Summer cuttings

[Beckybex]

I've had my first attempt at taking cuttings. I followed instructions and used hormone rooting gel and its been exactly a week now. How will I tell when they've worked? A few have keeled over but a few of the geraniums still look perky. I've done some lavender, fuschia and verbena too and its hard to tell if their alive or not!

[Two_Sheds]

It'll be a few weeks. Look at the drainage holes ... when you see white threads, you know they've rooted

[rustylady]

Keep them somewhere shady till they root. You need to try to stop them losing too much water through the leaves.

[Beckybex]

Thanks, that made me think, what should I do re watering!? They've been baking in a mini greenhouse and its probably too hot. I've got capillary matting in there which I water with but maybe I should bring them inside and do the plastic bag over the top thing.

[rustylady]

Thanks, that made me think, what should I do re watering!? They've been baking in a mini greenhouse and its probably too hot. I've got capillary matting in there which I water with but maybe I should bring them inside and do the plastic bag over the top thing.

NOOOOOO. Take them out of the greenhouse, please!! Cuttings at this time of the year don't need any extra heat. Please put them somewhere cool and shady. I use my kitchen windowsill which gets sun early in the morning, but none after around 11 am this time of year.

[Beckybex]

Can you tell I have no real idea what I'm doing!

[rustylady]

Don't worry Becky, we all started off that way. Read through the posts on the Vine, use the search button for things you're particularly interested in, and maybe get yourself a good all-purpose gardening reference book. I have a really old Reader's Digest book "The Gardening Year" which I keep dipping into for information. It's a much loved friend and you may be able to find a copy in a charity shop, or something similar. And of course now we have computers and Google. The main thing is to keep enjoying what you're doing, and don't be afraid to ask for advice, to experiment for yourself too. You'll have some failures - we all do, and hopefully more successes.

[nick the grief]

Don't cover the geraniums - they don't need it. If you haven't got any, get some of the plastic propagating covers and stand the pots ( I assume they are in pots) in the seed tray with some cap matting on the bottom and then put the top on with the vents open a tad. If you've got staging in the greenhouse put them underneath and they should be OK.

That's how I root my late spray chrysanth cuttings taken in July. If it's really hot I put some fleece over to act as shading. The Lavender cutting might be OK without a top on as well as they prefer a dry climate like the geraniums.

Hope this helps