August 31, 2001, Newsletter Issue #41: Taking Cuttings of Tender Perennials.

Tip of the Week

Tender perennial plants such as Fuchsias and Agryanthemums have put on a splendid show all summer and will continue well into the autumn, before being cut down by frost.
You can, of course overwinter the large old plants by bringing them indoors before the frost and risk the wrath of your spouse at having to look at "dried sticks" all winter.(The voice of experience? You bet!)
The more practical solution is to root a few cuttings now and overwinter them as small young plants.

Compost/Potting Mix.
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The main characteristics of propagation compost are that it is free draining and contains little or no fertilizer. Traditionally this is achieved by mixing peat and sharp sand at a 50:50 proportion by volume. The same proportions of peat-free compost and sand are equally successful and in both cases the perlite can be substituted for the sand.
Fill small pots with your chosen mix, firm and water well.

Easy Stem Cuttings
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With a few exceptions, the theory for stem cuttings is the same, regardless of plant type.
Non-flowering side shoots of around two inches long make the best cuttings. If there are flowers or flowerbuds present, pick them off.
Make a cut approximately two inches from the shoot tip, just beneath a pair of leaves. Technically, this is called the node and natural rooting hormones are already present in this part of the plant.
Strip the leaves from the lower half of the cutting.
It is a good idea to dip the cut ends in water, then in hormone rooting powder. Although most plants will root without it, the fungicide present in the powder help to prevent rots.
Using a pencil, make a hole at the edge of the pot, insert the cutting and firm in well. You can fit three or four around the pot edge, (this is where the best drainage is.)
Cover the pot with a small, clear sandwich bag, secure round the base with a rubber band.
Place on a sunless windowsill, or in a sheltered shady area out doors.
The poly bag prevents the cuttings from dehydrating.
Within six weeks or so, remove the bag and gently tug the cuttings. If you feel resistance, the cuttings have almost certainly rooted and can be potted up individually. Those that have not rooted can be pushed back into the compost, refirmed and the sandwich bag covering replaced.

Plants To Try
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These tender perennials all root easily in September.

Agryanthemum, Osteospermum, Salvia greigii, Diascia, Scaevola, Penstemon, Sedum lineare, Abutilon, Euryops, Helichrysum, Fuchsia, Phygelius, Anisodontia, Gazania, Coleus, Bidens, Solanum jasminoides, Bacopa, Impatiens, Lotus.

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