Muti-Million Bells? Billion Bells?
I bought a plant that looked pretty bad, like it was under muddy water then someone sat on it. I got it for 2 bucks and rooted a bunch of cuttings. While watering yesterday, I noticed a DOUBLE flower, then realized they were ALL doubles.
Very KEEN!
Keen, indeed !
didn't see it in this list of flowers: http://flower-dictionary.com/list.html
Are you sure you have the name right? Those double flowers are gorgeous though! Good buy.
-Charles
That website is not a comprehensive list of all the plants out there--I would not assume that something doesn't exist or the name is wrong just because you can't find it there. Million Bells/Calibrachoa are a popular and readily available garden plant (the double ones aren't as common, but the single flowered ones can be found at almost any garden center). Here's a website showing several double flowered Calibrachoa cultivars http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/category/calibrachoa-minifamous-flowers
Wow! That's really neat! I love these little guys! Can you explain how you rooted the cuttings? These are my favorites and I hate spending so much money on them every year since they cannot be grown from seed. Any advice is appreciated. Great Job!
Sure cgustaf.
The double I got was from a small one I cut up entirely, or you can buy a big one at a garden center, and cut off however many you want.
I got some rootone from wal-mart.
I cut about 5 inches of the end of a growing tip,and pull of the leaves off the 2" at the cut end. Grab the bottom 2 or 3 leaves as close to the end as possible and pull down gently trying to take a little strip of the the outermost membrane of the stem. The "scar" is where the roots will grow from.
Dip them in the rootone, gently tap the excess. Use a pencil to make a hole in the soil (I use seed starter mix for this) in the pot.
Put the cutting into the hole (trying not to knock the powder off) firm the soil around the stem and water with plain water till it runs out the bottom. You will want to do this quickly! If they draw air into the stem they will not survive. Make sure you have everything you need ready to go before you take the cuttings!
Put the pots (I use yogurt cups with holes drilled in the bottom) in a tray, with about a quarter of an inch of water in the bottom so it will evaporate and create humidity.
Put a 10 gallon fish tank over the tray to hold in the humidity (due to the fact they have no roots yet, they will take moisture from the humid air) and mist them with plain water 4 or 5 times a day. If it is cool where you have them, some bottom heat will help greatly (I use a seed starter mat, you can find these at a garden shop, or sometimes at Home Depot, Lowes, etc)
Water with plain water for the first 5 days, then use a fertilizer at half the strength recommended on the package. When they start to show signs of growth transplant them into containers (I put 4 in a small hanging basket or 5 or 6 in a large one) with miracle grow potting soil, or unfertilized potting soil, and use the fertilizer at full strength.
It sounds complicated, but it really isn't, and Calibrachoa/Million Bells are pretty hardy. I rooted a whole bunch, figuring some would not make it, and not a single one died!!!
I ran out of hanging baskets and had to give a bunch away.
Good Luck,
Mark
ecrane3
Thanks for the link, I had never seen the doubles advertised before. I might have to put in an order!
I did notice they were all listed as "SOLD OUT FOR 2009" though!
There may be other places that offer them too--that was just the first link I ran across.
