My sister and I went on a hibiscus buying binge a couple of weeks back. She bought well over $200. worth of plants including some from the show in Bellaire, Texas. Last night someone came onto her property and helped themselve to cuttings from every last one of them. Some were small and she was left with only a one inch twig sticking out of the ground. She was fortunate (I guess) in that whoever it was knew what they were doing and used sharp cutters and cut at an angle. Now my question is this:
Is there anything that she can do to help the remaining plants recover? Especially the really short ones? What do y'all think?
Anne
help after theft
Oh, Anne... I would be just sick. :-( I don't have any advice, but lots of sympathy!!
Oh she is. She was crying when she called.
OMG, I can't answer your question I'm just sick to stomache for reading this. I can't believe the gall people have, to have such a lack or respect for others and things that belong to them. I'm so sorry!
that is amazing and disgusting.....i would never dream in my whole life of taking someones elses plants? much less cutting them? so sorry:)
She keeps brugs also to the back of the patio where the hibiscus are, I need to call and remind her to hide the brugs, because they may be next.
If she has a dog tie it up out there for a few nights, because these kind of people think if they got away with something once they will try it again.
As for the plants, if they were grafted(and most from Shows are) check to see if they cut below the graft.If so they won't come back the same plant.If they cut a bit above the graft they may grow back fron the trunks.Just keep watered(not wet) and in morning sun till the growth shows.Feed at half the reccomened strength of fertilizer.Once a month at the beginning.
She can also put the plants in sight of a large window and keep a light on at night for a while.Also a light near the window in the house to thwart their efforts. Must be a collector nearby.Did she show them off to anyone before the theft?If so theres your suspects. Sorry to say but even best friends can get greedy.
Kyle :-)
One of those motion sensor outside lights might help also. It senses any activity within a set distance and turns itself on. My neighbor has one with such a large bulb in it it lights up the whole neighborhood.
So sorry this had to happen to our sister.
And you know the irony is that the thief is justifying it by saying they left something behind...
jeez.
Tess thats just the attitude they have....."I didn't take ALL of it!"...da ..&%^$^^&%% bums!
Kyle
These three were cut above the graft
I sent 2 more but they haven't come through. She says that some of them they just twisted. Also got some of her night blooming Ceres (sp) and hoyas. The suspicion is that there were 2 of them and that possibly one of them knew what they were doing and the other didn't. She has some plans should they return. And they might, there were some cuttings dropped as though they suddenly got in a hurry.
This message was edited Jun 19, 2007 9:23 PM
the one above the graft should regrow.The twisted ones I don't know if they will come back
I still like the mean dog in the yard..on a long leash. >:-)
I would put up a fake security camera and a sign telling people that they're on camera and that trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The dog might work too, but I'd be worried they'd try to steal it too (unless it was really so mean that it would bite them)
whoever did this is disgusting!
Most of us would gladly give a cutting to someone who is in awe of our gardens!
I hate the thought that there are fellow gardeners and plant lovers who would do something like this, the fact that at least one of the guilty parties knew what they were doing and therefore probably is a gardener really makes me sick. It would be bad enough if it were stupid kids or something, but for a gardener to do that to another gardener makes it so much worse in my mind.
That's one of the things that we talked about tonight is the fact that anyone could have asked and she would likely have given them cuttings of just about anything they asked for. Oh well, it gave her a laugh when I told her that fellow DGer's were ready to form a posse.
Report the theft. I know the police won't get too excited about your plant's conditions, but you had people trespassing on your property and the plants were valuable. I hope all the cuttings they took croak! How mean is that to do to another gardener?
Martha
Reporting the theft is a great idea. That way if they come back, your sister has a record of it. The police may not do anything the first time, but they'll get a lot more serious about it if it continues to happen. Besides, you may get a police officer who gardens. :-)
Or they may have done the same thing to other people, and if the police get reports of multiple incidents they may be more likely to investigate.
I will suggest that.
Y'all aren't going to believe this. They came back last night. She called the police today and the estimation is about $600.00 worth of plants that they took from. Yes she has that many altogether.
Now one of the things they hit hard last night was about 10 cuts from a large tropical hibbie "Candy wind". They cut around in such a way it's apparent that they may want to graft. If anyone hears about anything new using that name in or around the Hammond/New Orleans, La. area in the next few months let us know. She's going to leave the dogs loose in the house so that they'll bark at noise. Also the Candy wind was in the back part of the yard. They will now have seen the Brugs and she's worried about what they may want to look at inside the house. They are that brazen.
I am totally speechless.. I keep starting sentences and backspacing. Man.. I'm glad she called the police!! What did they say? Does she have any friends with big burly husbands who would take turns siting in her back window at night for a week or so to watch?
What sleazy people. I can't believe they could be that bold. Candy Wind is easily started from cuttings and they must have known that. Although, it is illegal to sell a patented plant without permission. Obviously, that would not matter to sleazy thieves but IF they ever got caught............
Thieves are brazen. Many years ago, when we lived in a house all by itself in a rural area, I would come home and half the cake I had left on the table in the cake holder was missing. Of course, I just knew the kids had eaten it. But they swore they hadn't. Then I started missing other things; frozen food, 2 liter bottles of soda, Hubby's cigarettes, things like that. I thought I was losing my mind. Then I came home early one day before the kids did, found the TV on and lights on in the kitchen, and the toilet lid UP!! Not the way it was left. Never any sign of forced entry. Someone had a key - so I started leaving one of the 100 lb wolf hybrids IN the house instead of the back yard with the electrified fence. Never had another problem.
is her yard fenced? i thought she was going to leave lights on last night.....that is the most amazing bunch of stuff i have ever heard of..; is her place visable to alot of people...ie i am wondering how plant people would know that she had this 'booty'....of plants...i am wondering if it could be people that know her...?? or have traded with her??
so are the plants ruined?
we have a video business....we were recently burgularized ...the first night they got 2 cases of candy....we were so releaved that was it....BUT, they to came back the second night and got 10000 dollars worth of dvds.....stayed long enuf to take the dvds out of the cases.....that was a fairly long time......; it is horrifying that people rationalize that it is ok.....
She has a patio/breezeway where she keeps most of her plants. She has so many that people often stop to ask if she sells. The only people who knew that she had so many hibbies were close friends and some folks on here (pmaggs). Someone must have taken the time to scope out the place. Yes she did call the police and they seemed to be taking her very serious. Again, they took cuttings from all the ones that we got from the show in Houston. These are plants that aren't readily available online or at nurserys. She was sooooo upset.
Since the value of plants taken is getting "up there" - she may be able to make a claim on her Homeowners insurance. Not sure about that - but it is worth a mention.
I don't think there is anything that would make me madder than for someone to come into my yard and steal my plants. Except for one of my animals. We put so much love and work into our plants, not to mention money. As my Italian MIL used to say, "The worm will turn." In other words, they'll get theirs, (just maybe not in this lifetime.LOL)
I wonder if there is a way to check and see if anyone from the area is selling cuttings on eBay or amazon this week? Can you limit the search to local areas?
i am in shock at the thought of anyone trying to steal PLANTS....that is amazing; sounds to me like someone must have been watching or something.....how would average joe....someone like me for instance who is only in 2nd year of gardening....i wouldn't have a clue as to what to cut ...where to cut....which ones to cut etc etc....i am just almost speechless....and i am not speechless very often...
Yes, you can. Click the "Items within (enter miles here) miles of (enter zip code here)" square at the left hand side of the eBay screen.
Oh, this is just unbelievable! It's so horrible that this goes on. Such a violation, especially since it was a gardener, and now likely a seller.
I agree with others, this is disgusting. I would be furious.
I hope they catch them, and tatoo 'THIEF' across their foreheads.
Sorry this happened. : (
~Lucy
I'm watching Hibiscus cuttings within 200 miles of Hammond, LA (that's approximately where you said she was, right, Anne?) on eBay.... I'll let you know if anything pops up.
marilyn....how long does a cutting stay alive b4 rooting it? ie how does one propagate a hibiscus?
I know absolutely nothing about cuttings. Does anyone else know?
the reason why i was asking is because they could very well send them to michigan overnight and sell them from there...?? or does one sell a 'cutting' unless it is rooted?
As someone in New Orleans, I just want to say that I have NONE of the cuttings;) But obviously, will keep my eyes/ears open.
I have two large I can lend- they're not really going to do anything, but they do look mean! :)
But on a serious note, she might want to give the local Hibiscus Society a call, just to let them know. I'm sure they'd be horrified by this, and if they hear anything they'd jump on it.
link:http://loyno.edu/~gerlich/NOHS/index.html
Good idea Tess.