Just a few questions

[size=medium]Hi everyone, [/size]

[size=medium]I have a few questions that I’m sure you can answer [/size]

[size=medium]1. Last October time I was down at my aunty in Pershore and I came away with quite a few cuttings that she took 2 weeks prior to my visit, Geraniums and Fuchsias. The 4 Geraniums have taken and doing very well. Out of 8 Fuchsias cuttings, only 2 took and are well. 2 weeks ago my dad snipped the fuchsia tops off for me, as they were getting tall and I wanted them to start producing side shoots. However, and I haven’t tried this before, we put the top bits in a glass of water and just sat it on the kitchen window cill. Last Sunday I noticed they have taking root and the roots are now about 2cm / 1 inch long. When and how do I pot them, as I find fuchsias very fickle when I take cuttings? Quick to die on meL but they are my favourite plant.[/size]

[size=medium]2. I’ve got my tomato seeds in a heated propagator in my conservatory and they have germinated. They are about 4cm / 1½ inch high, ready to be pricked out. Every time I do tomatoes (doesn’t matter which type I use), I pot them on and put them in the green, sometimes put a cover on them. But they always shoot up too fast and become leggy, no matter what I do. I only use multipurpose compost and don’t use any feed at this stage. My greenhouse is built between my property and my garage, so the front of the greenhouse faces west and therefore the sun (when it’s out) is on it from 11am – 4pm average. I don’t heat the greenhouse, as I think it would cost too much on electric. You might tell me different or suggest another way to heat it. Anyway, back to the tomatoes, how do I stop them becoming leggy?[/size]

[size=medium]3. This year I decided to grow strawberries and ordered Mount Everest Strawberries, as they are reported to be climbers. They arrived yesterday and I’m not ready to plant them. My plan as you know is to put a trellis on a side wall and hang plant pots from it. Then to put a wooden trough underneath it and plant the strawberry plants in it allowing them to climb up the trellis. The problem is the wooden trough for this came weekend and I’ve got dad painting it, plus it needs lining, so it won’t be finished until this weekend. I have repotted the strawberry plants into 4 inch pots in the greenhouse, can I keep them in pots in the greenhouse for a while? The instructions that came with them just says to plant them straight away if the ground isn’t frozen. [/size]

[size=medium]I know this is a lot, but I don’t anything by half. [/size]

[size=medium]Cheers, [/size]

[size=medium]Calum[/size]

 

Hi Calum
I would pot your rooted fuchsias singly into a 3in pot using a multi purpose compost and place on the windowsill . Just water sparingly just enough to make the compost moist . Take care as you pot up as the roots will be fragile ..
Usually when plants shoot up and become leggy its due to poor light ..Best potted and placed in the best light possible .Maybe you have a shelf in the greenhouse you could use (be aware of it getting colder nearer the glass)
I would think your strawberries would be ok potted for a while ..

Dave

 

1. Wait until the roots are an inch or two long before potting up. Fuchsia cuttings root easily (not many plants are happy to root in just a glass of water :thumb: ), so they are a good one [for a beginner] to try propagating

2. If your greenhouse is not heated your Tomatoes have been started a bit early - or you need to keep them on a well light windowsill for the time being. They need a minimum temperature of 10C to carry on growing. If you have some seed left I suggest you sow some more in March and then deicide which plants you are going to keep (they should be happy to go into the unheated greenhouse around May (depending where you live)

If they are getting long / leggy that is a sign of too little light. However, when you prick out seedlings you can bury them up to their seed leaves, and Tomatoes don't mind their main stems being buried (most plants do mind) so if they continue to be leggy you can bury them deeper as you pot them on.

3. The strawberry plants will be fine in 4" pots - they won't be growing much / at all until it warms up a bit, so your Chief Painter & Decorator :D has got a little come-in-handy-time as yet

 

Hi,

Thanks for the replies, great help.

The 2 fuchsia cuttings are doing OK in the glass and one has longer roots the other, but both are over an inch, more like 2 inches. I think tomorrow is potting on day for them

The tomatoes.... Dad has potted them on and put them in my larger propagator, but still in my conservatory. The point about poor light, I don't understand this as the conservatory is all glass and has a plastic roof. I would have thought there was plenty of light getting in. One thought that has crossed my mind is I'm using 1 of these propagators that has 7 little trays & lids and has only 1 temperature setting. Plus I leave the lids on after the seeds have germinated. Is the problem the temperature is hot and because I leave the lids on, it makes the seedlings grow faster causing them to be leggy?

I like Chief Painter & Decorator But aren't dads meant to be for those jobs

Cheers,

Calum

 

Light is poor 'coz its February ... many grey days, and ones that are sunny are short.

The trays with lids on means the light has to go through the conservatory glass, and the plastic covers - so that will reduce the "quality" of the light. But you ought to get the covers off soon after germination - I open the little vent hole immediately after germination and get the lid off after a day or two. The bottom-heat will keep them growing - soil-warming is the cheapest form of heating, but is enough for most plants to carry on - even when their leaves are cooler. So leaving them on the propagator may be encouraging them to grow - and not enough light to make the "tops".

If you are worried about night temperature in the conservatory you could bring them indoors for the night (don't need light then obviously)

 

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I had to moved all the seeds to my office window cill, where I've some lids on trays that seeds haven't/just germinated, taken off lids off the rest of the trays and put clingfilm on half of the tray as I'd split the trays into half so the seedlings can get on growing while the other seeds are still under cover. All are on the propagator and turned on. The tomato seedlings have been transplanted into cells and on the window cill, just getting room tempature heat. The conservatory and greenhouse is just too cold to leave the seedlings at the minute.

So, I hope I've solved the problem of seedlings getting too leggy.

Calum

 

Sounds ok :thumb:

Put the Tomatoes etc. in Conservatory / Greenhouse on nice days - if you can be bothered and its not too far. They will get better light there. So long as the minimum temperature is above 10C they will be happy.

I keep a note of dates and when things germinate so that I can share trays with seeds that germinate at the same rate - apart from taking-the-lid-off it makes pricking out easier, as you will need to be careful not to disturb the not-yet, or only-just!, germinated seeds when you prick out the ones that germinated earlier.

 

Hi,

I think I'll keep all seedlings on the ofice window cill for the time being, as the temperature hasn't got above 5C yet this year in my greenhouse.

I've been keeping notes on seeds, sown/germinated/pricked out, but the next time I sow seeds I won't be splitting the trays up. Just causes more work than need be. End of March is my next lot of seeds to sow.

Cheers

Calum