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Best place to keep potted up cuttings?

rachelconnollybmrachelconnollybm Posts: 3
in Plants
Hi, newish gardener here. To my delight, my softwood cuttings are taking off and I've potted some on. My question is, what do I do with them now? I don't have a greenhouse but have a spacious garage with sunlights. Can I leave them out there all winter? I am thinking of making a cold frame - would that be better? My plants are petunias, bidens, fuchsias, osteospermum and (hopefully) lilac and Weigela. 

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Hello Rachel , welcome to the forum  :)
    If you can manage to make or obtain a coldframe (Freecycle might be worth a try), l would use that rather than the garage.  Even with the sunlights l think the light levels would be very low in there.
    If they are outdoors with the coldframe protection it sets them up well for the big wide world.
  • rachelconnollybmrachelconnollybm Posts: 3
    Thank you @AnniD , cold frame it is. I have a pile of cinder blocks and 2 old shower doors ready to go. Today's project, I think.
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    I keep my cuttings in a propagator with sun lights in the garage. Either way would work. I mostly use the propagator for veg seeds and some flower seeds in the spring, so it is free fro cuttings during the winter. The one thing that is an advantage, is that you can control day length indoors if you wanted to. Most plants stop growing in response to shortening days, rather than falling temperatures.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I look forward to seeing a photo of your coldframe @rachelconnollybm . If it's anything like mine,  t won't be long until it's full !  :)
  • rachelconnollybmrachelconnollybm Posts: 3
    @GemmaJF very interesting. Do you use the lights all year around? Thank you for the info about day length, I didn't know that.
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    rachelconnollybm said:
    @GemmaJF very interesting. Do you use the lights all year around? Thank you for the info about day length, I didn't know that.
    I have my light bank on all year round, it's set on a timer to give 12 hours of light throughout the year. I don't have a greenhouse or cold frames, so it's a big help with starting off seeds, overwintering cuttings etc. Hardly any natural light in our garage at all.
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