Propagation pictures & such, Part II

That is absolutely true, Gail! What works for one person, does not always work for someone else... that can be said in all of gardening, for all types of plants. Our locations, weather, climates, and even elevation play a role in what we do and how we do it. But it is nice the have so much information out there, and all the suggestions are great! Based on each of us own experiences, we can "tweek" the information, to best suit us and our environment.

Thanks again for all the help and info...

Karen

Finally... here is the photo of my seedling 'Daniel...'

Oops! Guess I should attach the photo... hehe!!!

Wow It IS tiny!! ;o) Just kidding!

I sent that last one before you sent the picture. Never mind, it's not funny now... LOL

Now that I've looked at the picture...It doesn't look that bad. Give it some extra humidity. That should help some, but I still think the heat is affecting them. All my seedlings, though much smaller than that one, are flopped over like that and they've not looked like that before. I don't know what else to blame it on but the heat. I think it will be fine and will perk up as soon as this heat wave decides to break.

Oh I must be tired... it took at least thirty seconds before I got that! ROFL!!!

LOL I started to edit it out, but worried that you might have read it already and didn't want you to be offended. You know I'm a nut, so just ignore me... LOL

I really do think it will be fine. :o)

I'm not even going to discuss the outside plants I'm losing because of this heat and drought...

Don't I know it! We had about a week of cloudy drizzly weather, after weeks of this horrid heat. EVERYTHING just took off growing and blooming outside! It's as if they were saying, "Aaahhhh!!! Relief from the hot sun!"

Now we're right back in it again. Uughhh!!!

It poured rain not 10 miles to the west of us today, and we didn't get the first drop. I sure was hoping for a little bit of that storm to pass over us.

I know it's way off topic, but in a way, it IS propogation! LOL!!!

I wanted to share a couple photos of my caterpillars... hope no one minds!

This photo shows three different sizes of monarch cats...

Those are FABULOUS!!! They look way different than that first picture you sent me. Please keep posting as they grow. I want some of those!! LOL

I call this fella "Fat Boy"!!!

The photo I sent you by dmail was of a baby luna moth cat. The photos above are monarch butterly cats.

This is one of the lunas now... taken today...

OK Maybe I don't need any of them, because I don't even know what I'm looking at. I'm a plant nut, not a caterpillar nut! LOL

They're all gorgeous, whatever they are! Love seeing these pictures. :o)

It's rewarding... the girls get so much out of it, and are learning about science, animals, and our environment.

I am working on a childrens book as well...

Another question for you gals that have been doing this alot longer...

My episcia 'Choc. Velour' is covered with buds, and appears to be getting ready to bloom in earnest. I would like to try pollinating the flowers, to see if I can get seed from it to share with everyone. Can someone tell me the best possible way to do this? I was thinking of taking an artist's fan-tip brush and trying to do it, but I'm really not sure I'll know what I'm doing.

I could alo try this with 'Kee-wee', if my cat would stop nibbling the blooms off of it! She loves the little red blooms! Doesn't touch anything else... just the blooms.

Anyway... thanks in advance...

Karen

VA Wild Rose...I am truly impressed!! The photos...that you're using them to help teach your kids...and that you're writing a children's book! That is so awesome!!

lol at RainGazer's joke...you crack me up. ; )

By the way, Rain...it's even funnier that it backfired and your reaction... ; )

LOL cjo!! Glad I could provide entertainment...even if it's at my own expense. LOL ;o) My grandmother would have told me, "Now see, that's what you get for trying to be cute." :oP

lol!!

I want one.

You girls are funny! (Good morning by the way...)
Thanks Cheryl... the cats are really cool to raise... I especially like the monarchs. When they pupate and hatch, they will hang around with you for a long while before they take off and fly. My girls have yet to be here when I've had them hatch... I so want them to be able to hold one before it takes flight.

Here's another of "Fat Boy". He (or she) is probably less than a week from pupation.

And another view of the luna cat... they have weeks to go before they pupate, and they won't hatch this year. Their cocoons will winter over, and will hatch in the spring.

VAWildRose: Awesome! That is just so cool! I think it would be so neat to raise cat's and watch them change and grow! How in the world did you decide to begin this project? I love it! I would love to try it but wonder about what our 4 cats would think?! Where do you keep them? I have a huge screened pool enclosure that I would love to turn into a butterfly/moth nursery! Do these critters survive winter time temp's?


How old are your girls? What a wonderful education for them! Oh, I so hope they get to be able to hold one before they fly away!

My daughters are 7, 8, and 9. I started this two years ago, when we came upon a monarch caterpillar by accident. It is actually not a new idea. Go over to the Hummingbirds and Butterflies forum... there are alot of people here on DG that do it, and many on a much larger scale than I do. Many are in Florida, Lin.

As to where I keep them... so far this year I have them in cages made from Gladware containers (the idea of another DGer over at H&B), on my windowsill in the bedroom. It is simply too hot on my balcony to leave them outside. A photo below...

Your screende in pool house would be a great butterfly sancuary! I have three cats (the real kind) indoors, and they don't pay any attention to the caterpillars.

That is really Amazing ... what a wonderful idea! I think I might like to try it sometime .... maybe next spring when I have time to do a bit of research. Would want to make sure I had the right kinds of host plants for the right kinds of caterpillars!

Thanks for the info on the H&B forum .... I haven't been over that way in quite awhile! I must check it out more often! Keep us posted on your soon to be winged wonders!

Thanks Lin! I'm hoping I haven't offended anyone by posting over here about it.

Nah .... Amy won't mind I'm sure! She is a sweetie and very busy right now doing corrections in the Plant Files!!

Va_Wild_Rose....your 'cats' are really neat! Here is an article on pollinating episcias. I truly wish you luck on your Chocolate Velour. Be sure to let us know if you are successful.


http://www.blossoms-birds-butterflies.com/ep.htm

Thanks Snowrose... I had figured that my question had gotten lost in other conversations going on. I read over Karyn's article and have already taken some of the steps she recommended. I have counted more than 25 buds on the 'Choc. Velour' I have... so with alot of luck, maybe I'll get some seed to share with folks!

Thanks for the link!

Karen

If nothing else, pleased do take pictures of your Chocolate Velour with all those blossoms. That will be so beautiful. Again. good luck!

Thanks... My 'Kee-wee' is still blooming, so I took one of the blooms apart today... kinda my own biology experiment... to know which is which and what is what... LOL!!! I'll give it a try, but who knows???

Haven't been posting much... but I am always fascinated by the miracle of life.

"Fat Boy" did his change yesterday...

From this...

To this...

Stay tuned...

Wow!!! That is really neat you get to see it in person!!!

Excellent photos of this amazing process...

I am amazed at both karen's work and Snow's website on episcias.....................impressed as i had no idea how people hybridized episcias...............
thanks to both of you

Oh Karen, that is simply amazing! Please keep us updated on Fat Boy and all his siblings (and cousins?). LOL Is this one of the ones you said will stay that way til next spring?