Plant propagation part XX based on my own experience

APOPKA...... pictures would assist them in advising you

Yes, annual ones, but I *may* have some perennial ones. I am not sure if you want *those*, as they can become quite weedy and very hard to eradicate once they become established.

The mister set up I was talking about is easier if you put a stake or piece of pvc in the ground and duct tape the water lines up the top of the stake to make them taller than the plants will get. I am going to die right now with a migraine.

Then get away from the computer screen...NOW!! You know how bright lights make your headache worse...(Sorry!!)

Merry, you are a PITB. I just had a very relaxing day and did not do much.

I sat on the back patio for at least two hours. Then I went inside to my hair, stripped the bed and then talked on the phone with two dear friends at different times for at least an hour. I was sitting in my over sized, over stuffed chair in our bedroom right next to the fireplace. But, of course, I did not need the fire. But we did have a high of 85.

When I finally got around to eating something, besides some delicious green grapes, it was 2pm. Made my self lunch, made the bed, did another load of laundry and picked some tomatoes for a neighbor. That was my day. But I worked my self beyond tired yesterday, finally I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and sleep all night. As you can see I goofed off the whole day and that is OK.

DH is having his tests tomorrow and I am going to visit my dear 87 year old friend Esther Mae. I am going to take her some tomatoes. So I will not get much done tomorrow except the walk through with the HOA landscape crew foreman. Tuesday I have the tree service people for the greenbelt and then I have the rest of the week to myself.

We plant sweet peas here in September. They come up about 8 inches and then just sit there. While they are sitting, they grow very strong, deep roots. In the spring, when the heat hit, they take off and in no time look like a relative of Jolly the Green Giant.

Lee, how are you doing? We miss you. I could not see the dresses because I could not enlarge the photo.

Apoka, welcome. I know some about gardening but nothing about irrigation except my irrigation experts phone number. Have you tried, "How do you?????" or DYI on the internet. They seem to have all the answers.

Dawn, yes I got the hollyhock seeds. I am sorry if I did not thank you. I am going to start them soon, but I have to move the Hardy Hibiscus and Black Bamboo because I am out of room in my holding garden.

Jnette, I did look at your babies you sent today. The hosta is very happy, even in the heat. The spotted plant lost the leaves it had but has new leaves, both plants. The blue flowers have disappeared and the other plant is has four new leaves. The gray plant bit the dust. But when I saw it I remember I had two in the front landscape. Do you not just love the way I remember names of plants. My invasive plant I got from New York is just sitting there. It has been 2 years so next years should be the year from hell when it just takes over everything and I can send you all starts.

JB, I think we were cooler than you. Dave is still probably recovering from digging the trenches.

Later friends, see you tomorrow afternoon.

Well Evelyn, now I don't know whether they are perennials or annuals. Oh well, don't send me any. You all lost me. I can't imagine planting annual sweet peas this time of year. Don't send me any.

Well gotta go to bed, we have to get started painting in here tomorrow because I can't get anyone locally to do it. Neither of us are really enthused about it. Oh well,

ttyl,

Just saw this on another threads. Thought it was a good idea.

When it gets really hot, we take out our cooling neckbands. Daughter and I made them. They have those water absorbing polymer crystals in them like you'd put in the soil for moisture retention made into neck bands. We made several so a few can stay in the cooler and then we swap them out when they get warm.

Lee, would you please give me a detailed drawing how I would make this. Remember, I was a Mortgage Banker. I can sew on a button but that is about it.

Jnette, my mother and father lived in the mountains where is got very cold and she always planted her sweet peas in the winter. Why not try it. What do you have to lose?

Directions for neck bands containing polymer

http://www.watersorb.com/polymer_cool_neck_bands.htm

Well, for one thing Sharon, I would plant them in different places if they were annuals than if they were perennials.

Like Evelyn said perennials are rather long vines that do not get flowers on them in the same way annuals do. The flowers are about 2 feet between on vines that are about 50 feet long. Annuals we all know what they are.

Perennials that I have seen are in 2 colors. Lavender and a light coral color. That is why I asked her if she knew the colors? It would be interesting to see the perennials in different colors.

I would not put perennials on a wall of my house like I would annuals. Would you?

Jnette, please explain to me how you use the hydrated polymer when you ship bare root.
I am getting ready to send some plants West and I have hydrated the poly but I do not know how to use it. Do you put the roots in the poly or do you put the poly outside the paper you wrap the roots in. I am at a total loss in trying to guess which way it should be done. If you put the roots in the poly wont they take all the water out of the plant? I need some advice please.

Never mind the post regarding the polymer crystals. I called Watersorb because I really needed to get going with these plants. NOW she tells me I need to get the powder to SHIP bareroot. O.K. so I ordered the wrong thing first time, but I can still use it but in other ways.
I do not want to do anything wrong with the shipping. I also have your black pussywillows I must get out of here soon. They are getting straggly and need to be planted outside. They will be coming after Labor Day for sure. By then I will have the poly powder too. She is shipping it out tomorrow.
Must do some PR here now and write to the people who were expecting shipment of the plants. It is 92 in the shade and 104 in the greenhouse. I am at my wits end.
Will talk later. Must do some watering again. ^%$#@!

Howdy:
Just a quick pop in and out. yes I am still suffering from the trench warefare...lol....

Apopka: mist height has to do with what you are doing. I have a height of about 6" but most of my stuff is small and short. I know some folks who use a 36" riser on their larger plants grown in containers. I use mist on my cuttings and a sprinkler hear for my containers. If you are doing mist propagation which i think is what you are doing the 6" should do well for you. getting a timer and setting the interval is one of the most important things next to height of the mist head. I know people that go like 10 seconds every minute or 2 and others like myself that does a 5 min every 3 to 4 hours. its mainly what works for you. What are you trying to grow?

I was just going to lurk today but noticed I needed to pop on. I am dealing with the trench warfare still. it really did a number on my but its done and now I can spend the week doing some cuttings ...ok one day...lol
Take care everyone and now I will not come dig a trench again for any reason....lesson learned the hard way.
Dave

Life is rough in the trenches Dave. I need to try more cuttings in this season.

JB I am feeling for you boy am I. Ya know is it my imagination or is it 20 degrees hotter than it used to be in the 60's and 70's back east. I swear we seldom got over 80 something in Ohio when I was a kid and if it did, we would all go up to Buffalo and go to the falls to cool off during the heat wave in the suburbs outside of the Cleveland area.

I like the neck cooler things. I took Sharons diaper idea and brought a bandanna, wrapped up a diaper that I put in ice water and put it in the bandanna and put it on my neck last week and it worked well. Thanks Sharon and Mary.

I could not believe how dry the soil is in some of my landscape. I gave up 1 1/2 months ago in trying to re-establish a lawn in the very back of my property. The ground actually crunches when you walk on it!

JB must be having a fit over our lack of rain. There was about 2 days that I got by in not watering the flower beds. .... Now it is back to watering them daily .... some containers require 2 waterings/day.

Jeanette's plants look better and better each day. I would like to post a picture .... but my camera is awol.

Dawn, you did not need to buy a bandanna .... you could have inserted the diaper in a pillow case. You could spray the diaper with water ... place damp diaper inside pillow case ..... put that in freezer for next outdoor hot episode.

Sharon .... how do you pronounce PITB? Dave ..... have you checked your mail?


Is anyone interested in Love Lies Bleeding seeds?

Love YA all

Mary

Jnette, I do not grow sweet peas and I do not know the difference. I think I do now with your explanation but I have never seen any except the multi colored many flowers on a vine.

Thanks for the log for the bans. I bet KIE has them for sale and I think I could buy them pretty cheap this time of year. They are about 3 miles away so I think I will go there sometime this week. Actually, I will go on line and see if they have any before I take the drive.

Doug, you are like me when I was younger and would go out on a weekend and drink to much. The next day I was never going to do that again, but I did. and so will you. It may not be a trench but you will do something you are not suppose to do because that is just you. If it needs to be done, you just do it.

Merry, you figure it out.

We finished the landscape in the new pots right next to the guard house. I will take photos sometime this week. And yes, the iris beds. I mark them with econ markers.

I cannot keep my eyes open so I am going to hit it early tonight.

drinking, I did not know JB was talking about drinking, I must stop skimming.

Mary I had bandannas already but at home many things would work, including a pillow case but at work in the city park, it would be hard to carry this pillow case and put it on my neck. They laughed at me and my diaper when I told them, but they did not know when I did it. The pillowcase would stand out a little. I did copy your blue print for the tie and put it in my blog.

JB, just a quickie to you first. You need to hydrate the crystals first. Put 1 tsp per cup in some water and leave them for a couple of hours and add more water if you need to. Stir them up once in a while. To ship with them I just put whatever I think (depends on root size and plant) right in with the roots and wrap in damp newspaper. Go from there. Since I read your post I saw another one saying you need to use the paste so guess it doesn't matter.

Never heard of the paste.

I hadn't either Dawn until JB was talking about it last week or so. Now I do.

I could not figure out how to actually use the crystals bare root because I was afraid they would suck the moisture out of the plant if they dried out before they got to the destination.
I looked up water-sorb.com and read the information regarding planting with crystals and bare root but it said nothing about shipping, so I called them. This lovely person (female)
answered the phone and was more than helpful. She said actually you could use the crystals but on starter plants it is better to use the powder. You do the same to hydrate as you do the crystals but then you just dip the roots in the mush or whatever it is called when hydrated and then package them.

Merry you are right, I am going crazy. Those days when everyone else got rain we did not get anything but a misting. We are again irrigating and praying for rain. The hurricane could help us if it brings rain but the way it looks it will just be blowing and maybe some showers. Showers my butt, I want rain. Pouring down soaking wet ugly cold or warm rain.

I was going to ship yesterday and today, but the temps were above 90 by noon yesterday and today it could be the same or worse, so I just wrote the people and said NOT today. I hate having money from customers and not shipping the plants.
The other day I got the funniest order. Well, it wasn't exactly funny but it just goes to show you people new at shopping on the internet should be careful what they buy before they do it.
I got this email ordering one of each color Chrtistmas Cactus I have. It was not from DG or eBay, just an email from goodling Christmas Cactus....anyhow one of each. I wrote back and gave them the price, size and shipping and told them the plants are starters and will be in 3 inch pots, etc. They wrote back and said o.k. price was great, etc.
Then something told me I had better explain what a "starter" plant is. The name of the person was not the typical American name and I was afraid they did not understand what they bought. Thank God I did, because when I told them there was a chance the plants will not bloom this Christmas, that did it. The person wrote back and said they are 72 and they need plants to bloom this year because they may not live too much longer. Of course, I wrote back and said I was 82 and I am determined to wait until they bloom. I did suggest they try and purchase something in a 6 or 8 inch pot and NOT my little ones. How nice am I???????? Anyhow, it was sort of sad yet funny because this turned out to be a MAN. Whooooooooo, how depressed he must be to think about plants that bloom Now because he may not be here later. Oh well, that was the story and the moral is that you really need to explain to people if you feel they are not comprehending what you are selling. I suggested he tries Home Depot or Walmart. Just another day on the farm.

JB you are just too nice. You could have sold him the biggest ones and taken his money. Just for that I am going to make it rain on you. LOL

I was on Craig's List last night (I go on there when you all are asleep) and saw a post from a woman wanting Black Eyed Suzies and she said she lived in this town about 20 miles south of me. So I wrote and told her I had Indian Summer Rudies and I also had a drs. appt. this a.m. in a city 100 miles south.

She said "What a small world, you will be going right past my house, you probably know it. blah blah blah". Her trade was anything out of her vegetable garden I want. I'll take that. LOL and that, and that!!! And 2 of those!

JB ... please curtail your outdoor activities because

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 31...

THE NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS ISSUED A CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY ALERT TUESDAY FOR MERCER AND BURLINGTON COUNTIES.

A CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY ALERT MEANS THAT AIR POLLUTION CONCENTRATIONS WITHIN THE REGION MAY BECOME UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS. SENSITIVE GROUPS INCLUDE CHILDREN...PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM ASTHMA... HEART DISEASE OR OTHER LUNG DISEASES...AND THE ELDERLY. THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION CAN BE MINIMIZED BY AVOIDING STRENUOUS ACTIVITY OR EXERCISE OUTDOORS.


MARY

More bad news for me and JB we were hoping Earl would bring us significant rainfall ...... GRRRRR

Hurricane Earl, a powerful Category 4 storm, is expected to bring rip currents, high surfs and potentially tropical-storm force winds to the Jersey Shore coastline as it skirts the Atlantic coastline on its northerly march.

"The models that we put together, they all show it staying off shore," said Kristin Kline, a National Weather Service meteorologist at Mount Holly.

At 11 a.m. today, Earl, packing maximum sustained winds of 135 mph at its core, was about 1,000 miles from the Carolinas, moving north-northwest at 14 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

"The surf and rip currents are going to be an issue late tomorrow," Kline said this afternoon.

On Friday, as the storm passes, there is a 20 to 40 percent chance of tropical storm winds of 39 mph or more along New Jersey, according to the latest forecast, accompanied by some — but not significant — rain. "We’re really not talking about a lot. One quarter to a half-inch," Kline said.

MARY

If Earl would just push a wee bit to the West, we could have some good rain, but our luck sucks, so no one hold your breath.
I am inside today. Had to run into town this morning for cat food but I was back by noon and have been inside ever since. We got the blue spruce irrigated today and they just seemed to scream outloud for joy. Poor babies. I got them free and have been hoping to keep them alive. They are now three years old and doing very well. Only six left out of the ten, but that is six more than I had before I got them. LOL

Must do my arthritis exercises now. CD called Be Fit Over Fifty. HA! It is a nice way to spend 30 minutes and it does help to keep me moving when I am not outside working.

I felt crappy today, so maybe this will help. My head is much better than it was this morning. Have a good day and night everyone. Hugs. JB

JB where did you get the CD? Sounds like something I could use. Bob too. LOL, if we would just get out and work around here that might be the same thing huh? I see it's raining now. Suppose to get back to the 70s the end of this week so we might just have another week of summer or fall left.

I've had the heat on for the last week. We had a whole month and a half of summer. Period. That's it. Not one ripe tomato except for a few little cherry toms.

Whew ..... almost lost this post!

I am so hoping the weather forcast is wrong. I WANT LOTS AND LOTS of RAIN!!

I was soaked after watering plants this morning. Some of them looked like they were ready to meet there dismise.

So I know JB is not a happy camper right now. It is so sad to lose even one tree due to poor weather.


Well I got a new camera and really need to know how to use it correctly.

I am going to visit my daughter tomorrow .... hopefully she can show me ... she is always taking pictures.

I did tinker with it a wee bit and took the following picture of Jeanette's plants. I plan to wait awhile before planting them in the ground.

It's raining?? WHERE?

Wish it would rain on JB's parade. Then it might rain on mine.

Those plants look pretty good Mary. They must like their new home. They are thinking, "Just wait until I get in the ground". LOL Then watch them go.

Well friends, we just hit 141 days without rain. The record I believe is 156. They announce it every evening.

I spoke with my DIL this evening in Spokane. It was raining and cold. She said it was 45 when DS went to work. Now I think that is cold.

We are back up to 105 but this will probably be the last week and then we will land in the id 90s and then coast down into the 80s. September and October are absolutely beautiful here.

I started cleaning house today and never made it outside except to walk the dogs early this morning. I do have a bunch of plants ready to be planted tomorrow. More irises.

I must have over 100 green tomatoes. The neighbors and my daughter are looking for tomatoes and they ate all the red ones and want more. I told them they would have to wait a week. Tomorrow we go to watering 3 times a week. That should be interesting watching the plants at 1205 with n o water. But you can water by hand and that is what I do. Many of my neighbors just water. Of course, they speed and do not stop at stop signs either.

Nothing yet on DH tests so nothing must be really bad because the cardiologist lives right next door.

All of you take care of yourselves and I will return tomorrow. Hopefully, with photos.

Jen,

This is the link that will take you to the direct CD. The entire BeFitOverFifty has a lot of stuff that sounds good. I also have the Tony & the Folks tape they sell recommended for people from 55 to 75. I like that one also, but it takes more energy to do it. LOL.



http://www.befitoverfifty.com/pages/productspot/personalfitness.htm

JB, I got a question here. If you are out there mowing the hay and growing all these plants you are putting on ebay & Marketplace, why do you need to do this fitness program?

Because I not only work like a horse, I eat like one too. I am only 5 ft. 2 and weigh 150 lbs.
I am 25 pounds over my suggested weight. My metabolism has slowed down and I do not work hard enough to work off the fat. If instead of sitting on my a** talking to you, I should be doing push ups or something to burn fat. I just do not have the energy to do that. Usually in the summer I can drop weight, but this year it has been so hot, I have not even thought about it. I am exhausted just watering and keeping pots cleaned etc. I wait until a cool evening to plant the cuttings. How is that for an explanation? I sold out of the Peaches and Cream christmas cactuses already. Now I am up the creek....need to take more cuttings but I hate to do that this time of year.
Cleaning bird cages now and NOT taking them outside to wash them. Maybe next week.
It is 117 deg. in the sun and 102 deg;. in the greenhouse. The humidity in GH is down to 16. My friend, who raises sheep, called me and she is like me, always doing something but she is in her 70s. She told me she is so grumpy and tired she is worried about herself. We decided it has to be the heat. We both can not get out to do things and are so frustrated with trying to keep busy it is disgusting.It is making us sick. We got a laugh out of the fact our closets are clean now. Next are drawers....LOL All her veggies died in her garden. I still have tomatoes and peppers but all my other stuff is gone. Oh well, happy Sept. 1st. Heated Hugs to all.

Howdy:
quick blurb... I am down for the count. we have rain early this am and now as I am typing. its rocked my world luckily i just want to sleep. pain on a 1 to 10 is a 15... oh well thats life...I just wanted to say hi.
Dave

If you have large Aquasorb and need the powder, just squeeze them thru cheese cloth or a wire mesh strainer after they have swollen.
If foliage is tender keep it dry while shipping.
Hope that helps.
;)

That's interesting Sidney. Thanks.

Dave I sure hope someone is watching what pain killers you are taking. Post when you wake up.

JB, It is 6:45 p.m. and only 55 degrees. I have had my heat on for the last 3 days. It rained so hard it actually cleaned all my windows on the outside. I was busy so didn't see what was going on, but it is like the wind was blowing the rain hard but Bob said no, it just rained hard. Now I am talking about my windows up the whole front of my house which is 28 feet from the living room floor to the peak of my ceiling!!! Also I have an 18 inch overhang on the roof!! Now how did that rain cleaned those windows if the wind didn't blow??

I was steam cleaning the fronts of my kitchen cupboards and the counters for which the steam cleaner isn't worth crap. I ended up using Comet on the counter tops which I never do because it is so abrasive. I suppose I should wax them now? Another crap!! Should have done that while I was working in there. But, I was ready to quit by then.

Also have the oven cleaning which I don't do often enough 'cause it is so much work pushing those darned buttons.

Now do I sound like you JB? Just b- - - - - - -? I am sorry it is so hot there. Wish you could share some of it with us. I cut off all of my tomato leaves and the growing tops and all of those tomatoes are hanging out there just like green croquet balls. I have not had one ripe tomato this year.

Another JB!!

Jnette, my mother used to pick the tomatoes when they expected a freeze, wrapped them in newspaper and placed them in one box in a single layer. They did ripen and were good. I have over 100 green tomatoes but they will ripen all at the same time in about 2 weeks. The neighbors will be very happy.

Jnette, what kind of counter tops do you have?

JB, that is unbelievable that your temperature is higher than Las Vegas or Phoenix. JB, when it cools down, walking is the best exercise for folks our age.

OK, Dave, what does your doctor say is going on. I pray for you every night. I will pray harder tonight. Actually I pray for all of you and myself. But I say a lot of thanks for us also.

Dawn I got your seed today. That was quick. Our weather here today was beautiful. 100 downtown and about 92 up here by the mountains. Friends, that is with no humidity.

OK, Lee, where are you and Evelyn. Sugarweed, I do not know you. Nice to meet you. Later friends.

Dave I will pray for you right now. Rain probably does not help. Have any of you ever tried emu oil? I heard it is great for pain? Not necessarily for Dave's type but I wondered, as I seem to be falling apart. Had a cortisone shot today in my thumb and need one in my finger and in both my feet.

Sharon it was a nice dry 98 deg here, with a slight breeze, but the previous 3 days were so like fall especially the morning and evenings were a little chilly. I love Fall.
So far 3 people I sent seeds to, got them all today.

Jnette- If your kitchen cupboards suffer from that gummy kitchen buildup stuff like mine, try GooGone. Like a hot knife thru butter!
...
well, maybe not quite THAT good, but it does work!

Sugar, you say if foilage is tender keep it dry while shipping. These are starter plants and the foliage is tender most of the time. I do not wet the leaves...jasmine and christmas cactus , just the roots, is that what you mean? The paper around the foliage is always dry.
just the bottom of the plants get moisture to ship. Is that what you were saying? JB

Good morning,
Jnette, I like Murphy's oil soap for cleaning wood. I'm sorry the steamer doesn't work. If it has 30 day money back guarantee, send it back.
We always made Chow-chow with green tomatoes on the farm.
Chow-chow was to use all things left growing in the fall.
Sharon, I was here about a year after you joined in '07. I was deeply into one of your favorites, Coleus. In fact the coleus in the banner for the Coleus Forum are my coleus.
I have several coleus that I need to root today.
I was booted in '08 for not liking something someone wrote and several things I did when I first got here in 2004. Computers never forget, dag-nabbit!
I'm 346 days from being the golden, start my pensions, age of 65.
(but who's counting?) I have a small brick home in Jacksonville, Fl and moved here to grow things year round. We are starting our tomato planting now. I may try again as I think I can out-smart the squirrels this time with cayenne pepper.
I will try not to nauseate any of you by posting how lovely it is here over the next 2 to 3 months.
Have a terrific day everyone.
Sidney