Dumb question or a couple of dumb questions

UGH!!! I had my message ready and LOST IT!!!

happy_macomb: just 'plop' the cuttings/foam right into the ground. Yes, the foam will disintegrate and the roots will grow thru right into the ground.

Horseshoe: Yes, gotta keep the foam moist. In warmer weather, I keep the cuttings outside and, if ma nature cooperates, the cuttings are exposed to rain and partial sun/shade. Of course, if we don't have rain, I have to make sure that the foam doesn't dry out. When it dries, the foam will become lighter in color and weightwise. OOPS!!! I do keep the foam w/cuttings on a tray (whether outside or in).

Jan

Jan

Thank you for the info! Another question- I was looking at another thread that talked about Dip-n-Grow, I purchased some because I think it will work better than the powders. Have you tried a rooting hormone with the foam method?

plantnutga

plantnutga: No, never have used a rooting hormone. Errrrr, that 'may' be a 'lie'...I have been using "MegaGro" for approx. 5 years and I'll swear by it! MG is gibberellic acid (plant growth hormone) and I have seen 'DEAD' plants come back to life using it as a foliar spray only. I try to be organic but sometimes you gotta give plants that little extra nudge! When Spring arrived this year I was a BAD plant mommy and lost several plants to mealy bug (...hmmmm...so that's what it looks like!!!! LOL!!!...) but did manage to save some of the plants by cleaning with alcohol (...saved my butterfly amaryllis...!). Anyway, I usually try to spray the foliage weekly with a mix of the H20/MG and, water with the H20/H202 mix. (I TRY)

When I prepare the foam for cuttings I soak the block 1st (sometimes with the water/hp or just plain ole water), then 'poke' holes in for the cuttings and, after inserting the cuttings in the holes I will spray them with the MG mix. Not very consistent, hey?!?!

Hmmmmm....since I'm gonna do more cuttings tonite I shall experiment. I'll do one foam block with just plain, unadulterated, water to soak and spray the cuttings. The other block I will use water and hd when I soak and will spray w/water and MG. I'll document changes as I see them and will post the results (most likely by the end of Oct the latest), OK?!

Below is a pix of foam with rooted cuttings. Just 'plop' it in the garden or container/pot. I just use plain potting soil. Any other ?'s just let me know!

Jan, I would love to hear how the Mega experiment goes!

Rubbing alcohol works great on scale, too- dissolves their little ectoskeletons. I used to rub down my plumeria when needed. I hate to say it but I was kind of cheered by the sight of them dissolving......"I'm melting!"

I put a spray top on my rubbing alcohol to use on plants if needed, also on my skin- I rash up pretty easily so after working with something that makes me itch (or scratches me- like bromeliads or roses) I wash my hands & forearms w/ soap & water, then spray with alcohol.

Uh, oh, this is starting to sound like an infomercial...........

:)

The alcohol helps the allergic itching? That's great to know -- infomercial or not!

It works great. I just spent 5 years working in wholesale nursery, just looking at a juniper makes me itch! The first thing I would do after coming in from taking photos for a customer was to run in the ladies room, wash up, then spray down. It would crack the workers up when they walked up to my desk a second later and it smelled like a bar
(smell goes right away but it's pretty potent for a second there!)

Now I work at a bank, so I've got my spray at home for gardening and one at work for when someone sneezes all over my computer or coughs into the phone.......

You just reminded me of plants that give me skin irratation(s). When I hunt around in my tomato patch I get a 'weird' rash, on my hands, that itches and burns and I recall someone saying that alcohol would help AND, it does!

By the way, here's the addy for the MG: www.megagro.com

Jan

Instead of using Lysol you spray your area with alcohol? WOW! A whole lot cheaper!

Boy, do I hear you on the 'work" thing...I'm a Receptionist and whenever I come back from lunch I spray my area and I don't get sick as often as I did prior to my 'spray away the yuckies'. Same thing as when I enter and/or leave a restroom, I will NOT touch the door/handle. Geez...that just made me think of the 'spinach/e-coli thing'... perhaps someone didn't wash their hands or...ICKY YUCKY!!!

:)

thank you, Jan!

By the way, the 'Seed Sprout' that is advertised on the site- that looks like those water-holding polymer crystals. If so I have some I might experiment with. hmm....

oops! simul-posting.....

Years ago a coworker who used to work for whoever makes Lysol told me that the main ingredient is alchohol

Lysol makes me sneeze, so...

:)

Plantnut, if you know of any Moreys in your area, that would be my brother and sister in law. She works in a bank, though I'm not sure which one. It's a small world.

Carla

Plantnut, Junipers give me the itchies too, I'll have to remember the alcohol treatment.
Thanks.

That was really helpful to me -- I didn't realize it was the Juniper that made me itch, but I have Junipers and I itch when I work in that area of the yard, so it must be!

I tried floral foam a couple of years ago with begonias (leaf cuttings and cane cuttings) and had poor results with it. It may be better with hardwood cuttings. I had better luck with Jiffy pellets for this particular group of plants.

Junipers make me itch, too. And unfortunately, so do Christmas trees, at least the varieties we've chosen each year. Gloves while decorating, anyone?

w

bump

Some most valuable (and wonderful variety) of tidbits here ..

((thanks .. JanLynn, plantnutga and hcmcdole))

- Magpye

Hi All -

I'm new to DG and new to gardening, although I've been luky thus far with the majority of my plants... but wanted to learn something about propagation and WOW.... this thread not only answered some of my questions, but contained tons of really useful information that I'm going to try out.... Thank you so much!!!!!

Kathy

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Great thread folks thanks so much....who knew about that floral foam.......gonna try that on the "difficult cuttings".....thanks again :)

My sentiments exactly! Very informative! Thanks...

This thread took on a life of it's own. I guess it wasn't a dumb question after all. LOL.

Big Bump ^_^

2 and a half years and counting. LOL.

thanks for the bump

:)

bump :)

I don't know Core. The only time I tried to root Camelias, I used the old bucket of wet sand in the woods method, and I got almost 90% takers. I lost probably 10% of them trying to get them apart (roots had thoroughly entwined), but I made my cuttings on new growth in the spring.

Forsythe pots work well for camellias too. They do take a long time to put out roots, but they are so worth the wait.

I was not familiar with Forsythe pots so I googled them and this is what I came up with. It looks like a good method to start cuttings although I would probably forget and let the water evaporate.

http://www.plantswap.net/forum/f25/propagating-cuttings-using-forsythe-pots-1264/

Several friends and I went in on the coleus co op and we have 30 different varieties coming with the intention of sharing cuttings. This set up should work well.

Never heard of Forsythe pots so the thread keeps going.

Stono you notice this thread is from back in 2006??

I'm giving a talk on propagation on Tuesday so the Forsythe pots article came in handy as one more way to make more plants.

I wonder where that name came form???? It sounds so Savannah-ish.

LOL, yes it does.

I kind of stumbled onto the article one fall and tried it. I love to root things that way now. I will have to start collecting some more terracotta pots and corks for this year though.

I have found that sometimes the clay pots leach out the water pretty quick and some do not. You just have to watch them.

wow I have learned so much. Floral foam and honey great tips. Cant wait to try them both.also thank you to all the people who take time to explain things to those of us who are new to propagating. I feel dumb for all the money I have spent when I could have started my own plants. never again., thank you thank you thank you

belladoll-

please, never, ever feel dumb...we've all 'been there, done that', that's how one learns-from their mistakes and believe me, we've ALL made them :)

Blessings and good luck!! Jan

LOL, there is a great thread on another forum (roses maybe) about admitting your biggest gardening goof and it is a verrrrrry long thread.

Not only do we all make mistakes but many of us are guilty of zone denial too. :-)