Propogation of berberis - what next

jonny2510

Around three weeks ago I took some 6" cuttings of a Berberis shrub we have, to plant elsewhere in the garden.

To propagate, I took the bottom third of the leaves off, and planted them (to this depth in compost) in pots. I then watered them, and tied a freezer bag around each pot to make a [STRIKE]cheap thrifty[/STRIKE] moneysaving green house. They've lived on my window sill since.

It's been three weeks, and the cuttings still look alive. What I'm wondering is what next?

How often should I water (I have been doing it once a week)?
When should I remove the green house (freezer bag!)?
When should I plant outside?

antw23uk

I think as a general rule you leave them until roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot. Then you know they are self sufficent for water (then the bag can come off) and growing well enough to start potting on to their individual pots and then out into the cold frame until you think they are big enough to survive the frosts/ winter.

jonny2510

antw23uk wrote: »

I think as a general rule you leave them until roots are coming out of the bottom of the pot. Then you know they are self sufficent for water (then the bag can come off) and growing well enough to start potting on to their individual pots and then out into the cold frame until you think they are big enough to survive the frosts/ winter.

Thanks for that. They're already in individual pots, so that's one less step

Any idea how long it should take for the roots to grow out of the bottom. Are we talking weeks or months (or longer)?

Also, with regards to watering I suspect I need to just keep the soil damp. How often though should I be looking to water them (weekly)?

antw23uk

I would say weekly for now but adjust it if they are becoming too dry/ too wet!

Not sure about how long for the roots im afraid as the only dealings I had with Berberis is removing a dead one from the garden when we moved into our house, lol

Whats the parent plant like for growth? You should be able to judge how quickly by growth rate of the adult plant I think.

What kind of location do you have the main plant in? Are they any good for shade?

jonny2510

antw23uk wrote: »

Whats the parent plant like for growth? You should be able to judge how quickly by growth rate of the adult plant I think.

Funnily enough, we trimmed the parent back last weekend, so I suppose I can keep an eye on that, and once it's grown another 3-4" I'll check the root status.

It/they seem to grow well, though there is a missing gap, which (providing at least one is successful) we aim to fill with one of our cuttings

peter_the_piper

I hope you used a rooting hormone on the cuttings and that you cut the stem at a leaf node. You would probably have had a better take if the cuttings had included a part of the stem where it joined another stem, without the wispy bit you get when you pull the cutting off. However it will probably take from 6 wkks to 12 weeks for them to root, make sure the compost is always moist and that they are always in good light and not full sun.

jonny2510

peter_the_piper wrote: »

I hope you used a rooting hormone on the cuttings and that you cut the stem at a leaf node.

No rooting hormone (as I said moneysaving ), though if these don't take I'll try that next time.

As it was three weeks ago (and I've slept since) I can't remember the exact method I used to cut it, though I did follow an article I found online.

Thanks for the input

peter_the_piper

no rooting hormone will mean that any cuttings will take a lot longer to root and the percentage rooted will be less. As a backup, in October take a 12" cutting and immerse it/them (6-9")in the garden in a slit lined with sand. Remove leaves from the immersed bit and you may find they have rooted by Easter. I have done this with roses and contorted willow quite successfully.

jonny2510

peter_the_piper wrote: »

As a backup, in October take a 12" cutting and immerse it/them (6-9")in the garden in a slit lined with sand.

Wow, interesting to know, thanks (I'll give it a try)

peter_the_piper

Worth a try, costs nowt but a bit of time.

Davesnave

Sorry to be a pessimist but I find shrub cuttings in pots, with or without plastic bags over them, to be mostly a dead loss. It's a completely different matter if you have bottom heat and sand as a medium, as in a heated sand bed propagator.

The outdoor, over-winter method mentioned by peter always yielded good results for me. I had a cold frame full of sandy, gritty soil, sitting in the shade just for doing that. Rarely failed.