Propagation: Propagation part VI based on my own experience

Linda: Yes you can plant them even without the "little foot" I just soak mine for 48 hours and then sow. I have found hydrogen peroxide helps break down the outer shell.
Rum is made from molasiss of all things and its a good addative to strawberries. Tropican (I think) makes a mango citrus juice in 1/2 gallon cardboard cartons. great for a mixer with "fermented molasiss". Yummy.... Hey we could garnish it with rasins on a toothpick....LOL
I have so many crosses as seedlings its not funny. I get 15 - 20 sets per 150 seeds. I think I got 90% germ. this year. I also Have andy's candy,, janice brown, hal frans, Lies & lipstick, Yazoo Cinnamon Stick, Condilla, Smokey Mountain Autumn, Merry moppet... seeds Klondike strike, harvest clown, eye yi yi, el desperado.... The one I really want is Topcat. It came out last year. I just have an issue with spending $125.00 for one fan. I might change my mind once I get my beds going and Know where I will put it. Have you looked at Ladybug Daylilies and Oaks Daylilies? Both have first class specimines.
I also have a bunch from last year. Witch Hazel x Yuma is one. space coast series. I am sure I ill have a ton to trade once I get everything settled in. I tried something different this year with a small sets. Individual cells for each seed. I kind of think its not going to be a good thing. Oh yea, I got a hold of Rosey Returns and aztec hourses(I think its called that). I know DW will go nuts once I get everyone in the ground. She hates name tags on anything related to the flower beds. I am thinking I will do a 2 ft wide bed along the north side of our property. along the fence it gets a ton of sun 3/4 of the day. Should be a great location.
BIL is doing a french drain down the middle and then place some concrete blocks he got from work. They are using them for retaining walls along lakes and streams, inner locked with cable. Kind of a neat product.
well its nighty nite time...soooooooo ..... TTFN
Dave

Thanks Dave, I will plant them today then. I have some crosses that I haven't planted yet, but most of what I have left are the unknowns. They can be just as pretty as the crosses, I just don't know what they are called. I will get a list together and maybe we can trade a few when our planting is finished. ( haha, like my planting will ever be finished!)

DH doesn't mind the name tags so much, but if he plants something for me, I have to be there to guard the tag because it will never make it near the plant if I don't.
My biggest problem was tags that faded. I bought a lot of daylilies last year and planted them, but the tags faded and now I have a lot of Noid's. I have looked at Oakes daylilies, but not Ladybug.
I recently found Gilbert H. Wild too and I could go nuts with the lilies he has on his site.

We didn't get the rain we were promised last night, so I have to get out and water everything. I just wanted to check in.
Linda

What a day I had yesterday. I got all my scented geraniums in medium and I got 8 cutting of rooted black pussy willows in, plus i planted 100 basil seeds in individual cups. I did not sow them this year. I am trying something new to save time later.

Hey you dried cherry, chocolate loving, rotten raisin people, I found a place to buy anything nutty and deliciously healthy. I will share it with you if you promise not to go overboard and eat too much. I was hunting dried bing cherries and I found this place.
www.nutsonline.com...they are sooooo nice to work with and the products are super delicious. I bought dried bing cherries and chocolate covered sunflower seeds. I wonder if I planted the sunflower seeds I could grow them? Chocolate and all. I would love that.

And Dave, you can be as devilish and tease as much as you want. I live everyday being devilish,laughing at myself and thanking God I can do it. Take one day at a time and make everyday a holiday type day.

Today I am planting the rest of my herbs. Hey Dave, the sun is bright but it is cold today. Hugs.. JB

Wow! you were busy Jberger. That sounds like a great day though. I am always happier planting than doing anything else. DH laughs at me about it.

You know. I have been called a lot of things, but dried cherry, chocolate loving, rotten raisin person has never been 1 of them. LOL

I have planted 4 flats of daylily seeds this morning and I have a few more things to plant. I am trying to get things moved outside a little at a time.
The squirrels are having a field day with all of the new plants to dig in! DH is beginning to complain about not seeing the top of the kitchen table for a month or more so I know it is time to get them out. ( Yes we do eat as a family, just not at the kitchen table because of the hard chairs and bad spine. )

Today it is grey. We are supposed to get rain, and it is in the 50's but it feels cold. I think I will go finish up the "I have to do today" list and then chill out for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe even nap.
See Ya, Linda

Linda, what kind of daylilies are you sprouting? They are so nice if you have place for them. I am jealous. I miss mine. There are so many beautiful new ones available just now. People like them becuase they are easy to grow and our soil here is sandy also and they like that.

OHHHHHHm, those chocolate covered sunflowers are to die for. HMMMMMM Yummy.
Back to work . I am going to plant my Maya seeds today. Think Spring. JB

JB, Maya what? I have Maya brugs, Maya rudbeckias and I am sure there are a lot of other Maya things out there.

Jeanette

Maya take your order???

ROFLOL Dave that was funny !!!!!!!!!!

Dave must be on a roll tonight.

Jeanette

Yes I was ... unfortunately it was a whole wheat roll.... rip boom

Jeanette, in Hostas it's Maya Swingting, Maya Kingsnake. I have a yellow with red petioles hosta, one of my hybrids, that is out of the Maya line. I haven't named it yet. Jim

Picture?

JBerger, i am starting Daylily crosses that I bought either on ebay or the market place here. I will have to look up the varieties and send you a list. Can you not grow daylilies where you are now? I started collecting them a couple of years ago and I love them. They are easy and I have a lot of space to fill so they are great for me.
So far I am getting pretty good germination rates. I have also bought some lilies from different sources and I have to start getting those set out.
I did away with my circle drive way and I am in the process of doing away with a lattice screen that used to hide hubby's boat, so now my yard and it's sunny area have grown tremendously. I have to do a complete re-design. Oh man, what a shame.LOL.
I have grown lots of brugs and the daylilies and a few other things that I will move out into that spot.

Jim, are you hybridizing your own hostas? If so can you mix all hosta varieties or do they need to be similar like other things ( ie. daylilies and azaleas). Thanks

Hope everyone is warm. it is still grey here and they have promised rain all week that never came, so it isn't pretty outside.
The squirrels are still wreaking havoc with the plants I took out of the aviary. I am afraid I will have to build a cage around them until they are settled.
Gotta Run, Linda

Linda, yes I am hybridizing, you can cross a lot of species, cultivars, but it's like averything, there's always the exceptions, some are sterile, some are good pollen parents, some are good pod parents, you can even self them. but with hostas you never know what you're going to get. they don't breed true, you'll get lots of plain green and blue, some gold. rarely something that is exceptional, except the species Ventricosa, if you cross it with Ventricosa you'll get all Ventricosa. but there's something about it being sterile one way but I don't know which. it's complicated sometimes, Jim

Hi Linda: JB is in my zone so I would think its possible to grow DL's there. Is it time for squirl stew??? I know the feeling, they like to dig up my stuff. I have found the cat keeps them at bay though. I managed to get out today and do some transplanting. I managed to get about 60 boxwood into 1/2 gallon grow bags.
I pulled my peach butterfly ginger out of its pot to see how well it did through the winter. I managed to save quite a bit of it. He was spectacular last fall. I will be taking cuttings this week so everyone has a chance to fill out nicely.
I am getting germination on DL seeds I planted lst week after 48 hour soak. I use 1/3 hydrogen peroxide and 2/3 of my grow juice (terantula, pirahna and kelp). Its looking like I will have Daylilies comeing out my ears next year. I am hopeing to get some flowers from last years seedlings. I am hopeing to start doing my own crosses this year or next at the latest. Linda, what are you useing to label your DL's? My DW hates labels so I have to figuire out how to keep track of which daylily is which one. As you can imagine I could end up with a ton of NOID DL's.
So linda do you have a plan for the new found planting area? I know its exciting to find new area's to plant. I have so much I want to do out front, but I don't want to have a mish mash looking weed patch. I want it to be an ongoing show where one plant finishes blooming another one starts to flower. Its going to fun coordinating it all. Oh well If I hate it I'll just rip it out and start over again. LOL
Jim I hope you manage to get the red tippes hosta you are trying for. Well its nighty night for me. Sweet dreams everyone
Dave

JNette, Morning, I just got back online and noticed your question about the Maya...sorry I was not more specific. My old hands go faster than my old brain at times. They were brug seeds. I planted them in the boco Bob medium. I hope they grown. Gotta run. (Dont I wish I could still run) Oh we.., Dave, how are you today????I will talk to you later about your DLs. Hugs, JB

Goodmornin... or agternoon...lol
I am ok spending the day sleeping. the body sometimes says oh no we are down for the day. I just got on to check in. I think I have been up all of 20 min. since 12 am. But hey every moment I am asleep is all pain free so I sleep a lot when its acting up. which is strange because its suposed to be 75 today... Have a great day
Dave

Sweet dreams, Dave. Rest all you can.

Good mornin:
I have had a good couple of days with little pain. I feel the rain coming so I wanted to get some things done before I crash and burn.
I noticed I missed a question earlier and I am sorry about that If I do miss the question please dmail me or ask again. Its not that I don't want to answer it, I just missed it for some silly reason.
Does everyone know the difference between hardwoods and softwood cuttings???

Hardwood is the brown bark looking thick stem of a plant. When I do hardwood cuttings I like to peal off one of the growth nodes where it would leaf out. I also like to peel a bit of the upper surface of the cutting back with my fingernail or a knife to give it more area to root. It works for me, I am not sure how it falls under the right way to do things. but it works.
Softwood is the imeadiate growth of the tip of a stem. It is usually green and breaks easily. On softwood cuttings I like to get a few growth nodes below the soil line to give the cutting more area to root from. Some plants are picky this way.
Chemical safty will be next.... I think unless someone has a Better suggestion.
Dave

Dave,
Last year I used mini blind pieces as labels. I used a sharpie marker so a lot of them faded and I got a new puppy that loved to "rearrange" labels and when he could get away with it, he would put them into his "treasure keep". ( a hole under my work table where he buries all his treasures.) LOL

This year I am still using miniblind lables, but I am using a pencil so that they don't fade and I am actually putting the lables closer to the crown. I must have bought about 20 different cultivars last year and now most of those are noids.I can still ID very few of them. The seedlings I grew fared a little better. This year I am still searching for a better way. I tried making some out of aluminum cans, but I could only see the sharpie markers on them and I didn't want it to fade again. Any suggesstions?
Linda

Good question - I'm doing the mini blinds until the tags I'm ordering come in - of course, it's a little different: my plants are going to market, as soon as I can get them outta here!

I went and bought tonuge depressers and made a point and a sharpie for mine.

Very good question. I worked in a garden center as lower level flunkie. we used grease pencils t mark the different cultivars. I have a bit of the same issue. Most of my popsickle's are fadeing fast and the few I managed to find I have them back in the pots until I get things in a better order.
One thing we used to do was to soak the little tags (6pk labels) in bleach. We ended up with blank labels. I am planning to use grease pencils my self. they come in a variety of colors, white, yellow, red and black. I know some of you will be asking where to get them? I will let you know what I find. I am willing to get extras for those who are not able to find a hobby lobby or another crafts store.
I have the added hurdle of DW will not allow any labels of any kind in the main flower beds. I am planning to use a good sized rock with a flat bottom to label the plants. The rocks are a white, gray and black color and look like they have been splashed with salt and pepper all over them.
Here are a few links to help. I would think it would be wise to have the tags with bar codes, If you think you will be selling to stores with scanners. I plan to locate a supplier that offers preprinted tags. Here is the best one IMO.

http://www.growersupply.com/virota1perro1.html

I had some string tags on a few plants that are now blank white and almost to the end of their life span. I am planning to redo as much as I can. While in florida last spring during a visit to a well stocked garden center, I spoted a worker labeling the new arrivales with these labels and they were printed from a machine with the specific plant info as well as the nurseries info. I hope to avoid getting that big.
There are nice 2 pronged signs for the garden that I wish I could use. Here are a few links to help the more permanentlabeling issues. Of course the plants like canna's that die to the ground might be a big problem. Please let me know opinions on the sites I found.

http://www.santarosagardens.com/Copper_Garden_Labels_p/tag001.htm

http://www.outdoordecor.com/product_detail.asp?item=GGS11020:Signs-And-Plaques:Garden-Phrase-Signs

The last one could be made from sheet copper and a thin gaged wire, which can be found in the arts and crafts at walmart (thin gaged wire).

Sheryl:
Does the vendor that supplies your plugs offer labels? I used the plastic labels that fit around the stem and made a loop by insertion into the hole on the end. Do your plants require a bar code? I ask these questions because I have plants coming in that I ordered the matching tags for each cultivar. The tags are just 15 cents and I think they have color pics and barcodes on them. I know they have pics, its the barcodes I am not sure of.

I found this system that might work if you ever got big enough to justify the system. I think the thing I am thinking of is called loop lock...

http://shop.horticultureguy.com/loop-lock-labels-527.html

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=Labeling+Systems+horticulture+&page=1&qsrc=2417&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.northern-label-systems.co.uk%2FHorticultural-Labelling.html

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=Labeling+Systems+horticulture+&page=1&qsrc=2417&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.northern-label-systems.co.uk%2FHorticultural-Labelling.html

I hope this all makes sense. Please let me know which way you decide to go.
Its nighty night time. sweet dreams everyone
Dave

Hi Again:
I believe th tounge depressers will fall apart just like the pop sickle stics. IMO.... HI FF where you been?
Dave

PC!! I forgot about all those plants. How are they doing? Ready to go to market??? Send pictures.

Jeanette

Yes pics please.... we like pictures

Hi Dave I have been around. Been a little busy working outside as the weather here has permitted us to get work done out there. How are Ya?
Yeah the tongue depressers will fall apart eventually but for the price can't complain.

Wow, Dave - your DW won't even go for the fancy copper tags? They're pretty sharp looking, IMO - with all else, I guess I kinda agree with her for your own beds, sorry!

I'll have to look at those systems - right now it looks like we're going with John Henry - http://www.jhc.com/Index.asp?Action=Products&Category=18 . They end up being about .04 cents (+ s/h, etc.) apiece.

The grower we used is much smaller than the ones you might be used to, it's a family operation about an hour from here. They were very nice folks and the prices were pretty good, but a lot of the plugs are really stretched out and many multiple seedlings per plug, so we're hoping next to year to at least supplement with our own seeds.

Sheryl: growing your own sounds like the best plan. Tha website you listed looks great. Thank you for the link.
Dave

Where did you find grease pens? I have been looking for several years and they always said that they were not being made any more.

Jeanette

Hi: Art supply companies. I am going to look for them this weekend. If you would like I can get some for you once I find them. BRB
Dave

I found a few places on line. do we need to do a co-op?

This place from ebay has them for $7.95 a dozen. with free shipping.

http://itemlistings.ebay.com/sdcsrp?fl=250391576536&product={query}&sconstraints=IncludeSelector%3DDetails%2CSellerInfo%26ItemType%3DAllFixedPriceItemTypes%26ItemSort%3DBestMatch&xm&siteid=0

Also they have them at home depot in the tile and masonary sections. $2.95@
I think I am going to get a couple of colors. Black of course and white or yellow for the dark colored pots. Anyone needing me to get some for your use please dmail me and I'll pick them up for you just cover the cost and shipping.
I believe this will help eliminate the issue of tags fadeing. My tags faded when they soaked in the seed soak of peroxide & my root tonic mix. Going to redo the labels. This ought to keep me busy for a good while...LOL The good news is that DW has no say in the nursery holding area south of the GH...LOL Oh well its nighty night time. sweet dreams everyone.
Dave

Dave, if their shipping is free there is no point in you getting them and then shipping to us. I will use the link you sent. Thanks for it.

Jeanette

LOL ... You know I just figuired that out. I was just trying to helpful.
I am thinking white for my black and green pots. I will lable the pots in some sort of code. I am not sure what it will be.
Wacky weather alert. we were in the 60's & 70's the past few days. Its been raining all night long as we have a cold front coming in. sat. am and sunday am we have a chance for snow.... Ouch.
There goes my plan to start bringing stuff out. I wanted to start bumping stuff up into bigger homes.
I was looking at a refillable grease pen. It was about 6 bucks but I could not find the refills. Good thought, if you have ever used them, you know the silly paper that is suposed to peal off as needed. I never found one that did not end up being a struggle to get the point unwraped. Anyone else have the same issue?
So how are the flowers doing so far? My dahlia's seem to have leveled out in size. I need to bump them up into 4" pots, maybe 6" not sure until I see them in the pot.
Blue bedder salvia look good, I am doing the second soft pinch on the lateral branches. I was thinking about moving them out into the GH after they are in their new homes. I will try to get some pics today.

Hi Everyone,
I haven't seen a grease pencil in years. LOL I used paint pens on the pots one year, but when I re-used the pots, it was a problem. it is supposed to be in the 70's today and I really want to be planting, but I fell down my stairs last night and I am a little sore this morning so I am not sure how much I will get done. I am debating whether to use it as an excuse to be lazy, or pretend it didn't happen and go work. LOL

Dave, would your wife mind the tags if you put them in deep enough that only the tips showed. I have found that those that were underground didn't fade. I need to re-lable a few things that did fade so I will find out today if it works real well.

This week I am starting more daylilies and my veggies. I really need to get my veggies going. I can put a few things outside, but I am running out of squirrel safe spots.
I think I will go work.. and then be lazy. See ya later, linda

Linda:
Take care of yourself. a fall like that is nothing to take lightly. I am going to try to get away with hideing them under ground. I want to use both copper sheet tags as well as the "loop lock" tags.
I was reading through the thread and noticed I failed to answer about leylandii cypress. Acording to my books the best way is to take terminal branch's in october under mist. Also fresh cuttings help as well, but that pplies to all cuttings. Terminal growth is the tip of the stem or limb. I am thinking they need to go under the cold temps fluxing to help them root.
Ok everyone, what are your top 5 reference books? Book Title and Author
1. Know It & Grow It a guide to identification & use of landscape plants By Dr. Carl E Whitcomb
2. Manual Of Woody Landscape Plants their identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation & use By Michael A Dirr
3. Parks Success With Seeds By Ann Reilly
4.Plant Propagation A to Z growing plants for free Geoff Bryant
5.The Plant Propagators Bible By Miranda Smith
6. Breeding New Plants and Flowers Charles W. Welch

Ok I went over... oh well we can never have enough books...Can we?

Well its a lazy day. Hail a few moments ago.
Dave

Dave. the weather here today is beautiful sun but miserable wind. I hate it when I have to be out in the wind. It actually makes me feel off balance at times.
My favorite reference manual is the one by Michael A. Dirr and Charles W. Heuser, Jr. The reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation From Seed to Tissue Culture. Is that the same one you have. I have the second edition.
There is also one called The Flower Farmer, An Organic Growers Buide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers by Lynn Byczynski.
Logee's Greenhouses Spectacular Container Plants by Byron E. Martin and Laurelynn G. Martin. A great how to book.
Then there is a tiny booklet that I keep in my greenhouse basket for quick reference I got it from Top Tropicals and it it called Troubleshooting First Aid Kit. it is great for trying to find a quick answer to some of the main problems you can have with tropicals.
I find most of my questions are answered online rather than from books. JB

JB: I agree that most questions can be found on line, but every now and then there is a real zinger from left field and I can always find the answer in one of my books. There is one other book I really want to get. I had it when I was in florida. I had a lifting injury so I thought I would never pick up the plants again... to make the long story short, I gave the book alomg with a big stack of other books to one of the local non-profit groups before I moved back to oklahoma. It just goes to show ...never get rid of your reference books, you will regret it.
You should be getting our weather soon as it looks liker its flowing to the east north east. We had a strong rotation on radar this morning and it ran for a good 20 min. I hope no one got hurt. Its a good sleepy day and I am going to do just that.
TTYL
Dave

JBerger, I'll have to check out the one for woody plant propagation, thanks for posting, Jim

Come on Dave, what is the name of the book you want to get? LOL You are teasing us now..

I know how you feel, when I gave up breeding exotic birds I had many great reference books for all sorts of birds. I just finished selling them on eBay and most of them went to Europe and Australia. Amazing how those people are starved to get some of our publications and they are so expensive there, they were willing to pay large amounts of postage to have them shipped. Or, they are just now available in those countries. I was not as nice as you. I did not GIVE them away. Much too much money invested in them for that. LOL
Hey Jim, that is a great reference book but hard to find in some areas. Try Amazon first.
I love books but find myself buying some I do not even use. Not a good thing. Hope your good weather gets here before I loose it. LOL Later, gater. JB