The first attempt was to root them in water and that failed miserably as they simply died in the water. I did use TakeRoot on them on that occasion. The second attempt was to simply cut them and put them into pots with miracle grow potting mix in them. I watered them well and have been spritzing their leaves ever day but have not watered them any further because the soil has been damp. The are sitting on a shelf on a south facing window. They also look to be failing as well.

I still have enough plant left to take cuttings, but probably only for one more go around so this is my last chance. I'm thinking about changing to using the starter mix that I use for seeds March, instead of the potting soil but I'm not sure.

It seems like they're not a great candidate to root in water from what I read so the only thing I can think of is that my soil medium isn't right?

If anyone has any advice I'd be grateful. I've got some million bell and verbena cuttings that I took yesterday and are sitting in water ready to be potted as well and I'd like to figure out what I might be doing wrong.

My coleus and geraniums rooted very well in water and made the transition over to miracle grow potting soil but I would guess each type of annual has it's own preferences.

Thanks for your help.

but the link says it can be done ..

supplemental light is going to be very important.. on a plant the the shear number of flowers these can produce ... and they arent going to like a cold windowsill in z5 in winter .. do you have a light rack???

and if you have a forced air furnace.. spritzing isnt going to provide the humidity you need.. you might want to try a baggie over them ... or something like the pic below ... as a humidity house ...

the other problem.. in z5 .. is how cold the house gets at night.. rooting things in damp cold media.. doesnt work easily.. so a heat mat might be necessary ... in other words.. my thermostat knocks the house temp down to 64 at night.. and that is not rooting temps ...

good luck

ken

this a gallon milk jug.. with a gallon baggie over it.. forget about the rest ...

Why not just bring in the original pot, then increase it with cuttings in the spring?

When I've tried cuttings in the spring/early summer, they do well when put directly in soil, no water first. The growth on the plant at this time is probably mostly woody, which would be extremely difficult to propagate even at the right time under optimal conditions. I put a lot of effort into saving this years' "annuals" for next year, but Petunias aren't one I would bother trying, but absolutely wish you luck with your efforts. You certainly can't succeed if you don't try. Have much higher hopes for your Verbena (which I would put in soil as soon as you can.) Let us know how these things go!

I do have a heat mat so I put that underneath the pots and I did put gallon ziploc bags over the pots to make a humidity tent but now I seem to have another problem in that it's too damp and I'm getting some mold. I'm guessing the humidity tents are either too small, or just aren't getting enough ventilation in them.

Where you take your cuttings make a difference and how clean everything too. Here's how you should take cuttings and grow them for any plant

Take your cuttings:

Prepare your pots with moist soiless mix--yes you should use what you use to start seeds. It has better drainage than potting soil and won't keep your cuttings too wet. Dibble a hole where you are planting your cutting so you don't knock off the rooting hormone.

With a sharp knife or razor blade cut a 5 or 6 inch piece from the growing tip, cutting just below a leaf. All roots and branches come from a leaf joint. Remove all but the top 4 or 5 leaves. Dip about 1/2 inch of the cut end in rooting hormone. It comes in powder or gel, either is OK as long as it's for soft wood cuttings. I use Stim-root NO. 1. After it's dipped put it in the hole and cover it in, and you're done.

Keep the soil moist but not overly wet. They will look wilted at first but that will change as it starts to grow roots. You will know it's rooted when it starts to show new growth. Wait until it is rooted well before you plant or move to another container

Some potting mixes are very fine-textured (Miracle-Gro comes to mind), almost mucky. Sometimes a heaping dose of petlite can help with porosity. I even like to root cuttings in 100% perlite that has been rinsed and soaked.

I don't typically tent my cuttings, either...unless I'm using the perlite.