Help with cuttings

[rebmum2004]

Hello

I found this website on Saturday and already my husband is complaining I spend more time reading it than talking to him :-)

Anyway..... I'm trying to get loads of cuttings of plants in my garden to take and as this is the first time I've done it I have no idea what to expect. One of my cuttings (I think its a forsythia, but as my first mistake was to not label anything I'm not to sure) seems to have grown white roots from about a cm above the soil. At first I thought wahey I've cracked it, but now the stem has started to go black which for other cuttings has meant the compost heap.

Any advice, should I crack open the champagne? or plan its funeral??

Thanks

Theresa

[vicpivo]

Sounds quite positive to me - It's difficult to know if you don't know the plant. I'd give it a little longer before opening the champers!

[nosferato]

i took 4 cutting's 1/mint 2/ lemon balm 3/ honey suckle 4/clematis. i put all in small glass cups with water and left them on the window sill, changing the water every 2 or so days.the mint went cuckoo and exploded roots everywhere, but the other 3 are doing nothing.
now the mint proves the method works ,so why haven't the other 3 rooted in the glass.

[Two_Sheds]

Different things take root in different ways...propagation is sometimes really simple (rooting stuff in water: mint, fuchsia etc) and sometimes pretty hard (clematis). Best thing, get yourself a book on propagation out of the library, or Google it for the plants you want. Best of luck...

[Flummery]

You sometimes strike it lucky. I accidentally broke a piece off a really pretty fucsia in a pot ( hardy enough to have overwintered twice without cossetting) and put it in water. Within a week it has put out a couple of roots. I love a bargain!

[dexterdoglancashire]

I'd crack open the bottle anyway! that's just me! welcome to the Vine, do keep everyone updated on your progress on what you are growing etc. photos are brill! Good luck! Bernie
PS My OH says I spend more time on here than talking to him.......mmmerrm, ...... true!

[nick the grief]

Hi Theresa Welcome to the Vine. If the stems going black it don't sound good so drown your sorrows. If you are feeling flush next time you are in a garden centre there is a usefull little book by the RHS on Propa ... proper .... er sowing seeds & taking cuttings, it's about a tenner I think but it's worth looking out for or failing that a copy of the BBC Gardeners World book written by Geoff Hamilton (far superieor to these younge upstarts on the box now).

If you are keen on taking cuttings why not make a permanent "nursery bed" for taking them. The details are in the GW book - incentive to buy it

Good luck with the cuttings, it's a fascinating hobby although you'll soon run out of garden!