Thanks Gene, and Josephine about the hot-bath info. I tried the method with this Saphora Japonica, and it worked! This seedling is now five feet tall. I sowed the seed last winter. :-) This one is hardy to many zones in the States. I'm excited about this one too.
Kim
In searching ,found another variety hardy to zone 8,called sophora microphylla,
syn,Edwardia,which has pretty dark yellow flowers,and another variety called sun King,which has longer lasting flowers,quite a bit smaller in size only 10ft tall and wide.
Kim it says your Japonica in China grows to 100ft tall and 70 wide and bears creamy white fragrant flowers,and is hardy from zone 7 to 9.
Don
Don, the above Japanese Pagoda tree is said to be hardy to zone 4 according to our pf. :-)
Kim
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53035/
Tropicman, Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I meant to say 'when you move the peat pot to a gallon container don't leave the top edge of the peat pot exposed because it will act as a wick.' Did you plant the "cashue"? every time I cracked the red shell the seed rotted. I always thought it had something to do with the 'eye' on the red shell and the kernel inside.???? Guess I have to learn more about seed structure. Any way, I think it would be good to get the seedlings into a deeper pot. I do mine in some special tree seedling pots that are about 7" deep and 2" wide at the top and tapering to 1" at the bottom.
frostweed, freeplants works thus: you buy Mike's literature which is basicly how to start your own nursery and learn to propagate plants, set up irrigation systems, potting soils, just nuts and bolts stuff. There are several DVD's and some E-Books. Then he wants you to pay extra to join the message board which is a sophisticated form of DG. It is a question and answer thing with all members helping one another. All questions and responses are kept in an archive and are searchable. Mike puts in his 2 cents worth a lot of the time. We do a lot of wholesale buying and selling from one another in smaller lots than you could get at a regular wholesaler. I think there is a free temporary 'try it' membership that is good for a limited time. There are some very knowledgable folks on the board and just about any thing you ask is answered by someone. We deal mostly in rooted cuttings which are easy to ship and for most plants, are easy to grow. Ivy and I do a lot of the dwarf type crapemyrtles and lots of other things.
Mike lives in Perry, Ohio which is a major nursery and supply area. He has been in the business all his life and provides info on sources of things you may want like irrigation timers, pots, etc.
Thank you for the info Gene, it looks like a nice little business, I wish you great luck with it. As for me right now I am volunteering sometimes 5 days a week helping with propagation of Texas native plants. Mainly at a Wildscape here in Arlington and at the city greenhouse raising the plants. We do mostly cuttings too, have you ever rooted Texas Mountain Laurel? I have tried once or twice with no luck even in the mist bench.
Here is the website to the Wildscape which my husband and i built.
http://www.thewildscape.org/
I hope you will enjoy it.
Josephine.
Nice websight Josephine. I have a question. What is the difference in the East Texas Mistflower, and the West Texas Mistflower ? I have the West Texas, and I love it for the butterflies.
~Lucy
Mmmm, love that grape koolaid scent! They grow abundently in the hills where I live. The Genista Moth is the caterpillar that uses the plants as host plants. Usually the damage isn't too bad here. I wonder if the abundance of the host plants helps. Sulfuric acid isn't so dangerous if you read up on it and follow all safety tips very faithfully and carefully.
Gene I've got some 20oz Styrofoam cups,that are about that same size,that should work.
Yes I missed understood you,yes I know about the peat pots and how they wick water away from the seedling.
Kim its a good chance they may be hardy to zone 4,I was stating what I read in the
American Horticultural Society from A to Z Encyclopedia Book.
Don, if it's according to AHS Encyclopedia. I'd take that as more accurate. Maybe someone will look into it and make correction to what stated here? Just a thought.
Kim
frostweed, great looking site. Sure wish I lived close enough to be of help and pick a few brains. LOL Given the ease of sprouting seeds and the terribly slow growth rate, I can't see any advantage to rooting cuttings. I also have tried with varing strengths of IBA and mediums but like you, no success. What a feather in your cap to have been involved in starting such a project. All our best, Gene & Ivy
one more thing, There is a cultivar with white blooms called 'Alba' Do you have any knowledge of this? Gene
Thank you Gene & Ivy. Yes I have heard about the white one but have never seen it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucy,this is the East Texas Mist flower; Conoclinium coelestinum
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=COCO13
and this is the West Texas Mist flower, Conoclinium greggii
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=COGR10
The flowers are very similar but their leaves are very different. I love them too.
Josephine.
Thanks Josephine, I also noticed, that the East Texas Mist needs cold stratification to get going. : )
