Cuttings - what am I doing wrong?

[DonaldTrumpsChopper]

I've never ever been successful with cuttings. On third attempt this year, and the only cuttings that have rooted are rosemary.

I'm using a rooting gel, mixture of compost and grit, keeping them misted on a windowsill - some in a propogator, some just out.

Followed every YouTube or gardener's world video, but they with rot, or just sit there doing nothing.

They take a long time - months rather than weeks. Rotting is not good, but sitting there doing nothing is what it looks as if they're doing all the time they're building up a root system.

What I do:

take at least 6 cuttings, remove all leaves except for a couple of tiny ones at the top - you want to be left with about a postage stamp area of leaf. Cut the base just below a leaf node.

Fill a pot with moist compost mixed with sand (or grit). Place the cuttings around the edge, buried about 2/3 into the compost. Put the pot in a plastic bag, and give it a little water. Tie the top of the plastic bag.

Every month or so, check, and remove any cutting that has rotted off.

When you see roots coming out of the bottom of the pot, you can if you wish gently separate the cuttings and repot.

I don't use rooting hormone powder because its shelf life is about 1 year, I don't use enough, and I'm not going to re-buy every year.

The Pelargoniums I took in about April have just started producing new leaves, and there are roots coming out of the bottom. The pinks I took in June are still looking healthy but have no discernible growth

I agree with mere’s method, but I also grow roots of pinks, geraniums, Rosemary and Sage in water. When a decent root structure has grown i pot them on in a gritty compost.

bumble I find that roots I've grown in water don't always transfer easily to soil.

What are you taking cuttings of? If they are rotting then maybe cut the misting. They shouldn't need a propagator at this time of year anyway. Stick them outside and neglect then a bit more.

Taking them in the mornings helps. At this time of year I’ll pop bits of plants that have broken off into a container that’s already full of plants and they’ll often root.

I think the humidity of the other plants help.

I’ll also put pots of cuttings in a foolish bit of the garden under a bush. Again the humidity helps.

Agree you don’t need the propogator.

Neglect them a bit is good advice.

Thanks all, I'll try again this week. Looks so easy when Monty does it on GW.

Mind you, even digging looks easy to him - like to see him try in soil that's full of flint and stones!

Donald, flints here too, when I want to plant a shrub, my DH has to get the pickaxe out 😁

Another factor to consider is the time of year and the ripeness of the growth. Some plants root more easily from softwood cuttings (when the growth is still new and pliable), some work better from semi-ripe cuttings (when the growth has started to firm up and become more woody) and some from hardwood cuttings when the growth has become woody.

Hardwood cuttings are generally done in autumn, softwood in spring, semi-ripe in summer, mid-season onwards (sorry if that seems obvious!). If you know what plants you have, you can check with that plant's entry in the RHS website on its propagation. Success is still not guaranteed, but you do stand a better chance. Don't forget the "Grow, you bugger, grow" incantation...

(I've also found that if you don't actually care whether they root or not, then they will tend to do very well. Something that matters deeply - especially if it's of tremendous sentimental value - will slowly and painfully die for you )

@TheNoodlesIncident 🤣🤣🤣