what seeds/cuttings can i do now?

i want to start some seeds and do some cuttings and not sure on where to start or which ones to do? is there a web site that might tell me? i have searched but no luck, i guess i am not putting in the right words to find anything.any help would be apreciated.has anyone else started seeds or cuttings for the fall garden ? plmk and thxs so much
moretz

You can do pansy seeds now, I just started a bunch that will be ready in late September. You can do cuttings of just about any annual like lantana, coleus, angelonia etc.

Here is a picture of my pansies under the mister system

tiger
thxs for the info but dont have a misting system,but will start some anyway and keep them moist,what perennials can i take cuttings of? evergreens? i love your set up wish i had a gh like that
thxs
again
moretz

moretz, I have been sitting here for days wondering the same thing "which seeds can I start now"

tigerlily123, any others that you can think of?

moretz. you don't have to have a misting system-just get a seed flat or two-fill with fine soiless mix-promix etc. Make sure the soil is wet, sprinkle the seeds on top-mist the seeds with a mister that you can get at the garden store that fits on the end of your hose, and then cover with saran wrap ( its clear so the light gets in) and mist every morming-the seeds and the inside of the saran wrap. Maybe twice a day, depending on how much condensation is on the inside of the plastic. They should germ in 6-8 days. Then after they germ, take the plastic off, water every am, and maybe mist a few times a day for a few days-then just water when the soil is dry. Pansies need dryer soil to grow roots and to not get a fungus.
I haven't taken cuttings of evergreens, so I don't know. I would go to trees and shrubs and ask them which kinds and how to do it, You could do gardenias now. Experiment!! take 3 kinds of cuttings off the same plant- the tip of the branch, the semi-hardwood and the hard wood. One of the 3 should take.

Piggypoo, pansies and ornamental kale are about the only annuals that survive the winter here, but you may have better luck with other annuals like snaps etc. What kinds of annuals do you see growing in the winter where you live?

Moretz, for information on evergreen cuttings, look for posts by Dax (conifers) who knows more than anybody on propagation of conifers. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/614466/

Do you know about the 1 gallon/baggie method? I used this a lot before I got my GH.

Fill a 1 gallon black pot with growing medium...I always used compost (!?) but peat:perlite mix should work, or Promix. Take cuttings, trim back to about 2 leaves, then cut those leaves in half to reduce transpirational water loss. Just below a node, trim the cutting with a clean knife or razor blade and dip in rooting hormone powder and stick the cutting in the growing medium. A large ziplock (use the cheap ones) fits snugly and perfectly over a 1 gal pot to make a mini greehouse. Place in the shade. Periodically check that the growing medium is moist, not wet. If they need water, I found watering from below to be easier than removing all the baggies...I just sunk containers in a 5 gal bucket full of water. You can put 3-4 smaller cuttings in each pot.

I found a trick for weaning the cuttings out. When rooted, trim off the corner of the baggie. In a couple of days, then cut off the whole top. Later, open the top to air, then finally remove the baggie.

What could you do now? Try anything. Sedums and heuchera are very easy perennials. Hydrangeas are easy, as are Salix (willows), abelia, viburnums. I found the late summer and fall bloomers to be easier to root from May cuttings, whereas the spring bloomers may root a little better from cuttings this time of year.

Good luck. SB

SB, I have heard of this "baggie" method described here before, but you explained it so that I understand what they are doing....
My one concern though with covering a cutting completely is the propensity for a lot of foliage ( from different plants) to rot under so much moisture. I have found that once the foliage starts to rot, if the rotted foliage isn't removed right away, the rot spreads to the stems. Have you ever seen this with any of the cuttings that you started this way?

Yes, I always lost a few. But it was still a reasonably successful system.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to spray with fungicide.

SB

I started some perennial seeds two weeks ago and they have germinated. The winter sowing forum has a discussion about seeds that can be started now.

Ok, cool. I'll check out the winter sowing forum. Didn't know there was one :)

alright thxs for the info
moretz

tigerlily123
Please don't call kale "ornamental". Bet you haven't tasted floweriing kale. I would cook kale now and then to please the wife. Then I tasted flowering kale. I love it!

lol UUallace...good tasting or not....still ornamental kale. Usually the "ornamental annuals" like kale, cabbage and chili's aren't considered " eatable". But I know that latinos love to eat the tuber produced from the ornamental sweet potato-you know...the bright pink tuber.

I have never even had regular kale, let alone the peacock variety!!!