Just a hello, plan to be here alot!

Good morning fellow plantie geeks! I wanted to give a quick introduction because I suspect I will be on here quite a bit. I work at a nice nursery here in Napa, Calif., and have worked here for a total of 10 years over a 19 year period (took some time off ~ have 6 little budding plant geeks at home). Anyhow I want, of course, everything for my yard which is not huge but pretty good size: 1/3 acre, which I'm basically turning into a botanical and edible garden of sorts..lol. This puts me in a real conundrum: nursery work is not the biggest money maker yet there are so many plants! Even with our generous discount and the "tlc required" take homes it just isnt enough! So, I have stashed some rootone and perlite mix in the back shed and am saving empty pots. I already took several cuttings yesterday of hydrangea varieties and some neat fuchsia and brugmansia. I want to check the cestrums today and see if they are ready to do a few cutting or if I should wait a bit longer (the C. aurantiacum and C. nocturnum). In a few weeks I want to get a cutting from each clematis variety we have. I have a basic cutting and seed saving knowledge but when it comes to the more woody and obscure plants I am going to need your help! I have already been gleaming knowledge from many, many pages here.

Thanks!!

Hello and welcome Plantmum
from Ohio

Welcome,plantmum!Sounds like you have a pretty good head start! I don't do many cuttings:more of a seed person,but perhaps if you search the forums for a specific plant name,you may come up with more info on propagating from cuttings.There are so many experts on Dave's you are sure to find someone with the knowledge you are looking for.
ooohhh I am SO jealous you work for a nursery! LOL!
Gail

Thanks for the welcome guspuppy and golgi!

Working at a nursery IS the best, but unfortunately not the highest paying career. Also, like I mentioned above, even with our "at cost" discount I still spend tooo much. I think an auto parts store or something would be better as far as me getting my paycheck home intact...lol.

Seriously though, with so many plants available to me I can help people on here with their wish lists maybe? That would be nice.

Hi Plantmum
I live in Concord so not that far from you. I am just getting into cutting also. I am starting with easy stuff like impatience, brugs and coleus. You are so lucky to work at a nursery with unlimited cutting. If I worked at a nursery I would be paying them my paycheck plus. lol
Good to have you here.
Linda

plantmum, jus wanted to welcome you and say that you have my dream job but not my dream pay! LOL I'll probably be seeing you a lot around here, I'm trying to do some cuttings this year and am sure I'm going to have a lot of questions, this is the time to start doing them I think but I have so much else going on I'm just barely getting my seeds done lol

hmmm I'll have to check your wish list out but then working in a nursery you probaby don't have one!
Lea

Hi Plantmum, Welcome to the group! You are lucky to have an inexhaustible supply of cuttings, that's for sure!!

I have Coleus, Pentas and Impatiens rooting right now -- er, I hope they are rooting. I bought the big plants in Florida and hope ot have decent size plants at set out. Fingers crossed.

Suzy

Plantmum,
If you ever want to help me with my wish list, FEEL FREEEEEE
hee hee
I tried to find the Petunia Cancan for you, but no luck, that will be my mission now when I cant sleep. If I can help you in any way just ask.
Kathy

Welcome to the best group of gardeners on the planet - DG gardeners are the most generous, kind, loving and knowledgable people you will ever find! We are all here to help each other, and we LOVE IT!

Wow, thanks for all the welcomes!
Linda: come on over and see me in American Canyon at Mid City! My husbands dad lives over your way in Pittsburg in fact his claim to fame was that he was the mayor last year ...lol!

Guspuppy: I checked out your list, you have some pretty complicated ones on there. At first glance it looks straightforward but then you get to the cultivars and it is a little harder. I am going to have to print it, as well as some other members, and keep them in a binder at work! The Can Can petunia was one that one little grower used to carry in regular cell packs about 15-20 years ago. It was incredibly ruffled and showy...a very odd mixture where no two were ever the same. I just wanted to show my friend a picture and then when I couldnt even find THAT I started to become obsessed with finding the seeds!

Cuttings: If cuttings can make it a couple of days wrapped in paper towels and a baggie then that would be the easiest thing for me to trade. Of course, I cant be snipping all the plants we have for sale down to nubbings but a snip here or there wont be missed. In the future I want to propagate alot of what I have at home and offer that up, but it will be a bit for I have some stock ready.

Have a great day...I am off to what may be the busiest day of the year at work! Everyone go visit your local nursery today and watch the nursery people running around like chickens with their heads cut off....LOL!

I've never seen can can petunias. I love petunias now I'm also no a quest.
lol
Linda

Hi, plantmum! So glad you posted here! What a great opportunity for us to learn along with you! --although it sounds like you may well be far ahead my learning curve, especially with your great resource at the plant nursery! So although you've been a member of DG for several months, I want to welcome you too!

And don't forget to check in on the other forums from time to time. I suppose you already know about the 'California' forum, but don't forget the 'cottage garden' forum and all the others, too.

I was just up in Napa two weeks ago on a visit with my daughter. Such lovely country (and some great restaurants, too!). Unfortunately I didn't know about your nursery, or I would have stopped in!

Happy gardening. t.