I've tried everything and I'm still getting 80+% failure with these things.

I've followed a few website's advice, some say use hormone powder, some say
don't bother, I've not bothered.

I've been taking a 3-4 inch cutting from just below two leaves and removing
any flower buds, I've been taking off surplus leaves leaving just two plus
the growing tip.
I've tried getting them to root in water, but frankly two months is too long
i think, and this is before even very short fine roots appear, but even then
once they go into compost, they're shrivelled up within days.

I /may/ have been sucessful, although it's still early, but some I took a
fortnight ago and just shoved them into a pot containing ferns (very shady
area) seem to be holding up OK.

I've tried various light levels from full sun to full shade and not really
noticed any difference.
I've tried them with and without clear bags (for humidity) and this hasn't
made much difference neither.

Do they have a preference with regards to compost? - I've tried three
different brands and not noticed that any is better than another.

Is fertilizer a good or bad thing?

Is it the wrong time of year? - I thought if I took them late, they wouldn't
have time to root before winter.

"Phil L" wrote in message
...
I've tried everything and I'm still getting 80+% failure with these
things.

I've followed a few website's advice, some say use hormone powder, some
say don't bother, I've not bothered.

I've been taking a 3-4 inch cutting from just below two leaves and
removing any flower buds, I've been taking off surplus leaves leaving just
two plus the growing tip.
I've tried getting them to root in water, but frankly two months is too
long i think, and this is before even very short fine roots appear, but
even then once they go into compost, they're shrivelled up within days.

I /may/ have been sucessful, although it's still early, but some I took a
fortnight ago and just shoved them into a pot containing ferns (very
shady area) seem to be holding up OK.

I've tried various light levels from full sun to full shade and not really
noticed any difference.
I've tried them with and without clear bags (for humidity) and this hasn't
made much difference neither.

Do they have a preference with regards to compost? - I've tried three
different brands and not noticed that any is better than another.

Is fertilizer a good or bad thing?

Is it the wrong time of year? - I thought if I took them late, they
wouldn't have time to root before winter.

Now is a good time, but you do need clean undamaged growth.
It sounds a lot like your problem is the potting medium you are using try
adding 50-75% perlite to a good quality brand. do not add any extra food.

Fuchsia will normally root in less than 7 days however you do them but as
with most cuttings direct sun is lethal so if using the bag covers white is
better than clear, good light but not hot.

Look for material that is stiff but still green, and check the cuttings
every day to see that they are not too wet or too dry, misting the tops by
hand may help.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On Tue, 21 Jul 2015 21:08:18 +0100, "Phil L"
wrote:

I've tried everything and I'm still getting 80+% failure with these things.

Taking 100's of cuttings every year, a few simple rules, and you
should get 95%+ success rate

, some say use hormone powder,

Not nessary. (in fact if the powder is older than 6 months, chances
are its no good for anything)

I've been taking a 3-4 inch cutting from just below two leaves and removing
any flower buds, I've been taking off surplus leaves leaving just two plus
the growing tip.

Cutting far too long, I never take anything longer than 1" but apart
from that you are correct. If the leaves you leave are still larger
than your small finger nail, cut those in half as well.


once they go into compost, they're shrivelled up within days.

over or under watered, and try putting them in the shade.

I've tried various light levels from full sun to full shade and not really

part shade is fine, but not full sun.

I've tried them with and without clear bags (for humidity) and this hasn't
made much difference neither.

Try coffee jars! (thats the way I do mine)

Do they have a preference with regards to compost? - I've tried three
different brands and not noticed that any is better than another.

compost should open and mixing with vermiculite helps, personally I
use any cheap compost as long as I add sharp sand and vermiculite

Is fertilizer a good or bad thing?

Not required

Is it the wrong time of year?

No, cuttings can be taken at any time, but I take most of mine in
september.
But I don't take cuttings if it is too hot, and certainly last month
was too warm

- I thought if I took them late, they wouldn't
have time to root before winter.

Small plants are easier to get through winter, thats why I take
cuttings in September.

Now coffee Jars!
Check this out
http://www.divingbrit.co.uk/fuchia/v...ghlight=coffee


Derek
Lincoln http://lincolnfuchsiasociety.info/

"divingbrit" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Jul 2015 21:08:18 +0100, "Phil L"
wrote:

I've tried everything and I'm still getting 80+% failure with these
things.

Taking 100's of cuttings every year, a few simple rules, and you
should get 95%+ success rate

, some say use hormone powder,

Not nessary. (in fact if the powder is older than 6 months, chances
are its no good for anything)

I've been taking a 3-4 inch cutting from just below two leaves and
removing
any flower buds, I've been taking off surplus leaves leaving just two plus
the growing tip.

Cutting far too long, I never take anything longer than 1" but apart
from that you are correct. If the leaves you leave are still larger
than your small finger nail, cut those in half as well.


once they go into compost, they're shrivelled up within days.

over or under watered, and try putting them in the shade.

I've tried various light levels from full sun to full shade and not really

part shade is fine, but not full sun.

I've tried them with and without clear bags (for humidity) and this hasn't
made much difference neither.

Try coffee jars! (thats the way I do mine)

Do they have a preference with regards to compost? - I've tried three
different brands and not noticed that any is better than another.

compost should open and mixing with vermiculite helps, personally I
use any cheap compost as long as I add sharp sand and vermiculite

Is fertilizer a good or bad thing?

Not required

Is it the wrong time of year?

No, cuttings can be taken at any time, but I take most of mine in
september.
But I don't take cuttings if it is too hot, and certainly last month
was too warm

- I thought if I took them late, they wouldn't
have time to root before winter.

Small plants are easier to get through winter, thats why I take
cuttings in September.

Now coffee Jars!
Check this out
http://www.divingbrit.co.uk/fuchia/v...ghlight=coffee


Derek
Lincoln http://lincolnfuchsiasociety.info/


I have taken 22 cuttings today and put them in a mixture of perlite, sand
and compost.
They are all around an inch or two.
I've given them all a light watering and placed them in a makeshift
propogator, I don't have any glass jars, empty or full so the coffee jar
thing will have to wait until next year, but thanks for the tip.

The propogator is a semi-transparent square plastic container, 20 litres
when originally full of veg oil but long since cleaned out, it's lay on it
side with one side (now to be known as the top) cut out and the plants are
in small pots inside this, the top is sealed with cling film for now.

It'll get four hours of sun per day in the position it's in, the rest of the
day is shaded.
The four hours it will get are in the morning and as i said, the sides are
semi shaded anyway.

I'll empty out any surplus water tomorrow ans seal with, probably glass but
maybe plastic, I'll let you know how they are in a few weeks.

Ta!

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

Now is a good time, but you do need clean undamaged growth.
It sounds a lot like your problem is the potting medium you are using try
adding 50-75% perlite to a good quality brand. do not add any extra food.

Fuchsia will normally root in less than 7 days however you do them but as
with most cuttings direct sun is lethal so if using the bag covers white
is better than clear, good light but not hot.

Look for material that is stiff but still green, and check the cuttings
every day to see that they are not too wet or too dry, misting the tops by
hand may help.

Cheers, have got some perlite and used that for 22 new cuttings today, they
are in a translucent container, sort of thick polythene, not completly see
through so that should keep some of the light out.

Have got a sprayer so will give them a light misting regularly, Ta!

On 23/07/2015 20:23, Phil L wrote:
"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

Now is a good time, but you do need clean undamaged growth.
It sounds a lot like your problem is the potting medium you are using try
adding 50-75% perlite to a good quality brand. do not add any extra food.

Fuchsia will normally root in less than 7 days however you do them but as
with most cuttings direct sun is lethal so if using the bag covers white
is better than clear, good light but not hot.

Look for material that is stiff but still green, and check the cuttings
every day to see that they are not too wet or too dry, misting the tops by
hand may help.

Cheers, have got some perlite and used that for 22 new cuttings today, they
are in a translucent container, sort of thick polythene, not completly see
through so that should keep some of the light out.

Have got a sprayer so will give them a light misting regularly, Ta!



Pound Shop polystyrene cups are useful, and small freezer bags from the
supermarket. Seal the tops with paper clips to stop them drying out,
which they will easily do in 4 hours of sun

"Phil L" wrote in message
...

I /may/ have been sucessful, although it's still early, but some I took a
fortnight ago and just shoved them into a pot containing ferns (very
shady area) seem to be holding up OK.

All these that are in almost complete shade (one hour of sun late on when
it's setting) are all doing well, i did nothing more than cut them from the
parent and just poked them into the compost.
It's probably because they never dry out even on warm days.

The 22 taken last week have been misted every day and all are still alive,
still early to tell if they take though, but thanks again to all who replied

On 28/07/2015 20:03, Phil L wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
...

I /may/ have been sucessful, although it's still early, but some I took a
fortnight ago and just shoved them into a pot containing ferns (very
shady area) seem to be holding up OK.

All these that are in almost complete shade (one hour of sun late on when
it's setting) are all doing well, i did nothing more than cut them from the
parent and just poked them into the compost.
It's probably because they never dry out even on warm days.

The 22 taken last week have been misted every day and all are still alive,
still early to tell if they take though, but thanks again to all who replied



Makes you realise there are degrees of shade. "Not in direct sun" is the
ideal spot for a lot of plants. I see no difference between my north and
south facing geraniums, but both locations get plenty of light. Dense
shade is another matter

The 22 taken last week have been misted every day and all are still alive,
still early to tell if they take though, but thanks again to all who replied

And of course the temperature has dropped considerably from the
begriming of the month.

"Phil L" wrote in message
...

"Phil L" wrote in message
...

I /may/ have been sucessful, although it's still early, but some I took a
fortnight ago and just shoved them into a pot containing ferns (very
shady area) seem to be holding up OK.

All these that are in almost complete shade (one hour of sun late on when
it's setting) are all doing well, i did nothing more than cut them from
the parent and just poked them into the compost.
It's probably because they never dry out even on warm days.

The 22 taken last week have been misted every day and all are still alive,
still early to tell if they take though, but thanks again to all who
replied

two out of the 22 have succumbed to a fungal like mould, I've whipped these
two out in case it spreads, all the others appear to be doing OK.

I only wanted half a dozen of each for next year's baskets and it looks like
I'll have plenty to choose from.

The ones in the shady fern pots mentioned above are thriving....they're
hardy so I'll probably leave them where they are over winter unless anyone
suggests otherwise? - It's easy enough to move them into the greenhouse

On Thu, 6 Aug 2015 20:12:22 +0100, "Phil L"
wrote:

two out of the 22 have succumbed to a fungal like mould, I've whipped these
two out in case it spreads, all the others appear to be doing OK.

Might just have been a bit wet, but your success rate has improved a
lot.

The ones in the shady fern pots mentioned above are thriving....they're
hardy so I'll probably leave them where they are over winter unless anyone
suggests otherwise? - It's easy enough to move them into the greenhouse


Hardies are only hardy once they have been grown on, they will need
the same conditions as tender Fuchsia's in the first year, then when
you have a decent size plant, they can be planted in the garden, hardy
fuschsia will die, if kept in a pot outside in anything accept the
mildest winter.
At the end of the first year, plant very deep! 2 or 3 inches deeper
than when they were in a pot, don't worry if you bury the bottom
leafs, aim to get the root ball 4" below the surfuce.

Your fuchsia will then return every summer for many years.

"divingbrit" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 6 Aug 2015 20:12:22 +0100, "Phil L"
wrote:

two out of the 22 have succumbed to a fungal like mould, I've whipped
these
two out in case it spreads, all the others appear to be doing OK.

Might just have been a bit wet, but your success rate has improved a
lot.

The ones in the shady fern pots mentioned above are thriving....they're
hardy so I'll probably leave them where they are over winter unless anyone
suggests otherwise? - It's easy enough to move them into the greenhouse


Hardies are only hardy once they have been grown on, they will need
the same conditions as tender Fuchsia's in the first year, then when
you have a decent size plant, they can be planted in the garden, hardy
fuschsia will die, if kept in a pot outside in anything accept the
mildest winter.
At the end of the first year, plant very deep! 2 or 3 inches deeper
than when they were in a pot, don't worry if you bury the bottom
leafs, aim to get the root ball 4" below the surfuce.

Your fuchsia will then return every summer for many years.


Thanks for this, the parent plant is also in a pot, I'll take that indoors
too and plant them all out together next summer when they're a bit more
established.

The 22 cuttings aren't hardy I don't think but they're only for baskets etc,
I have no intentions of planting these in the garden.