Plant Propagation: The Basics Spring 2016

It sure is a hoot listening to you southerners talking about not being able to get rid of cannas once you plant them. If I wanted to get rid of mine all I'd have to do is leave them in the ground for the winter. I spend hours every fall digging mine up and storing them in boxes of peat moss in the basement for the winter. Then haul them out and nurture them in the greenhouse until June. I guess nature takes care of a lot of things in Zone 3

Today in Oxdrift
2). Some of my coleus grown from cuttings from over wintered stock
3). A few marigolds from seed for a mass planting
4). Wood stove that keeps my babies warm. -4 last night and was hard to keep regulated so I think I was out there every 2 hours for most of the night. Notice the 2 pots of water on top of stove to counter act the dryness of wood heat
1). It's not a ghost. It's Keith trying to protect the leaves on his Golden Eclipse Lilac on -4 night. Notice the dusting of new snow as well.
5). Speaking of "invasive " cannas, notice the pots of canna Pretoria on the left. I have been nurturing them in pots since March 28 because they have small tubers and are very slow starting. I also have another variety (name unknown) that were given to me eons ago. They have large tubers and grow very fast so they are just coming up now. They have very showy dark red leaves and an insignificant flower that I cut off. I believe they are probably shown in my album entitled "Challenging Zone 3" if you have checked that out
Keith
Edited because the order changed on the pictures when I sent. Frustrating

This message was edited May 14, 2016 8:36 AM

Unfortunately Keith, every single plant in Houston and across the south has ferociously invasive properties. There are a few things we dont grow well, hostas struggle. Texas has at least 5 different geographical zones and a full range of plants for that area. If the light wasn't as short as it was I cannot imagine how the plants would outgrow us. I have been in your -4 cold, and colder than that as well up north. My arthritis tends to flare when its a wet cold. Cannas, elderberry, sand washed thru and deposited with this flood in the St Augustine grass, and part of the yard that didn't get cleared before building.

Thanks for pics Kitt. Seems so odd to me to see cannas growing like that, spreading beneath a tree with grass growing amongst it. I like elderberries in bloom. There is the odd one growing wild here but fairly rare. Ours have red berries. Are yours red or purple?

Kitt: You are in 8b. My sone is 9. I always wonder what will grow there that also grows in my yard. I'd like to take plants to him but never know what would work. Zone 9 is a heck of a lot different from 6b. His soil is quite sandy.

I have grown cannas on the south side of my brick home, but I have lifted them every year. The one year I didn't, due to my husband's surgery at the time we were suppose to lift them and the chaos that followed, we didn't get them lifted and lost all of them. Previously they grew and multiplied dependably. I like them and am planting them with some Cosmos this year. I'd like to leave them in the ground, but they'd probably die. It seems we have had colder winters in the last few years with the exception of this past winter, even though, there's a gloval warming trend.

Thanks for the pics from Keith and Kitt. That's quite the operation you've got growing there Keith, you're a zone fighter for sure with all those annuals.

Birder, you had a great reason for losing all your Cannas. Some day they will have hardier varieties for you to leave in the ground. Unless there is such a thing as global warming, I've been waiting decades to jump up a few zones.

Yes, really enjoyed the pictures from both of you. Robin is right Kieth, the set up with your stove is pretty cool, but kind of a pain when it is that cold isn;t it? But your plants are nice and healthy, very colorful and that is the reward for all your hard work.

Yes, really enjoyed the pictures from both of you. Robin is right Kieth, the set up with your stove is pretty cool, but kind of a pain when it is that cold isn;t it? But your plants are nice and healthy, very colorful and that is the reward for all your hard work.

Jackson, Mo. I have friends running a diner on I20 out at xit 77 I think it is. The more native a variety of plant it is, the tougher it is. Cannas are used in full sun in medians as far north as Wichita Falls, Tx. They freeze down and return unless the drought is too long. Great pecan trees up there too. Keith's area fights catmints and wild mints growing wild. Trilliums in the woods, hostas and rhododendrens, lupines. Hmmm, gonna have to look up Oxdrift... I remember the areas near the major southern Border. I always kept a rag soaked in deicer to wipe down my headlights and stayed away from the male truck drivers (seemed they think they are training for Nascar across the ski slopes...). The northern lights making you think it was dawn at 2 in the morning, winter until it was late summer, short bursting summer and wham! Winter again. NO mosquitos to speak of- not like our Gulf states, anyway. He can probably grow tarragon and I can't. Sages up there are sturdier - hyssops and agastaches? Do they grow in your area, Keith? Not sure birder, there is a definite difference in hardiness and humidities in those zones.

Sorry Kitt, no "hyssops and agastaches familiar to me and wrong on the mosquitos. You could get carried away by mosquitos in Oxdrift. Oxdrift is on the Transcanada highway half way between Winnipeg Manitoba and Thunder Bay Ontario. Also pretty much straight north of International Falls Minnesota if that helps you any. Closest more recognizable centre is Dryden where I worked before retirement and my wife still does.

I've grown Hyssop and tarragon here. The most and largest Mosquitos I've ever seen were in Alaska, even more then in Rome, Italy. They cling to the vehicle waiting for you to get out, they call them the state bird. I've grown Hostas here too. I think there are many more differences besides temp. and zones. In Ca. everything I planted grew, here not so much.

Hyssops do not do well here for me , one and all , some seasons annual , Agastache , very few
Mosquitoes , most everywhere on the planet ,

Agastaches like cold nghts, warm days,dry soils- Santa Fe is good for the agastaches.. due north of International Falls pegged me straight into you Keith. I hear Wisconsin is frosty this mornin too, guys, I really have never seen mosquitos as thick as Houston, and they are large enough to carry you away, or as slick black and white with a sting from hades itself. Grant you, Alaska has mosquitoes, I understand why they are so large as well. They are down here too, those large ones. I hate them as deeply as they love sucking my blood. Houston cant grow the regular tarragon without it costing an arm and a leg, we grow an alternate type. Just like south american chilis- those peppers have a unique flavor our soils don't give them. Zones are a general guide- there are years I honestly think solar flares contribute to off tasting/producing plants, not just the normal cycles of bugs and soil conditions, Lisa

Y'all are making me so happy I live in Seattle now. I have had a single bite this year. I do have some DEET somewhere I got a few years ago, for hiking in buggy areas, I never use it at home. Also no poisonous snakes here.
But, not enough summer heat for Cannas :-(

My post was not directed at you, Kitt. I was just sharing my experience growing plants in TX. I've grown S. American peppers and they tasted fine to me. My soil, or lack there of, is completely different, then Houston, no sand or heavy clay. The zones are simply a guide reflecting the lowest temps. Ill eave solar flares to the others. I haven't had any experience with off tasting or producing plants. Haven't had a season this wet in years.

Can't have everything Pistil, but what you name there is very important to any gardner that spends much time outdoors. Can't think of poisonous spiders either. The one thing you do have that is just terrible if you are the type of gardener that pulls weeds by hand are slugs. Seattle maybe doesn't have the largest, I am sure there are places in tropical areas that have you beat on size of slugs, but not sure about number and a real close 2nd on size. You might have every place beat there. LOL and once you squeeze one between your fingers when pulling weeds, it will take you forever getting the stuff off. Gross! jen

Seattle a rain a day and drain away. Out of the city a ways for me, chuckl. Beautiful dahlias up there and peonies, grasses in every texture and hue, a lot of wildflowers I haven't been able to get close enough to for id's...fogs that ice, and peaks in snow. I ran hwy 3 from west coast- BC, to ummm, east of a POE in the WashValley, returned to the POE and convinced them NOT to open doors it took a fork truck and 3 guys to close on rockwool insulation. My border entry guys wouldn't let me warn the Mex border guys abt the load, chuckl. I wonder how they ever got the doors closed on the Mexican side, such attitudes, chuckl. I have had some awesome places I have visited, watching the zones change and terrain change. Weather is always different every year as well.

Think you will miss that when you retire Kitt. The variety . jen

The house is almost "ready to show". It helped that we had company from out of town to visit us. I finished both closets and now I am working on my desk...but it was a nice day between 60-65 degrees with a breeze and clouds moving about as well, so I worked in the landscape. What I mean is I just finished one section...weeding and moving a few plants around. It is a challenge to keep the unfenced areas looking nice as the deer are voracious. I have not begun on the fenced garden area except for buying a few tomato plants and keeping them watered. I want to at least have the areas around the house done before the appraisal. It probably won't sell right away, so I will most likely be gardening until late fall or winter, depending on the weather, of course.

Pictures to come in a few days. Thanks for your patience.

Evelyn

I'm glad you can see light at the end of that tunnel Evelyn, it's a long tough job getting a house ready to show. I wish you all the blessings you need to make this transition as easy as possible.

Texas red star hibiscus, swan plant ( milkweed) yukon gold taters, asparagus fern
( from seed) and does anyone know what this is ( last Pic)
I planted in a frenzy and didn't mark this pot of stuff.

I want a slug trap. I've been making salt trails around the cat food dish on my front porch, they are gross. Somewhere I read about a dish of beer?

Debra , last pic Borage maybe ? if a Flower , they could be Foxglove
Some of my less complicated are sprouted , Hot weather plant like dill sprouted at 39 degrees the past couple nights ,, nothing makes sense , lol
I am at a loss as to what I want to plant ,

So plant a little bit of everything Ju, and see what makes it. That is my system. Except I didn't bother with corn. Even though I have 4 kinds of seeds including native non gmo pop corn and blue corn and black corn. Just takes too much water and sun and around here we either get one or the other.

Well Gypsi , I have
yellow Tomato
a red cherry tomato ,
paste tomato
sorghum
beets
dill
four or five types mustard
red Kale
cabbage .
two bok choy
three types of onion
two types of garlic
8 or 9 types of lettuce ,
2 types of greens ,
Basil several
and numerous flowers ,,
planted African foxglove , a while ago
More shortly
I seem to be dodging spiders ,?

Gipsi people here do use beer traps. sink a dish in the ground so they can easily crawl in, they drink it and fall in and drown. Many people use disposable dishes so they don't have to clean them out, a truly disgusting chore.

Spiders are really bad down here too. Odd looking ones. Rainy again today, mosquitos appear to be spawning in the tree leaves. Deep Woods Off defoliated my one lone sunflower. Hope I didn't kill it. Ooops. Doesn't dried cornmeal also attract slugs and snals and kill them? Like in a jar tipped over? I am back on the road, my truck air drying up the dampness a bit better, the grass was mowed in the rain, and growing as fast as the onions I cut at ground level. I spread epsom salts on the ground around my plants to discourage the crawlers, but then it rained. Keepin an eye out for you guys as I travel

Epsom salts sounds good. I used corn gluten meal for a pre-emergent one year and netted a bumper crop of fire ants, so I think not trying that. Salt definitely kill slugs and epsom feeds plants. Photos: Peonies waiting to get planted, Michigan ditch lilies where they don't get out of hand, propagation porch, my old Rotti with his ball, in a playful mood, first hot pink water lily.

I went to the Rangers game with my daughter yesterday and saw the fight break out, it was a good game anyway, but that was my first intro to live professional baseball and it was ahem, interesting.

Hi Gypsi. love that water lily and I also love Ditch lilies too, but I try keeping them in containers so they do not become invasive.These are my winter sown plants Cardinal flower, only one Delphinium came up,Foxgloves ,Balloon flower and white Swan cone flower.

Oh boy, I sure do love hot pink! I hope you're going to be shoeing us blooms from all those Peonies too Gypsy.

Good work on the WS Cytf, one is better than none. You got a boatload of Cardinal Flower and Foxgloves, they sure liked what you did.

Your plants all Awesome !!!

Cabbage on to a photo , he , he they can be a choi though ,,
2 White Swan
3 Camphor basil
4 tomato blossom
5 i forgot

5 above is Dill

False indigo sprouts

Cardinal flower and foxglove won't grow in my part of Texas I don't think. I tried and failed some years ago. They sure are pretty when they bloom though

Gosh, this thread is going on 6 months long. I always think it should be another thread but it never is. I know Kitt told me there are no such things as ends of threads, or some such thing, but this one doesn;t make sense. Think I am going to quit looking at it.

If you read the other thread on the back porch, you know I heard from Sharon and she has been pretty sick the last week or so. Should be on here soon. jen

It was only 3 months but it was time for a new thread Jen, so here it is.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1424377/