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| Rooted Cuttings – Potted up |
Perhaps I should have titled this post “Here’s What I Potted Up Today” but rooting is more exciting don’t you think? Anyway this morning I potted several different kinds of cuttings that I’ve been propagating inside the house. This isn’t the end of the propagation process since they still need to grow stronger root systems in while sitting in their own pots but they’ve come along way from the little twigs they were a few weeks ago. This is one of the most exciting parts of gardening to me – making new plants from little pieces of other plants. In the picture to the right I have 25 well rooted plants that will be grown on for a couple more weeks before planting in the yard.
Here’s what rooted:
- ‘Husker’s Red’ Penstemon x3
- ‘Black and Blue’ Salvia x2
- Salvia coccinea x1
- Catnip x1
- Russian Sage x4
- Pineapple Sage x2
- Veronica (Speedwell) x3
- Coleus x1
- Hydrangea macrophylla x2
- Salvia
- Caryopteris x2 (not pictured)
- Crape Myrtle x2
In each of these cases I used very similar techniques to get rooting to work. The rooting time varies for each plant but all of these plants rooted within the last four weeks. Most of them within the last two. Caryopteris only needs a few days but the ‘Husker’s Red’ penstemon took almost four weeks for good roots to happen. Once the penstemon rooted the roots began taking off! I’ll write more about ‘Husker’s Red’ Penstemon propagation later in the week as well as Veronica (Speedwell).
I would like to know the steps to rooting from a stem.
Great to have all those plants to put in the garden. Saves a lot of $$$.
I really want to propagate woody plants. Have you had any success with shrubs? (Beyond forsythia and carypoteris.. I can do those.) I tried evergreen kinnikinnik (arctostaphylos) and heathers (calluna) and shrub dogwoods, even some trees (sweetgum), and they rooted well, but wouldn't winter over.
Becca,
I need to revamp my post on stem cuttings but it's not hard to do. Take a cutting with 2-3 nodes on it, dip in rooting hormone, then use a good soil-less medium. I just use sand mostly but sand/peat and other combinations work too.
Lola,
Sure does! Every time I see new roots I think money saved!
Laurrie,
I've had success with yew, cherry laurels (Schip and 'Otto Luyken'), hollies, and my favorite viburnum. I'm working on some physocarpus (ninebark) right now to see if I can get that going. Overwintering can be tricky. You don't want them too wet, too dry or too cold! Were you working with hardwood cuttings, those do pretty good in the fall-winter after dormancy.
Dave, Black and Blue Salvia is everywhere in our nurseries. I ordered it many years ago from Logee and bought it again last year at our local nursery. It was a bummer both for my daughter-in-law and myself. I think we just don't have the right growing conditions here.
You are the kind of propagators!
Eileen
I just potted up two variegated hydrangeas today. I also divided 4 gallon sized yarrows creating 39 new plants. They're kind of ugly right now with all the chopping and pulling, but every piece I planted had roots. Thanks for the encouragement. Just what I need, more plants. 😉
Eileen,
I think B&B Salvia is a close one even here. It comes back but sometimes it might not. The Illinois cold might not work for it and the nurseries may treat it as an annual, I don't know for sure though. It grows fast and looks great within one season.
Tom,
Awesome! I had some variegated hydrangea two years ago but it didn't make it. 39 new Achilleas? WOW! It is a great filler in the garden though!
I have an area that looks very similar to this you have posted…love rooting!
They are looking great Dave. Lots of new plants to plant!
You've been busy, lots more great plants. My fav method of rooting is sticking things the ground and waiting. My second fav is sticking a bit of something in the pot with something else, just to see.
Propagation is one of my favorite garden tasks. When I figure out just exactly how to go about it, I am going to attempt rooting my Snowball Bush (viburnum). It has long branches that just beg being made into more plants, but they don't look as if they want to be broken off and just stuck in the ground.
Wonderful collection of plants. Nice work on the rooting process.
I'd like to see more about rooting blueberries.
Nell, the snowball viburnum can be rooted in late winter just as it start to leaf out. I just stick the branches where I want one to grow. I got three new ones going now. Just keep the soil around them moist. They root without any problems. I also took late spring cuttings last year, June, I think. They rooted fantastically.
I'd like to see more about Wormwood, the upright artemesia. I've just gotten some and stuck them in my containers on the shady side of the house. I hope they root. I want a sea of these on the front slope where the soil is very dry even after a heavy rain.
Nell,
What Tom said works fine. I usually do cuttings of viburnum in spring and summer to get them hardened off before winter. The hardwood cuttings in the winter work great too!
Kermit,
I'll see what I can do on the blueberries. I have two bushes out by the veggies that are good candidates!
Tom,
I don't think you'll have any trouble with wormwood. Try this post: Artemisia. It should work for most artemisias.