Cuttings - Plant out or keep indoors?

TimmyMagic

I took some cuttings in late July and some more in August. I put them in pots with a plastic bag on top. I've had some success and the following have all rooted:

Roses - a couple of types (unknown) and they have done great, with buds formed already.
Nepeta (Six Hills Giant)
Potentilla
Perovskia 'Blue Spire'
Salvia Hot Lips / Cherry Lips
Fuschia (Ms Popple)

I also took cuttings of some dogwood and berberis bushes, but I'm not sure if they'll make it.

Anyway, I'm not sure what to do next. I've re-potted most of the above into their own pots and they are really thriving. Here's one of the salvias:



I'm just unsure what to do with winter approaching, as I do not have a greenhouse. I will plant the roses in a few weeks as they are tough, and I planted nepeta cuttings this time last year and they survived, despite being very small. It's the salvia / fuschia / perovskia that I'm not sure of. I have had salvias die over winter before. What would you recommend I do - plant them out in autumn or bring them indoors?

Loxley

Keep them potted, stored against your house wall. That will give them some protection against the winter rain and deep frost. The fuchsia may need to be brought in if it's one of the half hardy ones. 

Fairygirl

I agree with @Loxley. Even hardy shrubs need some protection when they're just small, new cuttings/plants.

Posy

Could you knock up a small cold frame? There are plenty of instructions online and you can often get the materials free, locally.

TimmyMagic

Posy said:

Could you knock up a small cold frame? There are plenty of instructions online and you can often get the materials free, locally.

I have just been out to the shed and found a 'pvc tomato greenhouse' (100cm wide, 150cm tall, 41cm deep) that I bought on sale at Wilko a couple of years ago. It's still in its box, so this should do the trick!

Posy

Excellent!

Fairygirl

Just make sure it's well tethered @TimmyMagic. They have a habit of disappearing in the wind   

They don't provide much insulation at all, but they're fine for keeping 'weather' off small plants. 

Crazybeelady

I swear by plastic greenhouses!  I think they're great and have kept all sorts alive through Winter in them.

Andyman

I take cuttings of several salvias, penstemons, and lemon verbena from the garden borders in late summer/early autumn every year and overwinter them in the house on a kitchen windowsill. Although they tend to become very leggy this way, they can be pruned and they do usually survive the winter. I've even taken cuttings from the prunings.
The original plants don't always make it through the winter outside, so taking cuttings is the best way to keep them going from year to year.

Fairygirl

Indeed @Andyman - things like Salvias don't do well here either, so it would always be a case of taking cuttings to overwinter, and nipping them back, as you say. It's a bit of a problem when you run out of windowsills though! 
I only have the very hardy caradonna one, and even that looks dire by the end of winter 

JennyJ

I agree with everyone else -outside in the pots, with some shelter. I often overwinter young salvia rooted cuttings standing on the shelves of a "blowaway" against the house wall, without the cover (just some fleece for the coldest nights) and in London it shouldn't be any colder than it gets here.

With the plastic growhouse, watch out for condensation and humidity inside. Ventilate it well on milder days to avoid rotting off or fungal diseases, and have some horticultural fleece/old net curtains or similar to throw over the whole thing when a particularly cold night is forecast.