Plant propagation part XVII based on my own experience

Dawn, how do you know so much about censoring of our posts? HUH?

I didn't get a thing done today except tied the tomatoes up finally after they got all gnarly 'cause I didn't tie them when they needed it. But, they are all just blooming away.

I have a tomato out there that, believe it or not, but it has a hole right thru the middle of it and you can see daylight right thru it. It isn't ripe yet but when it is I am going to take a picture of it and show you.

We went to an estate sale last weekend and I made an offer on a 16hp Toro riding lawnmower. Well, come to find out the seller was Bob's doctor who was selling his deceased father in law's stuff. Anyway, he didn't like my offer 'cause it was less than half what he was asking. So, I came up $100 and he still thought he could get more for it so I said fine, give me a call if you change your mind. Then I forgot all about it until he called later in the week and asked me if I would still pay that for it.

So anyway, we have to go get it tomorrow evening. Had to go borrow a trailer today to pick it up. Crap, I told Bob at our age we are suppose to be getting rid of that stuff not accumulating more. So I told him we would get it if we would get rid of the snow blower which he hasn't used in 2 or 3 years. They just keep adding up.

I did not know they deleted what they censure but that does make sense. I took some photos for Jnette and Evelyn today of the Lantanas. I can anyone who wants cuttings of any color you want. I would not suggest the light purple because it does not do well here. Maybe it does not like the heat. I will send you some of it also so you can see if it is just weak or like cooler weather.. You must realize that Lantana should be our state flower. It loves the heat, grows like a weed and survives the cold winters. They do freeze and get cut back but 99% of the time they come back with a bang. I live in a Planned Community called Summerlin. Tree lined streets and mediums separating traffic. In the middle of the mediums are planted gold or yellow lantanas and they thrive. The first photo is the one I posted a few weeks ago. You can see it has doubled in size in less than a month. When i received this from Wayside, it was the size of a medium size crab grass blade. It sat there for two years, grew very slowly and then this year has exploded.

This one is back by the gate to the greenbelt. It is about 5 years old. Red and orange.

This one in the front landscape under Sumac that is one year old.

This one is 7 years old and lived through the big freeze. Planted behind large boulders in shade of Sumac but does get afternoon sun. It is cut back to ground level every year.

This is a photo of the slope on the other side of the greenbelt from my back landscape by the back gate. That beautiful tree is a Mesquite that was sculpted to grow that way. Look how large those Lantanas are and they are not in full sun.

Only two more photos. This one is a Bell Flower. It looks like a rain lily but it is not. It is a bulb and spreads quickly. Love the sun but must have water to bloom.

Dawn, this last one is for you. It is a flowering weed. LOL. It was planted in my landscape, I think, by a bird. It spreads by root and seed. It loves the heat and does not require a lot of water.

Beautiful plants Sharon. On any of my visits to LV I never saw anything like your garden.
Maybe it is because I had my head in the slots. What a lovely place you must have. Good luck with the weather. Your pics are perfectly georgeous. Thanks for sharing.

Sharon, very nice pictures. I would love to have cuttings of the first one, rose colored, and the all orange one. Very nice. If you have, or know of a soft cream colored with a soft yellow center I would love a start of it.

Thank you so much. Oh, BTW, I got the roots from the neighbor on the purple Campanula but have it in superthrive and haven't had time to do anything with it. Just now remembered it.

Let me know postage.

This is a photo of my KOI pond. You cannot see it because of all the greenery. The greenery keeps it isolated so the bird birds do not see it and it makes a safe place for the little birds and hummers. I took this about 1/2 hour ago. I was in the back trying to get a photo of my quail that does not like his picture taken. I went out the back area of the patio and sneaked up on him. The next photo is the best one I could get of him.

Camera shy Quail.

Sharon, love the flowers, and all...Want the Mesquete tree! Why are digging canna's and black bamboo in your heat!

Hot here for all this week! Of course because Ma Nature saw that the iris growers have shovels in hand and have started the big dig...

Have not been around lately with the digging...dug all of the 02-07 seedlings and planted back the intros and the maybe intro but all of 07 as not had time to judge them and yes the compost pile is getting bigger and bigger by the day.

Need to dig one order of 300 to Germany on Mon then inspector to come out on Wed and then it will leave here on Thurs...

D

I knew you were going to be swamped this week. Baby Luke, his sisters, Natalie and Megan and mother Heather are coming on Wednesday. Then they leave for San Diego for one week. Son Todd will join them there and then they are coming back here and Todd will be here for two days and then go back to Spokane and then the rest of the family will be here for another week. They are flying in and driving my SUV to San Diego. That will save me a bunch of money. Vern has a small Acura TL and I will not be able to get much in it compared to my SUV. I do not need anything anyway.

The neighborhood is still empty. This time of year our neighbors head somewhere cooler. I cannot believe Los Angeles had a high today of 66. How could that happen? We were 107. I spent the majority of the day, except when I took the dogs for their walk, in the house.

I am digging baby Coleus because where they are going is still very cool. Just let me know when you are ready for your plants. I do know July is not it.

I really like the pictures Sharon. And the quail. Also would like the Mesquite. Wonder if one would live here. I sure do like it. They did a good job on it.

Sorry Jnette, the Mesquite is a desert tree. In your area, with all the rain, it would soak up all the rain and explode. But I agree, it is beautiful and I get to see it every day and I protect it from the gardeners.

It is gorgeous. I knew it would not take this climate.

Good photos, Dawn, JB, Sharon....where is the rest of "the gang's" pictures???

I have lots of weeds so I know you don't want pictures of those...LOL!! ❀

My online name should be WeedsLoveEvelyn, huh Sharon? I know, more mulch...I need to mulch at least an acre to make everything look nice, but I am doing one section at a time. It is too hot to stay outdoors all day, like springtime, of which was way too short for me. Once the ground was not sopping I had to hurry as then it gets all hot and dried up.

I see something coming up from the seeds I sowed on the 7th....already! And they were all old seeds. Now I have the new seeds with me but is it too late to sow the squash, melons, beans, etc??? I am working to extend that area by the fence for those items. All of that should have been done last fall and this spring, but I suppose we cannot really go back in time to do what "should have been done", as there may have been more important things to do at the time. We just cannot be in all places at once. So "Onward and Upward", as Katherine White would say...


Smoke tree, backlit....(Cotinus coggygria)

Thanks for the offer Sharon, but I am allergic to lantana. I break out horribly if I touch it. I have a neighbor who buys them every year for an annual show, but I don't think they winter over here, but I could be wrong.

Sometimes Zone 10 plants can winter over if they are placed in a protective microclimate. I got a Cape Plumbago to winter over as it is placed right near a large kniphofia. I let its leaves grow over it in the winter then trim it when it gets to be warm weather. I don't see it flowering yet though, I may have to give it some fertilizer. It is by the road up front and I have not yet got to that area to fine tune it, though that area is weeded. The calendulas wintered over and were blooming not too long ago and I think one still has a bloom on it. Everything likes it to be a tad cooler and then they will bloom again. I have no idea how many years these calendulas will live as I thought that they were annuals. Now the exception are the Gold Coin plants which are in bloom, but I forgot their botanical name is, so I don't exactly know what they are, but they are definitely a perennial as they bloom about this time every year. They have yellow daisy flowers. I will take a picture of them and maybe someone can give me their proper name.

This picture is a copy of a picture I took when I first moved here in 1987. It was the coldest winter and the most snow we ever had. Maybe this will give everyone some cool thoughts when you are too hot...

(edited for poor spelling....)

This message was edited Jul 10, 2010 11:43 PM

This message was edited Jul 20, 2010 10:08 AM

Where is Dave? Hey fellow, you were going to send me rain. Well, we got less than 1/4 inch yesterday. Bummer! Please send the rest of it soon. That was not enough to fill the bottom of the birdbath.
More pickles to do so I will talk to you all later. Love the snow scene....just so it is not for real. I do not like heat, but snow is worse. Later Lovies.

evelyn, before I forget, the first thing I thought of when you were talking about all the weeds etc. you SHOULD have taken care of early in the year, right now if you can just cut them off before they go to SEED will help a lot for next year.

The picture is pretty, but I'm with JB, please no snow.

It is getting so late and I slept in this morning and half the day is gone already. So, don't have time to visit. Gotta water the plants. It is suppose to be hot again today, cooler tomorrow. :O)

Howdy:
I need everyone who wanted the daylilies for postage to please send me your mailing info so I can get my list upto date. Jeanette I got your info its great.
Evelyn: I think we have an unfinished trade to do. could you please dmail me with the details because I misplaced all my info.
I swear I am suffering from dementia as my brain just does not hold info at all. Its so hard to keep the info straight.
Dave

Yeah, Jn, I should have got my snowboots on and looked for weeds under the snow, huh? Or in the rain? It was wet until the end of May in which we had hail on May 26th. So there were a few obstacles to doing this needed chore....sometimes this is just not possible...anyway, can we go back and change the weather??

May 26th...

evelyn, I didn't mean then, I mean now. If you can't get the weeds out, maybe cut the tops off with a weedeater or something so they don't spread more seeds for you.

Dave, you have been away too long. It takes a bit to catch up. Don't try to do it all at once. I am surprised that you leave for even that amount of time with all you have going.

We had a violent thunder and wind storm yesterday afternoon. I was so glad I had watered all the container plants so they were heavy enough they didn't glow over. All but one. I had a 7 ft brug that blew over. Guess it needs a bigger pot. Got everything but rain. Just a little of that.

Dave, I can't remember what info you are talking about. Maybe it was on regular email? I will go there to see. Other than that, are we square with the money from the hostas and the postage for the daylilies,or do I owe you more? Let me know.

Evelyn, I used Preen to get rid of the seeds from my weeds that went to seed. Costco sells it in a very large container. It is a granular pre-emergent that does not let the seed germinate. I have crushed granite in some areas of my landscape and after two sessions, I no long have that problem but you have much more land.

Jnette, pertaining to the Shark, I rinse the pad before starting in hot water and then wring out. It makes it much easier. If the Shark becomes hard to move, the pad is probably dirty and needs to be changed. I have 4 extra pads but I also have about 3,000 sq ft of wood floors. I purchased the extra pads at the recommendation of a neighbor who already had the Shark.

I have a bunch of rain lilies bulbs, white and pink. Anyone want any. I am getting ready to move some around.

Evelyn, we all had such a weird spring that we are having problems. Different ones but still the same problems. And I agree with you. Should a, could a, would a. LOL. Love you all.

JB, just for your information, I have been looking for one of my posts in this thread 4 times and I think it was deleted. This is beginning to tick me off. Don't know when they catch them. That must be all they do is sit there and delete people's posts.

Maybe we should demand that "the list" be published.

Sharon were you the one that wanted some of my neighbor's Campanula? It is so pretty. I have it ready to go , but don't want to send it to the wrong person. Please whoever it was, let me know.

Howdy:
yes I do play catch up and have a lot of activities that pull me from my babies but the grandbabies are so worth it.
Jeanette yes i know I need to get you a total from the hostas I don't think its a lot but I will make a big effort to find out whats what. as far as info it was your address and all. it helps me keep it straight. I am doing a word doc to keep it correct. It will most likely be next week before I can ship as I have 2 huge orders to ship out.
I wonder if they could do just the explative part of the message. just a thought.
Dave

Yes Jnette, that was me. I am going to do a dance when that shows up. Did you want a Black Bamboo? Dave, I got you wanted Canna, what about Black Bamboo?

You all would have laughed if you saw me walking the neighborhood closely observing Lantanas.

Jeanette ~ DH has been weedeating as well, I have been weeding as I go from bed to bed. I first water it well, then the weeds come out easier. All the time you were wondering where I was, well, I might have been either cleaning my kitchen floor with the Shark or weeding in the garden...LOL! ☺
(Yes, I did also, get the extra pads and I use two pads during each cleaning as I like to go over it twice. This will also get rid of the marks left by the mop on the first go round.) I hope this helps...

Dave ~ Please check your d-mail....regarding our swap. Glad you are having fun with your grandbabies as they really grow fast....2 of mine are working and going to college and the third one just graduated, but still taking some courses. I really enjoyed them when they were small, and now they have such busy lives...life does go by quickly so savor those precious moments...

Sharon ~ I have some corn gluten pre-emergent that I will be using for the first time as I rarely use chemicals. I will apply this after everything is planted and mulched into the new bed and then proceed to the others, working as I go....I go organically if at all possible and rather pull weeds than put chemicals into our soil. I realize that it is more work but I really don't mind, even if I do complain...sorry if I have been doing to much complaining as I really have nothing to complain about. I am feeling much better and I have been finally getting some sleep though it will take a while to change my sleep patterns in my brain. It is beautiful here even if dry now and was wet earlier until June. (My toe is almost completely healed!)

JB ~ You don't like snow and you don't like snakes...I'm sorry for putting up the offensive pictures. I will try and be more considerate in the future. What kind of pickles are you making? Regular cucumber/dill pickles? DH likes them and I like the sweet pickles. I am thinking of pickling beets and beans if the beets turn out OK, as they are still growing and I know they are a cool season veggie. Does you have any experience with that? Will they come out all tough in all this heat?

Well off to the weed patch!

Here is that picture of the 'Gold Coin' plant....and no, they are not dandelions, though their flowers look similar....

Sharon ~ I wanted the Tropicanna and the Black Bamboo, but please, no rush...fall will be fine. Now, I must go outside now before dinner as it is cooling off now....(I do not know what Dave wants, however...) What did you want? Oh, yes some pink flowers...some dianthus, very lovely pink...oh, and you wanted the 'Pink Chintz' thyme?

Dave ~ I hope your dementia gets better...mine is getting worse by the minute, as you can see...LOL! ☺

OK, I AM leaving now...maybe I'll be back later or tomorrow...

This is the "purple" smoke tree...

Evelyn, you were not whining, just thinking out load. Weeds drive me crazy and I did my best to get all the dandelions flowers in the HOA greenbelt and the front, what we call the bowl, but no luck. I took the dogs for a walk in the 107 heat today and there are dandelions coming up everywhere. I am livid. I try not to use anything except organic. I have done that the last 5 years. Before that I did use the Preen. I will have to look at the label. I know it stops the seeds from germinating. 5 years ago I retired so now I have time to walk my garden and see anything growing that I do not want there. That is why there is nothing invasive in my garden because I take care of it immediately. I really do not think there are to many plants that are invasive in the west except Mexican Primrose and tumble weeds. But I do not have an acre. If I had an acre, I would probably be dead. But I would love to come up next spring and help you enjoy and work your landscape. Are you closer to Reno or San Francisco? I was raised in the Nevada mountains near the Utah border and I was raised by a father that thought if you could walk you could use a shovel. But that story will have to wait until we are sitting on your cold mountain, having a warm cup of tea before we conquer your weeds. My father used to burn them with a torch but we were down in thee valley and not on the mountain. LOL. Another thing he did was spray the grasshoppers with DDT right over our heads. My brother, one year younger than me has had Kidney cancer, lost a Kidney and just had Bladder cancer removed. The rest of us seem to be OK. Must be a good gene pool. Atomic Bombs going off on the other side of our mountain and DDT. But we did not eat processed food. Did not taste beef until I was 18. Raised on Venison. According to Daddy, deer season was when the freezer was empty. My father made $750 per month and had 4 children to cloth and feed.

Sorry guys, you know me, when I get going, I do not know when to stop. Love you all very much......

LOL, don't apologize Sharon, if we don't want to hear it we won't read it and you will never know. I do enjoy what each and every one of you writes most of the time. Just once in a while when I am in a rush I skim over them.

Ok, Sharon, Your plants will be on the way either Monday or Tuesday. However I cannot find your address in my D mail. Did you send it? Whatever, I need it.

We went down tonight and picked up the riding lawn mower I bought at an estate sale last weekend. Now. I am going to go down and cut the tops off all of those weeds that I have evelyn.

We probably have more weed getters than HD and Lowes put together. The problem is, they don't do anything unless we go out to help them and instruct them. Darned things anyway. Why do the cost so much when we have to go out and do all the work?

Dave, maybe I had so many expletives that it wouldn't make sense if they deleted them all. LOL, I truly doubt that, and I am sure the rest of you do too. Anyway, I couldn't find it and if they keep this up I am starting to feel like JB that maybe they can take their site and s---e it.

One last complaint. Why should they care if it is in Dmail? Nobody but the sender and recipient will see it.

Does anyone know the botanical name of my "Gold Coin" plant?

We were raised with DDT, until my dad went organic. I grew up in south central L.A. until I was 12 and then moved to Inglewood. When my dad was temporarily unemployed, he sold Nutrilite Vitamins and learned about vitamins and not using poisons..that is when things changed. I got to help in their "Victory Garden" from an early age...I still remember the different seeds and what each one looked like. And I am now back to playing in the dirt...so I suppose I will never grow up..LOL!

Sharon ~ I live in the Sierra foothills just 20 mountain miles southeast of Placerville. It is between South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento, far away from SF. We live at about 3500' in elevation and get snow every winter and long, hot summers, though it usually cools off a bit in the evenings compared to the valley which stays hot, as well as Placerville does. Still our summers are not nearly as hot as yours or any other desert community as it rarely gets above 90°, though it does occassionally. when we are not involved in projects, like we are now...DH is rebuilding the wood shed, and I the gardens...we go to the mountains to cool off and occassionally will take a trip to the coast, which is almost always cool in the summer...usually Monterey...but this year we are quite busy and need to get our projects done by fall, so we work as long and hard as we can every day, 7 days a week unless we have appointments elsewhere, which is for me the chiropractor and he helps work on a steam engine getting ready for the Amador County Fair, which he does every year.

Here is a petunia that I grew from seed...and are they slow to grow...

I need to take pictures but have not and now some of the ones I wanted to take just croaked over night in the heat.

Sharon what is your mulch of choice and do you do 7 inches of it? Ev, what is your mulch of choice. btw, great picture and it does help to see snow while I am melting, like the wicked witch.

Dave I would love some day lilies if you can dig some up in late summer, like early Sept., if not, that's ok. Thanks for the offer anyways.

My wave Petunias are not doing as well this year, maybe in Aug. or Sept. they will look better. Sharon we have been getting Monsoon weather the last two days and it is supposed to hit us this week. We got rain in LA from it yesterday and some sprinkles here, but that is worth it just for the smell.

That is a beautiful petunia evelyn. I love seeing the petunias that we have grown from seed. I started a lot of different ones and I think my favorite is the shock wave blue denim. I love it. Will take a picture of it one of these days.

A darned bat just flew through here. Bob went after it. Said he got it 'cause it was headed right for my bedroom. Somehow I don't believe him.

I sleep with my light on because I don't want them in there when I am sleeping.

I put these petunias into gallon cans from cell packs just a few days ago...they really perked up. I will finish the rest tomorrow as there are a few more which I have not done yet. I think they like having the room to grow as they were not pot bound, like the ones you get at the big box stores and at nurseries as well...

That's true evelyn, however, it is getting late for even theirs. I would imagine that almost anything you get now would be pot bound.

evelyn_inthegarden do you know the zones for the purple smoke? I loved it when I lived down there and want some to try up here.

Any one have really good luck with starting delpheniums from seed, got allot of seed to cover a 150' row, got the lupine to cover the row, also columbine and then the lilies.

Please if you know how for pretty much sure fire way let me know.

D
Who can not be here often now with the digging for the next 3 months

I have a smoke tree here in Montana zone 3 or so and I have to cut it back every fall. It is beautiful when it blooms, but can get quite large. Lee

Acording to the plant files 4a to 8b for the purple smaoke tree.
Dawn: just remind me when you are ready. no digging involved they are all in containers. just have to rinse them off and trim them up for travel. I don't know how well they will do going through the winter but I think if its early enough in the fall to give them time before the snow flies then they should do ok.
Sharon: any bamboo you can spare would b great. I love it and can't seem to get enough of them.
evelyn: I got the dmail and will do (rut row) i've already forgot what it said so I will have to go check it again. a mind is a terible thing.....
I am going to try some of the tougher borderline hardy plants this year and leave them in the garden to see if they come back. I had spotted in a white flower farms catalog that datura can spend the winter in my zone. Its going to be fun to see. I also have some ginger's I want to try. hauling them all in every year is a real pain in the rear end.
well we are getting hit with rain again. all day again. last thursday we had 3 - 4" in one afternoon. flooded streets and was quite fun getting my niece to summer school. Just 1 more week of that then its home free time.
Ok next time (later today) i want to cover air layering. anyone have experience with it? yes its kind of like th ole' rock on a stem trick but not also.
here is a pic of Scutellaria aka scull cap. Its only like 6 to 8" tall and covered with the neat little fuschia flowers. I am currently trying to get cuttings going. of course I had to do a tray of 50, as I never try to root anything in small quantities.
Stay dry
Dave