Cuttings - Late Starting this Year

I haven't taken any cuttings yet, I reckon it is later than I would normally take them - if that is the case any advice for increasing my strike-rate? I do have a mist bench.

Salvias
Coleus
(and probably some others like that which I have forgotten I take every year!)

in case I lose the Mother plants

I also want to take a shed load of Portugese Laurel

and some Dahlias (plants new this year which are not yet very big - both in case I lose the Mother plant, and because I doubt the Mother plant will make enough cutting material come the spring - I could do with, say, 20 plants next year [of each variety] and I have only one of each at present - bought to see if the colour was to my liking for next year's display )

 

I've been putting it off as it was too warm as far as I was concerned. I'll be doing a few next week.
I replied to the Dahlia elsewhere IIRC.

 

Same here longk,I did take half a dozen Deutzia cuttings,they've taken but struggled,I'd say now is a good time as the weather is cooler and more like a normal Summer.

 

OK, I'll stop panicking! I wrote labels, and put them in plastic bags alongside the plants I want to take cuttings from ... so should reduce the "cut-to-pot" time ...

... put out rather a lot of bags & labels though

 

Reminder to self:

It would have been helpful if I had pinched out some shoots, say, 4 weeks ago to provide me with plenty of non flowering side shoots from which to take cuttings.

Would 4 weeks ago have been about right / too soon?

 

I find (depending on the species) that as long as you can include two or three leaf axils above the medium they will take just as well with the flowers pinched out.

I personally thought that it was too warm. Not one of my Fuchsia cuttings took.

 

I've taken fuchsia and weigela cuttings in the last few weeks and they've rooted incredibly quickly. I did however just place them in the greenhouse with some shade and kept an eye on them to make sure they didn't dry out. Normally I would put them in bags but I figured they would get too hot and humid??

If anyone (@Kristen ) manages to strike Portuguese laurel please let me know the secret, its one that always gets the better of me

 

I'm also trying the toothpick/cocktail stick method on some trickier plants this year, first time I've done this so we'll see how it goes

 

What's that Bilbo?

 

Sorry, I meant "Is 4 weeks ago to trim back plants to promote new growth ready for cuttings [in 4 weeks time, natch!] too soon/late/about right?"

 

Ah...............
It would have been ideal I reckon.

 

Its meant to increase the chances of rooting tricky shrubs and trees. You slice through the stem of the potential cutting just above the bottom nodes, then insert cocktail stick or toothpick to hold the cut open. It let's a callous form before removing the cutting, which is done in October or November, the cutting is then treated as normal for a hardwood cutting....hope that makes sensesens