Cuttings = more plants!?

[smallblueplanet]

I've just bought a few 'plug plants' mainly for hanging baskets - its obvious from looking at them that they're from cuttings (nicely rooted in little 'stocking pots').

So I just wondered can I do the same (when they're a bit bigger) to all these, and is the only reason to stop taking cuttings because they won't have time to grow big?

I bought -

CHOCOLATE COSMOS - Does it really smell of chocolate?

FUCHSIAS - EL CAMINO & BLACKY (I thought the frost had got the others, but they're showing life signs)

BACOPA SNOWFLAKE

SANVITALIA AZTEKENGOLD

CUPHEA TINY MICE

seemed good value for £4.45 inc p&p in one of those blister packs.....but I want to get better value by making more!

[andrewo]

Chocolate cosmos does smell mildly of chocolate but isn't hardy, doesn't like soggy conditions and flowers throughout the season. However, I prefer the annuals, easy to sow, good germination rate (just to prove this, I collected seed from three years ago and planted it last week, they are all starting to come up now) and flower like mad for the whole summer and until the frosts come.

[smallblueplanet]

I've got some of the annuals too andrew, will let you know if our 'chocolate' is smelly or not, might keep it in a pot too.

[SueA]

Hi smallblueplanet, you can take cuttings from your plug plants, sometimes they tell you to pinch out the tips to encourage them 'bush' up & you could take these tip cuttings & try rooting them, the only thing is as you say getting them big enough to be of any use. I had a chocolate cosmos plant a few years ago in a pot & it did smell of chocolate if you stuck your nose close to it or rubbed the flower but it died off when I forgot to bring it under cover one winter!

[smallblueplanet]

hi sue, the 'chocolate' is for the OH - I'd rather stick to Mediterranean varieties, such as olives!
How's yours going, did you pluck up courage to prune it a bit?

[nick the grief]

SBP, The Choco Cosmos you can treat just like a dahlia as it makes a tuber. But you can root cuttings of all of them if you want to. They wll be covered by Plant breeders rights which says you can't sell em, but I think you can give em away & take loads for your self. Be interested to see how you get on with the Blacky Fushia, I had 2 last yr & it didn't seem to grow very well for me, so I ditched it. It may be that the original stock had been pushed to get loads of cuttings & it weakened it. I' m guessing now. So see how you get on.

[smallblueplanet]

Well, I think we just about saved the frosted fuchsias, and there's two little cuttings still upright! The next lot will be in a better draining compost mix and not so wet - ya live and learn!

Later will re-read the dahlia stuff for the Choco, ta.

Has you is an hexpert i shall treat growing 'Blacky' as a challenge.

[nick the grief]

It may be that it just doesn't suit the way I grow them SBP, but I know 2 other people who had the same troubles but we all got them from the same place, so it may be their stock is know good. It's a stunning fucshia when it's in flower.



I couldn't get the link to work So I've borrowed this from the website

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/gfoster/page1.htm&1

[SueA]

hi sue, the 'chocolate' is for the OH - I'd rather stick to Mediterranean varieties, such as olives!
How's yours going, did you pluck up courage to prune it a bit?

Hi, I have given my olive a little trim, just cut off the dead(!) looking bits, replaced the top bit of compost & gave it a seaweed feed & am waiting for it to burst into life

[smallblueplanet]

Just put a reply on the 'olive thread' Sue.