Plant propagation part XX based on my own experience

When I finish making more cuttings today and filling the other rack I will send a picture of that. Have a good day. It is nice here and hopefully I will get some work done before our lobster feast this afternoon. Party time for us today. We are celebrating three family birthdays, mine included with a party late afternoon. It is the only day we are all NOT working.

I am starting to move plants around because in another week or two I expect the weather will make a drastic change and I do not want anything killed because I just did not pay attention. I expect we will have a nasty cold winter since it was so stinken hot this summer.
Who knows??????????? Later. JB

JB ..... totally AWESOME!!

Where did you get the idea to use test tubes?

I think I read it someplace and thought I would try it. It seemed so expensive, then I looked it up and it is really a cheap and good way to do it. The test tubes are easily available and the racks are cheap. I do not know how they will work for anything other than tropicals. If you do alot at a time you need the space in the sun to put the racks. I can do about 50 cuttings at a time and that is o.k. with me. I only have the three racks.

Just a quick note on my way out, 'cause I haven't read all of the above. Just wanted to tell you Dawn, I didn't mean it would be an unrooted cutting. I meant it would be started with "nubbies". And that is how you would plant it.

Thanks for the welcomes! Sharon, it just dawned on me that I don't have any close-ups of my little forest plants! I guess it's because there's not a lot of light there. I have a friend who is a wonderful photographer--I'm going to have to have her come over in the spring and get some of those beauties close up. I'll post a picture of the woods, though. They look a bit scraggly in this pic, but take my word for it, they're filled with little treasures. In the foreground is my still work-in-progress pond.

Mary wrote me and suggested I tell a little more about myself, so here goes: I grew up near Washington DC but vacationed in the WV mountains and fell in love. I moved to the mountains in western Maryland when I was 30--I'd always been determined to live in the mountains. I've been here twenty years now, hard to believe. I work in a non-profit health education agency--ironic because I have about three chronic illnesses--and love to write. I taught college English for a while and still teach a class now and then when I don't feel too discouraged by it. (Hard to teach something you love to a bunch of people who hate it.) I have two grown sons, a relatively new DH, three step-kids, two dogs, three cats, and TWO houses--mine and his ... sigh--plus he has a summer place on the very wild Savage River. No wonder I'm exhausted all the time! But my time in my garden or woods is time without time, and there's nowhere I'd rather be.

Marydell

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This message was edited Sep 4, 2010 2:09 PM

I have quite dense shade in my back as a result of two very overgrown close together Fruitless Mulberries that were here before we moved here and are on my East side of the house. I may be interested in that if you ever decide to dig some up Mary. In the desert it is nice to make shade but let me tell you, that just like other states with lack of sun, roses fail, blooms are harder to induce and all the like.

Oh ok I am great with nubbies, I can work with that especially in the Fall. Maybe you could put paper around the roots and bag them with rubber bands and roll them up in butcher paper, wax side in and send it like a tootsie roll?
Thanks.

Mary I just noticed one of the babies you sent me has little leaves starting, one looks a bit pale, another looks a little bit better, one is doing great and will have leaves soon and one other looks good but is just sitting there. I put epsom salt on them an hour ago. Thanks.

Dawn, got your seeds today, actually they probably came earlier but just got the mail today after a couple of days without. Thanks so much. It is going to be fun to work with them. So glad you told me how to keep them lower and bushy. I'll do it.

Marydell, are those Maple trees? The leaves look like it, but they don't seem to be growing like them. Not the way Maples grow here anyway.

I am sure I can wrap the brugs when I send them, but wondered about boxes?? I don't think the triangle boxes from the post office are more than a foot and a half are they? I will check to see if I have those. And no, my post office does not have them.

Marydell, congratulations on your new husband!! That is wonderful. It is nice to know you.

JB your gunny is nosy? Or just wants company? Maybe a little of both. The test tubes are really interesting. I am thinking it is about time for me to bring my Aimee into the house. I think she has some kind of bug but don't know what it is. Whatever it is it seems to be sucking the color out of her. I put a Bayer 2 in 1 Rose treatment on her last week. I sure hope it helps. She has several buds and I would love to see her bloom.

I am in a fight with the h and have been in here on the computer doing all kinds of stuff. I want to help a Shar Pei rescue that helped us adopt and foster a dog for a couple of weeks. We just had 3 dogs and one is gone to the rainbow bridge, we have a lot of property and I want to help find them find homes for the dogs. He was so rude at the way he said no, that it just ticked me off. grrr!

Glad you got the seeds, all have them now.

Well Dawn, sometimes we shock people with the things we ask and maybe that is why he reacted the way he did. Maybe he feels you have more than enough animals? Maybe it bothered him to lose the dog more than you realize?

Could be all kinds of things.

When I do "all kinds of things", I normally buy things. LOL, nothing like spending money to get over a mad.

Did not do much today. It was 108 and a little windy. I did make a new bin for my worms and then sat down on my little stool and hand sifted the worms out of the worm castings.

It actually is not that hard. If you leave the lid open, they hide from the light. They clump up in one area and your hands with doctors gloves on make it simple. Simple for me because worms and worm castings do not bother me. Wednesday, I will add warm water, add the bubblier, wait three hours, stir and pour into my bucket and then feed all my plants. Of course my neighbor get some for his roses that are on the same side as my roses. I am waiting u til Wednesday because it is suppose to be cooler.

My granddaughter brought her boyfriend over to meet me on Thursday. When they left, he told her he had never seen a grandmother like me. Why wasn't I old. I am, I just do not act it.
I thank God every night for all the energy he has given me. Also it has been over 2 months since I last fell. I thank him for that also.

He got her a record player for her birthday. They are both Sophomores at BYU. They came over to go through all of our records. We have hundreds. They are stored upstairs in a large fine old piece of furniture. You could hear them laughing all the way downstairs. They left with about 25 33 1/3 records and a big smile on their face.

LOL. I just got a photo of my classmates from last years County reunion. I asked DH, "Who are all these old people"? Our 50 year high school reunion is the week of the 22nd through the weekend. There was only 29 in my graduating class and only two have died. Both from accidents.

DH has been walking really weird tonight. Does not seem to steady on his feet. He says he is just not concentrating. I asked him since when did he have to concentrate to walk. I do but he usually does not.

I will take photos Monday. It was just to hot today.

Marydell, If something happened to my DH, he would not be replaced unless it was a cute cat. Or maybe just a girl friend that likes to travel. No, not that kind of girl friend......

Hope JB had a great party today. My neighbor stopped this afternoon and want to redo her back landscape again. All new fresh plants, mostly flowers. They use my landscaper and all I have to do is spend their money and tell the laborers what to do. They do not even look at the price of anything. That is now two for the next two weeks. The nurseries love to see me arrive with these neighbors. They k now they are going to have a good bottom line day.

I think DH is on his 5th football game today. I got up early, 6am, and took a nice walk around the neighborhood. It was about 76 and was beautiful. Hummingbirds are still here so they must be staying. Every year we have a few that hang around. The quail today were chasing each other around. They have not done that before.

Dawn, you are just wasting your energy getting mad at your hubby. How is your temperatures?

Love you all my friends. Later, Sharon

Lee, didn't you have a wedding that we have been expecting pictures of? The dresses of course. I didn't see any. Did any of you and I missed them?

Well, gotta get up early and get Bob started painting. ttyl,

Hi Everyone!
Welcome Marydell, It is nice to have you here, and MerryMath, I am happy to meet you. Our temperatures have dropped today, so I am hoping to get outside a little. I had planned to get up and go see the sunrise, but it rose too early for me.
JB I love the testtubes. I think they are a great way to start things.

I am hoping to be able to plant some things outdoors this week. I was looking yesterday at my survivors and really need to either plant them in the ground, or move them into another area.

Dawn, I understand how you could want to help the dogs. At one time, DH worked for the animal shelter and I had 17 dogs in the yard. I would do it again in a heart beat, but everytime I mention it he says no! Since we don't have the birds anymore and DS found a home for the bearded dragon and the snake disappeared, we only have 2 dogs and 1 cat.

Do any of you wintersow? I haven't ever done it in the jugs, but I started some things indoors last year and when they didn't germinate, I moved them outside only to be surprised this spring. Actually this year I am thinking of doing it intentionally and wondered if any of you can tell me how to start/ we don't get a killing frost till late november so I am not sure when to start either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have a wonderful Sunday, Linda

I did not see any dresses.
I have not had many quail sightings this year, since Chloe my critter terrorist has come to live with us in the last year.
You may be right about not speaking but if you have nothing nice to say, it is better not to speak and let yourself mellow inside. I should not have to be afraid to approach my own husband with a request. We can agree to disagree or we can discuss something, he can say why he does not like something but he was so mad that I asked, he snapped at the waitress for bringing American cheese on his omelet. She was not the one who took the order nor the one who cooked it either. I apologized for him to her and said he is really yelling at me. I heard him apologize to her at the register. Thank God.
I will be better after church. I did not talk to him or sleep in the room last night. I needed space and apparently so did he, because he normally won't let me have given me space if we had an argument, he follows me around and says stupid stuff that makes it worse and knows it, but that does not stop him.

Jeanette I know what you said is true, but it is for two weeks and we don't have to keep him. I may love him but I don't want 3 dogs, it is too hard. Two males is tough because they want to spray their territory, which is usually your walls and furniture. My Corbin was neutered at 3 mo. old and this dog was just neutered, so he may still try to spray, which could make Corbin spray too so I would have to keep him outside unless I was right with him, the lady does that with new males, she keeps them on a leash. I want to give back to the people and he does not feel like he needs to give back to anyone but him. It is simply that, not in this situation, not in another one. I am grateful he helped his friend move yesterday, he normally would not have in the past, but would have cried about nobody ever helping him move.

My garden looks so nice in the mornings. I should make some coffee and sit outside this morning if I have time before church. I should bring the neighbors over today if it is cooler.

I do it, usually in my used water bottles or old soda bottle. I cut the containers like a pez dispenser and later I use box tape to tape them back up. I have holes cut in the bottoms for drainage,add seed mix, put a few gel crystals in there, plant seeds, cover them lightly, water them, poke holes so heat can escape in the tops of the bottles and sit them in a sunny yet protected from the wind location. If you have a lot of heat, you may take off the lids but them you need to watch the watering a bit more. If you over wet them, some can get algae. They usually don't make it. Sometimes I put a drop of peroxide in there too. The plant eventually pops out the top. You unwrap the tape, dry it out slightly and pop the plant and soil out and plant in ground. That is how I do it. I want to have step by step instructions on where I should try to root something right now. I think this is my best time to try? Is it?

This message was edited Sep 5, 2010 6:40 AM

Hi Linda!

I plan to winter sow (my first time).

The 2 most helful threads so far for me (I prefer the KISS method) are

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1080633/

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1126228/

MARY

Hello gang, I am so far behind in reading these posts, two days at least. I see we have a newbee, Hello.....I am the old one. I raise tropicals and I have no idea how I got to this group, but I have been here for what seems to be years and they put up with me and we have alot to share, so, that is who I am. I also am on several other forums that raise tropicals but this one is my "family". Anyhow, Welcome to our World.

Jen, I brought my two big Aimees inside today. I had my SIL carry them in and what a mess trying to re arrange bird cages and two over 5 ft. Gardenias and 2 5 ft. Camellias.
I just have a feeling that one of these nights the temp will drop suddenly and I will be caught with my gardenias down. I still have a dozen Aimees in 8" pots to find place for as well as several other things that must go in the GH. If I were you, I would wash it good and bring it inside. Are you sure you are watreing it enough? They take lots of water when they are starting to bloom. I am hoping my big girls rest awhile. They were out in the 90 deg. heat for the entire summer in full sun. Now they are in Morning Sun only and 73 deg. temps. I hope they make the transition without any harm...

I am hoping to send the Black PW on the 13th. No matter what the temp is. I must get them out of the GH . I have everyones address and will let you know when they actually get in the Post Office. The East Coast people hopefully will get theirs a week earlier.
I can not believe they are calling for 90 deg. again Tuesday. I am about to loose my mind with this humidity and heat.

Must clean up my mess, cleaning lady does not come until Thurs. and the place is a wreck since I moved everything in the bird room around. Now to put things away. UGH!
Hugs to all. JB

Linda, go to the Winter Sowing forum. Those people in there are a big help. I tried it for the first time last year, but doubt I will again. I just had a terribly weird winter weatherwise and they kept freezing every night and then heating up when the sun hit them in the morning. Back and forth every night and day all winter long. No snow for insulation. They finally started germinating in the spring and weren't big enough to plant out until summer when it was too hot. Now I have Rudbeckias to plant out and don't feel like it 'cause I am done planting for the summer. LOL

It's time to start getting the houseplants repotted etc. if they need it for winter. Our nights are down in the low 40s already.

Oh, BTW, I used a lot of gallon milk jugs, some gallon wine water bottles that I really liked the best 'cause they are clear and you can see in them without taking them apart.

Dawn, I will not even try to advise you on dealing with your husband. You are right about discussing things rather than cutting you off, but how to handle it I wouldn't even attempt. Only you know that. But it sounds to me that the dog situation is not the only issue you guys have. i.e. his problem with the waitress. No call for that.

JB, I just discovered my Aimee has spider mites. Gotta mix up some of Al's neem oil and alcohol and get to work on her. Sure glad at this point that she is not 5 feet tall.

Thanks Jeanette, it is just me venting, we hugged when I finally came home today a while ago. I don't know what I am going to do though. Evelyn are you in any way in the market for a dog, permanently or temporarily as a foster. Look at the site if so peipeople.com the one I want to foster for two weeks is the Bear coat shar pei, which a freak anomalies in the bread that any Shar Pei can have one longer hair Shar Pei, but you have to see this guys face. They said he is a doll and loves affection but happy to lay in his dog bed and roll on his back or sit tied to her chair while she watches tv, so he is easy. She said he was someones house dog before she can tell.

Winter sowing is kind of a pain if I put forth that much energy, but it is fruitful if only to have a few make it to maturity and then it still is worth it so I can multiply those or they self sow the next year. If it weren't for the WS, I would not know about my MM Malvas. I start on Feb. 1st thru 14th usually. My plants look like trash right now, my water pressure is not spitting out enough water right now, for some reason today. So I am with a sprinkler attachment on the hose running around dragging through the swamp and soaking myself.

ibarto I forgot to comment on the dog thing, I am glad you understand. I feel like I have a large enough lot to help once in a while if someone needs help there, but Mr. Man is not on the same page, like your husband. Animal stuff is in your heart and soul or it's not. It is with him and dogs so maybe he really knows in his heart we will have another one living here if we foster or he will be broken. I don't know. grrr!

I am collecting my 20000 seed pods from the Datura. No wonder someone once sent me a giant envelope of them.

OK .... you guys with all that prolong warm climate and your tropicals ......

take a look at this ..... I purchased Tulip Margirita 12 bulbs/$5.00 and Daffodil Replete 12 bulbs/$5.00

Nice size healthy bulbs and part of the proceeds is donated to fight breast cancer.

http://www.euroblooms.com/komen.html

MARY

Good buy Mary. I just don't like bulbs.

Mary, those are gorgeous tulips! here they are squirrel candy! I can't tell you how many times I have seen the little tree rats dig them up and take a bite and then look to see if I am watching! ( don't get me wrong, I love squirrels but... They can destroy a bulb garden in a heart beat.)
I tried growing daffodils, but we really just don't get enough cold weather for them to be really pretty.
Thanks for the links everyone. I think I will try winter sowing this year just to see what happens. It would be kind of like crockpot meals for me, ( fix it and forget it) I seem to be really good at that lately. LOL

Jb, If you are selling any of your 8" Aimee gardenias, please send me a dmail. I have radicans and jasminoids, but not aimee or vetchii.

Dawn, aren't Shar pei's kind of big? I wish i were closer, I would come and get him in a heart beat. Hubby would eventually come around. He loves them too, just doesn't want more responsibility now because he wants to take off and travel and it is too expensive for us to board them here. I just can't justify paying $50-80 per night to board my babies.

Well, I must get busy doing some work, I have lots to do and would much rather avoid it today.
Hope everyone has a great day, Linda

Linda, I need to find a box that will fit those 8 inch pots for the Aimees. I have not decided what to charge for them. I have a place that wants them for the Holidays and I only have a dozen and I am not sure do I want to sell them individually or wholesale.

I see Logees are asking $16.95 for 4 inch pots of Aimees. New in the latest catalog.
That seems high to me since they are so easily propagated. Hmmmmm. They are saying Aimee is also called First Love.

I have not heard that before. The story of Aimee that I heard was It was developed by Tadaoki Yoshioka while he lived in Hawaii and he later brought it to Florida when he moved to Ft. Lauderdale with his family in 1954. The gardenia was named after his daughter, Aimee , who died in a plane crash in Dallas in 1984. Aimee is not Patented according to all the places I have looked and asked.

On the other hand, I had heard someone on one the of the lists say First Love was patented. Logee does not have any sign of Patents in their catalog, just fragrance.
When I first got it I wrote to the distributor and ask me and he gave me the name of the grower to write to, which I did and never got a reply. I have thought of emailing him again but then I just gave up because all the research I did none ever mentioned patents.
Top Tropicals has them for sale also. Never a dull moment.

OK ok I am trying to send the little dresses again. Bare with me please. Yes I am still here, just recovering from all the events of this last month. I am so tired. I will be getting into the garden this week for those plants and seeds. Not much left of it, had no time with everything going on.
I am glad to see the newcomers, almost feel like one myself, havent been here for so long,(just to lurk) but I do miss chatting with all just havent had much to say on an up side better to be quiet than bring everyone down. Anyway, I am back. All my best wishes to all of you.

Definitely two cuties ......... such lovely big eyes ....... they are keepers.

Wonderful dresses.

Thanks for sharing Lee.

Do you have any other pictures?

MARY

What adorable little ladies. Beautiful dresses too. Hope you get some rest and can enjoy some garden time before the cold weather comes. Hugs. JB

Bet the dresses were a hit Lee. Very nice. And yes, the little gals are very adorable.

Thanks for sending them. Now you can rest. Can you get away for a week or so and just relax somewhere? That would be nice. Take some favorite books with, and do nothing. Just read when you want to and sleep when you want to.

Sounds good doesn't it?

Ibartoo, peis come in minis and regulars. My female is a standard size and weighs 40 lbs, minis can be 35 to 40 and are muscular type dogs like a bull dog so the dog can be small. I have had 3 and my friend bred them at one time, none of them were over a large medium sized dog, most were the size of a Sheltie or a small female pit bull but less muscle or maybe like a real small boxer with about the same muscle mass as a boxer. They weigh about the same as the mini Spuds MKensey dogs. Check out Fuzzy and the lilac one some of hers that are left are mixed breeds so not all cute. http://peipeople.com/ or this is another one in Northern California so you can see many of them to get an idea of the different types and looks, sizes etc. http://www.californiasharpeirescue.com/happyends/index.php

I have been emailing the pei rescue the whole time here, so she was telling me other ways people can help.

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This message was edited Sep 6, 2010 6:47 PM

This message was edited Sep 6, 2010 6:51 PM

JB, I treated my Aimee with Al Tapla's neem oil recipe today. Hope it does the job. It is just getting ready to bloom for the first time. I am so excited to see it. I will take a picture and post it.

Dave, what have you been up to? You posted one nice sized note to us and then went back to sleep. OR, I bet you have been working furiously in your plants.

Time to start a new thread I believe. Think I saw this one is pretty long. Altho I don't think any of us is on dial up any more???


We cross posted Dawn. Didn't mean to ignore your post. But then it was to Linda anyway. : )

This message was edited Sep 6, 2010 7:47 PM

Jnette, I order free pkgs of those 3 sided boxes from the US Postal Service.
http://www.usps.com/
Then click on order supplies, The 3 sided boxes come in two lengths. 25" and 38" x 6". I got 10 box bundles of each delivered to my front door 2 weeks ago.
I am gearing up to sell on eBay and will keep them in stock.
When you get your postage on line, your mail person gets a bonus for picking them up. I also got 50 delivery confirmation forms. I'm ready to roll.
Sidney

Thanks Sidney. I think I have a bundle of the 3 sided ones but don't know the length. I never did the postage on line bit but I did get a cd from the postoffice a year or 2 ago and I am sure it tells how to do it. Do you have to have the glue on paper for your printer? I don't have a mail person. Have to go to the post office for everything. Oh well. LOL

Thanks. What are you selling on ebay that takes those big boxes?

I better check and see. Dawn, for your and Dave's info, I am waiting for my daughter who is coming over for a week from Seattle on Wednesday. Day after tomorrow. I want her to help decide where to cut them off for you guys and then I will bubble them. I have to decide for the length and where they would make the best plants 'cause they should all have Yd tops.



This message was edited Sep 6, 2010 8:29 PM

JB No problem on the Aimee's. If you have any next time, I will buy one.

Lee, your girls are beautiful! I love the dresses and the shoes. They look so pretty all dressed up.

Dawn, I used to have a sheltie/pug mix. so I am pretty familiar with that size. Somehow I thought the peis were larger. Both of my babies are rescues. The dachshund is pedigree and has papers, but was neutered when I got him. His former "dad' ( spit), was going to shoot him if he was still there when he returned from work. I don't know how people can be, I cruel like that. Titus ( the dachshund) came home with me instead. Spud is a black lab/ who knows what and isn't much larger than a sheltie either. We rescued him from a shelter on his last day. He has turned out to be a wonderful dog.

Jnette, I love to use the 3 sided boxes. They are so nice for sending longer cuttings and vines. Enjoy your visit with your daughter. I just spent yesterday with my mom and it was awesome! There isn't ever enough time.

Gotta say goodnight, morning comes early these days.
Have a great night, Linda

I am on here again later. Just to many thing to o her in paradise. Over 100 again today and tomorrow and now they are telling us Wednesday we will be below 100 degrees.

I have a very busy day tomorrow away from the homestead but then the rest of the week I should be at home 24/7.

I just got through watching Mad Men recorded last night. Entertaining. Reminds me of when I was a secretary before I got in to Mortgage Banking. I was always running around the table to keep away from the bosses. They never caught me but some gave it a good try. That is when I decided I needed to be the boss.

Lee, so glad you are back. You know a week in Las Vegas at my home would be wonderful. By next week we will be in the 80s. You can sit on the back "veranda" and chill out. There is room for two. And all you have to do is enjoy yourself. You could even use my SUV for transportation or I could drive you. Zion National Park is 3 hours away, Grand Canyon is about 5 hours away, Hoover Dam is about 1 hour away. Just give it some thought. This is not the first time I have invited you. And, the girls and the dresses are lovely.

Big doctor appointment tomorrow. Will get reports on DH's tests. The appointment is at 4:40pm.

JB, you are a work of art. Always busy and always happy.

Jnette, remember, Dave is in Eugene until tonight.

Dawn are you coming over in September?

My nursery source here found the double bloom oleanders in Texas but it would cost to much to get a truck load here. I guess I am going to have to drive to Texas. But I have not driven more than 25 miles at one time for a long, long time. Later friends.

Sharon that would be an ideal time but since I still have not taken my gbabies to the water park as promised, I don't know if it will be this week or next so it may not work to do it in Sept. but we can see if it will. Would love to see you and your home and gardens.

Well October is beautiful also. I would tell you to bring the gbabies but we do not have a water park.

I would not meet you like that with all those distractions, it would make for a rough visit, but though offer is nice. When are you going to Texas?

Have no idea. It all depends on DH and his test results. I will let you know. I am looking for a trip to Spokane also.

Why Spokane? My sister just moved to Centralia WA this week, she left Susanville, Ca. her h was the Susanville City Manager and now he is in WA. Wish I worked my old Massage job at the Chiro, since I used to work 3 days a week and make bucks doing it. Now I work full time and make - $.

My son lives in Spokane with his family. He moved in January and they joined him when school was out in June. He bought a home that was previously owned by two Master Gardeners, husband and wife. He is in way over his head and has never gardened anywhere except in the SW heat. He wants mommy's advise. I was going to fly up, rent a car, go pick up jnette and she could tell us both how to garden in an area where summer is a week long. LOL.

A comfortable 67 at the present time. Outlook for rain is rather bleak.


Sharon .... when will you have the results of hubby's tests?

JB .... have you ever been to Pennsbury Manor ... the former estate of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania?

Dave .... How was you trip?

Love to all

Mary