PLANT PROPAGATION.....THE BASICS II

Pughbear7 must be blowing around Oklahoma because he left us here to fend for ourselves. We miss him and hope he soon lands and returns to his thread. No one here can answer questions like he does but we will try until he returns home and comes back to basics.

We came from here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1234328/#new

Please check in so we know we have not gone off without anyone. Visitors welcome and all questions are answered to the best of our ability.

LOL, you did good JB, yes it should have been III. No matter. I am surprised that the computer accepted it and didn't tell you there was one there already. Or did you say the same thing as the others?

What was the pretty flower? Jen

Jen, I thought that he was always calling it Basics I meaning like Gardening 101, etc.

Then when I saw this one that said II, I thought it was because he just decided since he moved both threads that time, he made it II to tell the first one from the second one. Since we were so bad on that first one. I do not think he keeps using different numbers on this thread but then hell, what do I know. We will have to live with it unless someone knows how to edit the title. I tried. LOL.

LOL, JB, it really doesn't matter. We all know what it is. Do you really think we were bad? I see you know who once in a while when I am cruising the paths of Dave's Garden. :0) Now don't get mad. LOL

I am here. Up late but just checking in to say hello. I will check in early in the am to ask a few questions. Sharon

good evening:
sorry for the long silence. Ive been helping friends. one is moving so I had to watch the movers and tell them where to put things and helping a friend in sapulpa with her greenhouse. she is doing grand opening on the 21st. i will be out of town visiting grand babies then. Ive been so busy helping others my own stuff has been lucky to get water but tomorrow I get to go back in and play,
Ill give more detail tomorrow
Dave

Oh, there is our leader.......we are so happy to see you are up and at em. I hope you are not angry with me for moving the thread. Talk later. got lots to do today. JB

Dave, you need to learn the lesson I finally did. Learn how to say NO. At least say no when you are behind in your own chores. I was at a luncheon and a young woman, mid 40's, cam up to me and said she had heard I was a wonderful gardener and would I help her. Normally I would jump right in, and kill myself for weeks on end. This time I said I was just way to busy but I would meet with her and her gardeners once if she wanted my suggestions. She did not want that. I was so proud, when I got home I called my daughter and told her I actually turned someone down on gardening help. She could not believe it.

I actually catch myself driving by a landscape and thinking, boy they need my help. Then the right side of my brain tells me to get a life and take care of my own. Now you guys are my own. I will always help you. Love Sharon

Sharon ~ Good for you! So many people out there wanting free help. (Maybe you should give her your consulting fee.) I guess she did mention that she did not want you to meet with her gardeners. Maybe she thought you would do it all for free, the work, that is...LOL!!

Dave ~ Did you know about the tornado warning? Maybe it would be safer to be elsewhere in the next few days. Losing a home would be terrible, but worse would be to lose you and Kim. Godspeed!!

JB ~ Are you in the tornado zone? It snowed for most of the day today, then it turned into rain and now the sun is out for a short while, fading as I type. Most of the snow has melted, except, of course, un my fenced garden where it stays until the last moment. I don't know why since it is not in the shade. What is your ebay name so I can check out your store? I don't have a store, but just sell a few things from time to time. Actually I checked and have not sold anything since April 2008! (No wonder I almost forgot how!)

May the tornadoes all not touch down at all....for everyone. No one deserves all that feear and heartbreak.

Evelyn, I closed my eBay store when I took on Plant Scout. Plant Scout is doing nothing for me at this time. I think Market Place was the best place but now that is gone I am looking for other outlets. I just list the things on eBay as buy it now and I have about 8 things. I am going to think seriously about opening the eBay store again after my Plant Scout membership runs out. JBerger1946 is my eBay name. I do not change much because they are all tied in with my website at one time or another and of course the JB is so common I need to keep identifying myself. Pain in the butt.
I wish i could figure a way out to open a store on eBay so all of us on this thread could sell if we wanted to in the one store but that would be a real mess with the way they have fees for this and that. Just a fun thought. lol

Wait a minute JB, I thought you said it was great they were closing Marketplace and people were going to have to use the classifieds and pay for them. Boy did I misunderstand on that one!! Guess I need to put on my glasses or clean them next time I am reading this stuff.

Don't Cubits or All Things Plants have places to sell your plants? I haven't looked lately, but I thought that is what Cubits was all about.

Hi everyone... checking in...

Linda.... I'd love to see pictures of your propagator! Sounds cool....

Nancy

Mine is one that was mad with a plastic tub with holes drilled in the top, little plastic baskets sit in the holes, an aeriator makes bubble in the bottom and you put seed start pods or what ever to keep the seeds in them moist, fill with water and put seeds in the little jiffy pod things. Voila, seeds germinate well and it is easier to get them out without disturbing the roots as much. The tender ones. I plant the whole bod in the ground and don't put as many seeds in each one.

Cubits has one or two places on forums to sell. I can never find them. I put some things in one and now I can not find it again. LOL. Can you imagine how a buyer must feel who is looking for something? They had stores before All Things Plants came up and they moved all the plant stuff to ATP...there is no place there at this time to sell but Dave said he is considering it.

I had such a hard time finding anything at cubits that I finally quit going there and I guess I got so busy that i finally quit going to all things plants too. I should make an effort to go back there.
Dawn that is a great idea for the seeds. I don't have the little baskets for my propagator and since I made the holes in my propagator small, I really can't use them anyway. I will try to come up with another way.
Nancy, I will look through my computer for the pics. If I don't have them I will post a link to the blog that I used to build it.

I really need to set up a website. I guess I am just chicken.

Gotta go, Hubby wants to get busy.
I'll check in later.
Linda

I did the same thing Linda. I couldn't find anything on cubits and didn't have the time to play with it so quit looking. Same with ATP. There must be something out there JB.

Yes Evelyn, I have a website and it is linked with my other selling places. If you would like to take a look at it it is http://www.JBsBirdsandMore.com You can look at the JBsPlant section and see what I have for sale. I do get business from there but I can not afford to have it advertised like it should be. That is too expensive. I have always had it and if you google it you will see it comes up on several places. I sold birds that way for 10 years. Word of mouth and Websites are the best there is. Problem is, you need to keep out there chatting and meeting new people and I just do not have time right now. I have plants in all but a few of the United States and of course I do not ship outside the continental US. I have had several requests from PR and Canada and the UK but it would not be possible for me to get the price I would need to cover the cost of the inspections I have to get to comply with NJ International Shipping regulations.
eBay has a MAP that was really neat. You paid so much to have it kept up for you and they would show you by dots where your plants were going. I just could not afford to keep it up so I gave it up but I was all over the place and that was an eye opener for me to realize I had covered so many states.
I would retire but this is a great tax writeoff.

Linda, I am getting ready to set up my aeroponic project and was wondering what you put in the water, if anything. Do you dip them in rooting hormones etc? Any hydrogen peroxide?

Just water Jen, I don't even use peroxide in mine. it is amazing to me how they work. LOL Oh on the Mock orange, I would start cuttings that are 6-8 inches long with at least 2 extra leaf nodes.

LOL, Linda, I started that size and sent them to the recipient(S) :0) and they made fun of the little twigs. Guess they wanted a big bush.

Hi everyone:
just got back frm dr. so I will be at my best week after next. kims got me out of town next week dallas for some continueing ed on her accounting lisc. so i will do a lot of winder shopin.... yes I have started saying no to people. have to. got too much to do on my own and i really dont want to give up the back yard nursery. this year will be my best. I just have to sell off some starts of boxwood and some emerald gaity euonymus ... just a few plugs about 250 of the boxwood and 200 of the euonymus nothin much.... lol i dread packing them.
I am shifting to gallons, quarts and 1801's. before I was jsut plugs and 1801's. I think I will do better with the new mix. I am also doing some sorting out and dumping of stuff I don't see a use for or a chance of selling. no sense in keeping stuff I am not going to enjoy or will be used in sales. just have to get caught up. the harder i go the behinder i get ...lol
hopefully week after next I will be doing all my sorting and shipping of the stuff I am behind in sending to people I have promised stuff to.
Dave

Good to hear from you Dave. We miss you terribly. I think it is great that you are going to be able to get back to work again and get rid of some of your stock. Do you have much hosta left? Business is slow but people who are buying are buying good amounts.

I have started doing some woody stuff and so far so good. The Black Pussy Willow sold out and the Curley Willow is beginning to move. It will soon be time to get the gardenias growing again and the Jasmine are not doing well at all. I am going to finish potting the new Christmas Cactus cuttings in the next week or so and then I will be full again and no room for anything. I may just give up the jasmine if it does not wake up. I do not fertilize enough I know that but i am so afraid of over fertilizing and not using the proper fertilizer. Oh well, we can not all be perfect.

Take care of yourself and keep in touch. If only a quick email or Facebook. Hugs to you both. JB

Yeah David is here. You take care of you this year. Put Dave on the top of things to do.

I too am having to re-vamp and re-arrange. I finally set up the propagator day before yesterday, but this nasty bug is kicking my butt and my energy is only holding out for a few minutes at a time. I still have far too many epiphyllums and things that have to over winter and it doesn't seem as though my seedlings are moving fast enough. BonnieBlue isn't helping either, if there is a pot within her reach, she sneaks the plants out and shreds the pot. I found 1 of my new clematis vines the other day. Also the stake out of my jasmine, and 1/2 of my dragon fruit. I have found that if I put them up on tables, the kitten waits for Titus or Spud ( especially Spud) to walk past unsuspectingly and then plays "the sky is falling" with whatever is closest to the edge. I wish I could get it on video.
I only cut 1 branch of the sasanquas off. I have to get out tomorrow and see what is left of the others. My neighbor's yard crew cleared the log today, so it will be interesting to see if there is anything left. This is the kind of crew that comes in with weed eaters, and blowers and your yard is done in 15 minutes and gee your neighbor's yard gets a free mulching of all your oak leaves. I don't mean to sound negative. I am truly thankful that they took care of the log for me. I didn't know how I was going to get that done right now.

Anyway, now I am beginning to start some akebia, lantana, michelia, brunsfelsia and clerodendron and sasanquas.



Hope everyone else is well and happy.
Dave, have fun and be careful while you are in Dallas. I'll bet there are fabulous nurseries there.

Sea Ya

Yeah, Linda, you should get the cat's antics on camera and get a big cash prize from the show "Funniest Home Videos". also put it on "You Tube". You will just giggle yourself right out of that virus that has been getting you down.


Feel better.

My dogs are destructive too. They have strong prey drive and are determined to get squirrels in my yard and gophers too. I have holes all over and can't poison now which makes it worse, but like you they are so cute and so loving that it's a wash.

Maybe, I will buy1 of those wildlife cameras that snaps a shot every few seconds. LOL that would really get her in all her glory. Yesterday Bonnie Blue found a baby possum. She just sat down and barked at it. The more she barked, the more the possum snarled. Titus would have been all over that critter but he was in the house and never bothered to see what the young brat was up too. I distracted bonnie long enough to let it climb the tree and go on it's merry way. Since I don't have birds anymore, they aren't a threat to the babies so I don't let them bother me.
I started a few things in the propagator and I can't wait to see roots. I get so impatient that way. Nothing is rooting yet. I am wondering if I should put an aquarium heater in the tank. Maybe the warm water would get them going faster. Then again maybe it is like a crock pot and I should just leave it alone for a few days. LOL
I am still fighting the nasty bug, but it is getting better. Burk got up with it yesterday so he feels awful but Shawn was really sweet last night and brought us a cantaloupe home from work because he said they are full of antioxidants. LOL Gotta love the way he thinks.
Hope everyone has a great Sunday,
Linda

Love this time of year when you can actually see the floor of the greenhouse and the shelves are empty and all you have to do is rearrange everything and get ready to start all over again. The potting work station was a mess, it was like no one cared, all sizes of pots all over everywhere and crap in the buckets, trash buckets full, stakes all thrown in a corner, now it is all reorganized and cleaned and I can find the size pots I am looking for. Actually am still cleaning pots but it has been too cold to go out and hose down the ones that have been soaking for days in disinfectant.
Sold out of the Aimee 2 yr. old gardenias yesterday. Another one going to California....I must have a dozen out there in different areas. This one goes to Fortuna, wherever that is????
My friend dropped off some lilly of the valleys and I must get them in the ground. We had some rain but I am irrigating the glads since the wind has dried everything up as fast as it came down.
Hope you have a good day and Linda, get yourself better girl, you pick up those bugs and they are hard to shake this time of year.
Unfortunately this time of year with the Horse Park events and the farm, Sunday is just another work day. I am trying to catch up from not being able to move with this stupid left leg and its pain. I am headed back to the Chiropractor and make him fix whatever he did to hurt me for four days. He is on my s list.

Feel better JB. What horse park events do you have something to do with. I must not have remembered this conversation?

I want a greenhouse. One day. I need a heavy duty one though, wind here is hell.

I have been a life member of the Horse Park of New Jersey for years and a volunteer since day one. I do all the deposits, the money comes in to the office, my daughter posts it in the proper books (she is the liaison between the State of NJ and the Horse Park) and she brings it home, I make up the deposit slips, and take the money to the bank. I also keep the Membership records and send thank you notes to all the contributors who get one. The membership list is only about 200 but I keep that up to date, etc. We have done this from the time the Horse Park started and I am still doing it. I seldom have to go to the park anymore except on May 10 to 13 the Jersey Fresh 3 Day Event which is a pre-olympic event like the Rollex in Kentucky that was this week end. Horses from all over the world come to those events. I take the money if it is too much to keep around the Park and I take it home for safe keeping. I also enjoy watching the different events. The horses are just beautiful. If you want to take a look at their website it is www.horseparkofnewjersey.com
There is usually an event every weekend and I head for the bank on Monday Mornings on my way to ship my plants.
Sunday nights I do the deposits when the money eventually gets here to the Farm. My daughter and her husband are there today helping at a Dressage Schooling Show, plus they were having a Scavanger hunt on horseback going on at another part of the Park. Today was my day to stay home, tend the farm and make them dinner so they do not have to do that when they get home. They both work full time for the State and weekends are usually very short when they volunteer also.
Sorry, did not mean to make this so long. Just wanted to answer your question. JB

Just checking in. Have been busy weeding and weeding and weeding. This spring everything is in bloom.....red lantana, daisy, day lillies, amarillas, dianthus, snap dragon, and on and on. Now my agapanthus are in buds. Don't know what I will plant next. I have lots of seeds with good intensions, but not enough time.

Peg when you get done there you can come start on my yard!! I would love it. This rain just gets more and more weeds.

Just a little food for thought on seed starting I have been discussing with Jen - for hard seed coats has anybody else tried the "boiling water" method?

I hadn't read about it anywhere before I saw it on another post.

Boil water, pour it directly onto your seeds and let them sit in that water overnight before planting.

It has worked for me incredibly well.

I have never been really keen on the "nick the seedcoat" instruction since that is such an inexact science.

Thoughts?

I have never used the "boiling water" Amanda, but I always use hot water ( like I would wash dishes in.) Then I soak them overnight in that.

We are still fighting the crud. Dr. says it is one of those things that just has to run its course. I can't take antibiotics like a normal human I am allergic to all but 2 of them and those 2 aren't really very effective for things like this. We have had a blast blaming the jasmine and ligustrum flowers for our ills.

I walked outside this morning though and was greeted by my first hydrangea bloom of the season. It must have heard me talking about moving it yesterday. LOL. Bonnie Blue is destroying so many of my plants in pots, that Burk has agreed to fence off part of the yard for me to have a place of safety for the little plants. At least until they are big enough to sell or plant in their new homes. I sure need the space. He bought lumber to build tables for me too. Oh what a guy!

I am trying to work a little bit, but trust me it has been very little. I thought I would deep clean in the house today and get rid of all the germs, but Bonnie got into my succulents and pulled quite a few out of their pots and spread them all over the yard, so I will be repotting those first. I hope I have found all of them.

Peg, I love the red lantana. Mine never seems to come back though. I have tried the red several times and that is always the tender one.

Gotta go get busy, I just wanted to check in.
Hope everyone is doing ok.
Linda

Sometimes lantana freezes here also, but this winter was so mild that it stayed about 4' tall and alive. I have been tieing it to an arched trellis. It looks great. The passion vine I had on it bearly blooms. Guess it is lack of attention. I am hoping to get some red lantana into starter pots to use elsewhere since it is such a showy plant.

I'll bet it is gorgeous Peg. I love lantanas but they are annuals here. And trailing so we put them in pots. I wouldn't know what to do with one like you describe. Can you post a picture? I would love to see it. Jen

I'll bet it is gorgeous trained to a trellis. I have seen them trained into standards and thought about trying it, but don't really have the patience. Maybe i need a new project. LOL

Wanted to share the curly willow with you and ask your opinion is anyone knows. It is called Corkscrew or Curly Willow and some ask me if it was Scarlet or Golden cultivar................like I should know? Anyhow, does anyone know how to tell the cultivar of these things. DG just confused me more. LOL Dave, help please.

The first picture is what is for sale, and the second are the stock plants by the barn. They are lovely to look at and so easy to grow.