BEST PLANTS FOR ROOTING NOW?- advice for beginner-live in central England!

[newstart]

Hi ,I live in central England.

I am starting to be more interested in rock garden and alpine plants(recently joined this forum). I have a couple of questions for all you experienced folks.

Also if you remove flowers from Aubreita,Arabis and any other alpine plants can you root them NOW!?
Which alpines can you do this with if you want to get on with it early as i am gradually building my collection?

Do you trim all alpine flowers off after flowers finish to create better bushing and can you 'drop' old alpines deeper or is layering better?

Do folk send cuttings through post regularly on this forum-I notice there is a 'plants wanted forum'.

Thanks for answering any questions!

[newstart]

Campanula is good apparently.

Also if by cutting is sand always best mixture to use and which type of sand?  Is peat,sand,soil added?

I am in between jobs and friends want me to root and sell plants to them. Are tot pots okay to root bigger alpines. If rooted quite well into the tot pot would vigorous  kinds look nearly the size of 9cm pot alpine. It would make it cheaper for my friends and me to produce. I understand that letting them become majorly root bound is a bad idea but still wanted to ask the question.

Thanks for any experiences you can pass on!

David.

[Paul T]

David,

What are the best plants will in many ways depend on where you are?  Are you northern or southern hemisphere?  What season are you in now?  "Spring" (or "autumn" if you're in the southern hemisphere) varies considerably depending where you are, which is why I ask as to timings.  If you're northern hemisphere I obviously won't be able to give you a lot of advice, as it is autumn for me at the moment. 

[newstart]

Does rooting hormone improve rooting for alpines? Are there some plants you would not use rooting hormone with?

Thanks for your opinions!

[Michael J Campbell]

Does rooting hormone improve rooting for alpines

I have never found it necessary for rooting alpines, sand is the secret ingredient for rooting most alpines,but not all.

[newstart]

At B&Q you can buy grow frames which are about 1.5m tall x 80cm wide are the depth of a seed tray. they zip up with plastic covering. Would these be just as effective to root cuttings as a polythene bag put over a pot. I was worried the grow frame may dry plants out rather than increase humidity, as unlike a polythene bag, it is not tied directly over it.

Thanks for your help and answers.

[newstart]

Is sand better than peat for free draining properties or does sand do something else which cases rooting. Should sand be mixed with a little bit of soil or peat or john innes?

many thanks for your previous response also -David.

[Maggi Young]

Hi, David, you will see I have combined several of your threads to keep your questions together and perhaps provide a better  collection of answers for  your queries.
Have you told us where you are located, as this may well impact on the advice given to you?

[newstart]

MY PREVIOUS POSTS WERE LESS CLEAR HERE IS REVISED VERSION.
I live in central england.

Is it correct to root alpine cuttings in polythene bags in full sun?

If the moisture in the bag over the pot builds up to much is this bad and will it block out the light?

Is it good to make a few holes in the top of the polythene bag so the humidity does not build to much?

Is it therefore good to put some cuttings and not others in the shade to root and for how long?   

When is it good to buy a fungal spray and can I get away with not buying some(eg sand may bring enough drainage to help this?)

Is sand the best cutting alpine mixture and is rooting hormone essential?

DONT FEEL YOU HAVE TO ANSWER ALL OF THEM IF YOU HAVE LESS TIME-MANY THANKS!

[Michael J Campbell]

David ,most alpines will root in sand without anything else,but you can mix  a sprinkling of moss peat for those that require a little more moisture.
You can also mix some grit for those that require more drainage. I don't like your idea about polythene bags,alpines don't like high humidity.
A cold frame facing north preferably with glass cover should do the trick,but no direct sunshine until you have potted on the rooted cuttings. Polythene produces too much humidity. Practically all Alpines can be rooted now,once you have new growth. Seed trays are better than pots for this job.

[Michael J Campbell]

Also if you remove flowers from Aubreita,Arabis and any other alpine plants can you root them NOW!?

Aubretia and Arabis are usually trimmed after flowering and you can use the new growth for cuttings. they should root in sand in about three weeks in a cold frame.

[Michael J Campbell]

Also if by cutting is sand always best mixture to use and which type of sand?  I

Builders sand is usually OK provided it has not come from a beach, as in that case it would contain salt. If in doubt get a bad from the garden centre. Don't forget to put a little peat in the bottom of any container that you are filling with sand otherwise the sand will all wash out the drainage holes.

Hope this is helpful .

cheers

Michael.

[Michael J Campbell]

Do you trim all alpine flowers off after flowers finish to create better bushing and can you 'drop' old alpines deeper or is layering better?

Most vigorous Alpines are trimmed after flowering. I have never dropped old alpines deeper,I think that is TV gardening advice, but it might work in certain circumstances.
Layering is possible but cuttings are quicker and more productive.

Any more questions.?

[Rodger Whitlock]

I wouldn't. Everything's too likely to overheat and simply cook the cuttings.

Plastic bags are a godsend to those raising cuttings, but place them in strong indirect light and keep the sun off them.

If there's excessive condensation, open the bag for a day or so to dry the contents out, then re-seal. ("Ziploc" brand bags and others with a built-in seal are ideal.) You want a little visible condensation: it indicates that the relative humidity is near 100% and that the cuttings won't desiccate.

Don't waste your money on fungicides unless your cuttings are visibly infected and cannot be readily replaced. The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies: be sure your pots are clean, that you use fresh, clean rooting medium, and that you use new bags.

Rooting hormone is also largely a waste of money. It makes a difference in a few cases, but cuttings taken at the right time will root quite nicely without it.

As for a rooting medium, opinions vary. Clean washed sand is a good one, a mixture of 10% peatmoss and 90% perlite is another.

A grower here who has the proverbial green thumb always leaves her cuttings out on the bench for a day after trimming them. This gives the wounds a chance to callus over and lessens problems with rot and disease.

[newstart]

Sorry folks I have been busy with alpines. Thanks for your amazing advice both Rodger and Michael.

It seems to say in my new propagation books that you always root cuttings before flowering eg late flowering Sedum . After flowering cuttings are apparently optimal if they have more semi ripeness to them and seem to be advised as waiting 1 month or 2 after the flowering time. What are your opinions here and also do you have to take cuttings with a heel or into the previous growth. For example sedum again if quite woody would you then 'have to' root from previous growth.

Appreciate your answers as always. Great to speak to experienced gardeners.