What plants did you propagate this year?

I, as rule, don't propagate much of anything due to the PPAF's most of todays plants have on them. Since I grow to sell and I buy seeds from fairly large companies it gives them the option of dropping in any time to "check me out" Propagating isn't worth the risk for me. the fines are way more than I am worth. I have "old" or heirlooms that I do such as Jade plants and scented geraniums...etc. BUT...this week I wanted to try and experiment with DE (Diatomecious Earth) granules. I had a little bacopa wintered over so I snagged a couple cuttings from it. I used the DE, rooting hormone and bottom heat to try this....I had a couple rooted cuttings in one week. Way faster than I thought this would happen. The DE can be found at AUTOZONE product #8818. NOT the regular oildry they sell. This is in a white bag with green and blue printing on it. I have been adding it to all my seed starting projects this spring and am amazed at what a beneficial additive this is. You all could give this a try and give us your feedback in the product, too.


( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden )
This is a week after making the cutting. As you can see the granules are very coarse.

 

Interesting tip, thanks.

Luckily I don't have to worry about that, don't sell any plants. Most of the plants in the yard are public domain, straight species, and only being propagated to add to other parts of the yard, more pots, gifts or trade.

Yesterday's exploits include making a tray of leaves, one each from most of my newly acquired succulents. Some of the ones I laid on the boring bare surfaces of other plants just about a week ago already have tiny little plants at the tips. So cute!

Had to trim a butterfly bush or it would be too tall to deadhead this year. If all goes as usual, all of the trimmings should be new plants soon. I put these in a bucket to be more portable.

Trimmed a few branches from Gardenia that were leaning into the path and put them in a deep trench at the edge of veggie patch. Will know soon which had the gumption to grow on.

They Hydrangea branches layered last year are firmly rooted with a few buds. Ready to be relocated when I'm ready. The ones I had already separated and planted elsewhere look great as well.

It takes a few weeks to decide & place them all, but have been putting a few Coleus and Perilla saved as cuttings back in the yard. Realized it's probably best to wait on most until the trees leaf out, the shade isn't there yet - LOL!!

 

Chocolate,I don't know how I missed your pics of all your lovely plants.Very,very,nice. I'm obsessed with
propagating things.I had to give myself a talking to one time.Every single pruning need not be "stuck" to become a new plant. Every single seed that pops need not be transplanted.Know my limits.
sewNsow

 

Here's what's going on around my yard...

Gardenia cuttings trimmed from mama and placed in this nursery row about 6 weeks ago.


Gardenia cuttings ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Hydrangea ground-layered last spring, severed from mama and placed here late last summer.


Hydrangea from layering ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

I pulled all of the grass away from the tree trunk and put another layered Hydrangea and Oxalis bulbs. Once the Oxalis fills in, we won't have to try to mow or trim so close to the trunk, at least in this niche on the north side. Oxalis gets going well before the grass and makes almost total shade, not bothered if it gets mowed once in a while. The next time I get a burst of energy, I'll pull the grass back a little farther and lay some bricks there until next spring.


Baby Hydrangea and Oxalis. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Lantana from cutting stuck here late last summer.


Lantana returning from cutting late last summer. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Layering a new Hydrangea baby. When the holy trinity of conditions exists, (it has a root system, I have time to move and keep it watered in the near future, there's somewhere to put it,) it will go to a new location.


Hydrangea layering, day one. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) cuttings were put here last year, mid-summer.


Hibiscus mutabilis (confederate rose) cuttings growing back well! ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Succulents, in various stages of propagation.


Succulents in various stages of propagation. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

 

If it is growing in my yard and doing well it has been propagated. This year major propagates have been BC ginger, daylilies, Shasta daisies, variety of phlox colors, sedums, semps, ferns, raspberries, Crocosmia, mother thousands, fall anemone, moss. Some for new beds and a lot for give away.

 

I propogated a horseradish and a pink banana plant. I always propogate the horseradishes in the fall but I missed one so I cut off the smaller roots and planted them. And my pink banana plant made a pup so I cut that off and planted it too. It has lots of roots so I'll have 2 pink banana plants now. :-D

 

I have done cuttings from each of my mint plants (I have 6 varieties now!), I have 2 new Wandering Jew plants going, Ive divided and potted up some of my patch of Rudbeckia (need to do more, you can hardly tell its been hacked at! Got 11 quart size pots now) and I dug up and potted a raspberry volunteer. Ill be giving away most of them to friends (well ok, Ill be charging $1 to pay for the pot).

 

The trimmings from my roses finally have enough foliage to show up in a pic. Not terribly exciting, but not bad for pieces I would have thrown away otherwise. Now to start thinking about where more roses are needed. (Like where AREN'T more roses needed?!)


Rose trimmings have definitely taken root. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

 

Here's some of what I've been doing with hanging baskets/house plants:
http://www.gardenstew.com/viewtopic.php?t=30170

I pulled the grass away from this stump and added one purchased shrub (Osmanthus fragrans) and relocated Liriope, added cuttings of Hydrangea and confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis.)


New stump bed ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Various cuttings decorating the base of pecan tree.


Cuttings at tree base. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Rose cuttings are still green after a few months, must be making roots.


Rose cuttings ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Beheaded Dracaena making 3 tops to replace the lost one.


Beheaded Dracaena. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

How's it going out there?

 

Since we've been having actual winter here, I've got serious cabin fever. Luckily I have a lot more potted plants this winter that will abide winter propagation attempts. Found a few other outdoor things to propagate too.

Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri) cutting making a flower!


Hatiora gaertneri ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Tons of Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) cuttings will hopefully make the surface of this tree pot look better very quickly.


TC (Schlumbergera cuttings) ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

I think this is a Sedum.

Succulent leaf making a baby. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

Before frost ruined everything outside, I took cuttings of Rex Begonia vine (Cissus discolor) and Brugmansia. Stuck them in a pot with Tradescantias. When it's warm enough, I'll pop this whole root ball into the ground.


Rex Begonia vine, Brugmansia, Tradescantia ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )


Opuntia cuttings appropriated from someone's yard waste pile.


Opuntia. ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )

About 1,000 Lycoris radiata bulbs rescued from the abandoned yard next door. Apparently they've been getting mowed the whole time I've lived here (7 years.)




Lycoris radiata bulbs ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )



There's not much to do with these but watch them. Kalanchoe x houghtonii leaves make babies sitting on a shelf/table.



Kalanchoe x houghtonii ( photo / image / picture from purpleinopp's Garden )


How/what have you been propagating lately?

 

I've been really good this winter. My only starts have been some segments that fell off my Christmas cactus, a piece that fell off one of the cactus, and some ginger that sprouted. I've shown amazing restraint, but my breeze way is still full of plants. I am working really hard to stop my plant hoarding tendencies. I am forcing myself to compost cuttings, sickly plants and trimmings. Not an easy task...actually quite painful, but it is nice to be able to see my walls, windows and table tops

Outside I haven't potted up anything. Lots of sweet woodruff, pink blooming strawberries have gone into the green bin. Still have a dozen plants from last fall potted up that need to find homes in the gardens. There is still plenty of time to regress to my former bad behavior of potting up every little plant and seed though.

 

Lovely-looking nopales Purple. Is that for decoration or eating? I wish that we could grow them in our climate, for I dearly enjoy eating them.

Very interesting entry, Carolyn. I am interested in learning more about this. I doubt that that specific product will be for sale here, but I shall look into the chemical constituents and check around over here. It is absolutely worth a look.

 

Jewel, I'm impressed! Glad I've been doing this though. This awful winter we're having - I doubt any of the marginally hardy stuff in the ground will be back.

Sj, I was going to say there are some hardy Opuntias, but when I clicked you on the map, you're probably right, you're WAY up there! I've always said I didn't want prickly plants, but if it makes something edible, I think it's worth a spot in the yard somewhere. As you can see in the pic, there were a few ripe fruits on the cuttings I found in someone's yard waste pile. I don't know what kind of chemicals those who live there might use, so I took just a small taste of one and it was delicious! I would absolutely harvest these fruits if ripening in my yard. Hopefully that will happen next year. As expensive as food has become, it just makes sense to me to add as many edible plants (that require absolutely no care) to the yard as possible. Especially when they produce something one can't buy in a store.

 

I did pick up a leaf from a succulent that got broken off and stuck it in another pot. Does that count?
I dislike that Kalanchoe x houghtonii.... TOO many babies and they show up everywhere.

 

Hiya Purp. The fruits are tasty to eat, but I was actually talking about the flat leaf. I ate myself almost sick on those whilst living in Mexico.