Propagation: Propagation part VII based on my own experience

Lee and Dave, you guys are mixing me up with JB. I do not start cuttings other than a brug now and then.

However, I have an interesting question about the Wisteria. You know, I have heard they take about 5 years before they bloom. So, if you start one from a cutting, do you cut down on that 5 years? Would it make a difference where you take the cutting from, what part of the plant, as to how long it takes to bloom?

Do any of you know anything about the Scarlet Wisteria? The bloom someone posted was beautiful.

Just a lot of curiosity. LOL

Jeanette

Hi Jeanette:
I was just answering your question on wisteria. Of course we all know my motto.... if you don't know if it will root or not ...try it who knows what might happen. I will do some digging tomorrow for the scarlet wisteria. It looks like another day from hell, its been raining all day and tomorrow is day 2. we got about 2" today.
Dave

We would LOVE some of your rain here in eastern NE- it's dry as a bone here!

I will send it your way.... It seems we are lined up for one storm right after the next, and yet last year we wer as you say bone dry. Its funny how we seem to go in cycles. I will say everyone seems to be happy with the moisture. Now if I could find a way to get the rain inside the GH. I just wish it would warm up.... yea I know some are saying why is he whineing??? 50's to 60's is warm to our area.... I think its the moist cold & the wind chill of 34.
Jeanette: It looks like its an easy one. One book says to take fresh cuttings from the crown when they are 4"- 6" or you can take cuttings in the winter and root on bottom heat. I would think doing the bundle rubberbanded together and stuck in a rooting bed. Also on the winter cuttings I would do the removal of the cut end's side buds to give it a larger area to root from.
I have several books fro reference and I like them all the 3 books I depend on are Know-it-&- grow it by Dr Carl Whitcom
The pic is of a twelve package of dragon tails. I like the looks of this one and I don't think it will disappoint me.
Dave
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000YZ96TC/ref=sr_1_olp_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239631603&sr=8-13

this is a link to amazone on an earlier volume of the text. I love my II edition. I would look for a used one as its another one of those that are costly $60.00 plus $12.00 to ship.
Manual of woody landscape plants- Their Identifcation, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation and uses by Michael A Dirr. Another one to look for a lightly used book. This one can be upto 131.00 but the link has one for $31.00

http://www.amazon.com/Landscape-Identification-Ornamental-Characteristics-Propogation/dp/B001BTGMJM/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239631918&sr=1-21

The plant propagator's bible by Miranda Smith. It lista for $22.00 so its an afordable book to have. The thing I like about it is the charts in the book. it allows them to cover a bunch of plants and give basic instructions that is backed up by detailed chapters giving very specific how to instuctions with great illistrations and pics.

http://www.amazon.com/Plant-Propagators-Bible-Miranda-Smith/dp/1594864489/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239632228&sr=1-4

I hope these links help. My library is a never ending task. I do like to read up on specific plants but nothing out weigh's hands on experience.

Hi Everyone, I can help with the wisteria questions.
Actually wisteria sinensis and chinensis are very easy to root from softwood cutting. I usually take starts in June and July and stick them just as you would any other cutting. Put them in kind of sandy soil in a shady place and make sure they get watered. they usually root in 4-8 weeks. Yes, a rooted cutting will definitely cut down on your wait for blooms. When you grow a wisteria from seed, it can sometimes take as much as 10 years for the vine to mature enough to bloom. However when you grow a rooted cutting, they will often bloom in the 2nd year after transplant.

Scarlett wisteria is a whole different world from the others. The scarlett wisteria is actually sesbania punicea and tends to grow in waste lands along the edges of wooded areas and such. I have grown some from seed, and have plenty of seed available if anyone would like to try some. They are very similar to rattlebox, but I love the color.

Hope this is helpful. linda

Hi Linda:
Thank you for the clarification. One thing I did not say was that you really have to want wisteria. DO NOT plant it if you are not sure you reallywant it. I have seen the vine actually breat a garden structure apart. It can get very agressive if you let it.
Linda how is your mom doing? How was your easter? We had ham sweet potatoes greenbean caserole with strawberry short cake for desert... Yummy
Dave

Linda, How long does it take the scarlet to bloom? What is the difference between rattlebox and scarlet wisteria? I had some rattlebox seed once someone sent me as scarlet wisteria. Do you have any plants right now?

If so, I would buy a new start of the Confederate Rose, wasn't that what you sent me before?, and a couple of starts of that, the SW or Rattlebox. I say couple, being if they are not rooted. In case I lost one.

Jeanette

Jeanette

I heard or read that wisteria may never bloom or hardly ever bloom. The advice given is to buy one that is blooming to insure that you will have one that will consistently bloom. The one I had at our last house never bloomed (bought it without any blooms) so now at our new house I made sure I bought one in bloom. This one has bloomed every year since I've put it into the ground. Not sure if this is actually the case but it seems to work in my case.

Dave, you are so right on wisteria being very aggressive but selective pruning helps keep it in check. When it climbs in tall pines it is a sight to behold when it is blooming and the aroma can be overpowering.

HI Everyone,

Mom is doing better, but the steady stream of family and friends is making her very tired. My sister and nephew drove in from California to be here too so there has been a lot going on. Easter was wonderful. We ended up doing a pot luck type dinner and had about 16 people. It was great. My nephew ( brother's son) whom we had only seen once since my brother died came and brought his children. I had forgotten how much fun easter egg hunts were with little ones. LOL

Jnette, I do have some confederate rose, but right now I don't have any of the scarlett wisteria started. I will be happy to get some going for you. I think they will bloom the 2nd year from seed.
The difference I know about rattlebox is that it is from the crotalaria species and the scarlett wisteria is a sesbania. Their seed pods look a lot alike. I know that the crotalaria blooms are yellow and the sesbania is a beautiful red/orange.

Here are a couple of links that may help...

http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=Crotalaria_spectabilis

http://www.floridanature.org/species.asp?species=Sesbania_punicea

Both can be invasive. I have found the best way to keep the wisteria in control is to train it as a standard. I think the standards are breathtaking especially when they are mixed with carolina jessamine.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/2797/

hcmcdole, I wonder if the plant you bought was a seedling. They can take years before they mature enough to bloom.

Mom has a volunteer ( refugee from the neighbors yard) in full bloom right now and it is glorious!

Dave I will send you a mail as soon as I get a chance. I was 'sposed to be at Mom's 2 hours ago. Gotta run.
Great day, Linda

Oh Linda, I am so glad your Mother is better. JB

Linda: Glad you are starting to get a little order restored in your house. I am glad you mom is doing much better. No rush on the email ..just when ever you get to it.
Dave

Linda, Me too, so glad your Mom is getting better.

I have a very odd question for you all. I want to start a small home based business, but have no clue how to go about it. I have an 8x12 Gh, and am getting a second one tomorrow. I also have an EZ Cloner that I have been playing with all winter. I went crazy with WS jugs, and they are brimming with little seedlings. (First time for all of this for me!). We live in a development of 5 acre+ plots, so we have plenty of room. Our HOA will not allow signage, and the development is in an out of way area.
I was thinking of either mail order cuttings, Farmer's Market, or Appt Only. Any suggestions? I don't know where or how to get started. I read Mike McGroaty;s site this morning, that is how I came up with the mail-order cuttings idea. I did not download his e-books, I wanted to ask you guys first.
I do not want to get rich at this, only looking for a way to pay for my habit and make some extra spending money. This is my passion!

LOL Lynn, if you find that magic solution to "paying for my habit", please market that. You could become rich!! Just kidding you, first I think it takes a lot of energy.

Bet JB could give you some good suggestions. Good luck,

BTW, Isn't Buckley out towards Mount Rainier? It's been a long time since I have lived in that area.

Jeanette

Linda, Let me know how much on the Confederate Rose and I would love to have some seeds of the scarlet wisteria too. Let me know. Thanks

And Linda, it is always very tiring having a lot of people around when you aren't feeling so good. Just try to keep it quiet for your mom.

Jeanette

This message was edited Apr 14, 2009 2:06 PM

We are in the foothills, beautiful view of Mt. Rainier. Driving, we are about a half hour from Puyallup, towards Enumclaw.
Rarejem and PNWMtngirl lives about 5 minutes away, I am so fortunate to have met them through DG. The 3 of us are hosting the PNW Roundup this summer. Hope you can make it!

Hi Lynn:
You have come to the right place. a few of us do sell some of our stuff to offset the habbit. It sounds like you have the room to grow on. What are the "commitee's restrictions?" I have a great deal of attitude about someone telling me what I can and can't do on my own land.
One thing you need to check on is to find out what you need to do to get your nursery license? JIm you have any perls of wisdom on what hurdels they may run into? The department of agriculture would be a good place to start.
What do you want to grow? Literally there are a ton of different aspects. It sounds like you want to do cuttings. Another thing is to go out to a big garden center (not walmart or home depot) chat with the people working there. See what they sell the most of. I am shooting for 50 trays of cuttings and 50 trays of 3" containers. I will be doing a wholesale co-op of supplies real soon so I will keep you posted.
The system you mentioned has some good info. My big issue with it is that he seems to be one of those buy this and get some info then he ask's you to buy part 2 then its so much to belong to his grower's boards. I may be wrong but it just seems that its a never ending system of a lot of parts to buy, to get his whole system. Just my opinion.
I am also hopeing to do another co-op for flowering annuals for hanging baskets and planters.
I will answer anything you need to know about. and all you have to be is a member of DG.
Dave
Dave

Hello out there.......I am floating by in my boat....which I had to buy because now that the snow has stopped it is raining at least two to three days a week. What the heck is going on with this weather? I have so much to do in the greenhouse and can not do it until I move out the stock plants, the new things that can go out. Transplant seedlings. You name it, I have to do it. My house is a mess with plants and things to do.We were going to start to Spring house clean...you know, windows, curtains, etc. Rain does not help that.

April has been a good month for eBay sales. I have sold plants and one of my needlefelted birds. NOOOOOO I did not make a profit. Until you pay the charges of eBay and PayPal, you need to sell larger ticket items. My little $3 and 4$ plants do not even pay the charges. Then there is a charge of $15 a month for the privilege of having a "store". Oh well, I keep trying.
Just when you think you are getting ahead, then something else turns up. I just bought more shelves for the decks so I do not have to sit the plants on the floor and they will be displayed better.
I had a few days of daffodil sales before Easter and then I decided to open EAster day and sold quite a few that day. That is all profit because the bulbs I planted years ago keep reproducing and I have a great varieity of them for the bunches I sell. I do try and add a few hundred bulbs each year to expand the garden. Daffodils take no work to grow and you cut them off as you know after they have died off, so you have no ground to cultivate, just mow the grass that comes up. Next Spring, there they are again. Love it.
I guess I will do some bookkeeping today. Rain is good for our baby Christmas Trees and so I must not complain. Hugs to all. Have a great day.
If I can find my copy on the puter, I will show you all the different varieties of daffys I have.
I made it to give to florists.

Hi JB: A boat??? are you gathering the animals 2 by 2??? lol... Its been wacky weather. we are getting rain at the end of the week. Oh well life goes on
Dave

You got that right, Dave, 2 by 2....I just hope my dock doesn't rot before my ship comes in. It is pouring here like crazy. Dog has not pooped today and I have been wet twice walking him. GRRRRRRRRRR. Moan and Groan.
I tried to send the pictures of the price list for the daffodils but it would not take it.
So, here is something to make you smile.

And Here is another

And, another, I could go on and on they are all so beautiful and at this moment very wet. LOL Later Luvs. Hugs.

Bee-you-tee-full!!

JB, those are so pretty! I love daffs. I have several different ones too, and I have got some pink ones coming some time this week.I am going to take half of them and then give the rest to my Sister.

JB: Fantastic pics Whats the name of the double white with peachy pink? You've got mail
LOL
Dave

Very pretty JB.

Jeanette

The white and yellow double is White Lion and the orange-red center is Flower Drift. My favorite is the Apricot Whirl, which is not shown here. JB

Good mornin to all:
JB: I figuired you are the one to ask about narcissus. My wife is on high speed lets get-er-done projects for the outside.
I really was afraid it would happen. she gets so bogged down with tax season and has all these ideas of what she wants to do and once she gets time its 90 mph in 6 different dirrections. Pics to follow.
Dave

Hi Everyone. Hope all is well. It is going to be gorgeous today and I would love to get outside, but I am heading to Mom's in a few minutes. My sister may be going back to Ca tomorrow and I want to hang out with her as much as possible. I am still threatening those pics of my "bloomers" ( azaleas that is). and I will post them soon. Talk to you later. Have a great day. Linda

JB, your daffodils are beautiful.

Good morning:
How are we doing today??? I am doing fine, we have a storm front inbound but it seems to not be a bad one as its not screaming at me. Thats a good thing because I have way too much to do today. Yesterday's mail broughbt in about 15 daylilies so it should keep me busy for a few moments. I will be off and on all weekend as we have grandbabies this weekend. caleb 3 1/2 mercy 1 1/2 and joshua 6 months. I am so excited. I hope everyone has a geat day
Dave

You must be getting some of the storm that went through here for the last few days. I had to put a heater in the GH. Temps went down to the low 20's. Babies seem to be OK, and just to let everyone know, the petunias are looking better and actually growing!!! The ones that lived that is. I said the heck with it and transplanted anyway, figured if they had 4 or more leaves they were going into 3" pots. and they all seemed to perk up . So maybe this year isn't such a disaster after all, just later. Finally heard from NCF about the dead plants. Guess the one I was coresponding with has been out of town. Said he would look at my list and make decision next week. Honestly, I have a good feeling about this Co. I am so glad I found you guys, I have learned so much and tried things I wouldn't normally try. Linda, glad you Mom is on the mend. I know what you are going thru, since I care for my 88 year old Mom and via long distance (150 miles) my Aunt of 78 who has lots of health prob.

Lee, how did your sweet potatoes do? Are they part of the departed? You got quite a load of plants all at once. Were they packed good when you got them? Let us know what the company does about them.

Jeanette

Out of 100 cuttings half blackies and half margarite I only saved about 6 blackies and maybe 4 margarites. I say maybe, cuz they still look pretty rough. I definately will let you know what NCF does All of the purslane made it except a couple. They were packed pretty well, but some of the plugs jumped out of their little holes, and Those must be the ones that died. They had the flats packed in cardboard that was taller than the plants, covered with newspaper similiar to the picture Dave posted earlier. If they replace the ones that didn't make it, I will order more from them next year. hmmm maybe I should tell them that!!!! I am so small of a customer, it probably wouldn't make a difference. BTW-- Where can I find the co ops you guys are always talking about? I am going to need some 3" pots if I keep going like I am. I have searched but got lost. There is so much info here, it will take years to sort thru. I am so grateful I found DG

Lee, just go to the communities and I think it is down on the right hand side. Just scroll down in there to find co-ops.

I bought a case of the 3" pots from something Solutions last year and I have maybe 1/4 of them left. I will look for them and see if I can let you know. There are a ton of pot places.

I find the best way to find anything is to google it. Problem is all the time it takes to research. That is why Dave's is so good because so many people let you know what they have found already doing the researching.

Wouldn't hurt to tell them that. I had a packet of seeds on a new petunia that didn't germinate and I am just a small buyer, maybe a half a dozen packets, but new customer to a company I had not bought from before, and they replaced it. Even Parks replaced 3 packets of seeds a couple of years ago that didn't germinate for me. You have to let these people know, because if they have unhappy customers it shows up in Watchdog.

Do you know about Watchdog? That is who you check out before you buy from someone you don't know.

Jeanette

I wash and disinfect my 3" pots as much as I can. I need them too. I will search DG too.
Thanks for the info.

I have used the same 3" and 4" pots for about 7 years. I use soapy water and bleach to wash them and then I dry and put into a carboard box to try to keep clean for the next year. I always used to find them at garage sales, but you know small towns, you are bound to run out of places eventually:{ So I guess it is time to buy new.

Lee:
I am planning to do a co-op in about a week. I still have to make a few calls and get everything ironed out. I am looking at 1801 true for $42.00 a case of 100 sheets of 18 - 3 3/8's" per cell. !020 trays are 25.00 per 50 and I am planning to check on hanging baskets, bamboo stakes and anything else you can think of.
I guess I should start a chat thread. I will start one on monday. I ahve a bunch to do in the next few days.
I had a night from hell.... not much sleep. Its nap thirty... sorry if My chat at the moment sounds a bit off.

Lee: I know at a minamum I am ordering 1020's and 1801's for myself. I would like to spit the case of 1801's, so I am able to get some other supplies.
http://www.growersupply.com/index.html
The cataloge I have is a bit cheaper than the webpage. I am not sure if its gone up or its true wholsale in the book? I just need a few more days.
Dave

I will split the 3" pots with you. It would give me 50 sheets of 18 per sheet right? Not sure how this works so you will have to guide me through it. These are the pull apart ones aren't they? I have never bought by the sheet before so please forgive me for the dumb questions.

Have you ever tried bloom master hanging pots? I buy from them direct.

Dave I know about those sleepless nites. My back sometimes won't let me sleep either. Thank the good Lord for water beds. The heat on my aches and pains really helps. Just like a heating pad only better because it is full length:-}

This message was edited Apr 17, 2009 3:21 PM

I reuse mine also, cleaning with bleach etc. Problem is that I give so many of my plants away. I don't plant them in the big pots etc. to give away because they take too much soil.

Don't know which costs more, the soil or the pots. Some people I give to with the condition that I get them back. But, I don't do that with everybody.

Jeanette

Jnette-
I know what you mean about the pot/soil cost when giving away plants. When I had a really mature garden and was constantly giving away my excess, people would always say politely "Are you sure you don't want anything for this plant?" and I would say, well, if you could bring over a couple shovel-fulls of dirt to fill in the hole it would be helpful!!
Unfortunately, people usually thought I was joking :-)

Dave, did you mention your wife has a thing for narcissus. Well, some people call daffodils, jonquils, and narcissus. Jonquil is the cultivar. There is a tiny white one called a "paperwhite" . It is so adorable...If you can take the time look it up. I do not have a picture of it. The smell is outstanding. Gotta go enjoy our 70 deg. weather and sunshine. It will be gone for the next two days. LOL. Then I get my paperwork done. I hope.