Ga.Succesfully_propagating

Ga.Succesfully propagating of fuchsias - Part 1.

One of the reasons why gardenlovers by their choice for a 'green' hobby, choose for the fuchsia, is the fact that this plant mostly so easely is to propagate. From fuchsia-lovers who see my results of taking off cuttings, I get often the remark 'How do you grow so quickly such nice new little plants and that without much fall out'. Now, that is a question of 'trying out' various methods/tips and trucs of other fuchsia-lovers. And adding to this still some other ideas.

After some 'General rules for the taking away and the rooting of cuttings' there becomes then for you explained the most current method of taking off cuttings: that of 'Taking off cuttings in a soil-mix with little food'. In special cases this method don't satisfy at all and you can choice then better for one of the 'Other methods of taking off fuchsia cuttings'. You find these methods of taking fuchsia cuttings in the article Gb. Succesfully propagating of fuchsias - Part 2. .

Cutting with a 'heel' - These cuttings take roots often easely

General rules for the taking away and the rooting of cuttings

The reasons to make cuttings can be different. That can be because we want to have more plants of a variety. But it can also be we want to grow young again the collection. Or we want to hold a variety in the collection that as an older plant is to winter more difficult. And in the winterstore new rooted cuttings take less place than there is necessary for the old motherplants. Besides that such a young plant is nicer the following year than the old plant. However it is a fact that the obtained descendants by slipping have the same properties as those of the motherplant.

For successful taking off cuttings there obtains a number of general rules:

* use healthy cutting material: special the tips of young shoots root easely.

* be economical with growing powder, because to much of a thing is good for nothing.

* the cutting soil or cutting medium must be sterile and this medium you may use only once.

* use for cutt off the cutting a clean and stainless scharp knife; a cut off cutting with frayed wound or bruised weave can be a source of infection.

* are there cut with this knife cuttings before, where there were sitting on moulds, then clean this knife very well before.

* the cutting may not dry out; when you cann't slip immediately preserve the cuttings in a plastic small pocket with in it some drops of water and afterthat blow up the pocket and button it up.

* remove regular all the fallen leaves and the attacked cuttings by mould.

* after the cuttings are set in the soil and after they have had a spray ofwater, these cuttings with a mouldy preventing expedient.

Taking off cuttings can happen the whole year, but best time is in spring from half Februari till half April. It is also possible in autumn and then from end August till end September. As after this is noticed by the various types of cuttings some varieties of fuchsias ask qua season of slipping a specific preference.

Wath sortes of cuttings can been made and in wath time of the year can that been done it best?

A. Cutting of the growing tip - in spring

B. Middle cutting - in spring

Above: cutting of the growing tip Middle: middle cutting Under: middle cutting which is cut through longitudinal

C. Middle cutting, which is cut through longitudinal - in spring

D. Middle cutting with two nodes - in spring as well in autumn

E. Cutting with a 'heel', that is a thorn off little side branche - in spring as well in autumn

F. Cutting with three leaves by node - for a standard or 'full' plant

G. A little piece of branche with two nodes or 'sleeping nodes'

H. A cutting called in Dutch language 'Woodcutting' - in autumn, destined to preserve in the wintering season in the refrigerator in a locked tray with peat-litter or 'sharp' sand. This method of slipping becomes here lateron treated in Gb. Succesfully propagating of fuchsias - Part.2 .

The placed cuttings are rooting best in a greenhouse and then protected for direct sunshine. When you haven't the disposal of a greenhouse, then place them out of the sun for a window of the livingroom or from a empty standing sleepingroom. And a place out of the sun outdoors is also possible, provided the out-door temperature then is minimum 18°C.

Dertermining factors for good rooting are:

* heat and special bottom heat is of influence on the rapidity of rooting. The cuttings are best rooting by a bottomtemperature of about 24°C. By nurseries the bottomheat becomes arranged via heating pipes under in the cuttingtables. A hobby-ist best can made use of electrical mats, which are in business in various formats. Also they can heat the bottom with a special heating cable, which is to obtain in various lengthes;

* getting sufficient light, but they may not stand in direct sunlight;

* the quantity of oxygen, that can become taken up via a well-aired cutting soil or other cutting medium;

* the taking up of water, take care that the cuttings aren't standing too dry and also not too wet;

* the humidity of the air in the environs of the cuttings: a low humidity, the cuttings cann't have, while they haven't yet roots to transport water to the leaves (protect them with the 'roof' of a 'mini-greenhouse' or plastic folie; the ideal humidity of the air in the cutting space is 80 à 90%.

Various phases from rooting till flowering are:

* from cutting without roots till cutting with the first roots;

* a vegatation growing period, that means there is growth in the cutting;

* a period of harding, by with the cutting is to be able to resist differences in temperature, rain and wind;

* forming the top and afterthat the flowering.

Taking off cuttings in a soil-mix with little food

Good cutting soil exists out of 1 part peat-litter mixed with 1 part perlite. Former here for was used peat-litter mixed with sand, but this mix of soil sink down allready soon and then this cutting medium isn't longer airy. For all there mayn't sit in the cutting soil fertilizers and this must be sterile. In garden markets there are for sale today bags with good and sterile cuttingsoil.

The treatment for slipping of the cutting goes as follows. About half a centimeter under the node cut the cutting right down (some fuchsialovers cut down sloping, but the little piece of peel on the sloping end can easely lead to come into existence of botrytis). By a cutting of the growing tip remove of this node the leaves. Remove possible flower buttons. Dip the end of the cutting about 1 cm in growing powder and after that to much of the powder - that puts a brake the forming of roots - flick well.

We place the cutting in a little pot. But when you have 60 à 70 cuttings then it is better to place them in a 'mini-greenhouse' or a PS-tray; just the PS-tray is efficient for placing autumn cuttings while they must remain standing in it till end Februari. We fill the little pot or the tray with cuttingsoil, but don't press it! After that we prick with a pencil a little whole of 2 cm deep and we stick in it the cutting. After placing the cutting the soil may not press also, we pour water to the cutting by the free space around the little whole fill up with cuttingsoil. Now spout the whole with a mouldy preventing expedient (for example Eupareen). We pour water by the cutting through wich the free space around the whole fill with cuttingsoil. Are the cuttings standing in a greenhouse, where the humidity of the air is minimum 80%, then is placing of plastic folie/roofing over it not necessary, but screen then well with a paper. In this way the chance on excisting of botrytis is more little. The cuttings must well stand light, but not in the sun. Prevent the excisting of botrytis by removing fallen little stalks and leaves. When there is no bottomheat, then the temperature in the cutting space must be 18 à 20°C. With a bottomheat of about 24°C the cuttings root much rapidely and there will grow out more cuttings. After three days we hold the plastic folie/roofing or paper of the cuttings and we spray with a mouldy preventing expedient.

Mini-greenhouse - The little pot with placed in it the cutting, and which is placed in a 'mini-greenhouse' (button up plastic bag or on a screwlid in a turned upside down marmalade pot).

Mini-greenhouse - In a transparant packing box from for example butter 6 or 10 cuttings can root together.

Mini-greenhouse - In treatment are special mini-greenhouses where on a little surface about 25 à 35 cuttings can root under a transparant plastic roofing with ventilation openings.

The cuttings can also be placed in polystyreen tableaus with in it 104 holes which are filled which cuttingsoil. The tableaus are standing free about 2 mm from the underground, this for to get a good circulation of air. Slipping in such tableaux can only in spring, while they may stand in it maximum 4 weeks and so then must be rooted before the potting.

The moment of potting after forming roots is dependent on the temperature in the cutting space and if there becomes slipped on bottomheat (they can have allready after 14 days roots). Are the roots still very little, then wait still one week. By the repotting we take care that there remain sitting cuttingsoil as much as possible. We fill a little pot with diameter 6 à 8 cm with a good potting soil, but don't press it, make in it a little whole of the size of the clod of soil wath is hanging to the cutting and place in it the cutting carefully. Pour afterthat and also now don't press. Take care that the potsoil doesn't dry out or is too wet. Pay also attention to the forming of moulds. Take to that care for a good circulation of air (for example with a fan). Remove fallen leaves. The first three days after the repotting we hold the plants still out of the sun, but afterthat we place them as sunny as possible. This for to prevent that the internodiën become to long. After about 4 till 6 weeks we give fertilizer.

The forming of the growing up rooted cutting goes as follows. After the first three pairs of leaves top the cuttings. To get a bush plant top again and again after two pairs of leaves. With this we go on till end April/half May. When we want to make of the cutting a standard we don't top before the cutting is grown out till the wished hight. Well we hold away side branches, but well let sit the leaves around the stem. That are namely the 'sap drawers' , who take care for that a solid (thick) stem come into existence.

'Gelderse Fuchsia Info-site' - November 2008