Hope I catch you here getting set for the big to-do in just two weeks!! No pressure I'm sure.
I got tired of waiting for the promised cuttings, plants from about half a dozen sources to surface for the elusive Salvia sagittata, so when I ran across one today in a 5 gallon can, I grabbed it!! Will try to do some cuttings for you, I'm not the most attentive plant Mom when it comes to rooting cuttings......but I'll give it a go and let you know how they do. :-)
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Wooohooo!!!
You are a truly amazing shopper!
I asked over at Annie's and they said that their cuttings are aborting or some excuse. I just shrugged.
I will trade you anything......a 100K horse interest you?...lol. I do a lot of Salvia cuttings. Dmail me if you'd like to go over any procedures I've used. The pics of your new baby are just marvellous. Now you can see why I'm so hot for this one. The flowers are on such slender stems they look like they're floating....and that color!!!
Happnestance, you are really something...Congrats on your new Salvia.
Best to you,
Don
Don, I'm sure others could benefit from your "cuttings" technique so why not post it here! I'm pretty sure my failure has usually been lack of attention to the cuttings. I have a greenhouse to act as a nursery.
I'm ready to shape this plant and take quite a bit off of it in the process. Waiting with clean soil and pots at the ready and rooting compound should it be needed. :-)
No trade necessary.......but come next year when we move, I might call upon you for a special something.
And a horse would not be a good idea. They are gorgeous creatures, but they don't like me and never have:
Age 5 - thrown viciously from the back of "Satan" at summer camp. Who would name a horse Satan and have kids ride it??? LOL
Various and sundry encounters during the next decade until the summer I was 15. Two incidents convinced me I was not meant to be around horses. Horseback riding with the girl friends when my horse took an instant dislike to me so Bev and I switched mounts. She was on the horse, but was distracted and the horse bolted, came for me and left a nasty set of toothmarks on my right thigh. Mere weeks later in Minnesota a horse threw me in a pine forest and a friend and I rode back to the barn double.
In my mid-30's the teenage girl next door had a lovely older horse and she would sometimes let the horse roam around their backyard. If the horse could see me, he would come and stand by the fence and growl like a dog. It was hysterical and he only did it when I was around.
I'd rather trade you a couple of plants for your growing instructions!
hahahahaha, I love hearing stories of horsiehorror. If you'd have asked me three years ago if I'd be the owner of a performance horse breeding ranch I'd have laughed my tooshie off...well here I am...go figure.
Salvia propagation from cuttings is rather simple, as it is with most of the mint family. Tip cuttings work well but straight cuttings with active axilliary buds are best. Rooting powder (any kind, but Root Tone seems to work best) combined with Dr. Scholl's foot powder works almost without fail. Plant cuttings into peat-perlite 50-50 seed mix that is pre-moistened. Mist daily or overhead water daily in a shady spot or in the greenhouse with bottom heat at about 75-80f.
The trick is to keep leaves moist, especially with the tropical Salvias like sagittata. I will be happy to send you a rooted cutting of S. cacaliifolia (Guatemalan sage from Chiapas, Mexico to Guatemala) it is called Cacalia or "genus like Senecio". It's pretty rare and very much like sagittata's foliage.
Happenstance, could you be more of a plantswoman? Holy smokes, I'm really impressed with your diligence....
Are you growing Pitaya?, I have access to documented, accessioned cuttings from Mexico if you're interested.
best,
Don
combined with Dr. Scholl's foot powder works almost without fail.
Candy, that is one beautiful flower -- congratulations. And thanks for the cuttings info, Don.
Good shopping must have been in the air. We made a trip up to Tree of Life Nursery today. Unfortunately, we were not expecting rain and weren't dressed for lingering, so we didn't get to looky-loo as much as we wanted to. However, we did come home with a few nice plants and a good San Diego natives book. Will definitely go back when we can walk around -- it's a lovely place.
Hiya Happenstance,
You know Annie...I don't. I did order a few Salvias from her this year so that we could get onto her database, yet Unavailable seems to be the word of the day on her availability list. I've never been to her gardens/nursery, however it looks amazing. You'll be great with sagittata.
Dr. Scholl's foot powder contains the one thing in it that propagation powders seem to have missed all along. TALC and the antibacterial properties of this natually occurring mineral. I could tell you to go and crush a bunch of soapstone into your cutting mix, however that would be a little on the drdon side of reality....lol. Talc is amazing stuff, it fights anaerobic bacterial activity better than cornstarch...btw, which is also a good rooting powder, yet does not coagulate and create a 'root barrier' for the developing roots to drive through. It also has a lot of calcium which is essential for cell elongation and root tip elongation.
I'm no expert...but science IS my bag, and knowing what makes them tick makes me happy...lol
You've got a deal on the pitaya cuttings...accessioned by UNAM.
best to you,
Don
I think one of the issues with Annie's is that they are having a hard time keeping up with the demand and the weather has been so lousey for the last several months. The major portion of their stock goes to high end nurseries.
The deed is done and the cuttings are in the greenhours, so say a little prayer for them....like I said I think my major failing with cuttings is inattention on my part. I will watch them like a hawk and see if I can get good results for you. Stay tuned. :-)
Don, thanks for explaining about rooting. So many things appear to be black magic at first until one understands..
And tis is the beauty of Dave's, so many people helping the rest of us to understand.
....Dr. Scholl's foot powder ....wow, that's a truely useful hint. Who knew?! Thanks Don!
Karen :~D
Don....this should be posted in a forum used by all DG'ers...not just the CA Forum...IT would be helpful to ALL of us!! Jo PSSST....see ya soon!
and this little tid bit made my month...reallly gosh i love this place.
Don, is there something specific to Dr Scholl's or will any talc work?
I'm imagining that any talc will work. Especially pure talc. However there are some antibacterial ingredients in Dr.Scholl's that might be advantageous for your propagation needs.
Thanks, Don -- we're a Gold Bond family, so I wondered if that would also work. :-)
I Gold Bond will be great! I only use Dr. Scholl's in the greenhouse because it's cheaper and Pam doesn't get angry with me by finding her Gold Bond in the greenhouse before putting on her riding boots....lol. Men!!
LOL -- I should prob get some to keep in the garage for gardening boots!
What a great tip about Dr Scholl's!
I was just perusing this thread, Don, I'm going to try this foot powder for propagation purposes.....thanx so much for the info! We live and learn everyday!!!!!!!! Elaine, from the West Coast of BC
