2015 Fall Plant Swap General Discussion Thread

Here's a thread for your general plant swap discussions, Ladies and Gentlemen. Talk and chat about your plants you have, plants you want, talk bad about the host, anything goes. :) We can keep the sign up thread and the HAVES/WANTS thread from getting all mucked up by keeping all the chit chat here.

Gracias and Buenos Dias,
Cam

I have 1 extra Silver Vase Bromeliad, It is an easy care houseplant. Unless you are planing on moving to Zone 10. LOL It gets a beautiful bloom. Some of mine just bloomed recently

Just checked, not poisonous to cats... I'll take that off your hands, Holly.

This "Urn Plant" bromeiliad has the most beautiful foliage of all.
It's massive, silvery appearance is most attractive.

However--Bromeliads only bloom once--but for a pretty long time.
Once the bloom fades--you will be left to enjoy only the foliage and WAIT a few years
for the plant to produce "pups" from the base.
When the "pups" have grown to a mature size, they can be dug away from Mama
and potted up on their own. Make sure there are roots attached!
Because none of us live in the tropics, you will have to "trick" the new plant into blooming.

This can be done by putting the whole potted plant into a large, clear plastic bag
along with a ripe apple. Close the bag! Wait about 4-5 days (not sure on the time frame)
The apple will release ethylene gas, which is thought of as the aging hormone in plants.

Then remove the plant and treat it as usual.
This "treatment" will, eventually, cause a bloom bud to appear.

Don't hang me if I,m wrong---this is just what I have always heard re bromeliads blooming.
I am sure one could search the internet to validate all this...

Gita

I read two articles. Both said the plant doesn't always bloom but when it does, it subsequently dies. It can then be propagated from its seeds.

The apple in the bag trick was not mentioned. Interesting.

Cam--

I have worked for years in gardening type places--close to 30.

Worked for a Grower--1 1/2 years. Learned a lot there...
Worked in a nursery that did landscaping--2 years
was in charge of the Houseplant dept. at Franks Nursery and Crafts--5 years.

Then came to HD in 1998 to be in the position of taking care of all the
Houseplants in the Greenhouse. HUGE GH--and al full, one end to another.
We had many Bromeliads there--and that is where I acquired the most
knowledge in dealing with a lot of issues. Talked to many vendors...
Yes! I know a lot about Gardening---but i also know a lot about houseplants.

Re the Bromiliads--yes! they will decline after they have bloomed,--but this takes
months! It does NOT just die! It simply withers away, but the "pups" keep growing.
Kind of like the MAMA giving up her life to nurture the next generation.

I tried to find dome articles on the ethylene gas and fruiting--which IS often used
by commercial growers in warehouses where the ripen fruits before shipping them out
to the markets, Apples, tomatoes, bananas, etc..etc..They are NOT naturally ripened...
it is all a controlled process. Bananas are a big thing in this process...they are
picked totally green. So are tomatoes--that is why store bought tomatoes taste
like cardboard.
I suppose one could equate "fruiting" with "blooming". You could say a blooms developing
is a form of "fruiting".... ????

G.

I wasn't questioning your expertise, Gita. Simply telling you what I read.

I was NOT trying to flaunt my expertise---not at all! Sorry if it came across that way!

I feel so bad when customers buy Bromiliads, bc they do not know that the bloom is a
one time thing. Sometimes I tell them--sometimes not.
Sorry for the misinterpretation. Gita

I didn't do anything special to these to get them to bloom. I did separate them a few months ago. The original plant was blooming for quite awhile when I got it. It didn't die but was looking pretty battered. The one I am giving away hasn't bloomed yet and I was wondering if it would start soon like these two have. I have heard about the apple trick. Good luck with it Cam hope you will get a bloom.

Gita... no worries, didn't interpret it that way, just making sure you didn't feel I was questioning what you had said. It's all good !

Thanks Holly.... if it doesn't ever bloom, it's not a big deal, the plant is awesome without a bloom. Thanks for offering it up !

There must be many different kinds of bromeliads. I have one from David and Pat's collection that has bloomed every few months or so for several years now. I don't do anything to it at all, just leave it outside in the summer and bring it inside in the winter. Rarely water, never fertilize. Maybe David can weigh in on the specific bromeliad that we have.

I am expecting to have some Queens Tears Brom as well. I haven't divided that yet. But it does bloom every year. Your right Terri there are a lot of Broms.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2116/

As far as I know, ours are Queen's Tears. We have several blooming now, and like Terri said, they bloom on and off all year.

Holly, the Silver Vase you photographed is amazing. Love the foliage.

My knowledge of Bromiliads is limited to only those that are commonly
sold in Box-stores and Nurseries. Those are the ones I was referring to.

Can't wait for my Queens Tears to bloom. It has quite a few offsets showing.
Thanks, Pat and David.

...G.

How about Voodoo Lilies, I have 7 small bulbs. They will take awhile before they are big enough to bloom. They are amazing plants, that require no winter care at all. You just let the plant go dormant, make sure that you keep it in the warm "no" unheated garages. Those of you in Zone 7 might want to try it outside. This is a pic of my much larger plant. Mom to the pups I am offering.

No starting my "Haves" list yet--but I will have :

About 6-6" pots of AW Begonias (rooted and growing)
--asst other pots of begonias--
--I will be digging up a huge clump of Olga's Liatris--so corms will be available--
--Will dig up and pot some pink Evening primrose again from my daughters garden
--6-packs of BES seedlings ( 4 or 5) growing well
--8 trays (total) of "Red Volunteer DL or Frans Hals DL.(putting out leaves already)...
--Pregnant Onion starts--(Whoopie!!!!)
--Lots of Holiday cactus--all colors.....
--some red Easter cactus
---lots of Spider plants--
--4" pots of rooted Swedish ivy--

Seeds for biennial plants--check my Trade List (not up to date...)
May have some "Things" to do with gardening I want to give away....????

Gita

edited a few weeks later;
Some of the plants I listed above will go to Sally's Library "Give-Away".
Please refer to my "Haves" for updated info. Will put "My haves" up soon.
Thanks.

This message was edited Jul 29, 2015 8:45 AM

Gita, if you truly have an overabundance of small houseplants, I would love to get about two dozen and make them giveaways for our Library session with the Master Gardener, on Sep 19th.

Gita, I'd be interested in more of your BES seedlings if no one else is interested. I took a bunch from you last year so if someone else wants, put them first.

Sally---
You already mentioned that you wanted some small plants for the Library
Give-aways. I can start some more Swedish Ivies and Begonias.
Spiders--I have a lot. EWould like to give away a bunch of my small-pot Holiday cactus.
They are all very well rooted and i do have different colors. Have to see and start tagging
winch ones I will part with,
Good time of year--September--as the Holidays are not that far away.

jeff---I cannot believe someone, actually, wants BES!

YES! I will put your name on all the seedlings. I can dig/pot up another 2- 6-packs of them.
They all came up from seed dropped last fall from seed pods. They are still small--
real seedlings....maybe 2" tall....Good size to move around.

Did you see the picture where my small front bed is obliterated by BES?
Come over and yank them all put--they can be yours!....:O)

****************Starting an early requests list on a sheet of paper.

g.

Why don't people like BES? They are a solid daisy that performs well. Too many haters up in here....

Only problem I have is that the rabbits love the BESs more than I do.

Jeff---

BES are very pretty and are the State Flower of MD.

BES also spread too fast and become "invasive". That may be the reason
people (and me) are not so crazy about them. They not only spread by seed--
but also by roots. A double whammy!

You have seen the picture I posted of BES consuming my front bed.
That started by a couple plants behind my pink Azalea bush...which looked very pretty.

Maybe instead of bringing you 2" seedlings--I should cut these back and pull them up
and that way you will have a head start with yours. What do you think?
I would do this just before the Swap so you can plant them right into your beds.
G.

Hey G I think I'd rather have the seedlings as they are easier to plant and will still bloom next season. Thanks!!

I can share, anytime, enough 'Bead fern' to choke a horse. (Onoclea sensibilis) This is a tough, spreading, dry soil tolerant fern with light green fronds a foot or two tall (depends on the rain) and then interesting persistent spore spike thingies in fall/winter (maybe the source of the name bead fern). If no one else, maybe next time I'm near Muddy, I can offload if and she can just dump it in the woods. It ought to put up a fight with forest grass.

Sally I will be bringing some of my begonias as well took a few cuttings and rooted them at the beginning of summer they are doing quite well now.

I'll take a couple of those ferns Sally. Thanks!!

gotcha Jeff. They might get a bit ragged from digging but I can assure you they'll bounce back next year. They spread rather than have very distinct rosettes.

I just love sensitive ferns. Such a great plant.

Two seasons ago--when I did all the digging up and moving around of my Ferns
(Autumn fern and Korean rock fern--?) I potted up one of the Koren Rock ferns
in a 2 gallon pot. It is still in that same pot. It needs a new home to grow out its
fronds. It looks pretty abandoned right now. Nothing sprouting in the pot.
It has been buried behind my two ferns for a couple of years.
I am sure someone can give it a 2nd chance of life.

This is the fern---growing (in 2013) amid my Phlox. That is why i dug it up.

Gita

Gita - I am willing to try to revive your Korean Rock Fern.

YES! I know you can.......Put your name on the list.....G.

My Phlox 'David' sprouted some babies which are now a couple feet tall, if anyone is interested.

I'd love to take a couple of those off your hands, Catmint !

Thanks Sally. So you sure it'll take dry shade? I'm going to throw it right to the wolves. MOBOT suggests it prefers a moister location but also says that the wetter it is the taller they get up to 4'. You mentioned 1-2' so I guess yours is in a pretty dry location?

Oh yes Sequoia, Sensitive Fern will definitely take dry shade.

Cool, sounds like a good plant!

I have a Lavender Butterfly Bush.
This color

4 feet I cannot imagine; even with all the rain this spring mine are not 4 feet. I'd say 2 feet. 4 feet must be a real wet spot.

Mine are about 1-2ft can't imagine one 4ft either. Serious thunderstorm going thru right now.