I bet a lot of us were pretty pooped after the swap! I was all set for a lesiurely Monday going to work at noonish- until the boss called at 9:15 and said Did you forget you are working day shift today? hahahaha
Any followup questions about plants you got, forgot, or saw during the swap?
Apologies from me for the Hardy Begonia, which I understand arrived quite pooped. They are really hard to transplant -- they do best if they go directly from the yard to the new yard without an intervening pot. I have millions -- no shortage of supply -- but I haven't figured out a good way to bring them to a swap. I'm going to try putting empty pots under the plants this fall to see if they'll reseed directly into the pots.
The hardy begonia pots wouldn't hold any moisture so I tried bottom-watering, but they weren't happy with that, either. But don't give up on them!
I transplanted two of Happy's begonias this spring, and they looked dead for a few weeks before perking up. One of them (the one I didn't step on) is blooming beautifully, and the other one's looking very healthy. Please mark it carefully when you plant it in the garden, because they show up pretty late in the spring. I absolutely stomped all over one, but it forgave me. :)
Also to answer Gita's question in the other thread, I have never had to dry my bay leaves, so I don't know the best way to do that.
I did order fresh bay leaves (not dried) from on line herb seller last year (before I got the bay tree) and just kept them in a regular spice jar. They kind of dried themselves in the jar, but not crispy like the dried bay leaves you get at the store.
This message was edited Sep 10, 2013 11:38 AM
Thanks, Teri.
Mine are wrapped up in a dish towel right now with moit pper towels inside.
This is sitting in the fridge--in the crisper drawer.
Will allow them to air dry before I put them in a container.
Gita
Happy, re: Hardy Begonia< begonia grandis.
Yes, some will reseed in to pots below and small baby plants will emerge. I prick out the babies and pot into 4" pots. They will be bloomimg size by second year and still small enough by our usual Spring Plant swap to transport. Since you became our main 'supplier' I have stopped doing this for swaps. You could also cut back bloom stalks that are ripe and layer them over flats of soil so 'seeds' (They look like little yellow bulbils similar to osmocote!) will drop there....say, one for pink and one for white and then prick out from there. In any event, they do not need much soil! (See pic #4 ) If you prick out/pot up some one year plants now and overwinter them, they should be good to swap in Spring once they emerge.
Bay leaves can be used fresh or dried. The drying concentrates the oils, so, if this makes sense, 'freshly picked and dried bay leaves will be more potent than fresh not dried or old dried.
They can be kept fresh for a month or more in the door of the fridge in an unsealed zip lock bag loosely rolled. Discard when they loose their greeness. Fresh leaves can be dried several at a time in the microwave for those dishes needing the dried version, google it.
In any event use onlt perfect leaves for consumption.
And, Gita, bay leaves are a weevil repellant so it might be a good addition to some of the seeds you are saving.
Judy--
I CANNOT repel what has been depositedd already inside the seeds and is growing in there.
That is the problem.
Now--if I had weevils in my flour or corn meal--yes! that would work.
We have quite a discussion going on this in the "Plant Diseases----" Forum.
Look for my Thread. "Dealing with Weevils in my Hibiscus Seeds"...
That DrObarr (John) is SOOOO good. So informed! He knows everything.
He answers and educates people on every Post. I have learned a lot.
Check it out! I can't link you--I am at work...You can find it...
Gita
Here is the link to that Thread...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/pad/all/
Gita
I joined. I am on now...unomeemaw. This is Cheryl. Great time ... Thanks again Sally.
Welcome, unomeemaw! I look forward to meeting you!
Cheryl--wow! Welcome to the MA crowd. Care to explain your choice of DG name?
uno==one mee==??? maw==Mom??? Spounds American Indian...Yes? No?
Gita
Yea Cheryl!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the good news just keeps coming!
(Hope this weeks news is good for you, too, and you get some answers)
Enjoyed seeing you again and look forward to our next visit.
Woop, woop!!! Looking forward to meeting.
Yay, my neighbor friend Cheryl is now officially a DGer! Welcome aboard...
Welcome, Cheryl! Good to see you on DG!
Sallyg, I brought home one of the pots of your calathea. Can you give me a brief 'care' run down? From where I first saw it in your livingroom I'm hoping it doesn't need much light?
Happy, the Hardy Blue Ageratum is recouping nicely. Thanks bunches for your efforts. I love the tall blue wildness in my yard.
Critterologist/Jill, that hosta from bluespiral is huge! Are you in touch with her? A mature clump must cover at least 6 feet!
Calathea- No place in my house gets good indoor light. I guess it grows most when out for the summer, but it wintered nicely in low to medium light. Sometimes it would be placed below the sill of a south east window
It was never bothered by low humidity.
Thanks Sally. None of my house gets anything near good light so it should do fine.
Wonder how much more good light you will get with that huge tree removed?
Coleup: the Hardy Blue Ageratum is gorgeous in bloom, and it blooms at a time when not much else is blooming -- a lovely blue. But it reseeds with great force -- it is all over my yard, smothering everything else. Do not be taken in! It will take over! It is even thriving in my lawn! Deadhead!!!!
Happy, I did dead head last year but I thought I was seed saving when I did it as I wanted it for sowing in a wild untended area at the end of my road where various 'wild flowers' are becoming established with a little help from me. None of whatever I did took.
Do you know if this blooms first year from seed or does it take two years to bloom?
I don't know if it blooms the first year from seed. Might be second year -- it took a few years for it to take over my yard. I still have tons more. I don't know how it would handle drought -- it is in an area that I water....
Spending this weekend deciding on final placements for everything, and then digging and planting. Have 2 done so far! I needed to do Sally's pb shrub first because it kept tipping over, but it seems happy now. I also got Gita's coleus all potted up in a big container with my own two coleus: honeycrisp and my Officially Without a Name cultivar.
Now to spend time finalizing placements for others...
Looks fine- that PB shrub will shoot up next year and be nice and strong.
In this awesome weather, I also planted a few plants- potted the pretty assortment of little mums that coleup gave me, and planted more spinach seed , and some saved seed that's either beets or chard and who knows if they have any chance at this time of year?
Took Acalypha and coleus cuttings, potted some mixed begonia cuttings from a few weeks ago.
Cut down some dead tomato plants, cut back some datura- My datura were started early enough this year to have split ripe pods on them now.
And Mark took down a 50 foot red/swamp maple that had an ant colony in it- the one by the basement steps. If it had split it would wipe out some of the neighbor's fence or maybe the house and we didn't want to chance it.
yes, it was a gorgeous day! Glad you got that maple taken care of!
Sally--
You accomplished a lot! Good day's work. I worked today...odd scheduling.
Please tell me how you ended up taking the Acalypha cuttings.
Did you just cut the top off? Mine do not really have any side shoots
that would be smaller to do cuttings.
I suppose I should start taking other Coleus cuttings than the ones i already
have growing and rooted. Like I have mentioned--I plan to put about 4 cuttings of the
"Inky Fingers" in a HB. Let it sprawl! It likes doing that.
Should also takr cuttings of the Persian Shield. They rooted very well las year--
but, by spring, there were almost NO traces of purple. Just 4"-5" sticks with
a few leaves on top. Planted them outside where they get some dun--and BAM!
They got gorgeous...and purple...
Trying SO hard not to overdo the cuttings--as 6 months of maintaining rooted
cuttings is a hard job. Gonna cut back on the seeds...major!
...so she says......G.
Yes I just topped all the Acalypha- I was able to cut a few inches of the top, about two large leaves and two small to tiny leaves worth. So I removed one or two large leaves, trimmed part off a medium leaf, and had cutting with a small amount of leaf and one or two nodes in the soil. The parent plants didn't look bad either- still with so many huge leaves.
I did all the Coleus and also the Acalypha cuttings today.
Did 2 cuttings of Coleus per 2" cell . A lot! I know that will be tight--but so be it.
I also did a larger 6-cell container for the owner of the Greenhouses.
He told me he loved Coleus--so now he can enjoy some of the pretties from me
for his own garden--assuming he has one? Or--I bet they with thrive all winter in the
GH's and he can get lots of cuttings...Wish I had one.....
Will drop these off maybe tomorrow?
On the Acalyphas--I took about 6" cuttings--either topped them off took some from the sides.
Sripped all but the tip leaves off and trimmed all those to about 2" x 2" each.
Stuck them all in the tall 4" PW pots--so they have plenty of room for roots.
That is done! Did not get to do the cuttings of the Persian Shield. NO hurry!
We have a Bull Roast/Crab Feast/Store Meeting/"Success Sharing" checks hand-outs
combo tonight.
Starts @ 7:30PM-9:30PM. So--I am in to chill a bit before I go.
Hope it is indoors! Sometimes they hold this outside the back Lumber Door-
-there is a lot of room--BUT, hardly any lights as it gets dark.
Wish it was earlier--BUT--the store is open until 7PM for business..
WE (the HD) Do NOT control when the lights get turned on or off. Home Office (Atlanta)
does that. However--if there is a "Function" held--they can notify Atlanta to leave them on.
They also control the heat and the AC in the stores....How's that grab you?
FREE food! FREE Crabs...WHO CARES! :o)
Finally got everything planted from the swap last weekend! It all looks great and I hope they all like their new spots in the ground. :-D
Thanks to all for your generosity in sharing all these beautiful plants!!
We so missed coming to the swap, it sounds as though you all had a great time. I have less than 2 weeks to move most of our tropicals to the GH and take most of my cuttings. Then it's off to my dad's in Florida and 2 more weeks of vacation. I'm afraid to wait till we get back on Oct. 12th to move stuff in. We have had frost in previous years before we got home. I have so many cuttings to take it will probably be an all day affair. My Persian shield, and Lantana I will probably do in oasis again, and all the rest in cell packs with Pro-mix.
Gita, my Persian shield cuttings looked the same as yours, but a week in soil and they started to pop. I'm hoping that I can take enough cuttings to help offset the heating bill for the GH. Not buying 3 and 4" pots of annuals really can add up, seed starting does too, not to mention all the large tropicals we overwinter. We also get a large order of plugs to pot up.
Ric--
I love Lantana! But--I have never rooted it. Usually, I plant it in only one area, but
it could be mixed in somewhere else as well. Do you have to use the oasis?
I have plenty of it (like florists use??). What's the benefit of the Oasis?
I really have limited space to nurture cuttings. Just my 3' light shelf in my bedroom.
When the seedlings and all the cuttings need that space--it can get a bit crazy.
The top shelf on this small unit is always reserved for Brug cuttings.
Need to do those soon too....
I am trying to clean out some of the shelves of a big shelf-unit in my laundry room
which have been filled with old fabric pieces, towels, and all kinds of other junk.
I have a 4' shop light bought (clearanced--display model) at HD. $29.97 for all.
The bulbs came with it too.
These are the skinny shop lights--more high-intensity.
I could hang this light on this shelf down there--BUT--(there is always a "BUT....)
I would need to remove one of the shelves as they are a bit too close together
to have lights hanging and seedlings under them.
The shelvesis are all wood--(old) and look like they are nailed in on the ends.
Have to check it out more seriously...May be hard to remove...
This would give me a deep 4' shelf for more seedlings or cuttings. Most likely--cuttings.
Just one of my projects that is bugging me.... Gita
At the green house where I worked we did Acalypha cuttings (5-6 inch, rooting hormone, 2 nodes deep in gritty seed starting mix., leaf surface trimmed) and then put them on bottom heat and 5-10 minute misting until established. We had a pretty good success rate with three different varieties we grew. Trick was to get them to establish before they died. Seems it took 2-4 weeks then they overwintered in just the greenhouse which never fell below 55 degrees. Lantana . crepe myrtle ,and Persian Shields were done the same way although they were 'easier' as I recall.
We also always cold treated in the fridge door our Datura seeds before planting.
Hope this helps.
PS We also kept a number of well established crepes, lantana, shields in a cool greenhouse that never fell below 35 degrees that we could then heat up to get them back in active growth. I think we kept the Acalypha moms in the warmer green house. Once back in active growth we could again take cuttings. J
Judy--
I did not do the rooting Hormone on the Acalyphas...I guess i still could....
just did it yesterday. I have faith that they will root Ok as is.
Bottom heat? I think there is a gentle heat on the shelf from which (below it)
the shop-light hangs. I could put the Acalypha cutting pots on that, if you
REALLY think that it will help. Won't hurt!........DONE!
NO "gritty mix".....just Fafard Pro Mix. I use that for everything...
Need to, maybe, buy another bale of it at Richardson Farms--if they still have it.
It was only $19. These are not the huge bales--but, big enough. I can't lift it.
Judy--do you think there is any hope of the "Mamas" overwintering outside?
Maybe cut back and covered with a pile of leaves? Maybe a big pot (bottom cut out)
put around them filled with leaves? Mulch piled around the pot?
Would love to see then grow out the second year. I bet they would be awesome!
Thanks, Gita
Nope, Acalypha are Zone 10 plants! But with your luck....? Here is what Logees has to say
Cultural Information- Acalypha (ak-uh-LYE-fuh)
Hardy to Zone 9 or 10 (depending on species) and higher for outdoors.
Full sun, grows to 3-6”* in container, minimum temperature 60°, needs warm temperatures to bloom, everbloomer.
Light: Full sun exposure (a southern window) is best. They are high light plants that need direct sunlight for flowering and compact growth. If they do not bloom, the light level is inadequate.
Temperature: Keep temperatures above 60 degrees when kept as an indoor container plant. They prefer warm temperatures and high light, as they are rapid growers.
Humidity: Preferably 50% or higher; however, they will tolerate low levels with no arm. Watering: Bring the soil to a state of visual dryness between waterings. When watering, thoroughly saturate soil until a little water runs out of the bottom of the pot. Growing in a clay pot will help maintain a healthy root system. They need copious amounts of water so attention needs to be given to prevent a severe wilt.
Fertilizer: They are heavy feeders; fertilize with 1⁄2 tsp of fertilizer per gallon of water once a week. If leaves become pale or older leaves turn yellow and fall excessively, increase fertilizer to twice a week until they green up. Use a balanced fertilizer i.e. 15-15-15 or a blooming fertilizer like Dyna-Gro iquid Grow Plant Food 7-9-5.
Pruning: Repot once plant has completely filled the pot. Acalyphas love to be pruned and respond well to a hard pruning. To culture specimens over the long term, it is necessary to prune up to 50-70% of growth. Any time the rowth gets straggly, cut them back hard.
Insects and Disease: They are highly susceptible to spider mites. Whiteflies and aphids will also attack them. Keep the plants away from other infected plants. If they are kept outdoors in summer, check them carefully before bringing them back , and give them a preventative spray. Comments: Acalyphas are fast growing plants that need high light and copious amounts of water and fertilizer. They can be grown as potted plants, standards or hanging baskets. We often grow them in moss baskets. They do need warm temperatures, especially in the winter.
highly susceptible to spider mites- Boy that the last thing I need.
Judy--thanks! i will c/p all the above care out and keep it handy.
Sally--
If you are worried about the cuttings catching Spider Mites--
make sure they are clean of the m NOW! Do you, usually, have these in the house?
A Systemic soil treatment would be good...do any of your cats eat your plants?
If they do--than you cannot do the Systemic.
No harm alternative---
Spider mites can be washed off the leaves. try this:
Fill a bucket with warm water ad squirt some neutral dish soap in it. (not detergent)
Liquid Joy works well.
Put plant & pot in a plastic bag and tie off snugly just above the soil to keep it in.
Turn plant upside down and swish it around, up and down too, in the soapy water.
Make sure all surfaces get thoroughly washed.
Rinse off well (laundry sink?) and put in a shady spot to dry off. Remove plastic.
This should wash off all Spider Mites and, maybe some others.
Here is a nice link for organic insect care.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html
Judy thanks for posting that.... starting to think overwintering the acalypha might be more effort than I want to put into it. sounds really fussy. Might be better to make friends with that person down if FL and pay them to ship cuttings up in early Spring....
Gita, I use florist oasis on slow to root cuttings, which many can be in a cool at night GH. I do not seem to get any rot with this since it's always moist but never being wetted, it is also treated to keep flowers fresh and I think that helps also. I do use Rootone on most stuff and poke the oasis with a pencil to create a hole. It also prevents drying the media out or algae building up on the surface, keeping it uniformly moist is as easy as keeping just a little water in the bottom of the tray.
speechless!
