Saturday, August 30, 2008

Tonight I went through and divided up the Comfrey I had growing in a big pot for ages while it waited for me to find the perfect place. I understand It is difficult to get rid of if you plant it somewhere and want to move it, hence my reluctance.

Anyways I broke it down to 6 pieces and potted them up in small containers hoping they will be happy and can go to an allocated spot in the yard that wont be too big a deal if it gets overrun.

I also planted out my new daylilly I got from the local garden club expo I went to have a look at today. It's an Elizabeth Hay. Which I of course chose for its stunning flower:)

I also got some wormwood, seeing as the slip said it is good to use as a pest repelant when mixed with chilli. I think I had also heard that it was good to deter pests on chickens?

While I was feeling all productive I took a few Azalea cuttings. I think you are actually meant to do that in Autumn but oh well we will see if I have any luck. some were soft heel cuttings, some were from bud and some were tips. I thought I would try a few different things. I used some of that clonex purple to try up my chances. I'll have a looksy to see how long they generaly take.





Propagation notes from the web:

"Azaleas can be difficult to propagate, so be sure you take several cuttings. Azalea's root well in winter, but you can also give it a goin late summer or early fall.
A tried-and-true method espoused by rhododendron and azalea experts
(and one that I've used successfully) is the following:

1. Take part of this year's growth and cut it off; it should be 3 to 4
inches long. The bottom should be cut at an angle.

2. Pull all the leaves upward with one hand and cut them to half their
original length.

3. If the cutting has a bud, pinch it off.

4. On each side of the stem, shave off about one inch of the hard
outer layer, exposing the soft inner layer.

5. Dip the cutting into rooting hormone.

6. Take a clear plastic disposable cup and punch 3 or 4 holes in the
bottom (from the inside out) with a pencil or icepick.

7. Fill the cup with half peat and half perlite. (This mixture must be
moist, but shouldn't drip water when squeezed.) Place the cutting in
the cup.

8. Place the end of one drinking straw into the mixture, on either
side of the cutting. Place the cutting inside a plastic zip-lock bag,
and seal it. (The straws help keep the plastic above the plant
itself.)

9. Place the cutting where it will get lots of light, but no direct
sun. When you can no longer see moisture on the side of the bag, add"
just a little water. (Don't over water, or you'll rot the cutting.)

Rooting Dormant Azalea Cuttings

by Donald W. Hyatt

"Winter's ice and snow can often lead to broken branches on your azaleas. Don't despair, those branches can be rooted with relative ease during the winter months. Here is the procedure I use to start azaleas and rhododendrons from dormant cuttings. Even if the branch is quite desiccated, there is still a good chance of success at this time of year.

Procedure:

  1. For containers, I use cut-off gallon milk jugs. I make slits in the bottom for eventual drainage.
  2. Make short cuttings of a single whirl of leaves. Cuttings should be 2 inches long, or less. Sections of stems without leaves can also be used with some degree of success.
  3. Remove any flower buds from the cuttings since the plant's attempt to produce flowers will sap energy from new growth and root formation.
  4. Dip the end of the cutting in a rooting hormone such as Rootone or Dip 'N Grow.
  5. Insert the bottom inch of the cutting into a container filled with a porous potting medium ( I use � Peat, � Sand, � Perlite). The medium should be moist but not wet since excess moisture is the leading cause of failure due to fungal rot.
  6. If cuttings have evidence of insect or disease problems, they may be sprayed with an insecticide / fungicide mixture at this time and allowed to dry. (standard Rose Spray).
  7. Enclose containers in clear plastic bags to create a mini-greenhouse effect. Glad Gallon Food Storage bags fit the gallon milk jugs perfectly.
  8. Sometimes I will spray the foliage with a very dilute fertilizer mixture before enclosing the bags, but be careful to not make things too wet.
  9. Place under fluorescent lights with "long day" conditions (16 to 24 hours of light each day), or in a north window with good light but not too much strong sun.
  10. Cuttings should break dormancy and begin to grow in a month or so. At this time, they are usually forming new roots, too. Remove any cuttings that rot, or leaves that turn brown, but keep containers on the dry side since it will encourage root growth.
  11. Keep under lights during the winter months, and wait for warm humid weather to repot in late spring. The new foliage has been used to 100% humidity for many weeks, so open bags slowly at first and allow them to harden off before transplanting.
  12. Grow plants in pots during the summer, and allow them to harden off before frost in the fall. Cold frame protection is helpful during the first winter to protect from bark split, but plants rooted during the winter are often large enough by fall to make it on their own.
Note: Azaleas and rhododendrons can be raised from seed, too. The same basic approach is used, but no rooting hormone is needed. The seed is very small and should be sown directly on top of the medium. Germination will usually occur in just a few weeks, and plants will be ready for transplanting in a month or so. "




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