Plant Propagation: The Basics Summer 2016

When would you have to plant sweet corn Gypsi?

You've got a few nice Iris Ju. I planted some two years ago and still haven't seen it bloom. I was hoping I still may get some blooms yet this year; am I kidding myself again?

Robin , you know ,, Iris can bloom any time of year , some days I have trouble telling what plant is what , I have to control myself .
Red Sorghum seeds have sprouted so tomorrow evening I will likely plant them ,
Having trouble getting some seeds to sprout ,
Well at least my zinnia and weeds will bloom , Daisy , iris , and violets so far ,

Sundowner's Syndrome is very often a part of Alzheimer's, and perhaps other forms of dementia, too. The patient's symptoms, confusion, disorientation, etc., become much worse during the evening hours. They become very restless and agitated, it is more difficult to calm them. My husband had it. My heart goes out to your neighbor, Jen, it's a rough road ahead for them.
Vern (Rusty)

I had this fairly long, not like Sharon means, but some, written and my computer refused to print another letter. That is the second time in the last couple of days that has happened. Just stops. When I get back here, my post is gone. Oh well, time to go to bed anyway. 'nite. jen

Completed Tamarac walkway on Saturday. Very productive day. My wife did a lot of tedious staining for me on picket fence and lattice. I was was back in the Tamarac swamp with the chainsaw first thing in the morning. My poor ATV. I don't think it was meant to be a skidder.
It's raining here this AM so lighting was good for a picture. It was taken through the screen off the back deck so if it looks a little grainy it's the screen. Sorry about the yellow extension cord. That is currently my power supply to the greenhouse to run 2 fans and 20 feet of flourescent lights
OMG. That was really grainy. Didn't look that bad on my phone screen. Went outside in the rain and climbed up on the pergola for another birdseye view. Hope this is better. Of course this thing reversed the pics so #1 is really #2

Absolutely beautiful Keith! Lot's of work went into that...lot;s of thought too.

Oh that is fabulous. I had a moment of "oh wouldn't that look great in my own backyard". Then I remembered-weeds grow year-round here. I would have to use Roundup, bad plan. I have some rock paths and rock areas, these I can mostly keep clear using my flamethrower, that would be a bad idea on a wood walkway! Even on rock, I keep the hose handy-I set fire to a wooden planter once. anyway, yours looks great!

Well my geranium cuttings all failed. Corn has to be planted here between March 15 and April 15 per the feed store

Thanks for the Iris info Ju and thanks for the planting info Gypsi, sorry to hear about your Geraniums -- keep trying.

Hey Pistil, I'm intrigued by the flame thrower idea. Prior to this path I had a weed on the old path that was the curse of the earth. Not sure what it is but locals call it chick weed. I had seen a flame thrower type gadget in a magazine and thought it seemed like a good idea. Tell me about it.
Robin and Pistil: I planted my 40 foot wall today. Too early for pics but when I get a few minutes I will post a schematic of what I planted on the oxalis thread. I have a feeling this is going to be a keeper so I want to keep a record of it as the old mind just doesn't cut it any more

My Geraniums lasted all winter , cuttings failed earlier ,, I hate that ,lol

1 meadow Rue
2 Daisy , always cheerful
345 The zinnia sprouts , weeds over ran them last year , so some idea , of play it is . some are stressing , most look delighted , ?

Meadow rue is beautiful, what conditions does it need?

Keith, that is very nice How thick did you cut the Tamarack? Same as Larch isn't it? An interesting concept.

JU, what is the grey that you have your seedlings in? Do you have them in pots also? jen

cement squares Jen , They like temperatures of 100 to 115 degrees ,,

Gypsi ,, partial shade , to prairie conditions , Mine is in a Huge planter pot , Lots of debris or common plant mulch around the root , Large plant is possible .. really large ..

Jen: the Tamarac slices are 4" thick an yes they are also known as larch

Hey Gupsi, I thought you might be on the Oxalys sic. thread but, decided you wouldn't see it over there so here I am. Wanted to tell you about a friend of mine who, in the late season she would take cuttings of all of her geraniums and shove them all in a clay pot together. Water them, put them in my sister's greenhouse and forget about them for the winter. My sister does not heat her greenhouse. But, sure enough, in the spring all of those cuttings would be rooted. No idea why. When I saw what she was doing, I bumped my sister's arm and pointed at it. LOL, she just nodded her head. She knew they were going to root. It really gets cold here in the winter. No idea why they made it, she even drains the water in the greenhouse system for the winter. Shrug. jen

Sorry JU, meant to ask you, what likes 100 to 115 degrees? The plants? What are they? Or did you mean the cement blocks? Boy am I confused. jen

The zinnia Jen
I planted two more tomato plants , and some red sorghum yesterday .

Really!! Do Zinnias have to be that warm? Then all of those my daughter seeded for me probably won't even come up huh? jen

Really!! Do Zinnias have to be that warm? Then all of those my daughter seeded for me probably won't even come up huh? jen

Jen ) Oh they will come up but things like my Candy Cane zinnia , one has died , both were sprouted indoors . ,, why it died , want of more sun and warmth .
doesn't mean they won't grow , only that their preferred temperature is in the lower 100's ,,
So far my keeper mix of zinnia are doing well ,, My tithonia , and amaranth , and several seem to be having difficulty sprouting, . I'm working on it ,
Cat's got one red mustard , a toad dug up the other , those I will try again later .
back in a bit ,,

ONE geranium made it. Just unloaded the porch for the great siding pressure wash prior to insurance inspection I'd like to know it is all there. And there it was, with a new little leaf just poking out. Thank you for the technique Robin. The ones in shade died, the one in partial sun is the one that made it. In addition so did my hostas, and the borage is looking good at the back of the flower bed I sort of built last night (dug out bermuda, lightly raised and bricked off. The original flower bed is the back 2 feet by the fence. Rhododendron and a little Columbine

Pa today, still traveling. Yes March for corn planting to have ears for the 4th July ish. I like the area Keith! Zinnias are from down Mexico way, so do love heat. Looks good Ju!

A splash of blue in Oxdrift courtesy of Virginia blue bells. So beautiful but when they are done blooming the whole plant dies and you are left with a bare spot

Oxdrift you said you had chickweed? The best solution for chickweed and henbit is of course a couple of hens. However, they will then eat a few more plants. (think goat with wings)

Sorry Gypsi, there is no free range chickens in the future of Oxdrift gardens. In the younger days we had chickens (fenced in). As time passed the biggest attachment to them was to have their decomposed poop for the gardens. This place is too manicured for free range.

well it was worth a try. when the chickweed goes wild in my pond area I turn the hens loose in it for a bit (and remove them before they eat the honeysuckle or fertilize too much

That was worth a try Gypsi, I like the idea and would keep a couple of Guinea Hens if zoning permitted. Okay, partial sun works best for geraniums. I'm so glad you had one survive for you to mimic the conditions The shade I have found greatly reduces transpiration of the leaves of woody varieties.

I just rooted some Lavender H. syriacus (I can't remember the common name, I've got to go look it up).

Rose of Sharon...duh. I just stuck the un-budded, pruned sticks into the moist spring dirt (mostly shade).

Here is a photo of my Benzomatic Flame Weeder. I have had it for at least 15 years. It is great. There are bigger types, to hook up to a propane tank, but this little one is light, portable, and mechanically very simple- nothing to lose or break. I gave my sister the bigger one where you pull around a tank like for your barbecue, it does not get used much, but mine I bring out for 20 minutes here and there with no trouble at all. Just screw on the propane canister, light it with the flint and steel thingy, and go! As it was described to me by the guy who told me about it: "Weed standing up with a beer in your hand".
Full disclosure. You really could set your yard and house on fire. I never use it when the neighbor kids/teenagers are around, I recall being a bit of a pyromaniac myself at that age. It gets very dry here in summer, so I weed with a hose at the ready. You don't need to actually burn up the weed, just damage the leaves/crown enough and it will die. If you go around on gravel every 2-3 weeks for a few minutes, you kill all the newly sprouted weeds.

Thanks so much Pistil. That is exactly what I saw in a Lee Valley catalog and thought it looked like the perfect rig. The parking area out front is all black crushed rock, nothing much to burn and we usually don't get so dry. It's great to get feedback from someone who has tried and tested it. Going to put that on my wish list

It doesn't work on goatshead aka Sand spur. My helper and I took a torch to mine one year, (garden hose on and handy in case things got out of hand) and the seeds (3/8 inch wrecking balls covered with sharp points) were still sitting there the next day. So I got out my shop vac and confirmed my insanity to the neighbors by vacuuming up the seeds. Have an enemy? Actually I put the seeds in the trash..

pretty iris Ju, no corn here, the poor place is so soggy.. did get some pics of propagation things, tho..had the day off, it wasn't raining, got Gamera out for a freedom day..

Debra I love the flowers ,, cute little Hibiscus seedling are looking really nice . Of course I love and delight at Gamera ,, !!!

A Bellflower is about bloom for me a tall campanula ,
Milkweeds have over run most of the place , I threw my old bronze fennel seeds in a container and 100's have sprouted ,
Things are shaping up slowly
The Obedient plants and Bee Balm from you Debra will bloom in a few weeks

Gamera was out and about for a couple hours, I had to find her, thank goodness for the smiley face..
all my milkweeds are about to bloom, except I had to move the cinderella pink and the ice ballet and I don't know who is where? LOL
my american bellflower also got moved and run over so here is hoping.. can't find my pandurata and I am freaking out.. I hate this new set up still.. *sigh* oh well..
Aunt Effie's Iris she called it orchid iris, it has bloomed a lot since I moved it to wetter areas.. it is about 30 years old now..miss my arches where they used to be .
Chicory !!! Finally! ..we have to use these wood and lattice things so we can walk in the garden without getting ankle deep in mud.. :P
tomatoes and peppers are already fruiting....wild raspberry I took a piece of from the country 3 years ago is loaded with berries.

Spring and early summer - wonderful. I have green tomatoes on one of my plants. They keep threatening rain but so far a light mist, just enough to keep the chiggers on their toes and my torso. Got to wipe down with alcohol before I shower, I am all eat up and don't want to get worse

Highways being mowed for holiday, was trying to remember what i used to use to discourage chiggers...thank you everyone for flower pics!

we use Deet here.. chiggers are bad for Joe, he spends his day pulling weeds from his lawn...first chigger bite and he will spray from his feet to his neck from then till end of summer before he gets out there// there is something he puts out when he can't stand them, but don't know what it is. I use clear fingernail polish on a chigger bite, he won't.

Debra, what a fantastic colour on that rose, and funky iris. Love different stuff like that
Keith

for chiggers I use sulfur on socks and inside and outside of pants hem, but yesterday I forgot and walked on the parts of the lot I had already weeded without sulfur. The worst chiggers were upper body from bagging weeds, they crawled up my arms. Better this morning. I wipe down with alcohol before showering, and usually put campho phenique on chigger bites but I am out of campho and it is getting hard to find the oil type at stores, going to have to order on amazon

All I can say to chigger bites is I have a few ,
Yes indeed nice flowers ,,

Debra , I think Chicory is passed over by many because it takes a few years to get decent blooms , Sometimes when perennial and like where they are , you get a crown with Daisy size blue flowers and last year mine bloomed summer to frost ,
Takes patience ,,lol I rarely see a wild chicory with much bloom size at all usually small about quarter size , That is because the plants are young ,,

This message was edited May 26, 2016 11:29 AM