@Obelixx@fidgetbones - when the advice for a borderline hardy plant like Amistad is to “take cuttings as a back up” how do you treat the cuttings over winter? I have a huge Amistad plant (my deer proof discovery of the year 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻) and six well rooted cuttings that are all flourishing. I plan to dig up Mum and overwinter her and the cuttings in an unheated GH. But are the cuttings any more likely to survive this treatment than the mother plant? I would have thought that, being little, they would be more vulnerable than the parent, and therefore not really much of a backup plan. Or should I be doing something else with my “insurance” cuttings?
If I have cuttings in the greenhouse over winter, they have a propagator lid on, so double protection. The original plant rootball should not freeze even in an unheated greenhouse, provided you keep it just on the damp side, and not sopping wet. It is being soaking wet and then freezing that does the plant in.
Thanks for that @fidgetbones - makes sense. My cuttings have grown too big for my largest propagator - is it ok to trim the leaves back a bit so they fit in?
My two-weeks old salvia cuttings have taken in a little vase of water in the kitchen, so not too late and quite easy. The hardest part is probably overwintering them. A windowsill for these ones probably. 🤔
Thanks i’ve put four in a pot but I will also do some in water. Im going to bubble wrap my greenhouse so hoping they might do ok. Will you be potting them up to overwinter indoors?
I assumed that Salvias would be OK here so was dismayed when Amistad failed to re-appear in spring but then I found a teeny stem growing this summer and have nurtured it @chicky. I have taken cuttings in water and potted them up last week. They'll go in the polytunnel and be kept just damp with an occasional dribble when I go to check on the citrus shrubs.
I'll be taking some Red Bumble and purple Wishes types into the polytunnel too as they're so full of flower at the mo there's no cuttings material and they are small enough to dig up and keep safe. Needless to say, Hot Lips, which I really don't like, has survived every winter here and thrived but at least of late it's flowers have been all white or all red and not a garish mix.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
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Unless you have hundreds of other plants in the greenhouse needing protection @Jillus, there's no point in bubble wrap over the whole thing. Some extra protection as described by @fidgetbones, or something similar as they're in a pot, or just in the house would be easier.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't think you will have a problem @chicky. I dig up my adult S.amistads and they seem to do ok. in a cold g/h, and you will be much warmer where you are.
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I'll be taking some Red Bumble and purple Wishes types into the polytunnel too as they're so full of flower at the mo there's no cuttings material and they are small enough to dig up and keep safe. Needless to say, Hot Lips, which I really don't like, has survived every winter here and thrived but at least of late it's flowers have been all white or all red and not a garish mix.
Some extra protection as described by @fidgetbones, or something similar as they're in a pot, or just in the house would be easier.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border