I have watched some of the clips on YouTube. Most contributors are in the US. Plent of space etc. This must be one of the benefits of gardening. We all begin by listening to others, reading and studying the written word. Perhaps something related to this tiny island of ours. We soon discover that Charlie Brown up north follows the books he's read and gets good results. Interesting, when we find out. The author of the books read by Charlie, comes from Northumberland. Whereas, Jim Smith, resident on the Isle of Wight, fails when following the advice from the northern author.

So gardening now gives us so much. We can simply trudge along and gain the minimal results, or, we can venture forth and experiment, study, if that's our desire, but always enjoying our hobby and friendship of others.

 

Thanks @pete!

 

Sorry @Mike Allen, not sure how I missed your post. I'm definitely learning that a lot of gardening is trial and error (and everyone has different methods). I'm trying very hard not to feel like a failure when things don't work out!

 

Hard to feel good sometimes when we fail but the great thing about gardening is we can try again, get some more seed, get another plant, try another way, always something new to learn. Keep going, keep trying.

 

A few failures make the successes sweeter. I had three goes with a Stachyurus although one of those was because the nursery had mislabelled the plant and I got the wrong form. I've just lost two small Illiciums which didnt like the weather; they started to grow in Feb the cold March winds killed off all the shoots and then the dry April May finished them off. Try again? Don't know juries out on that.

 

Speaking of failures, I've just opened up the plastic bags on some of the cuttings and two of them have mould growing in the sharp sand/compost mixture. One cutting (out of six) in each of the containers is visibly dead/dying. (I've taken off the plastic bags twice before to let them dry out.)

Would it be enough to keep the plastic bags off and scrape of the top layer of mould? Should I completely replace the sand/compost mixture?

On a positive note at least one of the cuttings in a different container has grown new leaf sprouts!!!

 

I recently was given a lot of very young plants and cuttings all at once, so it was a real baptism of fire to get over my fear of failure. It's been super stressful but I think I've learned quite a lot (including how to let go).

 

Probably the reason for your losses, may be due to lack of ventilation. Plastic bags and bottles will really steam up fast. Lack of ventilation will result in rotting, that is why prepacked veg has some holes in the bags.

 

Okay, have put some holes in the bags now, fingers crossed!

 

I've actually noticed a lot of pre packaged veg doesn't have holes in the bags anymore
I know they used to.
Got a feeling the plastic bags are filled with carbon dioxide.

Sorry not trying to cloud the issue and agree some ventilation of cuttings is normally required .