Hello! I'm new here but have bee watching hummers and planting hummer plants for the past few years.  However, I am still a newbie when it comes to gardening.  I feel a bit stupid asking these questions but ... I am very interested in learning how and when to take cuttings, do I put them in water or soil, when do I collect seeds and where do I find them?  I would very much like to increase the size of my garden but just cannot afford to go to the nursery and spend a bunch of money, at this time.

Here's a short list of plants that I do have (sorry, don't know the botanical names for them):

1. Salvia, black & blue
2. Night blooming jasmine
3. Star jasmine
4. Bat faced cuphea (and another type, not sure the name)
5. 3 types of honeysuckle
6. Coral Vine
7. Plumbago
8. Mexican petunia
9. Power puff
10. Passiflora

The salvia and cuphea are coming up nicely.  Can I take cuttings from them now?  How about the Power puff?  It's putting out a lot of new growth and is about 4 ft. tall right now.  Has anyone tried cuttings?

Thanks for your help.  I look forward to coming to this site everyday to learn, learn, learn. I have two hummingbirds (ruby's I think) that have been visiting my honeysuckle and bottlebrush tree since last week.  Last year they stayed with me until October. 

PamD
Winter Springs, FL
USDA Zone 9B/Heat Zone 10

Hi Pam
We are glad to have you join us. Please don't feel stupid about asking any questions. We were all newbies at gardening at some point. I don't think anyone here was born with a shovel or a hoe in their hand LOL!

Salvia Black & Blue can be tricky to catch the seed at the right time but since you are in Florida, you may not have to collect the seed. They may self seed for you. Our southern gardeners can help you more on how best to increase the number of plants. I know that Dianne in Alabama has had a lot of luck with hers. She also does most of her cuttings right in the ground and they root quickly.

The cupheas that I have grown that produce seed are very easy to do. As the flower fades and starts to dry, it will split at the end where it is attaches to the plant and the seeds will usually be light brown and somewhat flat little round discs that will just spill out. Again some of our more versed gardeners who grow a lot of cupheas can explain it better than I can.



Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Hi PamD!

Here's my two cents and basically last year was the 1st year I ever took a cutting or started a plant from seeds so I am learning also. (fast learner here when its something I adore to do).

You can certainly take cuttings from the B&B and Cuphea's as long as they are have a few stems with leaves. You want to cut below the second set of leaves and use a rooting hormone on the cut stem. Than stick them in lose potting soil, seed starting soil if you have it and keep moist and in indirect sunlight if possible. Obviously you don't want to cut off all the leaves of your plant to take cuttings or it will die. I've done cutting of B7B and Cuphea and had great results. I don't know anything about power puff. The vines are a little tricker, I'll let a more experienced gardener help you with those.

Good Luck and welcome to our madness!

Pam S.

Pam NJ 6B

Something tells me you aren't new to gardening, just hummingbird gardening. Pam gave you a good primer on propagation, and Penny is right about southern gardeners being your resource. If you hang a while with questions and comments you will eventually be surpised by plants and seeds in the mail. If might not happen at first, but it will. One of the things the forum does is make sure plants get tested and passed on. And no matter how long some of us have been at it, we are all learners here.

Pam be careful of that Mexican petunia. It can take over. If you want some new b&b Just take a cutting and sitck it down and keep it watered. Roots like crazy down here. It will take over too if you are not careful.

You have got some good hummingbird plants here.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

In my experience with Calliandra [Powderpuff], cuttings are difficult. Salvia and Cuphea generally are easy, but not all species.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

Hi PamD,,, Welcome, you recieved good info from the others. I have a little different situation from you as I am in zone 6. I took cuttings in last late summer of cuphea shumannii[which are easy] and even though they cant go outside for a few weeks yet I have one plant with a bloom wide open. I started with two cutting and now have eight. Those are cuttings from cuttings. Knowing they wouldnt survive my winter and what a big hit they were with my hummers I was prompted to try this which I hadnt done before [overwinter cuttings].

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

Although my B&B are still small, I was able to take cuttings and put them in the ground - watering well.  I also took some cuttings of the cuphea to see how that would do. Thank you so much for your responses.  This is a learning process for me but I know with everyone's help, I will be successful. 

A friend gave me a Tibouchina cutting.  Can this be done the same way?  I put rooting hormone on it and put it in water...maybe I should have put it into the ground?

Thanks again for your responses!  I love watching hummingbirds and want to make a nice garden for them (and me, and the butterflies)!

PamD
Winter Springs, FL
USDA Zone 9B/Heat Zone 10

Pam
Putting the cutting in water after applying the rooting hormone will wash off the hormone. It will probably work better to put it in soil. This is just a guess as I have never grown this plant.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Pam I believe the common name for Tibouchina is Princess Flower. I have one of these and it is a prennial in my zone. I got my from a cutting from my daughter in law. I just put the cutting in soil that stays damp and it rooted. Then I moved it to the location I wanted it to grow. I don't believe it is much of a hummingbird plant but it is a beautiful plant and I enjoy seeing it every year.

Pam I know I say just stick it out in some soil, keep it watered and it will root. This works for me. I am just fortunate to have soil that I can do this. I also use small pots and potting soil to root too.



Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Is it ok to move it from the water into soil?  It has only been in water for a couple of days.

PamD
Winter Springs, FL
USDA Zone 9B/Heat Zone 10

I would not hesitate a minute to place the cutting in soil but that is how I root things.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Hi Pam
I'm in Montverde, Fl. Bet you've been to Lukas Nursery.? Keep checking at Lowes, they mark plants half price when they get a little wilty. Batface Cuphea roots well in soil, so will the honeysuckle. It's best to do all your cuttings in soil. Maybe we could meet sometime, I have some plants and cuttings/seeds to share.
Jana

Jana
Montverde,Florida
USDA zone 9

Yes, I have definitely been to Lukas.  I love walking around there and seeing all the different plants.  They do tend to be pricey though.  I'm definitely going to keep an eye out at Lowes.  I've generally been looking at HD since I can go there on my lunch hour.

That sounds like fun!  I don't have any cuttings (everything is just now coming back after the freeze) or seeds yet but hope to have lots someday.

PamD
Winter Springs, FL
USDA Zone 9B/Heat Zone 10

Isn't Gardening wonderful???????? You meet such NICE people!

Pam NJ 6B

Yes Pam I agree with you. This is such a wonderful bunch of loving people. Im older but always learn something when I come here. Love it here

Ditto to Dianne on mexican petunias. They grow like kudzu. The ones that flower in a deep blue are pretty, I guess, but generally, in my view, these plants are way low on my priorty list. I see them coming up all over my yard, even in places that were remote from the spot they first occupied... I live in Jacksonville and my salvia b&b is growing like crazy. I don't know what variety I have but it spreads by sending out undergrowth that emerges into a new stalk and a new plant. I'm happy to send cuttings of this b&b to anyone who wants it. The hummers love it and it blooms all summer. Very hardy grower. Suzanne