Cuttings in a Tray or Open Ground

Posted: August 28th, 2011 | Author: hortoris | Filed under: Growing Aids | No Comments »

Tips For Cuttings

I mix compost with Perlite and fill a 24 cell tray for small cuttings.
This green plastic tray is supported by a rigid plastic seedtray. This cuts down sterilisation but I use the green trays several times until they crack or need throwing away.
Bottom heat can help cuttings root more rapidly.
On some Rock Roses (Helianthemum), I have just used hormone rooting powder from amazon.
I keep the atmosphere humid with a clear lid and or a regular spray of clean water.
The cuttings do not need any fertilizer until roots show at the bottom of the cell.
When roots start to show, pot-up into individual pots or plant out in the garden.

3″ pots or 12 cell trays can be used for larger cuttings like pelargoniums.
Pelargoniums do not need any hormone rooting powder.
For hardwood cuttings I would take a longer piece of material 4-8″ in many cases. For this size you need a deeper and more stable pot to hold the cutting
Last autumn I took some Rose cuttings and put them in a trench filled with soil and sharp sand. Several have rooted nicely and are now ready to be set out in the garden.
I do not get despondent if cuttings fail. If cuttings succeed I am hapy to get true clones of the original plant at no cost