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Propagating Begonias From Cuttings

10/29/2016

2 Comments

 
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The straggly begonias that got me started on this propagation project.
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Then I moved on to other begonias that needed trimming.
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The pile of trimmings from one of the hanging-basket begonias. This will turn into lots of new plants for sharing!
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Cutting trimmed to 4 nodes and 3 top leaves. The bottommost big leaf could also be removed, since the center newest leaf is large enough to accomplish photosynthesis. You always want to leave at least 2 "mature" leaves, in case one gets broken or damaged or dies before roots form.
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Another cutting showing the blossom removed and leaves cut in half, and stem with 4 nodes. Note the tiny amount of stem left below the bottom node to preclude rotting.
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Lots of cuttings ready for potting up!
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Pencil-sized bamboo stake poked hole, then helps nudge cutting into the hole.
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Inserting cuttings around the edge of the pot, about 1" from the edge and from each other.
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Pressing potting mix around the edge and between the center cuttings. If you placed enough potting mix into the pot initially, pressing it down should leave only 1" of space for watering.
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Potful of cuttings ready for watering and growing new roots!
     Propagation from cuttings is an easy and fun technique for gardeners to accomplish year-round, depending on the timing most appropriate for a particular kind of plant.  Now’s a good time for begonias.
     Two of my hanging-basket begonias looked straggly, with bare foot-long bare stems hanging down and a few blooms appearing at the end of foliaged tips.  I knew that if I just left them to continue to grow, the bare stems might or might not – probably not - sprout new leaves. But, because they’re actively growing now, it’s a great time to snip them and root the cuttings. 
     Of course, once I’d done this with the two hanging-basket begonias, I started examining the three upright begonias on my patio and, finding more lanky growth, starting snipping those as well. 
     Ultimately I ended up with clippings from five different begonia plants that resulted in 7 gallon pots with about 12 in each pot – potentially 84 new plants if they all rooted.  How’s that for an economic boon?
     This technique is the same for whatever kind of cutting you collect – from walks in the neighborhood (take cuttings only from public areas) as well as your own garden or from a friend. 
     If it’ll be several hours before you can actually pot them up, take cuttings as lengthy as possible to allow for the natural retraction of plant fluids from the cut since it’s no longer able to pull those fluids from the roots.  For example, cutting a 20” length means you’ll be able to make perhaps 3 6” cuttings (after recutting off 2” of the base) to root, with at least a single 6” viable tip.
     Here’s how to produce your own bargain bounty.
  1. Snip as low on the plant – nearest the roots – as possible where there’s new foliage emerging. This is to assure that the growing point in the node is active. Cutting lower on the plant – especially with woodier stems – runs the risk of hoping that dormant nodes will “wake up” and sprout, which isn’t likely.
  2. Snip just below the node with the foliage, so there’s only a tiny bit of stem protruding beyond the foliage. Leaving too big a piece will encourage rot that may extend down through the node to the base of the plant.
  3. Cut long strands with several offshoots into individual pieces, each having at least 4 nodes and a tip with 2 bits of foliage.
  4. Trim the stem from the bottommost node so only a tiny bit of the stem is left, as with #2 above.
  5. Leave the top 2 leaves, but snip off other leaves at the bases of each node with a fingernail or clipper, or gently pull it off. It’s ok if a tiny bit of the inner flesh is visible – this is the cambium layer from which the new roots will emerge.
  6. If the top two leaves are large, cut each one back by half, across the leaf. This will allow photosynthesis to continue but not drain the energy from the plant before new roots are established.
  7. Remove any developing blooms. You want the plant energy to go into establishing new roots, not continuing to bloom.
  8. Choose a container that’s deep enough to accommodate the full length of the stems of the cuttings.
  9. Gently overfill the container loosely with potting mix, taking care to not compact it. I prefer SuperSoil because of its consistently small particles.
  10. With a pencil-sized stick, poke a hole in the potting mix about an inch from the edge of the pot and down to the bottom of the container.
  11. Pull out the stick and gently insert the cutting into the hole so the foliage sits on top of the potting mix surface even with the top edge of the container. You may have to help prod the cutting down with the stick so it doesn't break.
  12. Continue poking holes and inserting the cuttings around the pot about an inch apart and then a couple in the center.
  13. Gently lift the foliage around the edge of the pot and press down the potting mix, and then around the cuttings in the center.
  14. Place the container in a brightly lit place with good air circulation but without direct sun.
  15. Water from the top of the container, refilling at least 3 times, to make sure that all the potting mix is thoroughly saturated.
  16. You’re done!
  17. Sprinkle the foliage, and water the container once a day for 3 days in the early morning, then every other day for another week.
  18. By then, the individual cuttings will either still be viable or have succumbed. Remove any decaying foliage from the surface, but don’t disturb the potting mix rooting zone.
  19. In another month, new top growth will be obvious, and roots may just have started. If frost threatens, move the container to an area with overhead coverage protection that still receives bright light. A bit of direct sun each day is ok, depending on the variety.
  20. When plants are well-leafed out and about 6 inches tall, you can check to see if they’re well-rooted enough to repot into larger individual containers. Gently knock the clump out of the container, and “tickle” away the potting mix to see how developed the roots are. Either pot up the ones that are well-rooted, or repot the ones that need more development back into the original container. And, check again in Spring, when new growth is obvious.
  
2 Comments

Worm Castings and Tea Resources in Southern California

10/21/2016

5 Comments

 
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At the Los Angeles Worm Farm Collective, the process begins with composted horse manure.
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Spreading dried leaves for the worms to compost.
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Distributing worms onto new food in bed.
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Giving the worms some water to keep them and the bedding moist.
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Covering the bed to keep the bedding and worms dark and moist, but with ventilation.
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Shade cloth shields the bed from direct sun.
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The harvest process begins with sorting worms from the bedding.
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Sifting the casting-rich bedding.
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Making sure all the worms are out of the sifted castings.
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Storing the castings for sale.
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The Los Angeles Worm Farm Collective crew.
     One of my subscribers asked for a source of worm castings in bulk, so I sent out a query to my subscriber list asking for recommendations.  Thanks to everyone who provided some leads!
     I contacted each of the sources and/or constructed the list below from their websites.  However, I’ve indicated which sources haven’t yet responded and so I consequently can’t confirm the information provided by a subscriber or the website. 
     For the full information I gathered, see the spreadsheet on my website under Weblinks – http://www.gardeninginla.net/web-links.html - at the bottom of the righthand column.  I’ll post updates of the list as I receive new information.
     I visited the Los Angeles Worm Farm Collective during one of its workdays and talked with the enthusiastic members.  Keshy Jeong, was kind enough to take these pictures of the process.
 
Worm Castings and Tea Resources in Southern California (in alphabetical order)
 
Anna Marie Carter
Los Angeles
theseedlady@hotmail.com
Castings in 20, 50, 100 lbs. and bulk orders.  Teas in 5 gallons and up.
 
Compost Worms and Bins (no response)
Glendale
majjj@aol.com
818-472-2593
 
Da-Le Ranch (no response)
Lake Elsinore
dave@da-le-ranch.com
951-657-3056, 518-206-2691
 
Los Angeles Worm Farm Collective
Norwalk and Atwater Village
info@laworm.com  
http://www.lawormfarmcollective.com/
Castings $5/gallon or $1,000/cubic yard. 5-50 gallon quantities can be picked up in Atwater (in Northeast LA near Glendale), preferably on the 3rd Sunday morning of the month. Delivery with an additional fee may be possible depending on the location.  
 
Mark LeGrand (no response)
Marklegrand@gmail.com             
310-617-5389
 
Organic Solution (no response)
Camarillo            
info@organicsolution.com          
805-384-9020    
http://organicsolution.com/       
Castings, 6 qt, $14.95, and larger quantities.  16 Where To Buy locations in Southern California.
 
Rainbow Mealworms (no response)
Compton
support@rainbowmealworms.net
800-777-9676
http://www.rainbowmealworms.net/mealworm-castings/
5 lb, $16.97, free shipping
 
The Worm Wrangler
Ruby Rehder
Menifee
RubiReds2@aol.com
951-679-5213
Castings in 3, 5, 10, 20 lbs. at $1 per lb.
 
Triformis Corporation (no response)
Los Angeles
info@triformis.com
888-469-6767
 
VermisTerra Organic Soil Amendment (no response)
https://vermisterra.com/
VermisTerra Earthworm Castings, 10 lb, $35.99.  Earthworm Casting Tea, 1 quart concentrate, $26.99.  Larger quantities available.
 
Whittier Fertilizer (no response)
Pico Rivera
562-699-3461
http://whittierfertilizer.com/products/
Website information includes no prices or quantities.

Yamada Company (no response)
Gardena
310-327-5668
According to a subscriber, Yamada sells castings and many other garden products, and is generally “something like 40% less than you'd pay most anywhere else. For example, Grow More Seaweed Extract, one quart, is, as I recall, $11.99 at Armstrong and $12.95 at OSH. At Yamada, $5.95.”
5 Comments

It’s Cooler, So What to Do In the Garden Now?

10/11/2016

5 Comments

 
PictureOdontonema strictum - Firespike - "sparkles" now in fall.
     What a wonderful reprieve, air temperatures in the mid-70s and low-80s promised for at least the next week! With soil temperatures still very warm, it’s the perfect time to transplant everything – seedlings, plants, shrubs and trees – so they’ll have a good month or two to develop well-established root systems before shutting down for the winter.  
     This is why fall is a better time to garden than spring, when plants must hurry to get established before weather turns hot and they get stressed, and then they must produce their flowers and fruit which stresses them even the more – and we have to fertilize and water them just to keep them going!
     So, what to do in the garden now during this blissfully mild weather?  Let me count the ways. For more extensive details, see October’s Monthly Tips.

Edibles – Veggies and Fruits
     Plant garlic now so it’ll develop a strong root system over the winter, and leaf production can begin early in the spring, resulting in a large head next summer. Planting in the spring, even with rich soil, will produce only medium- or small-sized cloves. 
     Renovate strawberry beds away from where potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers have grown within the last three years.  Incorporate rock fertilizers, compost, and cottonseed meal.  Water well.  Wait two to four weeks so the microorganisms can meld everything together, which will heat up the soil and then cool down again, then transplant strawberries one foot apart so the crown is just above the soil level. 
     Plant asparagus crowns at least six inches deep, and mulch them heavily with manure so winter rains (hope, hope!) can slowly wash the nutrients down into the root zone. 
     Harvest white potatoes now, being careful not to cut or bruise them.  You can also leave them in the soil for harvest through the winter, but don’t water them or they’ll sprout again in spring. 
     Harvest winter squash, pumpkins, and decorative gourds when the vines are dry and the rinds are hard and resist easy puncture by a fingernail.  Cut the stems rather than breaking or tearing them, and leave two inches of stem attached to the squash to lessen the chance of spoilage. 
     Clear the soil under trees by pulling back the mulch, discarding fruit mummies, and moving leaves to the compost pile as soon as they fall.  This will open up the soil surface for rain (hope, hope!) to easily penetrate.
     Give one last deep watering to grapevines and deciduous trees to make them more cold-hardy. 
     Feed all overwintering plants with a no-nitrogen, high-phosphorus, high-potassium fertilizer to help them become cold-hardy.
     When you carve your Jack O’Lantern, be sure to toast -- don't toss -- the pumpkin seeds.  Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp by washing the seeds well.  Spread them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt if desired.  Toast them for three or four minutes at 375 degrees, stir to turn them, and toast another two or three minutes until they're evenly golden.  Cool them to room temperature, and enjoy!

Ornamentals – Flowering Plants and Trees
     Use a spade or sharp knife to separate large clumps of perennials, or gently pull apart individual plants after loosening the clump from its surrounding soil.  Discard the old, unproductive sections.  Trim the foliage of young growth to four or six inches.  Dig in compost, replant, and water in well.
     Trim roses after their last flush of blooms, but hold off on severe pruning until they're fully dormant, in January.  Feed them with a no-nitrogen, high-phosphorus, high-potassium fertilizer to help them harden off.             
     Fertilize cool-season grass lawns.  Lower the blade height on your lawn mower to encourage short, bushy growth.
     Knock down water basins around trees and shrubs, and turn the soil to loosen it so water can penetrate more easily, and not puddle.

General Garden Care
     Help overwintering plants harden off by changing your irrigation schedule.  Cooler weather slows evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plant foliage, so irrigation is needed less often.  Decrease the number of times -- but not the length of time -- you water.   For example, water once every three weeks instead of once a week, but still water for half an hour each time.  This change will still provide water down to the full root zone while allowing for longer periods for the soil to dry in between waterings, and it doesn't encourage new, frost-tender growth.
 


5 Comments

Bulb Time In Southern California

10/3/2016

9 Comments

 
PicturePink nerine naturalize wonderfully in my garden after Fall bloom. Bloom time is extended because bulbs are planted in each of 17 levels up a ramp, with those getting the most sun blooming first, and the ones getting the least sun blooming last.
     Now’s the time to purchase and plant first-quality bulbs for spring bloom.  These include alliums, amaryllis, anemones, brodiaeas, crocuses, daffodils, freesias (so fragrant!), fritillarias, galanthus, baby glads, glory-of-the-snows, grape and Dutch and wood hyacinths, Dutch irises, ixias, leucojums, lycoris, montbretias, narcissus, nerine, paperwhites, peonies, ranunculus, scilla, snowdrops, sparaxis, tigridia, tritonia, triteleia, tulips, dog¬tooth violets, watsonias, and winter aconites. 
 
No Bargains
     Whether purchasing bulbs at a local vendor or through mailorder and online catalogs, there are bargains and then there are ways to waste your money in the name of economy.  Waiting to purchase bulbs when they go on sale is a waste for two main reasons:
     1.  Bulbs that have been sitting in store displays have been slowly losing vitality because they’ve been too warm for too long. 
     2.  Bulbs that have been overlooked by previous buyers are smaller and less vigorous.
     Even at bargain prices, these will provide less than mediocre results.  Better to spend less on premium-quality and get great results!
 
Which to Choose? 
     Choose big, plump bulbs, as these have the most stored food and will produce the largest and most numerous blooms over the longest period of time.  They cost a bit more, but they'll provide a great deal more pleasure when they bloom. 
     Especially fragrant freesia cultivars include Athene, Allure, Demeter, Excelsior, Golden Wave, Mirabel, Pink Westlind, Snowdon, and Welkin.
     If you like having blooms in the lawn, these are good for naturalizing, and the ripening foliage following bloom won't interfere with mowing the lawn:  Chionodoxa, eranthis, muscari, ornithogalum, and puschkinia.
     Don't forget to buy some bulbs just for indoor forcing color from Thanksgiving  through January.   Good choices include amaryllis, crocus, freesias, lily-of-the-valley, paperwhites, and tulips. 
 
To Chill or Not to Chill?
     Store the bulbs in a cool, well-ventilated area until you're ready to plant them. 
     Chill crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, narcissus, and tulip bulbs in a paper bag on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator -- at about 40 degrees -- for at six to eight weeks.  Use a paper -- not plastic -- bag since the bulbs are alive and must breathe. 
     Keep chilling bulbs away from ripening fruit like bananas and apples, since the ethylene gas being released as they ripen will destroy the flower-developing hormones in the bulbs.
 
Planting
     Enrich the soil where the bulbs are to be planted with compost, bone meal, and granite dust or wood ashes (but not from charcoal briquettes used in the barbecue, which contain harmful chemicals).  Also, add some nitrogen, as it is easily washed from the soil by winter rains (hope, hope!), and bulbs need a small but continuous supply all winter long for strong growth of the foliage and the bloomstalk. 
     For a long-lasting spring display, plant some early, mid-season, and late-blooming bulbs every other week through mid-December, and again beginning in late January. 
     Depth of planting also affects when the bulbs will bloom.  Shallower plantings will  bloom sooner.  Deeper plantings will bloom later.  If you want everything to bloom for one spectacular display, plant the bulbs at the same time and at the same depth.  If you prefer color over several months' time, plant bulbs every several weeks, and vary the planting depths each time you plant.
     This makes them perfect for planting in containers.
 
Saffron Crocus
     Plant autumn-blooming saffron crocus now.  Each corm produces from one to three flowers, and about six corms should provide sufficient saffron -- just the three tiny red stamens in each bloom -- for each cooking or baking recipe. 
 
Two Excellent Online Sources
     For bulbs that don’t require special cooling attention because their climates of origin are closer to our own, there are two wonderful online resources: 
  1. < >  offers wonderfully thorough information and great variety of bulbs and tubers specifically for naturalizing in our Southern California gardens.< > categorizes its bulbs by origin -- Western US, South Africa, South America, and Other Parts of the World. For its blog of tips on cultivation and other information, go to www.thebulbmaven.typepad.com

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