Hard cuttings.

[benchseat]

Hi everyone.

Anyone out there able to help me with what cuttings in what medium, I am getting confused. I have tried water on its own, peat and sand mixed, garden soil and purpose purchased pots with gel in them. All with limited success, usually below the 50% mark.
Are there any tips out there to help me get a better result.

[Nicos]

Hi there- and welcome to the Vine!

I've moved your question to a different section so more peope are likely to notice it

What sort of plants are you thinking of??

[Two_Sheds]

what are you trying to root?

[Snadger]

There's heel cuttings,softwood cuttings,hardwood cuttings, inter nodal cuttings, nodal cuttings,layering, air layering and probably another hundred types of cutting that work for various plants.

Need to know what type of plant you are trying to root?

[Flummery]

Depends what they are. With some shrubs I'd think 50% wasn't bad!

[benchseat]

Dead cuttings

Hi.

Thanks for all the replies.

I am taking samples from bushes and shrubs as I go around, whenever the garden owner allows me too.

Of recent times I have planted Lilac, 1 out of three grew in peat and sand, fuchia, 3 out of 7 grew in water, Acer 0 out of 5, again peat and sand, plus Hebe heeled in, 3 out of 3.

Everything is fine if there is a root of any condition on the shoot, except for the Lilac above where the root did not seem to make any difference.

Surely I should be getting a better return for my efforts. When it comes to indoor plants I am fine, 90 to 95% grow, so what am I doing wrong in the garden?

[Two_Sheds]

Lilac, 1 out of three grew in peat and sand

Lilac is best propagated from semi-ripe cuttings taken in mid-August

fuchia, 3 out of 7 grew in water

I find that some fuchsia root easily in water, others don't at all. Some prefer to be rooted as semi-ripe cuttings in Sept.

My own fuchsias don't really get going until the end of Sept (they're looking glorious right now) and I'm taking lots of cuttings. I reckon I have about 50% success

Acer 0 out of 5, again peat and sand

Again, semi-ripe cuttings towards the end of summer: How to grow shrubs from softwood cuttings

[benchseat]

Hi Two Sheds.

Thanks for your reply, perhaps things are not as bad as I thought.

Will try to take more cuttings each time.

I have five Fuschia cuttings ready try. Will use water method and see how things go on.

[Two_Sheds]

I have five Fuschia cuttings ready try. Will use water method and see how things go on.

I would expect to get less than 50% of them to root. Take as many cuttings as you can, knowing that some will fail.

Also, do half in water and half in MPC (with a cloche over t'top), to see which method works best for you.

[benchseat]

cuttings

Thankyou again Two Sheds.

The idea of a cloche is a good one, will get more cuttings tomorrow as the bush is my own.

Your advice is much appreciated, a method that is likely to give some results is ever the better option over the demoralising efforts of my past. I shall certainly give it a try.

Also have a flowering currant bush, lovely light pinky purple clusters on it, not as dark as many I have seen.

Tried heal cuttings last year, in a shaded spot that early and late frosts do not seem to get too, but not one grew!

Have you had good results with any method for this bush?

[Two_Sheds]

Do you not normally use a cloche for your cuttings then?

They must have one until the cutting is rooted

[Flummery]

I don't - I put them on the kitchen windowsill!
I find that flowering currants come like weeds from seed. If yours sets seed try that.

[Two_Sheds]

I don't - I put them on the kitchen windowsill!

Fuchsias? Don't they wilt & collapse without a cloche? (mine do).

NB, A sawn off pop-bottle makes a great cloche, you don't have to buy one.

[Flummery]

Nope. I let them root in water then pot on into MP compost. Got 2 pots and 4 rooting as we speak.

[Two_Sheds]

Nope. I let them root in water.

Oh yeah.
No, you don't need cloches if you're rooting in water. But if you're putting the cuttings straight into MPC, you does