Plant Propagation: The Basics Summer 2016

Aaaaaaaaaagh!
Let us know how it comes out...

WHOA... NO WAY WOULD I BE ABLE TO GO THRU ALL THAT , OXDRIFT. YOUR WIFE SOUNDS LIKE A KEEPER, IF SHE IS WILLING TO HELP YOU PREPARE TENTS AND LOAD UP THE TABLES WITH POTS.. SORRY ABOUT MY CAPS LOCKS, I AM SNEAKING IN FROM WORK.. :p

Weather making the Athlete in anybody a must have ,, WOW !!!

A Basil that self sowed

Wow Keith, I can't imagine all of the work you put in to have a pristine landscape. Is it all worth it?

I'm with Robin. Apartment hunting here I come. LOL, just kidding. Think of all the work you do on them I would have waited to put them out. Don't know. I know that short season gardening is not fun. Sometimes, yeah. jen

Detroit is promising 49* tonite, so I am digging out my sweatpants, I do not have that energy, Keith, tho once upon a time I yanked tubs of citrus in and out every day. Might be why I don't now.

Debra: I would say 40 years is pretty much a keeper.
Robin: I'll tell you how worth it it is after we see what happens tonight. Regardless I don't think I could live without it
Kitt: definitely I've never been told I lack energy
Jen: yeah short season gardening can be a pain but as one of you recently pointed out it is better than still cutting grass in December
Ju: not much of any athlete really, just a stubborn bull ox from Oxdift
Keith

The goal would be for photo #1 to transform into photo #2
Keith

Does all the barren winter look depress you? I sometimes dread the Amazon type plants we have, but grew up in New Mexico, so can handle desert scapes- but snow is so - monotonoud. I hear Canada has some strict HOAs type living areas that would cause me to NOT want neighbors...

Sorry Kitt, the HOAs type living areas went right over my head. You will have to explain. As for snow, I don't mind it. It's the short days that come along with it that get me down. We do go to Mexico for 2 weeks every February but I can't see myself ever becoming a snowbird and heading south for the whole winter.

Sheets blankets and tarps! Texas does this all the time with the snap freezes. An HOA is a nightmare come true - Home Owners Associations tell you what color you can paint your house, what your landscaping has to look like, what color roof you can have and if you can have solar panels, plus much more. But you pay your $2400 a year dues because they also tell your neighbor he can't have a junk car in sight or a boat in the driveway. They can repo your house for non payment of dues. Builders love them, enforcement for planned communities

This message was edited Jun 7, 2016 11:24 PM

Thanks for clearing that up Gypsi. Never heard of such a thing. Definitely none of those anywhere near Oxdrift. Actually I believe we live in heaven. We are unorganized (we really live in the sticks). We don't even need a building permit, it's not my nature but if I wanted to I could put up the gaudiest shack on earth and no one can say anything about it. And our taxes are very low. We live on the west side of Dryden. The people in the country on the east side of Dryden got hooked into amalgamating with the city a few years back and they got HOSED. They pay city taxes and get no benefits for it

ZONE 3 FROST UPDATE
Frost last night was definitely worse as predicted. There will be some mortality this time and some disfigured plants that will need to be trimmed back. Without covering and CPR I would have had major losses. Luckily I overseeded marigolds so have lots left in the greenhouse that I can change out for some small sun coleus that got hit bad. So to answer your question Robin, yes it was worth it.
Keith

Keith, your plants are freezing and mine are battling 107 degrees with wind. I did tour the landscape this afternoon and all looked 90% OK. We are cooling down Friday to the mid 90s.

The photo of your coleus is outstanding and astonishing. Do you pinch them every day?

Hi Everybody, here you are all heading for bed and I am just coming on. Watched a movie tonight with Bob, Long Short, or vise versa. Anyway, about all the bankruptcies in late 2007 and 8. Pretty sad and disgusting. People lost their shirts. And most lost their pants too. Sad. That was Obama's first mistake. A lot of people should have gone to prison over it. Oh well, kinda late now.

Anyway, we were suppose to have thunderstorms starting this afternoon and for the next several days but nothing today. Think they were all around us but didn't hit us. Hope no wildfires. Will watch the 11 o/clock news and it will say. ttyl, 'nite, jen

Hi Everybody, here you are all heading for bed and I am just coming on. Watched a movie tonight with Bob, Long Short, or vise versa. Anyway, about all the bankruptcies in late 2007 and 8. Pretty sad and disgusting. People lost their shirts. And most lost their pants too. Sad. That was Obama's first mistake. A lot of people should have gone to prison over it. Oh well, kinda late now.

Anyway, we were suppose to have thunderstorms starting this afternoon and for the next several days but nothing today. Think they were all around us but didn't hit us. Hope no wildfires. Will watch the 11 o/clock news and it will say. ttyl, 'nite, jen

Sharon: actually no pinching at all. Just fertilize good with Plant Prod 14-14-14 slow release when planting and wafer regular and they do their own thing. The 2 bags that are so thick are Versa sun coleus from seed. There are somewheres around 40-50 per bag..
Keith
Correction: only pinch off any flower heads that show up. Got to get those off there. Drives me nuts when you go somewhere and they leave flowers on coleus.

This message was edited Jun 9, 2016 1:33 AM

Chuckl, my daughter believes plants were made to flower- I do my pinching and deadheading before she notices. 45* this morning north of Grand Rapids- due to hit 90* tomorrow in Chicago... everyone is moaning. Taking a 3day break! Sigh. Catch ya all later

Picture time.
#1. Moss basket under garage window that had to migrate back into greenhouse for 2 clod nights, very happy to be back out in summer temperatures
#2. Fern leaf peony. Behind kidney shaped granite bench that was one of my retirement gifts from my employer. There is a rock quarry not far from here called Nelson Granite. In addition to shipping out huge blocks of granite for tombstones etc they manufacture a variety of items like this bench. I got my so in law and one of his big ass buddies to move it into place. Steve is just a little guy like me but very tough and his buddy is probably pushing 300 lbs. just cost me a couple beers for services,
#3. Bridal wreath spiraea beside our main entrance
#4. Ju. This one might interest you. Collection of succulents planted in my great grandfathers blacksmith forge that I refurbished last year.
#5. A few of my favorite Hostas in our Japanese garden. Frost didn't seem to bother them there. The ones in the garden where I just put in the wood disc path system were crispy critters both mornings and
now have damaged very bleached leaves
Keith . More to come

Keith, I do pinch the flower off coleus. Actually I have been known to do that in someone else's garden. I also weed in the greenbelt.

The way you plant them explains why they are so thick. But they are beautiful. I have to pinch mine or they get too tall.

We are having a cool down. 100 degrees tomorrow and then Saturday 95.

Jen, a rain will be good for you guys. Glad you found someone to help you.

Sharon

More photos.
#1. Repeat of my favorite coleus pot from last year. It spent 2 cold nights in the landing in the house.
#2. The latest curse we are living with. Forest Tent caterpillar ( army worms to the locals) are defoliating rampantly.
#3. A perennial heuchera that is probably pushing the zones for here. I bought 2 on my Winnipeg trip with the intention of planting them in a pair of matching pots that were another retirement gift. I decided that one would look better behind this moose antler that I stuck in a newly created rock garden. For years I just had this pile of rubble that consisted of a pile of brick from a failed brick planter that my daughter and I built when she was still in school(she is now 38), discarded fire brick from the wood furnace etc, last fall I covered it with top soil and took my granddaughter on a couple of road trips to collect some black blasted rock and voila we have an awesome new rock garden complete with moose antler. As the rock garden plants get established there will be more photos to follow. Starting to look pretty good.
#4. Thunbergia vine, another find from my Winnipeg trip with 2 daughters in April. Again there is a story. That is the trunk of a very unhappy blue spruce in the background. My yard has been evolving for many years and there have been successes and there have been failures. Many years ago I had this very rectangular bed out front that was just too REGULAR for my evolving taste so I decided to turf it. At the time I had 3 trees in relatively close proximity in the front yard so I replaced the bland rectangular bed with a large irregular shaped bed which contained the three trees; a silver maple, a Manitoba Maple and a Blue Spruce. Well it was a much more aesthetically pleasing bed and still is however tilling around the trees wasn't a very good idea as you are constantly damaging the roots. The silver maple gave up the ghost long time ago (and it was a 40th birthday gift. The Manitoba Maple still thrives but Hostas underneath it seem to starve. The Blue Spruce's lower branches have all died and you have to look WAY up to see any beauty. 2016 was going to be the year to put the Blue Spruce out of its misery until I got a vision. I got out a tall ladder and pruned off all the dead branches and wrapped the trunk with chicken wire. Hopefully this Winnipeg find will help to beautify the bare trunk.

Nice that you have so many memories of different things by just strolling thru your garden Keith. Very nice. I really like the color of that Thunbergia. Think I have seen every color but that one. Is it a perennial? And the forge is really cool tool Good idea.

Boy, do I remember the tent worms from when I was a kid living in Idaho. We had so many one year that the cars were sliding in them. You could look down the road and see it moving. Walking out in the open they would get on you. Don't know how. They had nowhere to fall from to land on you??? Awful things. One year in Seattle we even had them in a needle tree. Yeah a spruce. Oh those were awful memories.

Think I will read. 'nite guys. jen

Jen. The Thunbergia may be a perennial somewhere but definitely not here. I have bought seed before that claims to be this colour but nowhere near. I believe the greenhouses get this one as a cutting. They are much bigger than anything from seed an a very thick vine. I also got a yellow one and orange one here in Dryden but this is my favorite. And yes you definitely have an accurate memory of the tent worms. The last time we had them this bad in our yard our kids were still in grade school. They started down the driveway to catch the bus and came running back screaming. This evening my wife and I had the ATV down at the end of the driveway to plant a few perennials so when we finished I took her for a ride to the back of the property to show her all the firewood I have cut up and the bush is just a jungle of their webs or "tents". What a creepy feeling as they cling to your face. Probably won't be spending much time in the bush for a while.

Tent worms kill so much! When they crawl back home at night - we torch them. That tree is dead. They seem to love the fruit trees - persimmon, etc the best.
Our southern army worms dont tent. They strip everything in a fast march thru to everywhere else. You can HEAR them eating.

my beneficial nematodes seem to help with the army worms. Tentworms I spray the tents with vinegar water to open them up to wasps and birds for easy consumption.

Today's photos
#1,2. Look who opened up this morning. Japanese Tree Peony. If anyone saw my series of "blue Monday " late snowfall pics a while back there was one with a blue styrofoam box in the background. That was this guy in his winter home since I'm really pushing the zones with this one
#3. I tried to get a shot of this one last night but couldn't get the colours right. There is something about this location that doesn't photograph well. Last year it looked awesome but I never got one good picture of it. Today is pretty decent. This cauldron was my grandmothers cast iron maple syrup pot that she brought with her when the family moved up here from southern Ontario as a young girl. I never knew that part of its history until 2014 when my parents were selling the farm. In my youth we used it to heat water to boiling over a fire that usually had used tires in it, for the purpose of scalding the hair off pigs when we butchered them. I obtained both it and the forge at the same time and cleaned them up and painted them with a Tremclad hammered metal finish spray just before last years planting season. This year it is home to the blood orange Sunsatia that is flowering now, either a red or yellow Sunsatia and two yellow tagetes type marigolds, not flowering yet and the orange canna that the name is currently not slipping off the end of this senior tongue of mine.
Just came back to me. Canna Pretoria

Keith very nice , A most enjoyable Garden , Flowers are a Delight .

Keith, it all looks picture perfect, you're great at putting vignettes together. Someone should call Home and Garden magazine, I can see a spread of your garden in there. Lot's of work and it sure does show, I'm delighted it's all worth it! I also love your using the heirlooms, those are really unique and substantial.

I am still playing about ,,

1 night and Day Snapdragon
2 A 4 ft poppy annual type
3 & 4 a plant marker , 4x6
5 1 x 11/2 plant markers For starter pots ,
I may have figured a way to water and fade proof a few plant markers , these will be a test ,

LOL , besides the misspelled words , that don't matter much because that one is mine ,,
It won't be long before your own post card markers , sprayed with liquid glass will be the thing ,
Anyone ?

I hope your test has favorable results, that would be great to have fade proof plant markers. You sure are inventive Ju!

Hi ya Robin ,, Thank you I have always thought so ,years ago in the1960's their were a few , those disappeared over time ,
I get a rough finish on those using locktite and hairspray and sealing again with clear. The above lasts for a few yrs , if not several .. The thing is the ability and the availability of items , and that 100's if not 1000's you can make yourself , as you want , your own photo's and so on ,
All that usually goes wrong , is me , needing a little more energetic motivation ,

The new nanotech Liquid quartz glass is not any more expensive truthfully , than the products I use , I think this will be really neat if and when it is ...

JU, I will go in with you on a patent. That would be remarkable. Let me know what and when you are going into it. Seriously. Think that is the best one you have come up with. But, before I stick my foot in my mouth, lets see how much it will cost. LOL, I am not a millionaire. But this might be my chance to become one??

Jen the patent is already held by a English , Turkish engineering company ,Industries patent before their finished testing these days ,
I could do you a few nice plant markers though , like the post greeting cards and smaller for id seed starting , not difficult ,

Nano technologies scoop up a bunch of older ideas ,, There use to be a plastic you could dissolve in lighter fluid with the silica crystal powder , that stayed very clear . But it ruled unsafe after a while ,,
Gelatin , with the powder , and then sealed with you favorite sealer is another , but it fades whitish or yellows
Someday I mighttry , but these days , if you thought it , some industry lab owns it ...

Today's pics
#1. Japanese tree peony showing a little more of its
surroundings.
#2. Full view of the front of our house . Just finished staining the lattice screen to match the pergola behind. They have both been there for years but built at different times and never coordinated. Like the new look
#3. Closeup of Tree Peony as more blooms open
#4. A lot of areas look like a war zone from tent caterpillar infestation
#5. Do you think maybe tent caterpillars are attracted to black? Everything that is black is covered like this. This tub is an experiment of mine to try to grow sweet potatoes. Will let you know how it works out in the fall. I ordered cuttings mail order. They arrived pretty ratty looking as they promised they would but look like they will survive.
Keith

Keith Yes those worms get bad ..probably the warmth ,from darker warmer surfaces . July August they show here ,
That looks really nice ,, Your house and garden ,

BT on non butterfly feeding leaves, might save a few trees (fatal to all caterpillars however)

I agree with Ju, your house and gardens look really nice...minus the tent worms.

Oh gosh Keith, those worms sure bring back memories.. Haven't seen those in many years. Wonder if BT would work on them. OH my gosh they are terrible. Keep them up there. The rest of the pictures are very nice. Don't know about black BTW. Good experiment tho. Maybe could drown them that way. Good luck on the sweet potatoes. I tried them one year too. But, think they need a longer season than we have. jen

Bright and cheerful, picture perfect, Kieth. I tried growing a tree peony, twice. I give up. Good for you! A beautiful one , too.
I use thuracide for all worms, when they are too many to count and kill, but since there are so many birds now, I pretty much let them do the work.
My yard is in full summer mode, now. I am still making cuttings, planting seeds, and po dunking around when I can. Busy weekend for me, so just a short walk around this am.
Ju, you named this one for me a while back. And then the Borage, Clary Sage, south east corner front, and lilies, everywhere, all kinds.

Thanks guys. Debra, gorgeous pink lily and blue bell looking thing, maybe campanula?
Keith