The First Small Step For The Cuttings

18th October, the first cuttings out of the mist unit

This year's cuttings were taken during the last two weeks of September, see blog entry 24th September 'No Rush This Year To Take Cuttings', and have been residing in the mist unit ever since. After a month, having enjoyed the bottom heat provided the warming cable and the gentle mist from the water jets, some of the cuttings had formed roots that had started to emerge through the holes in the base of the pots. These rooted cuttings were removed from their place of comfort and placed on some staging to harden them off, (toughening them up), no more bottom heat or mist for these young plants..  
 

Roots showing

1st November, hardening off more cuttings from the mist unit

Rooted cuttings

Over the last six weeks the team have been working there way through the rooted cuttings, tapping them out of their pots, gently teasing the tangled roots apart and potting them up into individual 11x11x10cm pots full of a 50/50 mix of John Innes Compost No2 and seed compost. .

Teased apart, split into three

1st November, the first three cuttings potted up

1st November, cuttings potted up

A rooted pot of cuttings, Plectranthus ciliatus 'Nico'

A rooted pot of cuttings, Salvia 'Penny's Smile'

The mist unit is now almost empty of cuttings for another year with the majority having been potted up, a few of the pelargonium haven't quite developed enough roots to be split into individual plants but their time will come. Those that have been potted up now live on the staging on the other side of the greenhouse from the mist unit, they haven't travelled far, but it is the first small step towards their final destination out in the gardens next summer.

27th November, Staging full of cuttings

27th November, Staging full of cuttings (From above)