How I wish I knew. Maybe four of the stalks I left in water developed prolif's that lived. So disappointing. I keep getting the best results planting by the mother plant.
I have one plant left with four scapes and seven prolif's. So I'd have seven different ways to try them: as air layering with two that are so close together there's no separating them, planting by the mother, potting up, in water (plain), in water with HP.
If anyone has any ideas for #7 I'd enjoy hearing them. Or if anyone has more than one idea I could drop one method to try your idea. I'm more than happy to give anything a "free home trial".
Corgimom: I'm not an expert by any means and all I can think of as the reason for the demise of your prolif's is watering. Did you have them inside or outside? I feel when they're inside they don't dry out as much and we just might water too often. Outside, if they're not protected, they can get flooded, ignored, abused, tossed by squirrels, bunnies, etc.
I wish I had a great answer for you but I don't. Woe is I.
Tell us your way to root proliferations !
I had them indoors.
Is there even the most remote possibility you could have over watered them? Did the stems turn black (the scape portion) or even a tad moldy (some of mine did), did they smell less than earthy? Is the soil really damp, moist or on the dry side?
of course the ones I tried to root in water had lots of water :-) the ones in vermiculite I could have overwatered, but I didn't think so at the time. I mainly just spritzed them with a misting bottle every morning or two
I think my potting soil keeps things too wet. I have not found one in years that I like. Things - even grown daylilies - stay too wet in them. I don't remember what I used to use, but it is no longer available. I don't have compost to use. Any suggestions?
We use Pro Mix - the one without food or water crystals. Still, if I have them outside and not sheltered from rain I end up with disaster.
Pirl - Thank you so much for your generosity!! You really are a gem, a pearl, a diamond. I am very excited about have daylilies that produce more - and when there are many - I will pass them along in your name. I know that there was much work involved in getting them to this point, and want you to know how much I appreciate them. I will take very good care of them.
Kay
I have had great luck with prolifs I received in the mail. I potted them in 3 inch pots of promix and grew over winter under the lights I use for seedlings. They make a nice plant by spring, like a seedling with many fans. Plant them outside and they grow, new plants of named varieties. I had a prolif on Fires of Varanisi - a bloom I really liked. Detached the scape and pushed it into the ground near the mother plant, so that the root 'buds' are in contact with the soil. Hope it grows.
Think I'd rather grow them indoors. (Especially when they are ones I don't have).
Thanks for all your kind words, Kayellen.
se_eds - the Pro Mix is such a good medium for growing seeds, proliferations, caladiums, dahlias, etc. We swear by it. We also grow downstairs, under lights.
Corgimom,
I read your message about using distilled water. I think that may be your problem. Distilled water has minerals removed during the distilling process. I know that it also removes salts during the process as well. Plants definitely need minerals to thrive and grow. I use mostly bottled water - spring water - that we have delivered here in 5 gallon containers that we use for drinking, cooking, etc. We have a whole house water softener to soften the water in the house used for laundry, cleaning, and doing dishes. I know that you should not use softened water for plants so I don't. We have an outdoor faucet that doesn't go through the softener to water plants in the yard. The prolifs that I just sent you were all rooted in the bottled spring water, sometimes with a tiny bit of water soluable fertilzer added. Some water changes I just used plain spring water. After the roots get to be good sized, it's time to plant the prolifs in a light potting mix. I can highly recommend Pro-mix. The bag I bought at HD has 3 months of fertilizer mixed in. You mix the dry Pro-mix with lots of water until it hydrates and becomes moist and light. I have had really good success using Pro-mix for growing all kinds of things. It also may be helpful to dip the roots in some rooting hormone powder before planting. The powder contains something to help stave off fungus while the roots form and get settled in the potting mix. Hope some of this info is helpful.
Linda
I learned a lot. Thanks, Linda.
OK, here's my two cents... I put my prolifs in regular tap water for a week. Little roots looked good. Then I punched holes in bottom of red plastic cups, filled half way with Promix. stuck prolifs in it. Watered just a little. After about 2 weeks I checked roots. Some roots had circled around already. I was surprised how much they had grown. I planted them in the ground and they are looking good. They've been planted for about 2 weeks now. I did the same last year and only one certain cultivar had some that didn't make it thru to spring.
That's what I will do to any I might receive in the mail.
Judy
igrowinpa - wouldn't adding a dash of Epsom salts help when rooting in water?
Our HD does not have ProMix. Is there somewhere else I can find it?
Call local nurseries - that's where we buy ours.
found prolifs on Jane Trimmer and Cranberry Angels this morning.
Here's Cranberry Angels. It's quite a performer and bloomed all summer long.
Most of my scapes are showing no sign of browning so I guess that it will be awhile longer before I put them in soil.
oh doss, how lucky !!!!!! My Jane Trimmer is still one fan - didn't do a thing this year ! I was so disappointed in it. Certainly didn't give me a proliferation !!!
and one on Cranberry Angels too. You must sing to yours :-)
I do feed them - but I have some that didn't increase - primarily because of surrounding plant's roots invading the daylily roots. I have moved all of those and they are already doing better. Jane Trimmer has such beautiful branching.
Doing the happy dance here, I have two prolifs on Blue Venture, and one on Margo Reed Indeed. Now I guess it would be too late to plant them outdoors (the seed pods aren't quite ripe yet)...so I guess it's pro mix and grow lights.
I SO enjoyed Blue Venture this year, it always looked great and was a long bloomer = first year in my garden, too.!
That is fun! Blue venture is beautiful.
can I do a dance of envy you two ?????
doss - what is that curly leaf plant next to JT , to the left?
Pirl, a tiny dash of epsom salts in the water (and in soil or soil-less mixture) would certainly be helpful too. As to where to get Pro-mix other than box stores...is there a "feed" store or other type of supply store where farmers (large and small) come to buy bulk seeds, fertilizer,feed, fencing, or that kind of thing in your area? Locally, we can also get Pro-mix at Diamond Milling, which is such a store.
I have one prolif on Jersey Spider (tiny), two on Orchid Corsage, and a few more on Mountain Violet that I found after I started rooting the ones for Corgimom. Anyone interested in a trade?
Linda
The curly plant next to JT is Sea Lavender or Statice
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/57222/index.html
It's very zone sensitive but can be grown as an annual. There are other statices that can be grown in colder places but they are white. It's a great companion plant to just about anything.
ok, looks like zone 7b is out ! sure is pretty
Great photos, Doss and dmc. I found more today. I'm beginning to feel like a mother rabbit.
Just keep those little ones out of Mrs. McGregor's garden!
What about Mr. Ryan's garden? We're out of blood meal.
Pirl, Thank you, thank you, thank you.
You are too kind! The prolifs look really good and healthy with cute little green leaves. AHHHHH!! I do love daylilies, any color, size, or shape. The way you packaged them was just right, evidently. I'd say anyone shipping prolifs needs to have Pirl fix 'em up!!
Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!
Judy
So how do you pack them, Pirl?
I didn't have moss so I wet a small piece of paper towel and used foil to wrap it on the scape. I'm getting roots. We'll see how this works - but I'm getting moss tomorrow.
Thanks 4201. I've been warned a zillion times not to use plastic bags but they work. Personally, I think the labels I used (on the plastic sandwich bags) are the cheapest (free) and the best. No mistaking names on tiny tags.
Doss, if you're rooting them on the mother plant you've done fine. The object is to keep them moist so they'll form roots. Even Saran wrap works fine to keep the moisture in and you'll find roots very quickly. Moss isn't a magic ingredient (that I know of) and it's not mandatory.
Yes, they are still out in the garden on the mother plant.
Sphagnum moss would work fine.
I found only two prolifs this year and I removed them form the scape and put them in a 3.5" pot of nice soil. They've rooted and are growing now.
Don't know if anyone answered Hemlady's question....I joined this thread late and haven't read it all yet so sorry if I'm repeating someone with this:
The prolif will be exactly like the mother regardless of what goes on with the pollination flower, unless the prolif mutates in some way, which AFAIK, isn't any more likely than not. If the cultivar isn't know for sporting as it multipies in the clump, it isn't anymore prone to doing it on the scape.
Robert.
I am sure the key ingredient to success that I am missing has been the correct potting soil. I think if I find a good one I will have a higher success rate at keeping mine alive !
I didn't put mine under high humidity, just left them in the shade. (It's pretty much high humidity any day in summer anyway). They wilted pretty badly but eventually came around. I kept them lightly moist.
I used Mir-Gro potting soil, but might have added a little vermiculite to help.
Robert.
Well, My prolif is getting to that point where I need to do something. I have been watching the scape slowly brown back to where it it growing. I have about a half inch to go. I am thinking about planting it right next to the mommy plant. It almost looks like there are two prolifs growing at the same place, is that possible?
Jazz~
Yes, the prolifs can be multiple. It seems to happen a lot.
I myself wouldn't have waited quite so long. I would want it to be well-rooted before cold weather comes. I might even consider growing it indoors til spring.
Robert.
I'd vote for planting by the mother plant but try to make enough room for a cup of compost to plant it in - good luck!
Indoors mine go yellow so fast!
pirl , I think I will try planting mine next to their mamas next year and see if I can have better results. It is just that we have such dry ,humid summers here - and LONG ones !! But they can't do much WORSE than they did this year!
Libby
They root so fast! The advantage (to my mind) is that you're not potting them up, hoping they'll live, then planting them. Less work for mother - if you recall that old ad.
Well..I found three prolifs today while out wandering the garden. One on Orchid corsage and two on Pardon Me. The Pardon Me prolifs are now in the ground next to mama. One was a bit past it so if it survives I will be surprized. The orchid corsage prolif is fairly new. No roots or bumps and the scape is totally green so I am going to wait on that one for a bit.
Interesting observation.. When there is a pod on a scape it turns brown from the base up but with a prolif they brown from the top of the scape down