Plant Propagation ,The Basics Continued Sept 2015

What is BES?

Where did we drop Mipii off? Where is Debra? Think everyone is deserting us JU>

Jen Black eye Susan , Goldstrum , strain ,, etc BES

Well you know Debra was not feeling well , was still trying to work , That does not leave time for threading , Especially after looking things up all day on a computer for people at work .

Mipii Has a lot to do I imagine , new seed keeper and all ,

I am doing milkweed planters , big ol tubs for the Syrica .
Found an Artimesia I had forgotten about ,

No desertion here Jen, just lots to do in the fall to get ready for winter. I had moved some things around and made sure all I had growing in pots were planted. I've been hooked on Daylilies and have been planting those all summer. Some I purchased, but the best ones came from friends (I am so blessed). I recently got onto the Lily Auction and purchased a few packets of seed that were each crossed between two beautiful cultivars and I'm waiting for my heatmat thermostat I ordered to get those seeds started.

I built a garden bench to sit in the shade and house all of my winter sown seeds in bins. Last winter I built a seed starting shelving system/light setup. My DH built me a potting table with shelves in the basement and I think I'll be nutty professoring all winter, hehe.

Ju, was the Artemisia still alive?

Debra, I hope you're okay, I've been thinking of you too.

Not real large Mipii But alive and growing it sure is ,Needs sun and it is shaded over , Good size plant it is .
Mipii Do you need any Syrica , for the seed Bank , I have multitudes once again as seeds ,Or if anyone wants any as a donation as soon as I am able I will send them .
Seeds from about 50 plants , bunches ..
Like you lots of Goldstrums ,lol purple Coneflowers .. all the common goodies .lol

I've been collecting seeds for the DG new gardener seed bank but I don't have any Asclepias for those that like to garden for cats. I don't have Purple Coneflower either. I would love for you to send me whatever you're willing to donate, heck, I'll even pay for postage. Thanks so much Ju, you're such a gem. There's a reason those common goodies are common.

Lol, you saved the Artemesia just in time...it's good to keep a close eye on things. I swear the thugs grow best when your back is turned. I've been digging Curly Mint roots all summer and still haven't eradicated it.

Wow Mipii, you are going to start seeds in the winter and you are in Michigan it looks like. That is confidence. Even with a heat mat I don't think I would try it. Not that they won't germinate or anything like that. Just don't know how much they are going to want to grow much then. Plants seem to know the time of year it is. Hope they do well for you. It is a great hobby and will sure keep you busy all winter. Can't think of a better way to pass the winter.

Keep us posted as to how they are doing.

Stratification for one thing that is Jen ,

Mipii How would like the seeds done? . I will take the seeds out of the milkweed pods . Unless you want a Giant box pods and all , Today some of the Syrica pods started opening out in the yard
Usually dust them fuzz and all and the seeds fall loose to the bottom of the baggies , it takes me forever to clean the fuzz (silk )off of those ,
Coneflowers I can clean a 2x2 baggie of without much doing ,,
I will see this weekend if I can do some ,

I don't see stratification if she has them on a heating mat JU.

That is not wintersowing when she does it in her basement on a heat mat.

I guess I misunderstood what you were saying.

I do both Jen, what needs to be stratified gets WS.

Ju, don't bother cleaning the seeds, just put a couple heads in a small box. I'll clean them as I need them. At this point, I'm not sure how many I will need to mail out. Thank-you very much for helping out.

Mipii I will put the seeds in about a 4x5 baggie , Coneflower and tithonia , require pliers , to clean , you may know , Their a mean old sticker pod .
More wood to cut . back later

Thanks Ju, do you have my address?

Mipii Addy's are in our first mail conversation Getting hot today ,
I will some pods this weekend , Crackerjack Marigold
Tithonia
Milkweed
Zinnia
A few bags to look through ,
pentstemon , Huskers red ,
A few .
I will play fill the Box .. if I get done I do , if not I will pace around all next week deciding ,to do's lol
A half done slat wooden planter for some milkweeds , it's large , it's 100 degrees on the driveway , so this evening or measure and cut the cross ties in the shade in a while

Don't fret Ju, if it gets done, it gets done. It really is the thought that counts.

100 degrees, wow! The heat made me delay re-leveling my patio under my new bench but it wasn't even 100.

Someday something I do may look that nice , lol
Nice pine Bench , Give me a book I am ready , sit there and read some ,
I like that framed Spirit Disc above the Bench also , That all looks really , really nice Robin ,

I go out , cut two slats Come back in a few minutes , then repeat ,, How to mull around ,,and still finish ,,

Hard to imagine 100 degrees JU. Our summer is over. Into fall and 78 degrees today, so they say. It is overcast now and I will be surprised if it gets to 70.

Robin your bench is very nice. As JU said, pretty. Dlid you make it? Pretty stain too.

I wintersowed one year a few years back. It was different. But, I kind of like having the winter to enjoy and tend my houseplants. Summer is for the plants I wintersowed. Could stratify and then start the seeds in the house in the spring.

JU, those boxes are from the pallets? They will last forever. I will be interested in how you finish them. i.e. keep the soil in them. Keep the pictures coming so my questions will be answered.

Jen This first one does not look as good or as useful as should , I have several in the garage that have been taken apart , so I get more tries ! lol It's easy fix if goofs though

I tried my hand at make a cutting from my Mop Head hydrangea and it is doing well

Yes Ju, that's how to mull around and still get it finished. I pretty much did the bench the same way. I'm sure your projects look just as nice. The wood looks like Pine but is Cedar, I splurged, thinking I wouldn't mess it up. There are things I could have done better (live and learn). The frame I also made out of Cedar, left over wood from my trellises, then I found the disc and thought that would look good. I should really beef up the frame with a mitered course.

Jen, I didn't stain the Cedar, I oiled it with two parts odorless mineral spirits and one part boiled linseed oil. I doubt it will stay that color, but it would be nice. My Cedar ladder shelving I built to harden off seedlings was built two years ago and wasn't oiled. It's greying now, except where the cat likes to scratch it.

Cytf...great job, what was your method, it's doing really good!

Ctyf really nice cutting , looking really good .

Mipii I was thinking Adirondack , which is Cedar actually not pine , My mistake ,Linseed oil is what we use to use for rifle stocks and such made of wood ,, tough , element resistant material Linseed oil sure is ,,
Nice project tray holder too , I remember when you built that ...


well I can still build a compost been (bin) joke there someplace , the one above , I knocked apart I did not like the way it was looking . This was not my day Not robin's Planter tray ladder , my silly stuff ,(etc ( Jen

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This message was edited Sep 24, 2015 6:58 PM

Cytf, the cutting is very nice. How long has it been since you took it off of the plant? Nice and healthy looking.

JU, it depends on what you are going to do with it as to how fancy you have to make it. Maybe you just want the rustic look. OK! Yes Mipii's projects do look nice, but what she is doing with hers may be way different than what you will be doing. So, as we used to say, "Don't sweat the small stuff." Just get 'er done. Right?

I will show some cuttings of house plants and some seedlings . later
That gadget bin and another I will show tomorrow when I am done ,
The plant talk belongs here . my gizmo stuff really belongs on another thread ,only it a little fun when feeling good ,


I have a couple willow easy cuttings going , another that did not go though , a Bougainvillea
A milkweed or two I am trying to root from cuttings for fun ,

I love that compost bin Ju, everybody needs one of those. That sure does look sturdy. I'm also a big fan of re-purposing wood. On a difficulty scale, it's much more difficult (more work too) than picking up new lumber. You had to do some engineering to make something usable out of palettes. You win in my books, it certainly was your day.

Thanks for the compliments on my piece of double duty furniture.

From what I can tell, all the gizmo stuff is about propagation...

Mipii I have an old style Tupperware Garbage can for a compost bin . re-purposing , wood is like playing with a jigsaw puzzle , or mental brain game , About the time I finished this evening , I can see in that photo above the long sides need reinforced in the middle , The corners need reinforced on the inside , and then I will panel it for use as a planter , Has six nails in each corner but still did not hold solid ,
It will probably take me weeks to fill the thing , lol

extreme being for weeds ,, milkweeds that are weeds that is

If I get there tomorrow I will show more then , Then I have a couple dollar store size plastic bags of seeds to go through ,, Plants to re-locate , and grass to cut ,,

JU, I think that pallet wood is really great. It is hardwood, ash or oak, and great to use as you are or want to. It is amazing that it is used in that way other than the fact that it is so strong. I love it. Anything you can do to put it to good use is great.

I honestly don't think it matters where you talk about either. You are building something to plant things in and that is what this thread is about. We are all interested in everything folks imaginations bring on. So no problem. As long as you fell good about what you are doing. That's the important thing. Jen

Hi Jnette. Juhr7 and Mipii, I saw a video where you take a branch of the Hydrangea close to the ground that has a little of the root and keep a few leaves on, but cut the leaves in half ,so it does not take much energy from the plant. I put it in a shaded area and watered it well. I am hoping it continues to do well so I can make a few more to give to my friends and to put one in my Church garden

Sounds really good cytf. Bet will be a big health plant next year. Good for you and good luck with the others. Hope they turn out as nice as this one appears to be.

We used to cut the Rhododendron leaves in half like that too. Besides the energy thing you noted, I think it tends to evaporate less water fromthe plant too.

Thanks for the extended explanation Cytf and thanks for sharing your success. Keep up the good work.

I was agreeing earlier with Mipii, cytf Good solid information , thank you , and show us more as the time goes along /


My today doing this gadget , My hands are tired , If I am done in four days all together , not so bad , that is the same as what would be a couple of relaxed weekends normally , first two early , last three a walk around tonight
I did not comprehend how to do the corners until I quit tonight , The panels on top will go in place after I put this in the garden , I have to have a hand hold to move this ,
I keep thinking What a Tomato bucket this would make , lol milkweeds ,,,,

Etc above , I don't have any production corners , like house siding , Soo I have to be creative , and it has to be durable , and neat looking ,lol

This message was edited Sep 25, 2015 7:28 PM

You could probably get corner stock from someone that does siding, they probably have some just lying around. If not, they should have what I call "J channel" that would finish the the corners and the top course.

Tomatoes would really love it. Nice planter Ju.

Where the Holes are at the top , it slides in behind the siding still , If I then cut the panel length wise , the bottom connect into the top . and covers the corners ,
The edges of course will look rough , because I cannot cut that as smooth as a machine ,
But , it is what I have and it will look good ,
Then when I put the planter in place , plastic liner goes inside And panels over the top edges ,
Takes me a while at my turtle speed though ,lol
We will see again how it all goes together in a few days ,
A few smaller ones to go around the large planter so it would be all covered with blooms and green during the warmer seasons , My Hope is having some fun , lol

Oh ,, two boxes of 30 ft siding , over a decade old ,that siding is . and is now mine , lol , I am wondering how long it will take me to use it all , lol ???

This message was edited Sep 25, 2015 8:28 PM

I sure get a kick out of you Ju : )

Ju just does his own thing, and as he says he is having fun;. that is what is important

Jen, it sure sounds like he's having fun!

Mipii, as you felt after making your bench, real good, you had a trip working on it didn't you? I do the same. Love working with my hands. JU is the same. Very productive. Having fun working on it jen

Jen, I'm so glad you like working with your hands too. I love doing projects, I always have too many started and not enough of them finished. I need to be more disciplined...lol, I'll probably work on that project one of these days.

Rained this morning , my thumbs are tired , I have grass to cut and motive to create , so today , ,
I will likely chase cats and butterflies and wit about later , lol
I will try the project likely anyway , a few minutes , anyway ,
Anything that takes more than a few days ,I am as Mipii says , not enough discipline
I still have several plants and some more I want to get to ,

That and this type keeps changing on it's own , really needs to quit that

corners I was talking about and some blooms
I will glue them down until I get screws to match , then some tidying to do ,
Rain and as said I am fatigued , Did get the grass cut partly , lol