Plant Propagation -Part 2 -The Basics

Amanda...

That's awesome!! Thanks much....

Nancy

If I could make my own patchouli incense, the risk would be worth it. Datura isn't as fragrant as moonvine, and is so aggressive, it's not worth it, and oleander, which I used to have, is megamega toxic, and only really blooms once a year, so I didn't plant any after I moved.

If i.knew then what I know now wouldn't have planted the datura either! A friend gave me a small plant at an RU for my dogs memory garden because it is white.

I didn't think it would return over winter, but it does and is huge! I bother to prune dead flower stems/ seed pods so the number of buds is immense. I do well not to release these seeds, and the show is worth the effort. Last year I had 44 blooms on one plant one night.

The patchouli is still acclimating to filtered light and the high heat outside after their transplant. Right after I posted about rooting the small cutting I planted on the same pot outside. The top was promptly snapped off by something. It was small but had nice roots so maybe it will return.

Can't believe you all consider Datura invasive! For us up here in the cooler zones, it's an exotic annual!

a lot of things that are not invasive up north are a major nuisance in the south. By the same token if koi get loose in a Texas lake they do not live through summer's heat, because our lake water temps can hit the mid 90s if there isn't aeration and there is drought, both of which are normal conditions. Texas only has one natural lake, the rest are all manmade.

Koi are in the mississippi river and I think heading for Lake Michigan?

I do realize that zone plays a big part. Just had no idea Datura was one of those nasties for you guys!

I had a datura a few years back PFG, and I had it in a raised bed with real rich soil and fertilized it every week along with all the rest. Wow, you should have seen it go!! Well, I thought it was pretty cool when I saw the seed pods growing, and then it dawned on me what was going to happen the next year!! So, I grabbed those things off of there every time I saw them growing. I could just see them all over the place out there. But, I have to say it was an interesting plant.

You know the wild morning glories? Well, West of us in Seattle area, aone 8, they are just terrible. Their roots will grow as big around as your finger. Here in Eastern Washington, zone 5 we MIGHT get a very skimpy one growing, but not so as you would notice it. They don't normally make it thru our cold winters. That is the difference in zones.

I have a few Delphinium Elatum seeds that germinated after four months in the fridge , I started them the same time I started the beans in the spring ,,
patience , patience ,, lol

Wow, that is real patience. Will they grow there in the winter? They are so beautiful but I do not think they grown here. To hot and to windy in the spring.

I just ordered some pink Mexican bird of paradise seed. Anyone try growing those. I know they germinate easy but I have not seen any around town. I need to Google them. May be spending the winter in the garage.

I will let you know JU. Congratulations on your patience.

Sharon

What are you guys doing on here?

Were talking about plants ,
DELPHINIUM the Elatum are hardy to zone 3 , in higher zones they have trouble 7 or 8 is as far as they go , i believe
I have a lot of seedlings I try for fall growing it doesn't work out so well often, only okay at it ..
My yarrow is up this afternoon , 3 days after planting , and some gaillardia got planted yesterday ,12 days from seed, to pot, to garden . Mustard only took 7 days , Wow was that fast , greens do that though ..
I moved some Coronation gold yarrow last year , it didn't like it . now I have to wait for starters , hoping , and my Lupines didn't bloom this year .success and failure or near so, is constant with the garden..
nice chatting with you back later
Shaon ; thanks for asking and good luck with the Bird of Paradise , I am not good with tropicals ..

JU, how come you are planting seeds this time of year? I love yarrow. I have red and then a mix of Adobe I think they called it, can't remember, but it is so pretty. Are you planting for next year? Do you want some seed from them? They usually have a lot. I sure would try if you want some.

I love delphiniums but the wind always ruins them so I don't plant any more. I tried everything but just couldn't save them. What is that one you just said you got seeds for?

What does the mustard look like? Jen

Delphinium Elatum , are it all it says , old seeds from someones storage is all they were probably .
Brasssica Nigra ,(mustard) small leaves are edible , plant is kind of toxic though . more for Buttterflies than me , needed new seeds of that .
I have a small rose yarrow that blooms forever also , I like (love) those all season bloomers.
We can do a mail chat in a while about the seeds .. Thank you for the offer (the red is interesting )
The white I got seeds of is milllifolium Not a hybrid or a named that I am aware of .. I will hope it looks good,

Here you go;
one is Brassica Nigra 8 days old and running
Two is Gaillardia Grandiflora , no big deal .. about 12 days
4 & 5 Feverfew about 14 days tiny like Yarrow and Lavender when they start .

Lookin' good JU. I love watching the plants grow from seed, but have never tried direct sow. Yours really look good. Fun.

I love delphinium, but short of buying it in a pot from a northern clime, I can't have it.

Gypsi ; You do Larkspur and Lupine that don't do well here though , don't you ?

I do wild larkspur. The kind that come in wildflower seed mixes for Texas. The only lupine is Texas bluebonnet, and while I get the occasional plant, it rarely lives long enough to bloom. probably too much water in my beds. We all grow what will grow where we live. a Wildflower mix native to your area may be pricey but it is a wonderful thing. I spent $30 the year my old dog died, 2006, for his "memorial garden". and at a teaspoon a year, I'm still using it and still have some. This was taken in 2009, you can see the wildflowers behind me. That area is now garden, the wildflower areas are changed around a bit each year. The lap dog in front is Bronx.

Sharon, I grew the MX BOP from seed last year.

I was so pleased with it. I had a hard time overwintering it, but it thrived in my iguana' s room where high heat, high humidity and very bright/direct Sun. When spring came I moved it out when I though it was warm enough but we had one of those unexpected temperature dips. It wasn't freezing, but low enough to shock the plant. It collapsed. We continued to have cool wet spring so I brought it back in. It stalled. It started to show some new tips along the small woody trunk. By the time it went back outside the damage was too far gone and it died.

I was/am very unhappy about it. I was SO looking forward to blooms. It does not bloom the first season from seed, as I recall. Someone recently sent a few seeds in trade. I will try again and hope to do better.

Hi,

I need advice on the best way to propagate two plants.

The first is blueberries. I bought about 10 bushes in 1 gallon containers early this spring. They have since been transplanted into 15 gallon containers, and are filling out and fruiting nicely. I hope to be able to root cuttings to increase the amount of bushes for my ES. He wants to add a choose and pick berry patch to our farm.

The second plant is a Leyland Cypress. Has anyone ever tried rooting them from cuttings? I'm totally clueless when it comes to taking cuttings from these plants and would appreciate any advice on how to do it. I have three small trees in one gallon containers right now, to experiment with. These trees are becoming popular as Christmas Trees in our area, and will grow in our climate, so we are interested in adding them to our Choose and Cut Tree Farm.

Other than that, I guess I am interested in propagating any plant that will provide food for hummingbirds and butterfly's. I have a small area in my yard and gh set aside just for them.

We have set aside a big part of the farm as a natural native garden. I am always looking for poppy and lupine seeds. The past few years have been very dry and I've seen very few wildflowers. Sigh. I am looking to replace native wildflowers that seem to have gone missing in my community. Mostly due to farming and development. In the case of the Chocolate Lily, the lore around here is that one of the girls my FIL went to school with, picked the last one in the area, because she loved it so much. I found a new source for the Chocolate Lily, and hope I have a suitable microclimate to plant it in. Rain would really help, though.

Hoping someone can help me out with the cuttings. : - )

Walk In Beauty~
SingingWolf

I am new at Blueberries myself , fall is the best time for cuttings is all I know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-TtgRfZgyk


Let's see if this link works , there's a few things here about it .

Thanks juhur7,

I never thought to look on YouTube. It appears to be about the same as starting Lantana, which I will also be propagating this fall. Last fall I bought a flat of Lantana, and let it sit in the GH until I could get to it. It sat there until the spring, and I guess it's a good thing I ignored it, because I got over 60 lantana plants out of that flat. Some cuttings hadn't rooted though. Although, the video showed covering the cuttings with perlite, the Lantana were just covered with potting soil. I think I'll try a mix of perlite and sand. It is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Just requires a large dose of patience.

DH reminded me that we're going to the Christmas Tree Growers Convention in September, so perhaps I can ask one of the other growers there if they know how to start cuttings from the Leyland Cypress. Unless someone else has something?

Thanks again for your help and the link for the YouTube video. I did find it helpful. : - )

Walk In Beauty~
SingingWolf

Your welcome !!! Practice is everything along with never ending patience ,, ""those plants of ours , won't always do just what we want them to""
Sounds like something I have heard about before LOL
Good luck with your cuttings and garden , I have been covering runner stems of Penstemon today .

Branches of plants that lay on the ground are my favorites for propagating ,,
Wouldn't look to good if they all did that though ..^_^

Thanks again, juhur7. I've never propagated plants by the laying the branches on the ground on purpose, but I've found things that rooted on their own. Like honeysuckle, and one sage plant.
We'll see how it goes.
WIB~
SW

After all this . . . I am still a novice when it comes to rooting cuttings. Frankly I've been challenged by my seed starting too this year, but I am so traumatized by trying to root cuttings, I am always afeared. Is that a word? Well I am.

'afeared' is a very good Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn word.....

Ju... I wasn't aware that you could propagate penstemon that way.... I'm going to give it a try. I love those plants.... There are so many and they are all so pretty!
I planted a 'mystica' this year and it was gorgeous... I dead headed it and am hoping to see more blooms this fall.

I also love this pretty pink and white one... it's called 'Thorn'...

Amanda... how can you be 'afeared' with a giant lizard in your lap? I think you must be fairly 'brave'!! I hear you've had tons of moisture this year.... please send some of your rain my way... we are in the high 90's and 100's here and everything is drying out... my poor garden can't get enough water.... I keep telling my kitties that laying on top of my poor dry, stressed out plants may keep them cool... but it doesn't do much for my plants! -:)

Have a great day all!! Nancy

Nancy ~ Are you going to try and take some cuttings of your 'Mystica'? I think I will give them a try. I have many things I would like to try. Also many,many old seeds that I did not want to throw out....many of them I will seed this summer/fall/winter.

What should be left out of all this would be just summer veggies. So a lot of hardy annuals, biennials and perennials need to get out of their packets...too old to put in trades, and some that I have received in trades. I was not able to start anything from seed last year, so I will try again.

I have so far sown some foxglove, campanula, and pansies...and various others. I put them outside in my square foot garden (4' X 4') raised bed. I prepared the soil, then put a mix of peat and vermiculite on the top, so they would come up easily. Then I put some flats over them to keep them shaded, yet still have some light. I need to prick out the hollyhocks already! The foxglove are many, many...will be a challenge.

Wow Evelyn.... what a great idea... sounds like you did exactly what the seeds needed... you are going to have lots of pretty flowers!! Campanula are so pretty aren't they?

I think I will try propagating the mystica this year... just waiting for fall... we've had so much heat here I have no energy.... by the time I get home from work I am just drained. I think a big part of it is the drive home... my AC went out in my car for the third time and I refuse to spend any more money on this car as it's nearly 13 years old. My last attempt cost me almost $1,800.00 - AC repairs and some electrical... so driving home in these temps with one window that won't roll down is just too much heat.... by the time I get home...(takes me about a half hour to 40 minutes) I am so hot I have no energy. When fall rolls around and the temps lower I will get some things into the propagator and do some more gardening.

I just got my first "Old House Gardens" catalog today and plan to read it tonight when I get home... almost done for the day... just closing the computer here at work.

Have a great evening! Nancy

Wonder why they can't seem to fix your a/c Nancy. Bob took the Ford over to a fellow who specializes in Subares, but we have used him before on more than those and he is pretty good. Fixed the A/C for $75 but, it is still making a klunking noise. Actually, I must correct that. He was on vacation in Alaska and has hired 2 guys and one of them did the work. So, maybe we will take it back when he is there.

Yes, there comes a time in a vehicle's life when it becomes expensive to keep them. I sure know what you mean. But, I just hate car payments. Unless you can afford to pay cash for one-- - - - - - I just refuse to pay $30,000 + for a car. Won't do it. Sorry Sharon, I know you all do, but I just don't have it. Would be nice.

Well, going to read and go to bed. 'nite all, jen

Well yarrow came up today , the rose that just got dry as seeds , more pretty for next year ,(hopefully . More to come ..

Begining at $25 chevy here , the previous went in the wind (or something like that)

I can't be in my right mind to be starting seeds this time of year. For annual plants no less! Well, a couple that are edible. With this odd weather who can say what will come in the fall/winter? I'm going to speculate that the season for fall colors will start earlier than usual but be magnificent! Years when we have drought everything looks so tired. I've seen several people post that fall is their favorite season, mine too. It might be lovely if we had an extended autumn as we did with spring.

As it relates to propagation ... oh season is typically so long I consider the time to germinate and duration to bloom time. Or production for edibles. Even then I could cover things as weather in November is unpredictable once you get past a point.

I am using the Deno method with small amounts of seed to ensure germination. Spring weather was unkind to my seedlings and some things that went out from th house and succumbed to a temperature dip overnight.

I'm going to start some greens. Particularly collards for my iguana. I can't say I eat them. We will have cherry tomatoes till frost.

I am trying to sprout some uncommon native wildflowers I sought out from someone in FL. For my butterflies of course. Carphephorus coryumbosum may be the proper spelling of the botanical Florida paintbrush otherwise.

I was amazed when I opened one container to see the sprouts growing right thru the paper, but oh! How disappointed when unrealized it was not the wildflower but an ornamental pepper plant. I got my containers mixed up. :/

I checked my journal for the last time I tried to sprout these seeds, and it did take over a month.

I will keep watching.

Is anyone else starting seeds for fall?

Me again , Mustard so far , I doubt I make it to the Kale . I will certainly try though ..
Good morning

Oh I forgot the kale!

I direct sowed seed in a neighbor's raised bed for Lancinato kale. It's commonly called dinosaur kale and my Ig loves it. I traded for this seed in the spring, but I held some back incase the direct sow didn't work....and it didn't.

I put some seed starting medium in a small container with a snap top lid and just sprinkled what was left of the kale on top. The seeds are so tiny! My containers sit atop the refrigerator to those that require heat. I saw a few days ago that I had sprouts (yay!) andd will watch them closely till I can transplant them to cells.

Since Kale is perennial , so I am told , I thought I would wait until the 90 degree temps pass .
Killed a few plants waiting to long this spring , '
trying not too start too early for fall .
Guess this, Guess that ,

Haha. A lot of it is trial and error. Mostly error this spring, which is why I'm being so vigilant now.

Also started some calendula within the last few weeks and the seedlings are begging for transplant. They are fast growers, and I remembered yesterday that they will scrap out very quickly if you don't transplant them up when they are 2"-3".

With it staying hot here , during the day, Blanket flowers and Feverfew are in the ground and growing ,
Two weeks from seed to garden , admitting I still have more of the flowers to plant (and they are ready and have been ) Only that was fast ,, zoom baby !!!!
I still have Campanula , yarrow , two kinds , and Delphiniums to plant , Have three white swan Coneflowers waiting also .. and grown from seed.

Might try more carrots in the garden , only my soil is not good for them .

This message was edited Aug 24, 2013 6:13 AM

Amanda ~ Thanks for reminding me to sow my calendula. I have one plant that lived for three years, but it looked rather scrappy in the middle of July. I cut off the dead parts and just sowed some seeds from the plat in situ.

Most often the deer will eat them, or at least give them a good haircut. That one plant lived through our cold winter and hot summer and the deer pruning. I think they prefer cool....that I cannot give them for very long.

I get so busy in fall and spring my seed-starting gets put on the back burner or not at all, so summer and winter seem to be a good time. Especially if the weather is not ideal for doing any serious gardening. Right now we have a lot of smoke in the air from some of the larger fires. It usually blows away by afternoon. Then I can do a little more. It is the in "unhealthy air quality". At least for me anyway. I am sniffling and sneezing like crazy.

Ju ~ I am going to start some more lettuce today. The one I sowed a while back has not come up yet. I remember that it takes a long time when I sow them in this heat, but I rather skip the harden-off process if I can. More time for other gardening.

Jen, I did pay more than $30,000 for my SUV, cash. It is now 12 years old. I think I have got my monies worth. And I am smarter now than I was 12 years ago about cars. Pretty soon Vern and I are going to need a car for both of us. He is having problems getting out of his and getting into mine. Mine is high off the ground and many individuals have problems getting in. We really only need one car. We can probably sell mine and his and pay cash for another car. Jen, I am with you. I do not like car payments.

Amanda, I have some pink Mexican Bird of Paradise seeds to start. I have the garden area all ready. I was going to start them in pots, outside, under a dome in partial shade. Still very warm. I have just been fighting this cold and have not got it done.

Evelyn, currently my baby brother is in Reno and from photos he has posted on Facebook, you would think the fire was there. The smoke is so thick it is actually on main street in downtown Reno.

I grew collard greens because they are so good for you. I tried them many ways and decided thy are not for me. I add kale to my salad but i do not want a salad of nothing but kale. But I am now 71 years old. I do not think anything I do now will make that much difference in my longevity. Except maybe sugar and salt consumption. I only have one cup of coffee a day. Amanda cannot ay that. But my hard work in the garden probably will.

I sat around today and watched TV. Oh my goodness, how boring. We missed a big thunder storm and hail. But we are suppose to have big time rain tonight. So is Evelyn and even Nancy if the flow turns West instead of East.

Nancy, if your DH can build a car he can fix your air conditioner. He can go to a wrecked auto yard and get an AC unit and install it. Got to get to these AC guys in the winter when they are starving. I have been there and done that when I was younger. One of the big time businesses in Las Vegas is now used tires. I remember when my dad could fix a car and Vern could fix a car. Now you need a special wrench just to get the cover off the engine.

Anyway Nancy, may the good car fairy bless you with a car that has working windows, air conditioning and heating.

There was a report in today's paper. You can make more money in Nevada being on welfare than you can make in wages. Average of $31,900 in benefits.

My guava tree is loaded with fruit. I have no idea what a guava even tastes like. Our neighbors bought it for us on our 30th wedding anniversary. Has beautiful orchid looking blooms but this is the first year for fruit. Usually they have dropped off.

Amanda, I am with you. What will winter bring. I guess God only knows. 117 degrees first week in June and 88 degrees in 3rd week of August. Lower temperatures because of tropical storm.

Anyway, I have rambled on to long here. I guess I am getting stir crazy.

Amanda, nice to see you drop in to say hello.

Hugs to you all, Sharon

Can't believe they have a used tire business there Sharon. Can't buy retreads here and can't even buy one new tire here. Have to get all 4 or none. Amazing.

Do the BOP take 5 years to bloom there Sharon, like they do everywhere else?

Can't imagine why you and Vern both need new cars Sharon. Seems to me that you could figure out, with all the new cars out there, one that would satisfy both of you. As little as you each drive them. Silly. And a real waste of money. Must have money to throw away. Sorry, just my thriftyness coming thru.

Well, guess I will read for a bit and go to bed. ttyl,