Plant Propagation part XXV based on my own experience

Jeanette : I am so sorry to here about bob's mom. I can't imagine what he is going through. please relay my warm thoughts and prayers to him.

Lee: congrats on finally having stormy at home what an ordeal to go through to get a new puppy but I am sure it was well worth it.

well folks as you guessed it the weather has me down still but hopefully I will be better tomorrow.
Take care and no snow ball fights.
Dave

You're sounding good Dave. Thanks to you and Lee for your sympathy. It is a very tough ordeal to go thru.

Yes Lee, we keep waiting for those promised pictures. Also, who is going to do the training? And do you all speak German so he knows what you are saying? I have never seen a dog trained that way. What are the advantages to it? There is a dog advertised in the paper the last 2 weeks that is trained that way. The dog is free. Don't know why they still have it. I don't remember how old or anything the dog is.

DH and I will be doing the training. No German except for the commands. We trained our last Shepherd that way. The advantage is that no one else can command him to do anything since most people would use English. So if I said BLIBE he would lay down. If they said lay down, he wouldn't respond. It is getting more and more popular to train in German. Take care and relax both of you, Dave for the pain of body, Jeanette & Bob for pain of mind and heart. My prayers are with you.
Lee

Jnette, so sorry about Bob's mother. Strokes are bad. Maybe you should head up that way. That is more work than any man can handle. Men can only do one thing at a time. He will be there for a year.

Lee finally you have your new baby boy Stormy.

JB, your weather was on national news. New York City Christmas Tree was swaying in the storm. Over 60 mph winds. It is good you are smart and just staying home. How are you feeling? When is your appointment?

Dave, I am so sorry that you are still under the weather. I am going to stop praying and start pleading for pain relief for you..

Our freeze is gone and by Sunday we are suppose to be back kn the 60s with lows in the mid 40s. Just enough freeze to kill the tomatoes and peppers.

Vern is hot to trot on a new car so I need to get off and go on line to see what is available. Later friends. Love Sharon.

Jeanette ~ Sorry to hear about Bob's mom. It is a very trying ordeal. At least he made it there safely and you don't have to worry about him getting stuck in an avalanche. prayers will be sent your way, pronto.

Dave ~ Yes, winter is here and the pain is always worse now. Please don't take on any overwhelming projects. You are just 2 years older than my son, but I wish your health was better, as I am sure you do as well. When we lose our health, nothing else is important. It is not fun to be in pain all the time and try to pretend that it doesn't bother you doesn't work either as you end up overdoing it and then the pain is so much worse...ask me how I know....LOL!! Don't worry about us, we feel old when we hurt and feel young when we don't.

JB ~ I am sorry you have to go over so much with your friend and her son. It is almost too much for you to handle. Do you have someone that can help? A lawyer or doctor? I do not go to the chiropractor in winter, in fact I try not to drive at all during winter well, maybe once a month. If snow stays on the ground this early, well, it is going to be a long winter. And if it is going to be anything like last year...well, there is no telling that, is there? I just think it will be, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Sharon ~ I bet you had a lot of fun with the kids. That's good. How is Vern feeling? Is he still OK? I hope so.

Linda ~ Such pretty pictures. Please do take care of yourself. This must be "pain alley" or something like it as we all seem to have something going on. Maybe we should all start meditating, huh? I heard it helps with the pain...also anxiety. Maybe it will help me sleep, but I am doing better most nights now. (Just not last night...)

Lee ~ Wow! You finally have your puppy?? Got any pictures yet?

Well, I must go now...prayers and love for you all,

Evelyn



This message was edited Dec 2, 2010 10:12 AM

Good morning to all:

i had a friend use made up words for comand on his dog. it was very strange to see him just look at you as you are dumb when you say lay down for instance.

My only projects i have for the next month is to get my hoop houses set up and heat cables installed. of course this is all once my step son gets the dirt moved. I will be doing perienials under the poly so they should be ok. Its only 900 cells of perrienials. then there are the few baskets I am going to do in the GH on heat mats.

boy the new doors on th garage have made a difference. it was 60 degrees this am in the garage. the new opener has a themometer on it with led read out on the controll pad. I am going to go now and read up on hardwood cuttings so I can post either tonight or tomorrow. Thank you for your patience. please remember its going to be my interpratation of several sources so trial and error would be advised.

TTYL
Dave

PBear, thanks for the lead on cables. What hardwood cuttings are you doing now.
I finally read in a book how to propagate dwarf junipers that I have been trying for a year. I have to leave a heel on the cutting. Guess I'll try again.

Jeanette, sorry to hear about Bob's mom. Sounds as though she had a good life. This holiday will be tuff, but with time it does get better.

howdy:
I got 3/4 of the way done with the hardwoods how to and was pulled away. I lost my mojo so I will have to finish it tomorrow and post it then. its close to being done and I don't want to do it half way. anyway thats my story and I am sticking to it.
I hope everyone had a great day
Dave

Peg at the moment I am not doing much of anything as my back has had me incapasitated. I have so many projects to do its not funny. I do have a purple leaf sugar maple, some japanese maples, black bamboo, yellow twig dogwood and one other thing that slips my mind.
yes its good to leave the heal on but not required. now is the time to get them in. I will have my complete how to posted tomorrow. I was doing so well and it was flowing and then... you guessed it the doorbell rang and there went the last 3 hours so now I am just finishing up little odds and ends so I can get laid down again.
I am really kicking myself for wondering when the pain would intensify again. I should have kept my big fat brain closed and enjoyed the liter side of my back issues.....but noooooooo can't do that.......
I am going to do some weeping yapon, 2 kinds of yew,and a few other things I cant think of at the moment.

I am glad the leeds helped with the heat cables. How many and which ones did you order???
Have a great evening everyone

PBear

I have never used heat cables so I thought I would start with the 48' cable. If I understand correctly, I would lay the heat cable in a pan (plastic or foil??) and cover with sand or ????. Then put the 4" pots on top. When I water the starters, will the cables be safe since they are coated?

I know how being sick can bring a person down, but I am glad to see you with so much courage. Just keep it up.

The only hardwoods I have availabe is Hydrangea, Dwarf Juniper, Japanese Magnolia, Rose of Sharon so I guess I will try these.
I have to wait for the weekend and good weather.

Everyone else must have gone to bed?????xoxoxoxo

Jnette, I am sorry to hear about Bob's mom. I will keep you all in my prayers. I know that it will be terribly difficult for him and for you.

I spent the day with Mom today and it was great. Our temp is going to 31 so I snipped a few cuttings from her plants to root before it freezes. I stuck them temporarily in a sonic cup and I could see hubby's eyes roll when he saw what i was doing. ( visions of plants taking over the kitchen, dining room, and game room yet again. LOL)
My neighbor's light was shining in my bathroom window the other night (very brightly) and my thought was, I could start seeds in baggies taped to my only south facing window and my hubby's thought was " I should get up and close the bathroom door." LOL I

I am going to be trying some camellias, azaleas, chocolate vines, beauty berry, gardenias and a few others. I know the gardenias will root through the winter in water here. My grandma's sister always had a bucket by her back door full of gardenia cuttings and they would often have ice on the water, but by spring they were ready to plant. I also know that confederate rose will root like that too. Oh man, I just added to the to do list. LOL I wonder what else will root like that.....hmmm, sounds like another experiment is on the way.............

Hope everyone has a good night, I am staying home tomorrow and after it warms a little, i hope to get outside........

Here goes try #1 experiment.

Try #2 experiment

Try #3 experiment-- These were taken about 15 minutes after his wings were clipped. He will never have to use them again. What a guy. One of the pups likes him somewhat, the other wants nothing to do with him. I would suppose it will change once they decide he is here for the duration. The quilt is the one I made especially for him. He seems to really like it. And so it starts.....Plants in flower beds will probably not have a chance come spring, so Guess I had better start more seeds than usual ;) He does love the snow, buries his head and tunnels in it. DH went out today and shoveled paths for him
"so he doesn't get bored with the same one) I had to really LOL on that one, he who hates to shovel. Hope you enjoy the pics. Lee

I thought you guys would like to try this. I am not Jewish bu love their food.

Food

Thursday, December 2, 2010
Related Topics:

* vitality

The Keys to Successful Potato Pancakes


*
*



For food lovers, there's nothing more essential to Hanukkah celebrations than latkes.
We begin
craving them the minute December dawns, and when the holiday finally arrives, we happily down several (or a dozen) straight from the pan.

But why confine potato pancakes to this time of year? They're just as delicious in other seasons. To that end, here are five recipes—a crisp, golden classic and four creative variations—that will easily make the transition from Festival of Light to year-round festivities. They incorporate a far-flung range of influences, and would be at home on menus from India to New England to the Southwest. Try them as hors d'oeuvres or side dishes during the holidays and beyond.

Four keys to successful pancakes:

* Speed Things Up

Once you peel and grate the potatoes, work as quickly as possible to prevent discoloration — after a few minutes, they'll start to oxidize and turn brown.

* Dry It Out

Squeeze all the liquid you can from the potatoes and onions—lingering water will keep the pancakes from holding together and cooking properly.

* Mix Your Fats

You can cook latkes in either oil or butter, but a mixture of the two will combine the flavor of butter with oil's high smoking point (which helps protect against scorching or burning). We like a one-to-one ratio.

* Keep the Crunch

Potato pancakes are best served as soon as possible, before they lose their crunch. Of course, if you're frying them in batches (as in these recipes), you'll need to keep the first batches warm in the oven while you cook the rest. But as long as you work somewhat quickly, they'll retain most of their texture and flavor. Using two pans can lessen the holding time, but be sure you're comfortable with the frying process—you'll need to watch both pans closely to prevent burning. Or, if your kitchen is close to your guests, offer the latkes as they come out of the pan, after a brief drain on paper towels.

Recipe:

Classic Potato Pancakes

Epicurious | December 2005

Developed by Andrew Friedman

Yield: Makes about 24 pancakes

Ingredients

This is the classic latke, made with little more than grated potatoes and onions, with egg and flour for binding.

* 1 medium onion, peeled
* 4 large russet or Idaho potatoes (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled
* 2 large eggs
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
* Applesauce and/or sour cream, for serving

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200°F. Place 2 nonstick baking sheets in oven.

Using box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, coarsely grate onion and place in colander set in sink. Coarsely grate potatoes, add to colander, and set aside to drain.

In large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs, then whisk in flour.

Press potatoes and onion to extract as much liquid as possible, then add to egg/flour mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using wooden spoon or hands, mix well, but do not overwork.

In heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter until hot but not smoking. Drop 4 scant 1/4-cup portions of potato mixture into pan and flatten with spatula to form four 3-inch pancakes.

Fry until bottoms are golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and fry until golden-brown and crisp, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season immediately with salt and pepper. Keep warm on baking sheets in oven while making remaining pancakes.

Using paper towels, carefully wipe out pan. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter and fry 4 more pancakes. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping out pan and adding 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter before each batch.

Serve pancakes hot with applesauce and/or sour cream.






This message was edited Dec 2, 2010 8:21 PM

Lee, Stormy is adorable. I love his blanket. My two have their own blankets. I bet he just loves the snow.

Dave, I am in need of your info. My Queen of Sheba is loaded with branches to make new plants. I am demanding your pain back off..

Someone on here said something about rooting cuttings by dipping cuttings in rooting liquid, wrapping in sphagnum moss and then wrapping in clear plastic and placing on heating mat. Was I dreaming or is that a way to root a cutting.

We spent the day listening to car salesmen. Vern has his eye on a 370Z Nissan. Spent about 8 hours. Made an appointment tomorrow at noon. Not good, because tomorrow is going to be 62 and beautiful. Today was 60 and beautiful. I could have worked in the garden all day.

JB, are you in the path of the New York storm.

Lynda, sounds like you and I are twins. Cuttings and seeds. If only they were worth money. I would be very rich.

My neighbor caught me dead heading some of his plants yesterday. I just cannot help myself.

Evelyn, nice to have you drop by. I cannot see how you can stay inside all winter. I think once you hit your sixties, you just automatically move into pain alley. Al tho Dave has moved in early, we would love to kick his butt out of here. Linda also.

I had my first shoulder "rain is coming" pain the other night. I was sitting on the couch and said to Vern, "I cannot figure out why my shoulder is aching. I have not done anything to hurt it". Then in about an hour it started raining. I guess I am going to have to break down and go see a doctor about it. Have to find one that will take Medicare.

Some of you still need to come over to clean & clutter forum. It is fun.

Last thing, and i is a good thing. New family photo of Todd and family. You will recognize Luke. He is the smallest one. LOL.

Sharon, looks like they are right at home. I that in Spokane? cool looking family. I never would have guessed which one Luke was. LOL

Lee, that dog is going to be so spoiled that he doesn't need to know any commands. He is a gorgeous dog. Did they give him any tranqs or anything to fly? He is so young they probably didn't have to.

So glad Mark got home ok. How were the roads? I told Bob to not let them drag the timeline on the funeral out etc. The Priest was talking like next Friday. Bob told him no way. He says I've got to get home. He has my wheels. I have to rely on other people to go to the store etc. I hate that. I have my little Subaru, but the snow is deeper than it is high. And it doesn't have 4 wheel drive.

The weather in Seattle is nice right now, and over here we are almost into an ice storm. I can't get out my kitchen door. The snow, now almost ice, is higher than my armpit. It comes off of 2 roofs right there.

I know about those snow storms. We have another coming in as I speak. The roads sound about like yours, guess we need to drag out the sleds. Stormy found some of the plants that I didn't overwinter, and decided it was the right time to transplant. He pulled and pulled until he got it out, then drug it over snow banks until I caught him. ROFL
Our snow piles aren't quite that bad but they are bad enough. Food is only about 1/4 mile away, so we are OK there. Want me to send some food your way? :) Sounds like you need it.
Lee

What a last few days this has been. Rained all day Wednesday, which held up the work that needed to be done outside. Thursday was o.k. but cold and windy and we got the cleaning done and the bird cages cleaned then I went grocery shopping. $200 later I was home and exhausted. Everyone was in the store and no one was in a good mood.
I hate grocery shopping. We were to pick up the Douglas and Fraser firs after lunch but that was put off because the rain made the field so muddy, the truck could not get the trees out of the field. It was dark before they got home with the trees and they had to be unloaded and put in place for sales today. We are almost out of trees in the big field so we are shipping in fresh cuts each week now until Christmas.
The Normal person who buys these trees have no clue what goes into raising them. Pampering them, trimming them, fertilizing them, spraying them and all the other "thems" that go into it. Yet, they want the best for the least. All are trees are selling for $45.00.
We took a licking on these we cut because they were selling wholesale last year at $22.
for 6 to 10 ft. Well, we advertised $45 for all trees this year, never thinking the price would go up. It went up and this year they are $26 each. Yikes. That hurts , but we advertised $45 so we are stuck with it. Oh well. Lesson learned. Do not advertise your price before you get a price from the wholesaler. Someone is making an extra buck this year but it aint us. LOL BAH HUMBUG

Stormy is adorable. I bet he is exhausted from his trip. Poor baby needs more love. YEA
He looks so cute. I want to just hug him.

Forgot to answer the question about the snow. No, it went west and north of us. Thank God.

Good afternoon:

Okay first off I have done some hardwood cuttings and am still learning some of the fine tuning of the craft. The following is a mix of what I have cramed into my head from hort school and from books. I did reference "the american horticultural society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants - the definative horticultural reference for the 21st century"" if you'll remember I was going on about this book I had mailed in from waldenbooks in oregon.

Otay: is everybody ready?????

Hardwood cuttings:
1. Hardwood cuttings are typically taken once the plant has dropped all its leaves. Of course this does not apply to evergreen plants because what do we have when we have an evergreen plant that drops all its leaves? Yep a dead plant. Hardwood cuttings are typically brown or a thicker - firmer wood that does not bend easily. It’s usually last year’s softwood before the next seasons softwood has completely formed.

2. It is best to take and stick your cuttings in the same day as each other. You can fudge a few days but the results would be a lot less cuttings making it.

3. Have your area prepped for sticking. I have seen where nurseries use huge wooden frames with heat below the soil. I have also seen smaller frames built right on the ground. I use a few different types of planters for my cuttings. I use clear plastic totes with holes drilled in the bottom, I also use wooden trays I built from fence pickets and put fine screen in the bottom, I also use plant trays with screen in the bottom and I also use plug trays with soil in them. They all work and not one is more desirable that the other with the exception of one’s using heat mats or cables. they keep the soil up to around 60 to 80 degrees depending on the conditions where they are placed, but typically its around 70 degrees.

4. Growing media: I typically use my potting mix just like I do to transplant. some growers like to use a course building sand (not play sand) if you use sand make sure it’s a course material with small rocks and larger grains of sand in it. The idea is to hold some moisture but to also drain. If it does not drain the cuttings will rot. Some people use a mix of sand and soil. This is an area where you can adjust it to suit your needs. A lot of the large growers swear by the course sand, so I recommend you try my method and the sand method. The sand will run you about 5 bucks at home depot. Look for it by the concrete, mortar, rebar and building materials on the far end of the store way away from the plants.

5. Things you will need. Good sharp hand pruners, rooting hormone (I use dip-n-grow) mixed in a container to store (I use a clean margarine tub), frames or flats filled with media, a dibble or some sort of item to make holes in the media to stick the cuttings. Typically I use a pen, screw driver or a short piece of a branch.

6. What can I do hardwood cuttings of? Most any of the shrubs and trees you see in the landscape. My first successes were with boxwood and yew (taxus). I am now doing some yellow twig dogwood, a burgundy purple leaf sugar maple and some Japanese maples.
Most commonly done hardwoods are Azalea, boxwood, junipers (juniperus, chameacyparis, thuja etc), hollies, Spirea. Even if something is listed as hardwood cuttings it does not mean they can't be done as soft wood cutting as well.

7. Take your cuttings typically the terminal end of the shoot/branch, but it’s not required. It will be about 6" long and about the size of a pencil in width. You can do shorter cuttings but longer ones tend to put on more mass of roots. Once you have a bunch of cuttings to stick sit down with a table and trim the cuttings where the end that is in the soil is just below a node. I like to make the cutting at an angle so I know which end is the down end. If I am getting more than one cutting from a branch then I trim the next end up to the next node. Sometimes you will get a cutting with a heal or a little bit of another branch on it. Leave it but trim it so it’s not too massive. These parts callous over quicker and tend to make more roots mass. Once you have your cuttings ready to stick take them to the bed tray or bench. Dip the bottom end down into the rooting hormone for about 10 seconds. I sometimes stick my cuttings into the hormone as I get them ready to stick.

8. Take your cuttings and hormone to your area you plan to stick cuttings. Using a dibble (hole maker) make the holes for your cuttings to go in. start putting your cuttings into the rooting hormone and then stick them into the holes. Now this is important: firm the soil around the stuck cuttings as you go. I have had difficulty firming the soil after sticking bunch of cuttings. It’s a lot easier to firm as you go. Once you have stuck all your cuttings, label the flat, row or area with what you have done and when. This will enable you to see what took the longest, what worked and what didn’t work. Make notes for your review later on next spring.

9. Water in the cuttings. It’s important to eliminate all air space around the cuttings as any air will either slow down the rooting or cause the cutting to fail.
Don’t get discouraged if you have mass failures, as we all experience them and that’s how we grow and learn. This is also why notes are so important. I planted 100 yellow twig dogwood cuttings earlier this year and I had the set up all wrong. Instead of following my instincts and my knowledge I followed someone else’s way of doing things. Now don’t get me wrong I did learn a lot from that failure and I will do better in the future. It’s good to try other techniques and hints from other growers just don’t let a setback make you quit trying. This summer I got my first full tray of softwood cuttings to take. Before I had been doing it and leaving the cuttings on the bench too long and causing them to rot and loosening about 25% of each flat.
Some cuttings take 12 to 18 month’s to root. It has to do with response to cold weather and injury to the cutting that causes them to root out. There are a lot of different methods of propagation and I think everyone should try them all and hone their skill to make it unique to you.
Now questions????

sorry for overlooking your post luckily my brain kicked in and said hey wait a min.

your question is about the cables with their own built in themostat. the bigest i found was the 48' and it heats up like 12 sq feet. yes its suposed to be safe to use I would make sure its pluged into a GFI plug though. GFI or ground fault interupter is handy because it turns itself off just like a breaker in the house does. water and electricity are not anything I want to risk playing with. Also use an extenstion cord rated for outdoor use. being xmas time they will be everywhere you look. if you are lucky enough to have a plug outside close to the prop area then you might not need the extension cord.

yes the cord is insulated to be safe around moist locations. I am thinking about using gravel in my beds as it tends to both radiate heat well and absorb the passive solar energy when exposed to it. I am experimenting with one 5 x 12 bed which will have a pvc mini hoop house on it as well as the cables. for the most part I am growing perrienials so a little cold weather might set them back but I doubt they will die if hit by cold spells.

I am also hopeing to get a thermostat controller for 4 different cables so if this works I will gently dig up the 2 - 48'ers and put in longer ones without the built in thermometer.

yes i am going to try to do pics of it all. as i go.

huggs to everyone
Dave

Pugh, this is why I read your research including trials and errors plus positive results.

This is exactly what I have been looking for. Books don't give you enough details.
I'll keep this for easy reference.

Excellent!!!

If anyone is interested--North Carolina Farms is having a sale. unrooted coleus and petunia's are 1/2 off.

Dave, that is great. I am going to copy and paste and then makes me a few copies to put in protectors. Thank you for coming down to my level. I am currently in the process of cleaning and organizing my garage. Will probably take a few months, a little at a time but when summer/spring gets here I will be ready. With Vern being sick, I was just tossing items toward the area they belonged.

Well Grandchildren, the boys, just stopped by. They have a tennis lesson at our tennis courts. Their Mom and Dad are in LA at the Mart. They will be here an hour after tennis because their sister has a violin performance practice and she will not be one until 11:30am. I told them their dad said they would help me clean the garage. You should have seen the looks on their face.

Vern is still asleep. He was so excited about his new car, he could not settle down to go to sleep. Have a great day everyone. Love you. Sharon.

Thank you for the kind words of praise. I am always wondering if this or that make sense. its also why I take my time to do posts like that because I want to have an easy to follow how to.

Sharon it sounds like you have a busy day aheas of you. I am finally getting a chance to do some stuff so I think its to the garage as its way too cold outside to do anything and the wind is a killer its sharp and cold so it cuts through you really quick and deep.

I hopefully can fill some flats so all I have to do is put them where they are going after they are planted. of course I may just putts on th computer so I can finalize my seed list for next year. I have at least 2000 plugs coming in next march along with some other plugs i have yet to decide on but 100 trays of perrienials should keep me busy.

congrats on the new car. so how does it ride???? convertable???

have a great day everyone
Dave

No convertible., It drives like here is a manic behind the wheel. Actually it is a nice riding car but I am not really into cars. Mine is 10 years old, has 41,000 miles and probably my last car. But Vern is giddy. So I am sure he will find someplace to go today.

Later, I am getting off of here and getting to work.

Great info Dave. I cut and pasted it so I can put it with my book by Van Patten and Bust on Gardening indoors with cuttings. If I keep it all together I will not put it someplace where I forget where it is. Old age I guess. LOL

Weather here is cold, windy and cloudy. Really looks like snow, but I keep hoping it is all in my mind. Tree business is steady today and people are buying both cut ones and fresh cut so who knows what next week will bring. We were hoping they would buy the field trees but the weather deters some of them from cutting their own and they take the line of least resistance to get in out of the cold.

Have a good day all. I am out of here again. Hugs. JB

Dave!! Thank you, that was very informative. I will cut and paste mine like everyone else. Now just have to remember about the patents. LOL
l
Well, I sure am not accomplishing much. Just staying in and trying to keep warm. It really is not very nice being without wheels. Bob took the Explorer to Seattle and my little Subaru is snowed in so here I sit.

He is on his way back. Called a bit ago. We are both learning a lot about taking care of things after a person is gone. I just found out why people wait so long to have funerals after the person dies. It is because it takes almost 2 weeks to get a death certificate. They have to go thru the health department for everything. And you can't do anything without them.

Sorry for the unpleasant information you guys, but it was truly a revelation. I am sure some of you know this stuff. I should have asked. Oh well.

So Sharon, I am assuming Vern got the Nissan? That's a sporty little number. What color did he get? Bet he just took what they had in stock. Or did they have a big selection?

The one and only time I bought a new car I ordered it from the factory thru a broker. The fellow charged me 2% over the costs for it. But, that was fun. I got a printout of the car and all the options including their costs. I sat down and went over each one and picked out exactly what I wanted, colors, etc. BUT then I had to wait about 6 weeks for delivery. Just like Christmas except I knew what I was getting.

I will never buy another new car tho. Once was enough.

How is your friend and her son doing JB? Have you been able to talk to her at all? Must be terribly frustrating for him.

Well, guys, gottta go get busy, ttyl,

Jeanette ~ I am surprised that your Subaru does not have all-wheel drive. Both of ours does. I bought one brand-new care in 1971 a Datsun 500. A drunk-driver hit me at the driver's door, and fortunately I did not have my seat belt on, as then it wasn't the law then, or I would have been killed instantly. The door and steering wheel were crushed, and I was thrown to the passenger side's windshield and got a bit of glass in my skull. My ribs were broken and that may be the reason why my left shoulder did not have a rotator cuff when they operated for an arthroscopic surgery. Other minor fractures. Then, since I was without a car for a while, barely able to walk, I could not renew my insurance since it was an uninsured motorist's claim. So then I had to get "assigned risk" insurance. I think they have better laws in place these days, as I was young then and didn't know much about how things operated. Of course I had no car for a while, so that added to the fact that I had no insurance for a while. HMMM.

Well, all of that was in the past. The next and last car I bought new was a 1981 Honda Accord. That car lasted for over 20 years, with both me and then my mom driving it. She needed a car when she moved up here as hers was dead and too costly to repair. So she drove it until the transmission went out and then she could not drive any more as she could no longer pass the test. She said, "If I can't drive, there is no point of living any more." As she hated to depend on others as well. She did pass away not longer after that in 1999. I along with my son and his (ex-) wife stayed with her and were there with her when she passed away. Even though the years have gone by, it seems not too long ago when I think of it, as it has been over 11 years. I know that is is a sad time for you and your husband as we never get over our mother leaving this world and us. My prayers are with you and Bob.

Evelyn thats the way of things. I have seen people retire pull out the rocker and just sit with nothing to do and fade away quickly. and then there are those who reach retirement and find a new passion or hobby and it makes then new all over again. My grandfather on my moms side did that once he was no longer able to take care of himself my cousin's had no choice because he would not move closer to the rest of the family. I don't think he lasted a month in the retirement home ...he was in his 90's when he passed away.

Jeanette: yes its a big mess to deal with. My mom tells me she has everything arranged as far as long term heath. But beyond that is anyones guess because my dad wont do anything when it comes to facing the eventual and unavoidable. I will keep you and Bob in my prayers.

Have a great evening
Dave

Well Vern's new Z is Silver. Oh they had a great selection all over town but he had his eye on one a year old with 7,000 miles on it. He is happy and I guess that is all that matters. My SUV, which is my gardening car, I will have for at least 20 more years. We keep our cars for at least 10 years but this was a special situation because his last car was purchased just so mother could get in it. She could not get in my car because the SUV was to high for her to get in it.

My brother, who lives in the same small town mother did, went to the post office one afternoon to pick up his mail. Someone had driven into the handicap ramp and taken down the railing. He went to see mother after leaving the post office. Her truck was parked in the driveway with part of the railing hanging from her bumper. When he asked mother what happened, she did not even know she had hit anything. That is when she stopped driving.

Well our beautiful day did not show up. Cloudy all day and suppose to rain tomorrow. So I stayed inside, washed the dogs, did the laundry, visited with the grand boys and paid some bills. It took all day but does not sound like much. Also got Vern's XM radio switched from the old car to the new car.

Anyway, later friends. Dawn posted on the last thread. You might want to go read it. Love Sharon.

Happy Sunday everyone! it is chili here, 40 degrees on my porch, but the sun is shining and it looks gorgeous outside. I hope it is this pretty where you all are too.

Sharon, I'll bet Vern is having a great time with his new " toy". I am like you, I drive a 10 year old suv and fully intend to drive it till the wheels fall off. LOL. We went through a time when we traded cars often, but shortly after my son was born and he needed to transition from the smaller infant car seat to the larger seat, the larger seat wouldn't fit in my little sporty car, ( even through the hatch). LOL Since then it has been larger more practical cars, ( except for the miata my BIL gave me a couple of years ago.) when he started school, my suv became the "school bus" and the daily question was "how many children are you getting today"?, next year it will be "Mom can I take the car to school?" LOL funny how things change.

Dave, I love the info on hardwood cuttings. I have done a few already and have a shelf in my diningroom by the window of some last minute cuttings I took. Our temperatures were supposed to drop drastically, but they didn't and now I still have a chance to rescue a few things today.

Has anyone tried the "jelly roll" method? This is where you take plastic and fold it in 1/2 and fill the fold with moist sphagnum moss, stick the cuttings and then fold it up and roll it like a jelly roll? I am just wondering if there is something you can use besides sphagnum.?

I worked on my seed stash yesterday and I realize I have so many things to plant, I may still be working when it becomes spring again! I threw away a lot of seeds that were more than 3 years old, ( actually I just threw them in the yard and if they grow then I will find a place for them.) I still have some to finish up today, but maybe now I can actually find what I thought I had. LOL

Jnette, I am sorry you are snowed in. I know that must be frustrating. I hope you have a good book to read.

Now there are two forums going for this group. Is it my "puter" or are there two live forums going? For a few days I was not getting any, now I got two. Can't beat technology. I am too old to be more confused than normal for me. LOL

Weather is great, Jen is snowed in. Keep it there baby, I do not want to even think about it.
They said we may have flurries today. That is good. Flurries I can handle. I thought I heard that North Caroline could even have snow in their mountains...wow...that cold front is a big sucker. We are to have freezing weather for at least the next few days they said this morning. My one heater in the greenhouse quit and thank God I had one of those that look like an old fashioned radiator I plugged in and it worked or I would have been in deep trouble. I ordered another one yesterday and hope it will be here soon.

Trees are selling but not as many as last year. I have a feeling next week will be our big week. Just two more weeks to go then we are done. Thank God. I only made one fresh cemetery cone because the needles are falling off the greens already. They will not last til C hristmas if they are not in water.

Gotta go. time for me to be back outside. Hugs.

Good afternoon:
as far as a different mediul maybe perlite or vermiculite or a mix of spagnum and the others. I think the thing is with spagnum moss is the drainage and not being overwet. with airspace and higher humidity ...

JB sorry to hear trafic is slow for tree sales. How long do you typically spend to get an average sized tree you sell? Its funny how most people don't realize all that goes into growing a tree that is perfect in everyway.

have a great day
Dave

Good evening everyone. It is just about closing time and I came in to check my sales, etc.

Dave, it depends on how old the tree is when we get them. If we get 2 yr. or 3 yr. it takes another four or five years to get a good tree, sometimes more, depending on the tree.
You spray for bag worms and other pests,. you fertilize, you trim, we keep the grass cut between rows and around the trees we use roundup to keep the weeds down around the base of the trees. That goes on for years until we open that field for sales. This year we have decided on noon next Sunday we are dropping the price to $20 just to get the field trees out of there so we can start preparing the field for new plants. That takes a good season til you get the roots out, cultivate, etc. We sell trees for $45 this year and of course the Charlie Brown trees $20. I guess we have seen the last of selling field trees for a few years. Our baby trees are not growing as fast as we had hoped due to the weather.
I hope I live long enough to see the baby trees sold, but that is doubtful since it takes so long. We have some that are 4 years old and some are 5, but they are still not big enough, so we wait. And I thought breeding horses was tough, man these trees are just about as bad except there are no vet bills. LOL.
Stay warm. Talk to you all tomorrow. Hugs. JB

Since I have to be in the cold and snow, I wish I could keep it here and away from all of you. Not possible, you say, Well I could hope, and wanted you all to know my heart is in the right place :) This last storm left us with a few more inches. Nasty Nasty roads
Jeanette, have things cleared for you yet? I know by listening to the weather, seems like they are coming one after the other with no respite. And winter isn't even here yet. OH BOY great!!!
Dave, are you feeling a bit better, hope so
Storm is growing each day I swear. DH is really working on him to house train, and the little bugger is really responding to him. The little boys want nothing to do with him. I sure hope they get over it soon, Right now, they stay with me, and he stays with Mark in the rec room. Too bad, it is kinda cold out there, we have space heaters for the plants, so it helps a little.
JB I wouldn't be able to sell trees like you do. With all that time and effort and worry going into each one, I wouldn't want to sell even one. Wouldn't want to part with it. To me, it would be like raising a calf, then selling to a butcher yech yech. Can you all tell, I don't put up a Christmas tree, live or plastic. I also don't enjoy cut flowers for the same reason. Maybe I could if it were grown and sold in pots, then put in yards after the holidays. :) :)
Later, Lee

Lee, I hope the snow clears soon for you and Jnette. It is cold here, but clear, although it did rain last night pretty hard for about 10 minutes. It was strange, we weren't expecting rain at all and then it just started pouring and quit as quickly and unannounced as it had begun. I do put up an artificial tree, but I don't like cut flowers in the house either. I want to enjoy them in the yard.

Today the temperatures didn't get out the the 40's. I wanted to put a fire in the wood stove, but the guys weren't ready for that.
I just came in from checking the greenhouse though and 4 of my christmas cactus are in full bloom. they are gorgeous. I want to bring them in to enjoy, but I know coming from the cooler greenhouse into the living space all of their buds would fall off, so I will leave them alone and just go out to enjoy them. It gives me an excuse to leave the house too. LOL
I think I will work on my seed box again this evening and then maybe go to bed early. Next week is shaping up to be busy.

Hope everyone has a great day, Linda

Do any of you know anything about plumeria? I saw some of the flowers, and they were selling seeds, expensive little things!!! How long does it take to germinate? How long until they will bloom. I almost think this could be a new plant to go with the palms I saved from Walmart last year. That is if I can grow them in pots here. Thanks for the info. Lee