Sally's Plant Swap: After Word

I read this: "Propagation couldn't be simpler: Whack a couple suckers off the main plant and pot them up. Transplanted seedlings take readily to life in containers as well." See http://www.amerinursery.com/article-7116.aspx.

Sounds good to me!!!

:)

Never seen Lespedeza but it sounds wonderful.

Lazy S sounds wonderful too- could this fit the bill for DH dream of a family business?

Nah- I'm sure its priced waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
out of our comfort zone!!! 25 acres in a rapidly expanding growth area?

More in our range would be the maple syrup 'farm' in the North I saw listed once.

Sally, coleup, or anyone else close to My neck of the woods---(White Marsh Mall--Perry Hall).
My Pakistani neighbor Is beginning to realize the end results of propagating everything.
She is overwhelmed with all the Hostas she has potted.

She asked if I could give any away to my friends. So, dear friends, I have a wheelbarrow full of
asst Hostas. They are out of their pots (she kept those) and available to anyone.
She may even have more than the smaller ones I got.

You all shady garden owners--Sally? Coleup? Care to make a trip my way? 28 miles from
Sally's place to mine. You all could carpool?

Huh? Huh??? Gita

I'd consider it but don' t know when...time is tight next couple weeks.

Gita. I would be interested, any idea what they look like?

Well--
They were out of their pots and in a big pile. I do not know how long my neighbor had them in this pile.
I took them and sat them all in my wheelbarrow--upright.--about 2 layers worth.
Most of them have some good leaves left on them so you can see what they look like.

They look somewhat tattered--understandably--but it is the end of the season for them as well.
I saw another cart of larger root balls and hosta. Not sure she wants to give everything away.

Then she was talking about digging up a row of Hostas growing along her 6' fence.
Now she wants to plant all the roses that she grew from cuttings there.

Don't know what else I can tell you, Paul.
I took them because donner (sally) came here today and we had crabs. I was hoping she would take a bunch--
but she took only 4 of them.

They look like they all were growing in a 5' OR 6" pots. Roots everywhere--so well established.

How serious are you all? I could ask my neighbor if she wants to get rid of more of them--and then
the trip would be worthwhile. Maybe in a chain of passing on--if only ONE person were to come here..

Stay tuned.......will take a picture tomorrow and post it here. Gita

Today I stuck four cuttings of the Ruellia brittoniana (purple flowers at the corner of the house by the deck steps) that several noticed. No idea but they might take.

That barrow of hosta would go a way towards filling Paul's shady plot job.

Thanks Gita!

Sally- Yeah that's kind of what I had in mind. Neighbors helping neighbors.

That's what I did last year- took a whole flat of David's vinca, for my neighbors across the street. I sure didn't need a flat of new anything for MY yard.

I think Speedie and ssgardener posted that they wanted hostas for their yards on the fall swap threads, too. But I'm sure they can speak up for themselves. Good save Gita! Can you keep the roots from drying out until someone picks them up?

Yes, good save!! I'm thinking if you could grab a couple of boxes, pack them in a single upright layer, maybe fill in with a little extra dirt or mulch or shredded leaves... they'd "hold" just fine until somebody could pick them up. Hostas are tough.

Coleup, I'm going to try to overwinter the sun coleus I got from Badseed this spring, so I've been busy taking cuttings. I'm pretty sure I can still figure out their names. Any you don't have, I'll try to get cuttings to you later this fall or at the Feb. seed swap or even the spring swap. 'Handy Andy', 'Fishnet Stockings', 'Inky Fingers', 'Kiwi', 'Jade', 'Mardi Gras', 'Meandering Linda' (maybe; this one stayed oddly runty all summer), and I know there are a couple more... LOL

Happy, thanks for the link to the lespedeza article. I stumbled on this shrub quite accidentally (it doesn't seem to be part of the mainstream) and anything I've known about it is just from my own observations in my garden. Article describes everything that I have observed about this shrub - no wonder I like it, makes it seem more official somehow seeing it professionally written about LOL.

All you coleus experts, can I just keep the coleus that I got from Gita in its pot inside the house over the winter (it is still fairly small)? Do you guys take cuttings vs bringing in the whole plant because they are in the ground (not in a pot) and/or the plants have gotten too large? Enquiring minds want to know...

Terri, don't hesitate to let us know when you have some suckers that need to be trimmed off... :)

Coleus overwintering- I take cuttings and start over simply because of space issues. I'm sure there are more experts here than me, I have only done this for one winter.

This message was edited Sep 27, 2012 8:39 AM

Coleup and Jill--

Thank you for reminding me about keeping the coleus roots from drying out.
I will line them up along MY side of her 6' fence and throw mulch around them.
OR--along my defunct bed and do the same...That will be less in the way when I have to mow the grass...

Will take a picture--I promised Paul I would. Gita

All our coleus plants are in pots, and they overwintered last year just fine in the pots in a north window. They might have been even happier with a bit more sun, but we ran out of space.

Many of you know that I take a lot of cuttings from my Coleus and, successfully, root them under my light set-up.
Many of us have a light set-up for our seed growing. Use them this time of year--and throughout the winter
for growing cuttings of various plants, as well as growing your AV's in a brighter growing area. (I need to do this!).

It is easy and not much attention needed--except for watering.
These Coleus cuttings will grow quite large--enough so for a second pinching around January.
Took these pictures just now to show those of you that have never done this. it is so easy!

1--Coleus cuttings just removed from the plant.
2--Cuttings trimmed of all big leaves and top leaves cut smaller--if needed.
3--Fill small pots--or 6-pack liners with a soil-free mix and water in. I use "Pro Mix" for my cuttings.
4--Place cuttings under lights to grow. I leave the lights on from AM till PM (bedtime).
The rest of the cuttings you see in this picture were done less than a week ago. None have wilted!
5--This picture is from December, 2010. See the huge amount of growth the cuttings can put out?

Hope this helps someone. If you do not have a light set-up--you could always purchase a lamp that has a cool-white
fluorescent bulb in it. These bulbs can come in a "U" shape--or in a circular shape.
Regular bulbs would emit too much heat--and not enough light. The CF bulbs may work better. Not sure....

Gita

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PICTURES???????
Ok! Will post again.

1--Coleus cuttings just removed from the plant.
2--Cuttings trimmed of all big leaves and top leaves cut smaller--if needed.
3--Fill small pots--or 6-pack liners with a soil-free mix and water in. I use "Pro Mix" for my cuttings.
4--Place cuttings under lights to grow. I leave the lights on from AM till PM (bedtime).
The rest of the cuttings you see in this picture were done less than a week ago. None have wilted!
5--This picture is from December, 2010. See the huge amount of growth the cuttings can put out?

Paul--

Took a picture of the Hostas. Nothing much to see......Many of their stems were all broken
from being in a pile.

I lined then all up here--in 2 rows-- and threw leaves over and in front of them and soaked them well.

There are 17 plants. NOT in pots any more. She kept the pots.

Gita

Just wanted to add a picture of my New England Aster--which is now getting into full bloom.
It is about 4' tall and 3' wide. very woody stems....

A picture is worth a thousand words, true enough! I've got some step by step photos in the article I did this spring on sun coleus, too: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3687/

Jill--

I re-read your article. Good to refresh one's mind.

Question---very general....
I have been growing a lot of Coleus over the years. Some I know were bough at $3.50 a pop and were
Sun Coleus. A few were just bough in a market pack.
I used to have many more varieties, but last year, my cuttings did not do too well. I think I took them too late.
Right now--I am down to 6 or 7 different color ones. Got 3 new ones from coleup---PRETTY!!!

I no longer know which is which. Doesn't really matter---but can reg. Coleus and Sun Coleus be
differentiated just by sight??

Mine all grow in pretty bright light all day and do OK. Does that mean they are all "Sun Coleus"....

I am sure coleup will chime in here too.

Thanks, Gita

I don't know any way of distinguishing "sun coleus" other than the fact that they do well in part to pretty full sun... there may be some varieties (like Kiwi Fern) that are distinctive enough to be recognizable, but there's no visually distinguishing feature as far as i know.

I'll probably bring in some plants from the railing boxes as well as taking cuttings, just depends on what I can stuff around the edges of various pots coming inside. Rooted coleus cuttings are easy to tuck into hanging baskets during the winter, also!

This is my take

"Sun Coleus" is comparable to saying "Shade Rose" Most of us wouldn't take seriously or 'buy' that there is a shade rose! Remember that old song? "Roses love sunshine..."? Well the next phrase would be "Coleus thrive in more shade".

Because there are a few roses that will live and even bloom in quite a bit less than full sun doesn't mean there is a Shade Rose, though mass marketing might create a demand for this "Sensational New Rose, Blooms in the Shady Border." Have you always longed to grow those lushious long blooming roses like your neighbors on the sunny side of your street? Well, envy them no longer..."

Don't buy the spin marketers put out to lure consumers in to buy 'the lastest. new and improved version as most marketing is to sell plants, drive sales not necessarily plant performance driven, but bottom line profit margin and ease of mass production to flood the market. The performance standard most important to mass marketing (think grocery store tomato here) is how reliably plant will hold up to point of sale!

Yes, there are some coleus varieties that are more sun tolerant than others. Almost every coleus will do well in morning sun with some protection from hot midday rays. Sun tolerance is enhanced by ensuring consistant moisture required and well developed roots and good air flow but not a windy site, etc. The coloration/pigmentation we so love coleus for is partly the plants protection from the sun and darker colored do better (tolerate) in more sun than light colored.

Again, there are no sun coleus even though various suppliers, growers, or garden writers have begun to refer to them as such. Even Jill's article is misleading in being titled as it was.

One other coleus confusion to clear up as there are generally two types of coleus varieties available to consumers...seed grown and cutting (and now tissue cultured) grown. 6 packs are almost always seed grown varieties and almost always "shade loving". The more expensive pots of coleus like Gita purchased, are usually cutting grown and not just potted up seed grown types. The cutting grown varieties (unless you take them yourself from seed grown plants you grow) generally are slow to spike flowers and represent a larger variety of leaf shape, coloration and plant form than seed grown, and are more "tolerant" (there's that word again!) of a wide range of growing conditions than seed grown.

Rosy Dawn is a major source for cutting grown varieties and that is all they grow. Here is a link to what they say
http://rosydawngardens.blogspot.com/2009/02/coleus-in-sun.html
And their home page is here
http://www.rosydawngardens.com/

Rosy Dawn care of coleus page is a good foundation for any level of coleus gardener and gives good info on how to grow as a hoseplant indoors over winter.
http://www.rosydawngardens.com/Coleus_Care.aspx

Just check out their whole site and then we'll talk again! lol Or ask some more specific questions here at Daves on our Coleus Forum http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/coleus/all/

Judy (Coleup) (Just one letter off from coleus! yep, coleus got me here and I'm glad I've stayed)



This message was edited Sep 28, 2012 12:03 PM

Gita et al, Just a couple of additions/suggestions to your excellent tutorial on coleus cuttings from my own experience.

!) Pinch out the growing tips of cuttings, especially those taken in the fall for overwintering.
As the night temps cool to around 60 degrees or lower, many coleus, even the cutting grown named varieties I reference above, get the message to flower and set seed. It is more difficult to get great cuttings for overwintering if terminal flowering has begun. (Do same pinching back for any intended for 'houseplants', too.) Pinching the growing tip should keep your cuttings more compact as well during indoor hiatus.
2)Coleus cuttings take best when soil temps are 60 degrees or above. May need bottom heat or warm spot while rooting in.
3)Water from the bottom and keep the leaves dry to limit fungal/mildew probs.

Coleus will also root in water quite easily. Just plant them in soil when roots appear.





This message was edited Sep 28, 2012 12:14 PM

Coleup--

Thanks for your additional advice.
I try to never take a cutting if it has started the blooming. If I have to--I will pinch the top off.

The 3 Coleus cuttings I got from you--I put them in a glass of water right there at sally's.
They stayed in that cup for about 2 weeks and had begun to root.
I had to re-cut the stems, though, as they were too long for my rooting in cell packs.
No worry! I know they will all root!

coleup--you use this a lot. Please tell me again how to put a paragraph in the square as above?
I have never used it--but would like to sometimes....

Has there been an after Swap-get together at Sally's date chosen yet??? Please let me know--
as I do want to come and see everyone..
If it is fairly soon--I could even bring all the Hostas to Paul.

Gita

Hey all,

Gita they are nice hostas but I don't think I'm in desperate need of them. Perhaps try and over winter them, I think hostas are pretty tough to kill and bring them to the next swap for people. I would only be able to use a handful..maybe.

Re coleus cuttings should we pinch every end?

Paul--

I have not done that--as that would make the plants too bushy and they would get too crowded in my cell packs.
There is no harm doing it--but you will be, essentially, stopping any upward growth of the main stem.

I leave mine as is--and, as I mentioned earlier, somewhere around January, I will be doing a 2nd pinching
and rooting the new cuttings. It will double the number of plants I have to share. AND--give me more headaches
as to where to put all of them.

Bummer on the Hostas---I suppose they can stay where they are, except i will dump some soil on then and mulch them.
See what happens in the spring....
G.

I dug up a bunch of hosta and then left them in a short laundry basket next to a shady fence for more than a year before I found someone to give them to. They're pretty remarkable survivors.

JUDY--YOU ROCK!!!

You ARE the QUEEN if research!
Thank you so much for all the information on Coleus.

I copied out all the links and their "contact us" information--put them in an e-mail
and sent it to myself.
This way--if i ever want to help someone out--I can just send them an e-mail with all the links.

Gita

The coleus I got never did root in the water so I decapitated them - cut neck at an angle - removed bottom leaves - dipped in 'stuff' - shoved in starter soil...please tell me these 'may' root. I will root something yet...LOL Course I also started taking cuttings of my scented geranium - I see no point in having to buy it again. It got simply huge in my large planter. Does any one have any cuttings they could spare of the 'vicks' scented geranium (variegated one)? I don't care for the scent but having something that will look pretty with it in a pot...silly, huh?

This message was edited Oct 5, 2012 10:24 PM

Chantelle---

I may sound like a broken record--but skip the water rooting and put your Coleus straight in some "fluffy"
soil mix and keep them under good lights.
All my Coleus cuttings passed the tug-test in less that a week....like 4 days, maybe?

I do not root anything in water any more....the 'direct approach" work s fine.

Gita

I hear ya Gita...and that's what I've done...will let you know if I succeed!! Looking at your photo give me hope. Course I also grabbed some willow pieces this w/e to make some willow water - will see if that helps with the rooting.

Anyone know who I shoved my variegated Vicks plant on to? How horrible am I - giving it then asking for cuttings...LOL

Vicks????? What would that be in plain English?

It was a scented geranium with variegated green/pink/creme leaves that smelled like vick's vapor rub if you so much as breathed on it...LOL

Chantell, is that scented geranium an inside plant or is it supposed to be planted in flowerbed? I potted it up the day I got home from the plant swap and it's looking good but I still have it ouside. Should I bring it inside tomorrow or wait a few more weeks? Does it bloom like a regular geranium? If so what color are the blooms?

Hey,nothing wrong with Vick's vapor rub..my son sent me a birthday card one time about my fine perfume was BenGay.! My Dad used to use Absorbine, Jr. for everything, and swore by Iodine..So if that scented geranium smells like Vick's, I'll feel right at home!

Pippi - the one I'm referring to was potted and brought to a previous swap. It like the one I brought cuttings of is/was tender and needs to be brought indoors as far as I know. The cuttings I brought were rose scented. You can easily tell just by rubbing the leaves.

I have been rooting things in sphagnum moss works really well.

Hi, Thought I'd chip in! We saw a demo this year at one of our greenhouse meetings this year where the guy swore by using oasis for rooting cuttings. Oasis is that soft green foam material used in flower arrangements.It made sense to me, the stuff has been designed to maintain cut flowers longer, is very soft, holds tons of water. He just partly cut through it to make cubes and poked holes in each to stick the cutting. After rooting he just cut the cubes apart and potted them up, no muss no fuss. I think I'm going to try some of that this year. Ric

Talking about what to root things in.........

Earlier this summer, maybe in June, I cut back my Easter Cactus and put all the cuttings in
straight Coir to root. I thought--this will be good--as it holds so much water....
Some of the pots have been outside all summer--and some inside on my windowsill.

Well--it is NOT a good thing to root things in. Every time I check the pots, they are bone dry.
I think the Coir wicks every bit of moisture to the top of the pots and then it all evaporates.
The cuttings also are NOT really rooting. Many are falling out, or looking dessicated .

Today--I brought every small pot in and will re-pot all the cuttings in Pro Mix.
This was not a good experiment....Lesson learned.

Oasis sounds good. I wonder if that would be good for more woody cuttings?
Kind of a steady source of moisture.....and the Oasis would hold the cuttings more upright.

I still have about 5 pots of Figs rooting. While they are rooted in (tug...tug...), there are no new leaves being produced.
I am not surprised--as this is the time of year that all the Fig trees are dropping all their leaves.
Perhaps the cuttings are just following this pattern.
I brought them all in and put them under my lights. We will see if it makes a difference....
These really should be outside for the winter--but i am not sure they are rooted enough for me
to chance that...I think it is wayyyy too kate in the season to be taking cuttings of the Fig.
But--my favorite Bell Nursery girl asked me for a couple. So I did pot a few up. They did root it.
I just wanted them to grow some leaves before I gave them to her...

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.......we ARE having a cold snap! It is 58* inside my house.
I do not want to turn the heat on yet. Will tough it out....Couple more days of this chill to go.....

Holly--
I am trying to root the little bunches of growths along the viney stems of my
Blushing Suzy vine. So far, they have not wilted. Have NO idea if they will root. Have you ever tried to do this?
I also brought in some of the developing seed pods. They are all still green. May not come to much
of anything. Just another experiment.....
G.