Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Cultivation => Cultivation Problems => Topic started by: newstart on September 29, 2009, 03:36:56 PM
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Hi ! I seem to be getting unlucky with answers to my posts recently. I thought I try another.
Will cuttings taken now be best put under double protection over winter? ie to be put in case first and then put the case in a greenhouse. I use sandwich boxes. Just looking for a little advice, thanks very much!
If you have time it would be great if some one feels they could answer my post on-
alpine maintenance now and over winter(also in cultivation forum)
Hope every one is doing well and gardens/greenhouses are showing good bloom still!
David.
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Q. Will cuttings taken now be best put under double protection over winter?
A. you need to say what cuttings you are taking
Q. alpine maintenance now and over winter(also in cultivation forum)
A. I dont do anything with mine from now on except look out for greenfly
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Q. Will cuttings taken now be best put under double protection over winter?
A. you need to say what cuttings you are taking
Q. alpine maintenance now and over winter(also in cultivation forum)
A. I dont do anything with mine from now on except look out for greenfly
certainly we need more info !
By and large, if cuttings are kept just moist overwinter they can wait until Spring to be potted on and depending on the type of plant, they might well appreciate a covering of fleece or bubble poythene.... main problem then, however, is going to be risk of damping off. :-X
This risk of damping off or botrytis attack is also the biggest thing to be on the lookout for over winter in the glasshouse generally. It is vital to keep a good flow of air around plants to prevent this. The only time that you do not want a brisk air flow around plants is when the temperature is actually freezing or below.... then you can close the door for a few hours and switch any fans off.
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I wouldn't be taking any cuttings now (mid autumn) except perhaps, hardwood trees which I'd expect to take several months to root anyway. Soft or semi-soft cuttings need the spring and summer to root and get ready for potting on.
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A gardening friend has a large collection of large-flowered penstemon cultivars, which are only marginally hardy in our climate. (The wet may be a bigger issue than the cold for these plants.)
She takes cuttings every fall, and overwinters them in a coldframe. Without roots and with overhead protection from rain, they seem to be quite hardy, rooting in the spring.
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I have traditionally propagated all my diascia collection in early September, then potted the rooted cuttings up and kept them in the unheated greenhouse. They are weaker than well established plants of course, and can be lost to botrytis, so I do multiples in the hope that some will survive. I've also tried putting them out in a cold frame in the past, but mine is completely covered, and this has, in the past, created an perfect environment for botrytis so I don't do this any more.
Like Maggi says, we need to know more about what you want to do this with really. the term 'alpine' cover a vast range of plants from all parts of the world.
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If I could continue this thread ,as i fear I am a little late replying, and ask a bit more.
When are the signs that we should remove shading,cool glass etc. at the end of season ?
eg when is sun weak enough not to scorch.
Also when it is a low light day in September ,England it is about 12 degrees C. Is it good practice to open up my growhouse,(it is unzippable-polythene one), entirely!. I say this because my shading is still on and it would give plants more light doing the above on a dull day. I then would remove shading in 2 weeks maybe(depending on advice to previous question).
My alpines are very bog standard common boring ones such as Aubreita,Arabis,Sedum,Phlox so I ask very general questions with less detail -apologies!
THANKS for all the above thread answers.
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Aubreita,Arabis,Sedum,Phlox should be outside not in a greenhouse. Put them out quickly and let them get acclimatised before you get bad weather. they perform best in a frame with raised glass or the equivalent and plenty of air circulation. Those plants mentioned should also be rooted in a shaded cold frame, they are not plants for a closed environment.
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I dont use shading but I think it should be off by now
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Shading if applied here is usually removed in the first week in September.