Snatchin' Part XI..Fruits of my labor.

Try a Tomatoe Cobbler with some lemon juice and a dab of sugar. Bet it would be yummy.

Sugarweed, that sounds so yummy. My daughter taught me to take a little bowl of sugar and dip cherry tomatoes in it. I said "oh, they don't need sugar on them", but now of course I'm addicted.

I sowed all different color cherry tomatoes this year, but no white. I have peach, black, brown, yellow, green and pink. Oh yeah, and had to get Sungolds, our favorites. I don't know which plant is which since the 2 Nor'easters up here blew all my little seedlings over in the trays they were in, so it will be very interesting.

We usually get volunteers of grape tomatoes too, since my DH put all the compost into the garden before it was cooked. And Gourds, and Mallows, and everything else .....

Yummy Sidney!!! Now if I only cooked....

Geeze, this girl has a great body, but doesn't cook. That's probably why she has a great body.
If interested, I could teach you this one, LOL.
sidney

As long as it's easy!!! Is it easy?

great bodies, great cooks and sweet tomatoes? I better say something before I get all distracted and confused.

uh... Snow White is supposed to be a great cherry so it's one of the ones I ordered and started from seed this year. It's grown real well (I only kept one). It's supposed to be ivory white and ripen to a very pale barely yellow I think. So I'm ready and waiting and may even try the sugar dippin'

Blaine! LOL!!!!

Well gang, just wanted to let you know that I got back from Nassau early Sunday morning. It was torture, but somebody has to do those kinds of things!!. I know that you are not supposed to bring back any vegetation, but the tropical plants and trees there were in full bloom, and I found my hands plucking off seed pods, accidently breaking tree limbs (little ones) and anything else I could get my hands on. Stuffed it all in a plastic bag, just before departing for the airport, then packed it in between clothes. DH said that if they caught me, that he would deny knowing me!!. Well I got through customs undetected, the seed pods are drying, and I have put stems in rooting harmone, and stuck them in pots. I don't have a clue about what I have, but they sure were pretty. Will probably have to winter inside (if any live). Will let you know about successes or failures.

Hey all -

just found this posting and am ecstatic. I'm the guy that has a pair of clippers and a paper towel in a plastic bag wih abottle of water in his dashboard. i'm travel ready for guerilla gardening. I have alot of snatched canna seeds and also a few twigs for rooting here and there. Nothing serious, but i've been trying to get up the nerve to go wal-mart dumpster diving and i think it may happen soon. i'll keep you all posted on my findings.

scott

Well, Scott, you've come to the right place. Not everyone is as brave as Defoecat, but she's now set the standard for excellence!
The Ice Plant I snatched a couple of weeks ago is blooming nicely. There's also a beautiful white rugosa on the beach at the marina, just growing there like it has good sense (which it does). I'm mighty tempted by it, but it seems so happy there I haven't made a move yet.
Now, if only I were not a cutting failure I could just take cuttings. But, alas, I am a total cutting failure. I've never had one go well for me, except sedum, which is a no-brainer. Sigh.

I have similar cutting woes. i screwed up rooting geraniums, which as i hear isn't easy to do. I'm retryingin water, now, because of a cultivated distrust of rooting hormone ;).

OOH, Scott, GOOD ONE! A 'cultivated distrust' of rooting hormone!
I once did a little experiment with rooting hormone. Dipped some cuttings in the hormone, didn't dip the others. Since they all died, it looks like it didn't make any difference for me! LOL
I just don't have the 'touch', but I'm determined to keep trying. Meanwhile, I keep little pots and a spade in my car. I want the ROOTs of my snatched plants!

Well, I love the RH, and can tell a difference. Almost never Ioose a plant also think you can root alot in water, but add a dab of Hydrogen Peroxide in that to keep the oxygen pumped. 8ftbed can tell us about all sorts of rooting. This year I've RH rooted 200 coleus and 100 or so impatients.
sidney

Hi everyone! Cool, international snatchin'!!!! Walking around Target Sat. there was some sort of succulent that had a leaf broken off. It WAS already like that I promise! Anyway took the poor thing home and stuck him in water. We shall see!

He Pixydish, one thing I can tell makes a difference is, if you want to root in water get you some sort of BLUE tinted glass container. I have a couple of really smally ones. Blue really seems to make a difference for me!

Nicole

Who said defoecat is brave? Insane, more like it!! I don't know what Iwould have done if my snatches had been detected at the airport. I don't know the penalty for trying to sneak plants into the country. Would they have made me stay in Nassau permanently? That really would have been torture!! I'm tellin you, all the tropical plants were beautiful. There was a tree there (a medium size) that had huge orange blooms. Couldn't figure out a way to try to get stems of that, as the limbs were too high for my 5 ft height. If I go back, I will work that out before hand!!

Wow, Nicole you,'ve been holding out on me. I have blue and will give it a whirl. I also have alot of green glass. This leaf was rooted in a sentimental coffee cup http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1546719
Sidney

Blue glass? I can give it a try. Maybe my rooting hormone has gone bad or something. I know people swear by it. I don't think it's the hormone's fault. I have no choice but to think that I'm a cutting's failure. I'd do lot more snatching if I could get the knack for getting things started.
Sidney, rooted over 300 plants? Only in my dreams! WAy to go!

Ah, I envy you all the sneaking and snatching that you are doing. I have to stay home and mind the nursery business, so I can't go a-sneakin' right now. However, later in the summer, I'll put you all to shame! Welcome aboard the bus, naien! It's good to see everybody is keeping the motor running while I am busy outdoors.

Just softwoods, Impatients and Coleus. I pull the bottom 2 leaves off and trim right below that. I dip in RH bottle and tap off excess. Put them in fresh potting soil. I keep em moist and at the base of bushes, or out of the way. Just works.
I have faith in you Pixie. Get those clippers ready.
sidney

I've had some good luck rooting in a mix that is high in vermiculite content. It stays very moist. I've tried rooting geranium in water, and the just root off. I've rooted them in sterile mix, but with about 50/50 success.

Okay, Sidney, so let me make sure I have the routine down, and I'll give it another go. Lets say I'm at the store, like Walmart, and I see a very cool aster that has a broken stem. (of COURSE it's already broken! What kind of a criminal do you think I am?) So now I have a stem of this cool aster. I cut the stem into pieces, each with a couple of sets of leaves on it, take off the lowest leaves, and maybe cut down the others. Then I dip the ends in rooting hormone and stick them in a little plastic pot with some kind of medium in it. I have clean potting soil, or sand and vermiculite, or seed starting mix. I water it in and then just put it in the shade under a shrub and keep it moist? Do I need to cover it with a plastic bag, water it from the bottom, or baby it along?
I think I usually over water cuttings, but sometimes they also fry in the greenhouse. Occasionally I've had them simply sit there and never do anything at all.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm planning my next snatch. Down the road from my house there is a vacant lot for sale. Today I noticed one of those huge, about 8 foot tall, verbascums with the large silvery grey leaves. It's really an attractive plant. I know I cant get the whole plant, but I"m bettig there are babies scattered around that ground. I parked and lurked next to it for awhile and did see some attractive grey/green pointy leaves in a few spots. This weekend I will saunter casually down the road with my little trowel and some large pockets.
There are also some really large old rhododendrons growing on that lot, plus a bright chinese red camelia. If it ever looks like it's going to sell, I'm going to try to rescue said shrubs before they get mowed down.

Wow, what a plan, pixydish!

I just posted a request in the datura forum for help with my next snatch---DATURAS.

Yep, took a friend some mater plants, saw the bush, recognized it (it was in full bloom in the fullmoonlight). So I get to dig up two small plants that came up away from the others. And maybe, some cuttings. Want to make sure I do this right, as one plant is going to another friend. So, please, lay down the law, err advice on how to care for transplantings and cuttings of datura innoxia...

Pixie, I think my humidity eleminates bagging here, so if you do be care ful not to steam your plants, Only plant root end of cuttings. try 3 or 4 in a 4" pot. Also I said soft stem, coleus and impatients work best for me. I have got a couple of roses to root.
Fritch, remember Daturas are very toxic and you should wash your hands after handleing them. they have the stuff that diolates your eyes in them. Not good for younguns!
sidney

Good idear Pixydish!! Hey Sidney, you put ALL your 'rooting' cuttings outside? I have mine in when I do mine but then I would probably forget them outside. Wonder if having them outside helps? I don't have much luck with rooting get or hormone myself. One thing I did and am still waiting on results is, I cut off 2 of my Plumeria, dug a small hole, squirted rooting hormone in there and planted them! Can't wait to see if they make it!

Nicole

Pixy, one note... get clippings wnd/or babies from underneath now. I lost, plus read of others that lost opportunity, w/o knowing it was going to go. So, get the babies/cuttings now, get them started and when they come and remove all of them, or start building the house w/o notice, you don't lose the chance. House across st from me for sale w/ TONS of roses, one day, poof, no more, no notice either... ~ Suzi :)

thanks sidney, wish me luck...

Ooh, BriarRose, I guess I better move on it! The babies I will definitly get. The rhodys and camelia I'm interested in only if I can dig them up in the fall. The land is still for sale, no one has bought it yet. And I think the owner lives in the house next to it.

Tonight I snatched (actually I had permission) some cuttings off a pelargonium with variegated leaves, and leaves off a scented geranium. It was too small to get stems off of, so I thought I might try to root the leaves by making a small cut in the large vein on the back of the leaf and then pinning it down onto the soil. I've seen it done in a book, and figured I have nothing to lose. It's not as though I have a reputation to protect! LOL

YEAH PIXIE, lol! Here are some cuttings I started monday.

oooo sidney - what're those?

Gosh, those take my breath away! If they look that good as little cuttings.....

Good Luck Pixy!

Blaine, Ivy1, those are a coleus I already did this to once and I had about 20 to put in my front yard. It's my favorite and I have no idea of what to call it but wispy and pretty.
sidney

Forgot to add you can see them at http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/520620/#top
sidney

This morning I snatched some trumpet vine. But to dig it up, I had to also dig up some of her blackberry vine, NOT thornless! But it was worth it, because there were a few little sprigs of the blackberry that she didn't replant and gave to me. Got to eat a few too :-)

something about that pic Sidney... all festive and with the red peeking in it looks like fall under a good sugar maple. btw, coleus are good and those new strains that take sun have some amazing colors. I even have a few planted again this year. Picked them up at the IA roundup.

Weezingreens
I have one seedling of your Meconopis growing , I do think the summers here are too hot, But I will be puting it in a real shady spot , and it will be watered. There is a Meconopis ... in the ID.... I think you should look at. Boots

Good work, Boots! I hope the meconopsis survives for you. I know they will grow in partial sun up here, so shade may work for you... we'll see! I have some of your columbine starting to bloom. They are second year plants in pots, so nothing memorable yet. First blooms are usually a bit spindly. Once they get going, I'll post some pics on a thread. I also have some of your hardy geranium seed up and growing. I need to email you to get more information on shipping to your neck of the woods so that I can trade seeds with you again! I'll check out the ID forum.

thanks weezin

Well, I go away for two days and look what's on the thread when I come back! Those cuttings of sugarweed's just make me want to cry outloud! I just ran and checked my cuttings of the pelargonium and the geranium leaves and so far they look fine. I've put them on the kitchen windowsill. They won't get hot sun there, but will get some light. Also I won't forget about them there! The soil seemed a bit dry, so I put them in a saucer of water for a few minutes. I have a loose baggie over each pot. Hope I'm doing it right! I'd take a photo, but I'm on my son's computer until we back up my hard drive. There's no photo software on this one.

Does a roundup count as snachin???? LOL!!!! Although at Candees I did snach (with permission) all kinds of ferns and mosses out of the woods... and some rock for the creek bed...LOL!!!