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Million Bells...

16 years ago

Any chance of keeping Million Bells alive during the winter in the house? From what I understand they don't set seed, so how do the sellers propigate them? Stem cuttings? I know impatients can be over wintered and rooted by the stems but what about million bells? Boy am I confused, LOL

Alberta

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Comments (5)

donn_
16 years ago
Here's how to propagate them.
northforker
16 years ago
I had purchased some million bells terracota to put in hanging baskets w/ wave pertunias last summer (06). Those bakets stayed outside all winter and "lo and behold", there were seedlings this spring, same color. They have grow into a very pretty hanging mass of flowers. As you know Alberta, we had an unusally warm winter last year, so I thought they had just wintered over, but I walked by the pot a few weeks ago and there were seeds forming (like petunias)in the spent blooms. I've gathered some of these up and I am going to try to sow them early next spring. We'll see....

Nancy
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I to collected the seeds last year. I put in the fridge over the winter. About half of the seeds germinated this yr and I found they grow slower than if Id done it by cuttings. So far no blooms but its early, oooo I luv surprizes. Doing cuttings is relatively easy. I do about 25+ cuttings at once, so i mix 75% perlite and 25% transplanting soil. I don't want to use straight soil because those new roots that are forming for the very first time don't have to work so hard growing in straight potting mix, perlite makes it easier to grow in, and the little bit you do use is just enough to grow nice heathy roots until your ready to transplant it. Find a new stem and cut straight across. I snip mine about 2-3 inches in length if possible. Remove only the bottom leaves on stem that will be going in the soil. A root will come where the leaves you removed. You can use gel or rooting powder for soft cuttings. I use oowder. After dipping it in the powder put, into the prepared hole. water thoughly. I cover them in a plastic dome. Cuttings need bottom heat and not direct sun, in order to grow roots. Sun will get the cuttings to grow upwards and flower, but you don't want that. Energy needs to go to making roots not flowers. So I cover the dome with a newspaper. check daily, you don't want a lot of moisture collecting in the dome because that will just rot the cuttings. Open the lid sightly until condensation is gone. Keep the soil moist but not drenched. When you water make sure to let the water drain out before you put it back on heating pad. In about 2 weeks tug gently of the cutting, when it becomes more resistant, that means roots have grown. Its then you start giving he cuttings more fresh air. You need them to get used to not growing in such a comfy inviroment . The real world isn't comfy. they need to get climatized to the real world. Depending on what cuttings I do it takes about 3-4 weeks before I transplant them with healthy roots. that's it!! I know it seems like lots to do but once you do it a times its a no brainer, easy peasy.
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I know this is an old post, but hopefully someone searching will find my info of some use. Calibrachoa is a tender perennial - not an annual (most "annuals" are in fact tender perennials). I am in Zone 5 b and over wintered 2 deck planters of them in my unheated garage this past winter. It did get down to approximately 32 this past winter in the garage and they made it. I gave them a small slurp of water about every 3 weeks or so. In that environment, they appeared to be partially dormant. For cuttings use a rooting hormone. I prefer Dip n Grow which I have found to be the best. Don't use cuttings of the hardest/oldest stems and do not use the greenest growth tips. Had good luck and I put them in moist 1/3 rd each - quality potting soil, sand, perlite. This winter I plan to pot up and over winter some Angelonia as well. cheers
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An automatic watering bulb is not gonna cut it - the basket needs to be watered until the water drains out freely. And that's a lot of plants in a small space - frequent, thorough watering and a dilute fertilizer once a week will help. You can try trimming the plants back some. That will often generate a new growth spurt that will result in the setting of additional flower buds. But the good, thorough watering and fertilizing are necessary as well.
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moonphase
16 years ago
I sure collected seeds last yr. from million bells and they came true for me.I guess I didn't know they were not supposed to have seeds..lol..same for angelonia..what ever it is I collected sure did sprout more plants.
moonphase
gardner-want-to-be
16 years ago
Alberta

Would you please explain to me what you do with your impatients. You said you could overwinter them and root by the stems. I don't know exactly what you mean. Do you do them like you can do geraniums...I haven't done geraniums yet, but read an article in my Garden Gate magazine, and I plan to try it this year. I plant impaitents under my trees back by the woods and it takes a lot. I usually buy the plants because I am trying to WS flowers that I have never had before.

However if it is easy to overwinter them like you said, I would love to try and do it. Thanks!

Jeane
albertar
Original Author
16 years ago
Although I had answered Jeane in a private email cause thats the way I received it, LOL, I'll post my reply here for anyone else that might be interested.

Hi Jeane
Impatients can be rooted in water or in a good potting soil. Just clip about 3-4 inches of the top stem, removing all flowers if there are any, and put stems in either water or moist potting soil and bring in the house. They will sulk for a while if put in the potting soil, but will eventually root. Over the winter they may look a little scraggly, but watered infrequently will survive til the following spring when they can be replanted outside. I bring my potted geraniums in the house, again watering very infrequently, they survive during the winter and then are put back outside again in the late spring. Is that what the Garden Gate magazine says to do with them?
Alberta

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