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Salvia HotLips Cuttings

SmudgesDadSmudgesDad Posts: 61
in Plants

Hi, I recently took some HotLips cuttings that appear to have taken okay. They aren't ready to transplant yet but are doing a very good job of growing upwards.

My question is should I just leave them alone for now or should I pinch out the growing tip to bush them up?

Thanks

Posts

  • Chrissy the gardenerChrissy the gardener Posts: 1,072

    How tall are they and when did do the cuttings?

  • SmudgesDadSmudgesDad Posts: 61

    They are about 4" tall Chrissy. I took the cuttings about a month ago.

  • Chrissy the gardenerChrissy the gardener Posts: 1,072

    I would leave them a bit longer then pinch the top out, cleanly if you can donot pull or you will disturb the new growing roots.

  • SmudgesDadSmudgesDad Posts: 61

    Thanks for the advice image

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,743

    I was given 2 plants and I took cuttings. Well, in truth , cut them up into little bits and chucked them in the compost bin.

    I tried for about 3 weeks to give them away , but no takers, so the compost bin had them.

    Devon.
  • Jimmmy2Jimmmy2 Posts: 13

    Hi,

    I took and struck some earlier in the year, there were about 10 with decent root system on them so I potted them on.

    They appeared to have started growing, then one by one the leaves dropped off and they died!

    Compost was OK as I had also transplanted some penstemons at the same time and they did fine!

    I have had this problem with other salvia cuttings as well as Hot lips, if it were me I would leave them as they are until the Spring letting them get a stronger root system as well, gust give them some liquid feed to keep them growing as long as possible!

    Cheers!

  • Chrissy the gardenerChrissy the gardener Posts: 1,072

    I don’t think I would be giving young cuttings a liquid feed, there should be enough feed in the compost for at least 6 weeks.

    Jimmy when you potted the salvias on where you careful not to bruise the stem also if you fed them or kept them too wet they would have died.

  • Jimmmy2Jimmmy2 Posts: 13

    HI

    I root all cuttings in a home made mixture of riddled peat and washed river sand, 9 parts peat to 1 of sand!

    They usually root quite quickly especially during the growing season, but as there is no feed in my mixture, hence liquid feed!

    cheers!

  • StorminStormin Posts: 51
    I have 3 hotlips plants which have been potted on are now about 6-7" tall. Can I plant them out now or do I needto pot on until they are bit bigger? Thanks
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,177
    Answered as best l can on the other thread @Stormin :)
    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1065021/hotlips#latest
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