PLANT PROPAGATION.....THE BASICS III

Nancy, I always heard that you always must water from the bottom the AV because you should not get water on their leaves. That is one reason I have stayed away from them other than I just can not grow them, but I water all the plants in the GH with a hose and they all get wet all over. Interesting.

NF2932,
You missunderstood. I wasn't referring to AV leaves, just buggy plants in general, regarding spraying. The reason they say not to spray AV leaves is because if sun hit the wet leaves they tend to cause spots Other than that it won't hurt the leaves.

If those bug that you had trouble with had wings, the were whiteflies and hard to get rid of. Probably had it when you brought the plants home. Most bugs hitchhike from the store.

JBerger,
Every plant should be watered from the bottom to throughly wet the rootball by syphoning upwards. When you water a dry plant only from above, much of the water runs down between the side of the pot and the rootball. Rootballs tend to shrink when it dries out leaving a space for the water to run down. Result is that it doesn't get throughly wet.

Thank you for the info, Nancy. I water from the bottom in the house, but the top in the greenhouse for most of the plants because some can not stand in water flats. I was merely referring to the AV.

JB - that last watering d-mail was from Blomma... not myself.

Blomma... thanks for clarifying...it makes more sense now. Those whiteflies are pesky and very hard to get rid of. -:)

Nancy

Sorry Nancy, I read that fast this a.m. and saw only your ID. I am having one lousy day.

No worries... it's all about learning... just wanted to clarify.... Does anyone on the thread know if sweet bell peppers can be propagated? I tried it twice.... using the method mentioned above...but had no success...Mine sometimes get heavy fruit and the branches break off... I feel bad about tossing them in the compost ....so i've tried propagaing but no luck so far.

Also...JB since you're the tropical gal... I wondered if you could give me some tips for my baby gardenia. Seems like it's been a 'baby' forever. I think they are slow growing... (am I right?), but at the same time... wonder if I should be fertilizing? The one I have is about 4" tall... and I've had it for a year...doesn't seem to have grown at all. I also wanted to ask if I should have considered planting it in a special soil mix....?? I just used regular potting soil from the nursery. Thoughts? Nancy

If you tell me what kind of a gardenia it is I can give you a better idea what to expect and how to care for it. I will be back later. JB

Gardenias require acid soil, high humidit and warmth. Here is a link to their culture. Not an easy plant to grow in the house.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/growing-gardenias-indoors.html

Nancy, The Gardenia Jasminoides or Gardenia augusts are in the Rubisceae Family and they are without a doubt the easiest to grow. Top Tropical Plant Catalog has a wonderful site with the description of many of these different species and what each one takes to keep them happy. I keep all my gardenias in the house except for the babies, they are in the greenhouse. But I think I will from here on in keeping them all in the house just in case the scale comes back. I can not afford to fail an inspection for a few gardenias. LOL.
I thought we had that link saved somewhere, but if not I will be happy to look up the link and give it to you.
I always just do the peppers from seeds or small plants. Never thought of propagation from cuttings. JB

Nancy, when you are doing that with your pepper you are probably planting the entire branch that broke off? Well, most plants when you take a cutting, you take 4" or so and that is all. Just so you get a node to take leaves off where roots can grow. But, if you are planting the entire branch, it cannot sustain that big of a cutting/plant without a root to get nutrients etc. to it.

Now, that is just my thoughts on it. Could be all wet. :0) I know it hurts to throw the whole branch away. Maybe you can get several cuttings from it. Do they have several small branches on them? Normally they do. Take one cutting from each. Get nodes!! Please let me know if it works. Jen

Jnette,
You are correct as far as a plant not able to sustain a large cutting/plant without a root to get nutrients etc. to it. I usually take a cutting 3" long with 2 pairs of leaves (4 leaves) and make sure that there are 1 or 2 nodes for roots to grow from. I also remove te growing point and any flower buds so that the cutting concentrates on producing roots, rather than grow and open a flower.

However, not all plants develop roots from nodes. Begonias, tomatoes, and Hoyas---to mention a few---produce roots along the stem.

That is interesting to know about the Begonias for one. I have a Devil's Wing that I have wintered over and am thinking seriously of starting new plants from it for this year. Don't know if the same holds true for them that the coleus do, but I find that they, coleus, do much better taking cuttings from the mother plant and then throwing her away. Sounds gross doesn't it? :0) But, I would appreciate it if you have had any experience in that and let me know.

I am thinking tho, back to the peppers, that Nancy could not bear to throw that nice big branch away. Nancy, take as many cuttings from it as you can and do as blomma said, pinch out the growing tip too. Then throw it away. You will end up doing that anyway.

Jen

Jnette,
If I remember correctly, Coleus also root along the stems. I haven't grown them for years because they don't do good here. I do remember that it is better to start new plants from cuttings, than save the mother plant. They are annuals so need to be restarted since it is the color that is wanted, not the flowers.

As far as your begonia, they are are not considered annuals but permanent houseplants. I had an angelwing begonia years ago that I took cutting off to give away. It grew to 3ft but I kept it shorter. I have found that Begonias can be rooted in water but best time is when they are actively growing. They also root great in mix of peat and perlite or vermiculite. Then placed in a plastic bag till rooted. If you tug a cutting and it resists then it is rooted.

Below is a begonia I grew from cuttings for my daughter. It is pretty much an eveerbloomer. Don't know the name but blooms early and grows to 2 feet and bushy.

Regarding the pepper....Thanks all... I will definitely take cuttings next time... it makes perfect sense... great advice!! I feel better knowing I may be able to save some and grow new plants... even placing my broken branches in the compost is hard to do! -:)

Yes, coleus do root along the stems and it is better to take cuttings. The parent plants tend to get leggy and ugly over time. There are so many beautiful coleus you could devote all your time to growing just those plants!

JB.... I cannot for the life of me recall what type of gardenia. I have it outside under a shade cloth. Maybe I should bring it inside and grow it as a house plant. I hadn't really considered that. Good idea!

Blomma... thanks for the gardenia website...I am going to spend some time reading and learning more about them. This is my first shot at growing one and I purchase it on impulse not knowing much about them. Lots to think about! Thanks all! Nancy

Nancy, you are welcome. Lucky you living in CA where you can grow beauties outdoors and not rely on growing indoors. Although, if I lived there most likely I would garden myself to death outdoors. When September rolls around I am ready to end gardening.

In October and November I garden indoors starting daylily and iris seeds from my own crosses.

Below are last year's daylily seedling planted May 2012.
2nd photo is of iris seedlings from 2012.

He Blomma, that begonia looks kinda like the Devil's Wing that I have in the house here. It is blooming right along, even with the heat register blowing on it. Poor thing. I just don't have any other place where it can get the natural light. Yes, years ago I had an Angel Wing Begonia also. I had it in a coal scuttle in a hallway of an apartment house I lived in. When it was getting too tall, I just broke it off and stuck in the soil below and it started right up. Weird plant, just kept blooming. Didn't really get a lot of care.

Are those Daylilies and Irises some that you grew from seeds? What do you do with them? How different are they when they bloom, from the parent plants? Very cool.

Hi Jnette,
Did your Angel Wing Begonia have small silver dots on the leaves? Mine did. The one pictured grows pretty fast. Too fast for my windows.

The seedlings, yes they are all my crosses. Below are 5 seedlings that bloomed last year. The seeds were harvested from the same pod. There are so many generations of genes that you never know what you will get. That is what makes it so addictive. I sold all but the 1st, the 3rd, and the 4th. I want to see if they will be worth naming and registering. They are from 2009. Two more from the same pod didn't bloom due to being too crowded. Since I moved them they will bloom this year.

My main goal is to produce the "perfect" daylily or iris that is different. I have to cull and those I sell.

And here are the pod and pollen parents of those 5 irises above. It is Buffawn x Gay Parasol, both are historic.

Those are beautiful. Even the yellow one was part of the group? Wow.

Yes, my Angel Wing had the silver spots all over the leaves, and clusters of many pink blossoms. It was about 3 or 4 feet tall. I had to stake the stems. Don't know how tall it would have been if I had let it. They really grow. Very easy to grow. I have got to fertilize these plants I have in here. I have some really deep red geraniums I bought last year and I kept them in the house here. Didn't label anything and I have a few others. So, now I am going to have to get them to bloom before I plant them permanently for the containers for the deck. They all have done well. I have 2 grow lights, one is a Metal Halide, and the other is an HPS, High Powered Sodium I think it stands for. The MH is for foliage and the HPS is for blooms or produce. Guess I will put those on the plants.

Actually, they might bloom without fertilizing if I just put those lights on them.

Oh, been meaning to ask you. Do you know why leaves of philodendrons will turn brown? Just along the edges? I have a split leafed variegated. Like a Monstera Think it is a Delosia or some such thing. Don't remember how you spell the name. But, sure would like to figure out what is wrong with it.

Jen ~ I think, from my experience, years ago, they suffered from sitting in standing water. You might have to repot and put fresh soil in and make sure that it drains well.

I have to hill up the ground for mine , lots of wet ground that does not naturally drain spring and fall My iris plants are not fond of that at all .. They grow and bloom but root fungus can get to be a problem ... ETC they do not live long because of that .
Only the old blue heirloom does all well , those I have and keep trying to give away for some reason . I make no sense at all do I ?

Well, sure don't know how that can be Evelyn. It is sitting right here where I keep an eye on it all the time. I will check that tho, thanks. Jen

Jnette,
Yes, the yellow one, and the white came from the same pod. That really surprised me. Both really produced huge blooms.

Blooma, here are some dots on my Angel Wing. The underpart of the leaf is burgundy and it grows very tall. In fact I threw her away last year and I now only have two young plants left. It is called Angel Wing Cane Like Begonia according to the begonia society since it is more of a noid and when I was selling them I ask them to give it a name. That is what they gave it. LOL
Tells you nothing. It gets pink flowers but I have never seen it bloom. It just grows like a weed.

That's a beautiful begonia JB. It seems to have more pointed leaves than mine did, and the spots are more blotches than mine were. Bigger blotches. Yes, mine was burgundy underneath, maybe not quite as dark. How does yours compare to JB's picture Blooma?

Here it is only a bigger plant. The first one is the size of what I have now. The other is the old stock plant that I finally just got rid of. I was so big and so cut up and ugly. This is when it was pretty and not so old and beat up. LOL

Ok, to start the new plants do you put a cutting in water, or soil?

Sorry Blomma, LOL, I copied JB and put the double o instead of the double m in your handle. :0) Jen

Jen, believe it or not, I start every cutting I take in water. Even if it is only for an hour or so, I still give them a drink before I plant them in soil. But, this one does get started in water and does quite quickly. It is a fragile plant to ship. Breaks off easily , excess heat curls up the leaves, I stopped shipping them some time ago. It has to be exactly the proper temperature to ship them and certainly not what it has been lately. Also, they hate direct sun. They like water. This plant gave me so many babies but it just outgrew itself eventually. I never saw it bloom. It is definitely a mystery bloomer.

Have any of you raised Streptocarpus? That is one I am looking at now. It is a gesneriad like an African Violet.

Jberger, that looks exactly like the begonia I had. I think I bought mine as a small plant somewhere. If I remember correctly, it produced pink blooms in clusters. I found it easy to grow. I lived in Nebraska when I had it. Had an old house with oldfashion large windows. Lost it when I divorced along with 40 houseplants. Also left my greenhouse. But, it sure was worth leaving.

That is all that matters Blomma. I cannot get one house plant to grow let alone 40.

Yes, I can't imagine why JB can't get it to bloom. This one I have, a Devil's Wing, has been blooming all winter and the poor thing has the heat register blowing on it all the time, and I forget to water it. Every one of this type of begonia has bloomed continuously.

Jnette,
It must be happy to bloom. I think begonias don't like to be constatly wet. I allowed mine to dry out a bit before watering. How yours can stand having the heat register blowing on it is beyond me. I would think the leaves would get crispy.

I have a few other begonias that bloom constantly. Tea Rose is a constant bloomer, Honeysuckle, Christmas Candy also bloom, Orange ruba is a beautiful one too. They are blooming now. The only one that did not was the Cane Like Angel Wing. I have read that it must have the kind of light it likes or it will not bloom. Mine are now in the greenhouse and the shade cloth is on. Maybe they are not getting enough of something they like.

This is the second time I have tried to send pics of plants and they disappeared when the message appears. Strange. I will try one more time just to see if it happens again. I do not know what I am doing differently on this thread that makes that happen.

This message was edited Feb 17, 2013 11:15 AM

No luck, it shows a preview and then there is no send button. I am out of here.
Now they appear. Oh Gosh...this is crazy.

This message was edited Feb 17, 2013 11:21 AM

This message was edited Feb 17, 2013 11:22 AM

JB, which ones did you say did not bloom for you? The Angel Wing? I wonder if your light is too bright for it? Even this one, which looks like the same plant as your orange one (gosh that orange is beautiful) is blooming in a daylight window, but that is on the North side and never gets sun in it. Just daylight. But, I remember the Angel Wing I had blooming, and it was in an entrance hallway with a very small window about 4 feet above it, and an entry door with a glass in it about 8 - 10 feet away, and it had a sheer curtain on it. So, you see, it didn't have much light either.

Now, the Orange one looks like my Devil's Wing, and the flowers look the same other than color. How big does it get? Tall?

Jen, I had it out of the sun mostly, I thought maybe it was not getting enough light. go the Logee's website and look up the Orange one and see what it says there. I do not know anymore how big it gets but I think it is one that does grow tall. sorry, I do not know. JB

I put a couple of cuttings in water in the kitchen window. I will see how they do. I have a ginger I just love. But, it just sits there and grows beautiful foliage. I have never had it bloom. I think most of them do. I would love to see it. Guess I should look it up and see what it needs.

I found some seaweed I had bought from Burpee a couple of years ago and had never used. Think it is time to give these plant some of it or something. Guess I will try it. jen

I never used seaweed I used that stinky fish stuff. Oh Lord that is gaggy to mix but the plants seem to like it. JB

For any of you growing impatiens plants you should be aware of the latest problem that surfaced last year and has plagued the industry ever since. It is called "downy Mildew", I do not know if this is a NJ problem only or what, but I wanted to give you a heads up. Have a good day. JB