Propagation: part XIII based on my own experience

hi again:
Here is a link to an online pdf guide to how it works and all the ins and outs

http://www.dripirrigation.com/ds20l.php

Jnette It was purchased at HD for about $25 and is a company called DIG, it says it covers 1000 sq. feet, it has about 5, 360 degree tall spray things, and 5 or so ground or drips and for pennies you can add extra pieces individually.

Meadow, I feel for you and will send up my prayers for your family too. I just started working again, after applying to easily 60 jobs or more and my h just got locked out of his job, at US Borax (Rio Tinto Mining) so we know we have a small thread that allows us to get by now, I took a lower paying job than my unemployment is, just so one of us would have a for sure job to go to. I may get the difference from the EDD but we will see.

I lost a house in 94 when the market plummeted, the last time. We paid all the bills on all our debts and did not file a BK, like everyone else in our area who was in a similar situation. Our credit barely fell and it only hindered me from one thing, a job with a security clearance at Northrop and that was because it was in the first 3 years. My credit was restored quickly and my friend who's h was a contractor who had no work then, filed the BK and had bad credit and they just lived on cash only for about 5 years or more but within a year or two, the credit card offers were coming in on those cheap interest rates. It is hard but you will be fine. Don't feel bad, you are so not alone.

BTW I went to a nursery in Arizona on the way back from the Phoenix NASCAR race and the whole nursery was set up with micro watering systems and they showed how many easy ways you can put one to use.
Herbie from DG had a cool system, he lives in NY and he drilled holes through the black plastic nursery pots and strung the drip lines through the tops of the pots and had all containers so critters could not kill them and they could be moved and rearranged easily.

So you are saying he had all the plants in pots. I can see where that would work good for nursery pots, but not for plants in the ground. No, the critters couldn't get in and kill them, but the roots can't spread either.

That would work for annuals I guess, but I sure can't see it for perennials.

You could ask him what they were. He seemed to use it for most everything. People here, use it for all but lawn watering. My lasagna garden has been watering climbing rose varieties, Cannas, Euphorbias, many annuals and perenials, a Wisteria, junipers, Arbovitaes, bulbs, Agapanthus, MM Malva, Hollyhocks, Allysium, Cat Mint and more.

hellin, you have all that in a lasagna garden? How deep is that garden anyway? How long have you had it going? I just started one a couple weeks ago. How long before I can use it? This is my first one.

Go on the lasagna garden forum if you have not already, but mine is a big L about 35 feet long and it is about 4 feet wide. I put all my h's card board ebay boxes in, with chicken wire under it,(gophers), then 2 bales of straw, more boxes and paper, mixed in with the heavy clay soil under it that I had left over from leveling the driveway, a skip of top soil. It was put out in the late fall I think. It was only about 4 inches, if that when it broke down from the Winter rains. I have added my grass clippings and leaves over the last 3 years too. They told me I could plant at any time, once it had been watered down well for a month or so. I waited to plant till late Winter, early fall in spots and continued to add through the first year. I poked holes in the boxes that take forever in a drought area, to break down, so I could plant. Worms come fast, fast with all the paper. Let me see if I still have the pictures on this computer of my first few months with it.

This was part of it when I first started it. My h surprised me by building me a computer that did not take all my pictures, so I need to search for the copy files to find the first progress of the garden. Funny after the first one, I am addicted since our soil is bad here. I even use old phone books, which h hated because it looks like crap at first, but it breaks down so fast if you have rain etc.

I guess there is not a forum for lasagna gardening, just threads. sorry.

Here are 3 or so pix from last year. It was after a gopher took out several cl. roses that were big, when the wire disintegrated.

2

3

4

This was my second one, I started last year and planted from seed trade seeds I planted right in the lasanga in about 3 inches of good broke down soil. It was the first year and it was fall so it was sort of looking ratty.

last one.

You all have such lovely gardens. Keep those pictures coming.

I thought I had better check in. I am still catching up since the storms. The greenhouse is completely repaired now and I have started to plant seeds. Yesterday they put in 170 2 year old Christmas Trees in the baby field and one more planting will fill in that field completely. That will happen next week.

Weather has been unsettled but on the warm side and good for working. It is still so wet.The daffodils are starting to bloom in the field. I will take pictures when they are at their peak. I will be cutting and selling by Easter. Maybe even before if the sun comes out. It is raining again today and temp is dropping to below freezing..

I am still battling a few straggling mealy bug in the greenhouse. Of course all my lady bugs blew away so I have no alternative but to spray and wash each individual plant.What a pain in the butt that is. I am about to say forget it and not sell them. I am too busy to put up with that kind of extra work.

Hope you are all well and working hard. Hugs. JB

Hellen: am I understanding that your computer des everything but store pics? I might recomend an external hard drive for you pics. I save everything I do on my external. It helps keep the box fast but I have access to everything really easy to find.
I love the pics. we are supsed to have the next 7 days in the 60's - 70's and lows in the 40's. pring has sprung.
Dave

Hellen, it looks like the plants love it. I started mine just a month or 2 ago but I am going to plant some peppers and a few other things in it anyway just to see what happens. Oh well, I should have extra plants so might as well. Maybe they will help decompose the straw etc.

JB, I would love to see pictures of your daffs. I am thinking my pussy willows might be rooting. They don't want to come out of the soil anyway.

Jen, I am not sure what mine are doing. I have been so darn busy assisting my dear friends son to get her house in order for her to come home from the hospital, I feel I have neglected all other things. I am the only one who knows about her personal business and she has 3 businesses and four building she rents. She is one sloppy housekeeper and never files anything. It has been a mess. She has terminal lung cancer and is just raising hell in the hospital. They want her out of there. Chemo was just started.

Now, on a happier subject, look at this beaiutiful old star magnolia that sits by the barn
at the edge of the one tree field..

The daffys are just starting to bloom. I will no doubt begin to cut and sell tomorrow if the sun comes out and it warms up a bit. Another week these earlier ones will be ready. The hybrids are just starting to come in. These are the naturalizing ones....just plain old daffies.

So sorry about your friends health problems JB. I know it isn't easy dealing with other people's issues. Hard enough with our own. Filing is one thing you have to be a detail person to do and keep it up. I have always hated that. I do try to do that tho as I would hate to have something happen to me and leave a mess like that for my daughter. Not that I have near the stuff you or your friend have with their businesses. That must be a nightmare.

The tree is gorgeous. There are a lot of those in the Seattle area. Always pretty this time of year. And you are going to have tons of daffs. I can see their buds getting ready to burst open. In another week or so that whole field will be yellow.

Just had the flock groomed. I sometimes wonder why I keep these birds. I can no longer clip their wings and nails myself because I am afraid I will cut them since my arthritis makes my fingers so stiff and to hold and clip is just not a good idea anymore. So, this dear friend, who used to breed birds too, comes and does it for me. Thank God for friends. Of course I give her $75 each time because she does that for a living and she drives 45 minutes to me now that I have moved, so, she always says NO, but I know her prices and I am still getting a bargain. It also helps pay for gas. She even does the dog if he needs it. LOL. I keep telling her someday the well will be dry and she can do it for nothing. She agrees.

Hope you are all good. I must get busy and make signs as soon as this stupid Zone alarm scan is over. I can not do much of anything while it is checking the computer. Later.

JB, what is a zone alarm scan? That is nice to get your animals all taken care of, How many birds do you have?

JB sorry about your friend, my best friend died of cancer too and her house was a collectors dream and a sellers nightmare. You are a good friend to help her. She will have some peace knowing that.

Dave yes I have flash drives with some pictures on it, but my h surprised me with a new fast computer with Vista last year, the pictures he loaded one at a time and some are missing. He says they aren't but they are. My hard drive is going on this one, he built, so I need to back up more really fast.

My computer Tech insists I use Zone Alarm on my big computer and I hate it. On the laptop and notebook I use Macafee but the Zone Alarm is a pain in the butt. It is very safe and the way I surf the web I need safe, but it automatically scans for viruses, etc. so often and when it does it practically shuts me down until it is over. I have been so lucky. It finds and kills all the bugs. LOL

We had a hard frost last night and I am praying the daffies did not get hit too bad. I want to cut and sell today. Love and Hugs to you all on this wonderful day. Palm Sumday. I missed early Mass, so I guess that I will just pray at home today. I know my prayers are heard no matter where I am.

By this evening another storm is expected to arrive and we are toa get another 2-4 inches of rain and flooding again. Poor souls by the water have really taken a beating this year. Smile, see you later. JB

Dave, I do have a flash drive for pix as well, though I suppose that an extra hard drive would be good as well. Do you just use that for storing pictures, or do you have your business on that external? Do you use the external to back up everything on the computer? Is it a laptop or a desktop?

Hi:
I save everything on the external harddrive and install my programs to the box itself. Its been my experience that the hard drive on the maincomputer tends to wear out with all the use by the operating systems. I am sure a back up would be nice I just have my external as the storage for all pics business backups and all my pearls of wisdom as they come to me, of course its quite a wait for wisdom...
Dave

JB are you floating away??? first a ton of snow then rain. are you starting to build a big boat? collecting 2 of every animal? lol I do realize flooding is no joking mater so sorry in advance if I touch a nerve
Dave

Hey Davie: I am building the boat. We fortunately are not near a river. We are between the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware River andnot close enough to have damage. Creeks etc. no problem. We just finished making all the repairs from the Wind storm. Now we are looking for more wind and rain. NC people are having tornados. God Bless them. I hate wind and snow.

Have a good evening. I am tired and going to find some food.

Rain has been predicted for all of next week here in Northern California as well the chance of snow in the foothills. At least we do not have tornadoes (yet!) or hurricanes...it has been windy all day, but fortunately not so strong...good luck everyone with next week's weather...well except for Dave...he will have spring-like conditions all week! (I am not saying that Dave shouldn't have good luck, however, since "spring-like" conditions are subject to change at a moments notice...we had a week of spring, the last week of winter, and then it snowed!

hello everyone. dawn asked me to show a picture of how i water my container palnts using a soaker hose which i attach to a timer. i have been using this method for many years now and i have never had a problem. sometimes i go away for more than a week at a time and i never have to worry about the plants not gettign watered.

this is the best picture if have of them. sorry

herbie sorry that is the only picture you have as I can't make out a thing... the containers look nice.

Janet

Looks like the soaker runs across the containers one right after th other. neat idea.
unfortunately evelyn is correct. I am having a great week weather wise 80's 2 days this week. I am optomistic that it still coulddrop like a rock on us as it has in the past, but judging from the flowering tree's I think we are in the clear. they kinda looked like they weren't quite ready then it snowed and now everything is busted loose and beautiful. I will try to check in this week but might be a bit less as its so nice to be able to go outside.
stay warm and dry everyone. I will try to start a new thread also tomorrow
Dave

I posted in another forum and now here.

I need help with the trying to figure out what type of growing medium to use. when I just repotted some tomatoes I did have anything and found an unopen bag of MG for seedlings, so I was thinking ok I use that until I can figure out what else.... Well let me tell you NEVER again will I use that junk, I couldn't get it to soak up the water? What is up with that.... surely yall don't use that stuff do ya?

So please folks share what ya use and where ya get it and how much it is costings....

I can see right now if I don't find something to transplant everything to, I'm not gonna go any further with planting anymore seeds....

thanks for your help and suggestions on what to use.

Janet

Janet, are you talking about the Miracle Grow with the slow release fertilizer and the polymers in it? That it is bad? I hope not, I bought some for my strawberries. I have never used it before. It is expensive. Would you add something to it? Let me know what you think.

I use it all the time because the professional stuff I was buying was like saw dust and was worse than MG. I used to purchase a bale of soil, now I have to buy the big bags. I think they are all cutting back. Agway used to have a great potting soil, but I have not been there to check. In fact I think they are carrying MG instead anymore.

There are places in NJ that when this storm is over it will have rained 4- 7 inches, At least it was not snow. Winds are picking up again. Oh Lord, give me a break.

Yep Miracle Grow.... it was just something I had laying around in the garage... so I used it...

I hope those 12 tomatoes aren't going to die??? should I repot them over to something else...?

Janet

Hi Everyone:
I use the Mircile grow potting mix with slow release and the water absorbing Polymers for everthing. If I have a specifically difficult seed I will switch to straight Vermiculite or as I am planning to try a straight clay kitty litter. I bought some bamboo seeds and they suggested the Non clumping non scented plain ole clay kitty litter because it is sterile and works for them.
It sounds like you got a bad bag of soil. I do know the seed starting soil is a tough one to get wet. I have made seedling media's in the past but because of the results I get I just keep it simple with one soil for everything. we get so hot and dry in the summer the polymers are almost required and then its even watering everyother day or everyday depending on the stage of life of the plant.
Janet I will dig up the formula for seed starting for you so you can try it if you would like. I do know its a base of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite...no soil.
Dave

Janet,

The way to get that stuff to soak up water is to use tap water as hot as you can get it. LOL, don't put your plants in it until it cools off. But, if you use hot water it will soak it right up. Another lady puts the stuff with water in the microwave.

Don't think that is necessary as long as you use hot water. I even just run the water into the bucket of potting mix. Hot as you can get out of your tap. If your hot water tank isn't set hot enough, heat it on the stove. Not boiling. Just hot. Then when it is wet and cooled off go ahead and use it to plant your plants.

This goes the same for peat moss.

Great tip Janette... I know nothing is more frustrating than a soil that wont take up water. There is a wetting agent that can be bought and added to the mix to help things absorbe.

I think when you sow seeds, it's ok to use that mix but it's not for transplanting things to after the seeds are up. I usually put mine in a bucket and add water and stir it up until the water soaks in. You have to wet it good before you plant anything in it.