My Cuttings Keep Dying!!

[ryanguevara1983]

I am a very keen gardener, but just can't grow from cuttings! Everything I try just dies! I've tried on the windowsill, covered in a polythene bag, root powder, root gel, in the greenhouse, outside!! I'm trying all the old (supposedly easy!) favourites - buddleia, fuschia, hydrangea. My usual method is to take the cutting, dip it in root gel, pop it in multipurpose compost, give it a water and pop it on the window sill.

Could somebody please give me their top tips for growing on from cuttings? Or tell me where I'm going wrong. It's becoming an expensive obsession - I'm even buying plants just so I can chop them up for cuttings!!! Help!!

[rustylady]

Fuchsias are really easy. Just make sure the plant is growing well, cut off the top 3" or so. Trim with a sharp knife below a leaf joint and remove the leaves above and stand in a small glass of water on your kitchen windowsill. It is magical seeing the roots form. Soon as you have roots you can pot into a small (3") pot of compost. Buddleia works better as semi-firm cuttings put into open ground in a slit trench in late summer.

[mothhawk]

Most things I take cuttings of grow, but I use John Innes seed compost or No 1 compost, which is soil based, rather than MPC which is peat based (I think). I never use rooting hormone - geraniums in particular seem to hate it.
I try and get the cuttings from plant to pot as quickly as possible, and reduce leaf area by at least half, sometimes completely as rustylady says. You need at least one leaf joint below the soil as that is where the roots will grow from.
Then I water the pot, and seal up the whole pot (and saucer it's standing on) in a clear poly bag (knot the top or tie with twisties) so it is in its own little micro-climate, and leave it on a warm windowsill out of direct sun (in spring) or a sheltered garden spot (in summer) until I can see it is actively growing.
Some woody plants will grow from semi-ripe cuttings just pushed into the soil (roses, buddleia, hardy fuchsia, most viburnums) as long as they don't dry out.

[Snadger]

I've been avidly taking chrysanthemum cutting without any rooting hormone. I pop them into modules in a seed tray and put one of those clear seedtray covers over them.
Here's the important part though............I then put a sheet of newspaper over the top and water over the top of it to make it stick.
The newspaper gives just the right amount of shade, but still allows for photosynthesis to occur and for them to root without wilting too much.!

[ryanguevara1983]

Great advice, thank you very much - I'll try this tomorrow, got loads of fuschias growing in the garden so will take a load of cuttings and get going again.

I'm trying to create a wildflower/ butterfly corner in my paddock so will definitely try to get loads of buddleia cuttings in there too!

Feeling much more confident, thanks everyone.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm trying all the old (supposedly easy!) favourites - buddleia, fuschia, hydrangea.

Time of year is very important: July & August are good times for semi-ripe cuttings

Some fuchsias will root in water, some won't ... it's not just you

[ryanguevara1983]

Thanks everybody, I've got some fuschia cuttings in water on the windowsill!! Fingers crossed.