Glad you had great success! The soaking is good. Generally we use a rooting hormone, this seems to boost our overall success. Would not recommend letting the cuttings dry out. That could be a problem.
Thank for all your great help. I know some of the info, but always learn new things whenever I watch. I'm in AZ so I do totally different plants than what you rwo do.
Really enjoy these videos. I’m starting my own backyard nursery, but I’m mostly growing herbaceous perennials from seed. I haven’t had much luck with cuttings - seems like I either keep them too wet and they rot, or I transplant them too soon and the roots can’t recover. I’ve got some more questions for you below: Just to make sure I understand something you said… if you’re taking softwood cuttings in July, and they’ve gotten some early roots in October, you’d leave them over the winter? Is there any circumstance in which you’d be ready to pot them up before winter? Also, how soon/often do you check on them to see if they’re rooted? I imagine that in a clear tote, you can sort of see if they’re rooting, though… Do you mix species in a tote? Do you add any fertilizer to the peat/perlite medium? Or only when you pot them up? Thanks in advance for your help!
Good for you! It really is hard to know when to transplant. Too soon and the roots aren’t established enough. Too late and then you might have a still small plant that could have been growing better in a pot. We try to do all our softwood cuttings in June and July. Some may stay in the totes until the next Spring. Some like Arborvitae can come out in Sept or so and be fine through the winter. We certainly mix varieties in the totes. Not a problem. Yes, fertilizing with a slow release fertilizer is OK once roots have formed. But we generally just fertilize when potting plants up. A 2-4 weeks before you pot up the plants you can start opening the lids for part of the day. This gets the plants more light and acclimates them to less humidity. A good time to possibly fertilize as well. Then out they all come and into pots. Once potted water as needed. We also mist a little from the hose 1-2 times a day for a couple weeks. Best to you and your nursery 🌲🌲🌲
Perfect, we are there with you! Another reason we propagate when plants are dormant is we are so busy in the spring and summer. Late winter and very early spring is a quite time of year for us. 🌲🌲🌲
I am also a nursery man and ran across you when watching frazer rose farm(spelling there). Have you looked at a intermittent mist system? Also with the mist system you could move cuttings into propagation trays and have NO root disturbances and transplant much latter in the fall and winter.
Yes, we may someday invest in a misting system. As you mentioned there are advantages. We do get great results on the woodier plants we propagate using the totes. This is probably because we mostly propagate woodier plants. If we were propagating more delicate plants the misting would be a huge help. 🌲🌲🌲
You recommend putting cuttings in a shaded area. I have a barn and in back, facing south there is a shed overhang about 6'+. Could I put my cuttings there or s that too much shade?
For cuttings that are rooting lots of shade is fine. A little filtered sunlight is ok. Be sure you have the small holes in the sides. You should be fine where you described. Thanks, Larry 🌲🌲🌲
Hi, Thanks for watching. The totes eliminate the need for misting. The plants stay very humid in the totes. Since we do have some holes on the sides, there is also some airflow. Yes, we check to make sure nothing dries out and water accordingly. No drainage holes, tops keep out the rain and as long as you don't over water drainage is not needed. Have rooted thousands of plants this way, it's pretty easy to do and works very well.
I have an opportunity to buy some native hydrangea seeds, if I start them using your tote method now, will they make it through the winter or do I need to wait until spring? I'd prefer to get started now if it works.
Hi Paul, Hard to say what to do. Hydrangeas grow pretty fast. If they sprout quickly it is likely you can get them potted this Fall. Or leave them in the totes is fine too. If you pot them up you may want to try and protect them from wind over the winter or cut them way back. They will come back quickly in the spring. Thanks, Larry 🌲🌲🌲
Yes, totes will stay right where they are all winter. What is in them is mostly rooted but will stay in the totes until spring. They are not ready for pots or winter outside of the totes. What is potted will also stay where they are. To be safe we might cover them with some white plastic or shade cloth. Look for a video on that around November. Many thanks 🌲🌲🌲
Hi good question. For the covered totes we only put holes in the sides. The plants stay humid but do get a little air flow too. No holes in the bottom so be careful not to over water. Then since you have holes in the sides you will loose a little water over time. Check the totes every 2-3 weeks to make sure they don’t get too dry. If we didn’t cover the totes you would want some drainage holes in the bottom. We do some uncovered totes but find they do much better when covered. Especially over the winter. Another tip, when you are ready to transplant from the totes to pots, start opening the totes a little over 1-2 weeks. This acclimates the plants to less humidity. You don’t want to go from a perfect humid environment to a sudden change.
@@Growing-Our-Retirement Thank you for the advice. I am using your cover tote method as I have quite a few critters that like to burrow and dig even over winter. So the covered tote for me I think will work.
Yes, exactly. We have had many problems with little mice and shrews. We think. If you haven’t already drilled the side holes smaller. 3/8” should be good. Or slide some mesh over the holes on the inside. We are having great success with the totes since we added the side holes. Healthier, still plenty humid and no fungus. Let’s us know how you do 🌲🌲🌲
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For more information on this topic see the related page on our website: growingourretirement.com/propagate-plants-year-round/
Soaked all my cuttings in rainwater for hours, let dry thoroughly, planted - had 95% success.
Glad you had great success! The soaking is good. Generally we use a rooting hormone, this seems to boost our overall success. Would not recommend letting the cuttings dry out. That could be a problem.
Thank for all your great help. I know some of the info, but always learn new things whenever I watch. I'm in AZ so I do totally different plants than what you rwo do.
Thanks for watching. We love AZ and all your interesting plants. So very different than the northeast. Enjoy 🌲🌲🌲
Really enjoy these videos. I’m starting my own backyard nursery, but I’m mostly growing herbaceous perennials from seed. I haven’t had much luck with cuttings - seems like I either keep them too wet and they rot, or I transplant them too soon and the roots can’t recover. I’ve got some more questions for you below:
Just to make sure I understand something you said… if you’re taking softwood cuttings in July, and they’ve gotten some early roots in October, you’d leave them over the winter? Is there any circumstance in which you’d be ready to pot them up before winter?
Also, how soon/often do you check on them to see if they’re rooted? I imagine that in a clear tote, you can sort of see if they’re rooting, though…
Do you mix species in a tote?
Do you add any fertilizer to the peat/perlite medium? Or only when you pot them up?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Good for you! It really is hard to know when to transplant. Too soon and the roots aren’t established enough. Too late and then you might have a still small plant that could have been growing better in a pot.
We try to do all our softwood cuttings in June and July. Some may stay in the totes until the next Spring. Some like Arborvitae can come out in Sept or so and be fine through the winter.
We certainly mix varieties in the totes. Not a problem.
Yes, fertilizing with a slow release fertilizer is OK once roots have formed. But we generally just fertilize when potting plants up.
A 2-4 weeks before you pot up the plants you can start opening the lids for part of the day. This gets the plants more light and acclimates them to less humidity. A good time to possibly fertilize as well. Then out they all come and into pots.
Once potted water as needed. We also mist a little from the hose 1-2 times a day for a couple weeks.
Best to you and your nursery 🌲🌲🌲
Nice video. I do some propagation now in the end of September here in Southern Norway.
Perfect, we are there with you! Another reason we propagate when plants are dormant is we are so busy in the spring and summer. Late winter and very early spring is a quite time of year for us. 🌲🌲🌲
I am also a nursery man and ran across you when watching frazer rose farm(spelling there). Have you looked at a intermittent mist system? Also with the mist system you could move cuttings into propagation trays and have NO root disturbances and transplant much latter in the fall and winter.
Yes, we may someday invest in a misting system. As you mentioned there are advantages.
We do get great results on the woodier plants we propagate using the totes. This is probably because we mostly propagate woodier plants. If we were propagating more delicate plants the misting would be a huge help. 🌲🌲🌲
Neighbour loving neighborhood
Yes! Thanks for watching 🌲🌲🌲
Great video!
Thanks 🌲🌲🌲
You recommend putting cuttings in a shaded area. I have a barn and in back, facing south there is a shed overhang about 6'+. Could I put my cuttings there or s that too much shade?
For cuttings that are rooting lots of shade is fine. A little filtered sunlight is ok. Be sure you have the small holes in the sides. You should be fine where you described. Thanks, Larry 🌲🌲🌲
So do you mist cuttings? Do you water? Do you have drainage wholes. How often do you water?
Hi, Thanks for watching. The totes eliminate the need for misting. The plants stay very humid in the totes. Since we do have some holes on the sides, there is also some airflow. Yes, we check to make sure nothing dries out and water accordingly. No drainage holes, tops keep out the rain and as long as you don't over water drainage is not needed. Have rooted thousands of plants this way, it's pretty easy to do and works very well.
Wish there is close up.
Sorry about that. We could have done better. We will be sure to do another shot of a plant branch with sod and hardwood. Thanks for watching 🌲🌲🌲
I have an opportunity to buy some native hydrangea seeds, if I start them using your tote method now, will they make it through the winter or do I need to wait until spring? I'd prefer to get started now if it works.
Hi Paul, Hard to say what to do. Hydrangeas grow pretty fast. If they sprout quickly it is likely you can get them potted this Fall. Or leave them in the totes is fine too.
If you pot them up you may want to try and protect them from wind over the winter or cut them way back. They will come back quickly in the spring.
Thanks, Larry 🌲🌲🌲
Where will you leave the totes during the winter and are your already rooted in pot perennials/woodies left out in the winter as well?
Yes, totes will stay right where they are all winter. What is in them is mostly rooted but will stay in the totes until spring. They are not ready for pots or winter outside of the totes.
What is potted will also stay where they are. To be safe we might cover them with some white plastic or shade cloth. Look for a video on that around November.
Many thanks 🌲🌲🌲
Do you guys put holes in the bottoms of your totes? Or just holes around the sides just above soil level?
Hi good question. For the covered totes we only put holes in the sides. The plants stay humid but do get a little air flow too. No holes in the bottom so be careful not to over water.
Then since you have holes in the sides you will loose a little water over time. Check the totes every 2-3 weeks to make sure they don’t get too dry.
If we didn’t cover the totes you would want some drainage holes in the bottom. We do some uncovered totes but find they do much better when covered. Especially over the winter.
Another tip, when you are ready to transplant from the totes to pots, start opening the totes a little over 1-2 weeks. This acclimates the plants to less humidity. You don’t want to go from a perfect humid environment to a sudden change.
@@Growing-Our-Retirement Thank you for the advice. I am using your cover tote method as I have quite a few critters that like to burrow and dig even over winter. So the covered tote for me I think will work.
Yes, exactly. We have had many problems with little mice and shrews. We think. If you haven’t already drilled the side holes smaller. 3/8” should be good. Or slide some mesh over the holes on the inside.
We are having great success with the totes since we added the side holes. Healthier, still plenty humid and no fungus.
Let’s us know how you do 🌲🌲🌲