Plant propagation... the basics II

Thanks Dave.... Good points that you made about pushing it out of dormancy too soon... I guess because I live in Socal... I just don't think about that... but I should.... it's good to remember as climates change and we relocate.... I'm sure it's not pot bound yet as I put it in a large container knowing it would need the space and it hasn't put on much growth at all... ultimately I will need to put it in the ground, but I am hoping to have a place to put it by the time that happens.... right now every available spot is full!! :) I need to get a PH test kit to test the soil... I'll try to do that this weekend.....All good thoughts....I have some fish emulsion that is pretty mild... I'll mix some up and give it a shot this weekend as well.. stay tuned... thanks so much... Nancy

Glad to help Nancy

I found an interesting website about mychorriza. http://mycorrhizalonline.com/mycorrhizalinfo.aspx

deleted because of a dupe

This message was edited Feb 20, 2012 11:48 AM

This message was edited Feb 20, 2012 11:49 AM

What did you learn from it Evelyn?

I joined one of the coops a couple years ago and bought some water soluble mycho and some that you sprinkle on the roots when you transplant, or plant seeds. For the 5% they say doesn't work, I don't worry about. I use it on everything.

J

Jen ~ I actually do not remember, since I visit so many different threads here and other places.

Oh, now I remember, I think...LOL!! There is a discussion on one of the threads about not fertilizing your newly sown seeds but some people use Roots Organic for a seed-starting medium, which contains not only mycorrhiza, but some rock powders that give some beneficial minerals as well. It made the seedlings jump out instead of developing slower.

Even though I like to not use any fertilzer before the seedlings show their true leaves, I have now put some mycorrhiza into the mix for some of the newer seedlings. I do not have any Roots Organic, as it it not readily available. Maybe I will find some in spring and I can make a comparison test. Has anyone here tried it? drthor swears by it, and her veggies are really beautiful.

Okay this is probably for JB and/or Jen:

I'm trying to start a couple of tropicals from seed.

Jatropha (Coral Bush) and
Budda Belly

I will also be starting some tropical hibisicus inside from seed.

I only have one Coral bean seed - very large - don't know how old it is, but that means I don't get a second chance. I'd read that the seed should be soaked over night so I did. I have it in soil in a south facing window in Rita's room which never goes below 70 degrees.

Thoughts?

JB is going to tell you that she has not started any from seeds, very little, if anything.

I think I have or had some of the Coral Bush seeds, don't know if I still do or gave my daughter all of them. But, have never started any.

All I can say is that I would put them on a heat mat and plant them in a 4" pot in a quart ziplock bag. And, then sit back and probably wait about a year. LOL, don't know. Have you ever looked for a link for Seedman? He would be able to tell you. Google him. He is on Dg somewhere. Jen

A ton of info he is.

Yes JB, I am a smartass. Jen

edited to add, LOL.

This message was edited Feb 27, 2012 11:46 PM

O hell. Wait a year. May as well to tell me to plant grass and watch it grow. :/

Amanda, did you go to Seedman's site? Ask him. And what did he say? I'm with you. I do not have the patience for a whole lot of that stuff. Now my daughter has started some of those tropical things, can't think of their names, from seed. As had them going on 6 or 7 years now and they still have not bloomed. She fights spidermite on them all the time but still keeps them going. Now, that is patience. She doesn't get it from me.

JB is not here.

:0) She'll see it Evelyn.

Amanda, Plumarias. That is what my daughter is growing. From seed, 5 or 6 years. As far as I know they have not bloomed for her.

I have Plumarias. They spend the winter in the garage. Even if they do not bloom, I think they look tropical.

I did get two loads of wash done but did not get the linens changed. I decided to take a nap instead. I called my house keepers and told them not to come tomorrow. Just did not want to deal with it.

I feel better tonight than I did last night. Does that mean I am getting better???LOL....

We were cold today. We got down to 62 with winds. Looks like Lee is getting a storm. And another couple of tornadoes. And Jen is getting rain, according to the news. We are going down to 55 on Sunday and back to low 70s by Tuesday.

Amanda posted on Facebook that her cat died. So sorry Amanda. Our new cat is so lovable. Any time I go near a faucet, she jumps up and wants me to turn the water on so she can get a drink. The other day I could her her but could not find her. She had gotten into the cabinet where I store the dog food containers. I was feeding the dogs and put the containers back and closed the door. She has more fun with a rubber band on the floor than any toy i have purchased.

Maybe tomorrow I will have some gardening news to report. Sharon

I am so sorry about your cat Amanda. That is tough. Especially when you have had the cat for so long.

No Sharon, no rain. Anything that comes down here is snow. Bob did get the plow running today and got the driveway cleaned. That is what we wanted so now it can snow some more. He has bet me that by St Patricks day we will have no snow. Don't know when that is. I thought the 17th. Don't know. ttyl,

The first time I read your post it was included in mine. The system has separated them now.

I copied your post and mine and pasted it over to Back porch. I needed to copy your comment so my first comment would make sense.

Sharon...

Now I'm mixed up! :D

It's alright - as long as I manage to keep a label on everything I'll be okay. I hardly started anything from seed last year - well only a little bit of stuff - the stupid hand injury.

I've already started over 40 different kinds of plants from seed including perennials, vegetables, those tender perennials/tropicals I've been asking about.

I'm excited! But I'm going to be in trouble shortly when the seedlings start popping!

I'm using the online journal this season. I hope it will help me keep track better this season.

Will keep you posted.

hugs and kisses to ALL you happy folk.

Record breaking heat here today. I have not been on here for a while. I hope you are all doing gardening stuff or starting WS.

You are wintersowing in record breaking heat Dawn? LOL, how does that work? I thought those seeds needed stratification??

Dawn, did you go to Phoenix for the NASCAR race.

I enjoyed those Sharon. Never cared too much for the Indie cars, but did like the NASCARs.

Plumerias from seed are easy to grow, but may take anywhere from 3-7 years to bloom. I have some going on 6 years now that haven't bloomed yet, but I am still waiting. They love heat. I know there is a man who says he keeps them on slate rocks all the time to help promote bottom heat and they love it even after they are huge. Maybe that will help. This year, I am going to try a bloom booster fertilizer and see if that works. I can't wait to see mine bloom.

NASCAR is here for the week. A very large group of supporters are in town and have set up their motor home at the outer area of the track. They probably had a great ride and ate a lot of dust. But by Thursday the wind will be gone and we will be back in the mid 70s.

I will have to try the slate rock. I have some extra laying around. Sharon

I'm a big NASCAR fan, Sharon.

Though I grew up "up north" and have an ivy league degree and all that . . . I am, after all, a girl with 4 brothers and had an electric racetrack growing up. People are always surprised. :)

Tony Stewart's my boy. He's got a girl on his team this year, and I like that just fine, too.

I'm seeing sprouts in my milk jugs out there. Globe thistle, Jacob's Ladder 'alba', others . . . Inside I have some sugar snap peas 'Sugar Ann' and some snow peas as well. It's always an exciting time.

I have sown over 50 different kinds of seed now. Mostly perennial and a few vegetables. I don't have enough lighting inside or security around the seedlings with the cat and my iguana both having the ability to get up in them if they want to. Yesterday I found a long windowbox full of succulents dug up. I couldn't figure out whether it was the Ig or the cat until I found something special buried within.

Anyway. Is anyone else sprouting things from seed? We are all in different zones . . ...

A.

Oh Amanda, I am so proud of you sprouting seeds. If I plant seeds they sprout and when they take a look at me after about a week, they wilt and die. So, cuttings are my thing.

I dropped in to say Hi and tell Dave about the Classified thing DG has going. It is $5 for a classified ad for two weeks. You can even put up a picture too. I thought he may want to at least get on board with a general ad for his nursery stuff that will be coming. Just a thought.
Hope you are feeling better. It has been a difficult winter.

I too love Nascar and after the Daytona 500 I wondered what would be next that I would be able to watch. Have a good day. JB

Funny, could have emailed Dave.

Jen:

I left the back porch because I felt it was best for me not to subject myself to some things that upset me. I am trying very hard to be nice so from now on I will send a private Email and I will stay off of this thread. i did not know I was not welcome here. Dave never told me.

If any of you want to discuss any plants with me please dmail me or catch me on Facebook
Have a nice day. God Bless. JB.

Seriously?

Are we back to that? GAH.

I am trying a new method for sprouting seeds. I purchased a grow tray with a floating thick piece of styrofoam. The styro has 55 holes in it to put your growing medium. It came with the hydrophonics soil less mixture.

I have cardoon sprouting (my first time growing this), ornamental grass seeds (I picked those at the park during the summer) and alysum seeds. I do like this tray. All I do is pour in water and watch things sprout.

I also purchased some Dyna Grow 9-3-6 foliage spray. You only mix 1/4 teaspoon to a gallon of water and spray. After 2 weeks my plants have turned a darker green. You should spray only once a week, but I have been anxious and spray daily, but now I will back off to once a week.

Am planning my next seed tray already.

Peg

What are you planting in the other tray?

Jacquie -

Don't leave..... I enjoy your posts

Peg - that sounds neat. I have never seen such a thing, but being broke most of the time - I forbid myself to even look. :D

I am not familiar with that particular foliage spray, but sounds like something useful for indoor plants right about this time of year. I'll look into it. Thanks for the ideas.

A.

A good, cheap thing to use is common hydrogen peroxide. You might have to Google it to find the website that explains how much to use. It really works wonders with plants. Sorry, I don't have the link.

What are you suggesting the hydrogen peroxide for Evelyn? Something I haven't heard about? The only thing I ever heard it used for with plants was oxygen???

Yes, for years I used a small bottle of stuff, can't remember the name, but it was 2 squirts in so much water for your plants each time you watered. Especially in the winter when most houseplants get overwatering. My plants did fantastic. Well, about 4 or 5 years ago then I discovered that is all that stuff was. Hydrogen peroxide. puts oxygen down to the roots are so you don't cause them to rot by sitting in water.

Here I was paying many $ for this little bottle of stuff that I could have gotten a big bottle of for a dollar or 2.

Hah! You answered your own question... ^_^

Ok, I didn't hear them say that they were having that problem.

I only planted one tray so far, but I have lots of seeds to do more.
Next time I want to try "fresh" Japanese Maple seeds. I am determined to figure out how to get them to sprout.

This winter I have the ground cover type of Junipers rooting. I use the "forsythia" method with vermiculite only in the pot and placed a smaller clay pot filled with water only in the center of the original planting pot.
This worked wonders with coleus too. They stayed fresh looking and "no mealy bugs".

Will have to send you pics of my "window sill gardens" I am making. I surprised myself.

I'd love to see them Peg..... -:)

Nancy

2nd try

These I received in a trade.

This message was edited Mar 10, 2012 8:02 PM

You shoud see the rocks I painted to put in the pots.
These coleus I propagated this winter.

This message was edited Mar 10, 2012 8:07 PM