All the Dirt on Gardening

Cuttings taken from cold hardy perennials strike roots in weeks or months after being planted in potting soil, perlite or vermiculite and kept moist. Their containers need drain holes and the plants need a protective top until they strike roots and begin to grow. Here are some examples from my garden shed which is minimally heated and lighted. The Plums are considered practically impossible to grow from cuttings but I had to try. Forsythia, of course, is easily rooted to extend a green row with yellow spring flowers. Fig cuttings are a 50/50 deal for me so I plant more than I need/want. Lavender is also fairly easy to grow from cuttings. These will be replacement plants. American Plum Tree cuttings taken three days ago and planted in a plastic clamshell with a lid  Forsythia shrub cuttings taken in April have foot-long roots in November Three Brown Turkey Fig tree/shrub cuttings were taken a few weeks ago On the left is a Lavender cutting and on the righ...

Full-spectrum florescent bulbs keep seedlings and cuttings going In addition to planting seeds in the ground that need a cold period and planting more seeds in milk carton greenhouses outside, the garden shed remains heated with lights glowing to keep seedlings coming up, tender perennials hanging on and cuttings setting roots. Four-tiered light table keeps many many trays of seedlings growing. All of the coleus I grew from seed last winter in the shed were dug up and planted in pots. In the shed they are pinched back regularly and all the decent sized prunings are rooted to make more plants. I start seeds of hollyhock, salvia, cool weather vegetables such as kale and lettuce as well as others in the shed to have them ready for planting outside on or around April 15th. Hollyhocks are biennial and usually do not bloom the year they are seeded. I've found that growing them from seed in the shed, they do bloom their first year in the ground. The bakers rack sits und...

Coleus Kong Lime Sprite In January, I started coleus seeds in the heated garden shed and the row of plants that resulted are in the photo below.  This particular plant was a new introduction from Ball Seed for 2015. The seed germination rate was good and there were a few dozen plants to put out April 15th. About a fourth of the plants didn't survive the big world of record rain, wind storms, insect infestations and my failure to water as frequently as I should have. However! I'm happy with the remaining rows of plants and will start soon taking cuttings of them to grown out in the shed over the winter got next summer. They should be larger and have better roots next year. Here's a link to my January seed starting information. I had read that growing coleus from seed was easy and I now agree with that writer. Give it a try. You'll be glad you did. Update 11.03.15 All those Kong Coleus plants have been potted into containers so they can spend the wi...

Taking cuttings from favorite plants now will extend the season of fun in the garden, giving you a project during the cold months. Easy-to-root perennials include: clematis armandii, coreopsis, salvia, geranium, coleus, begonia, Mandeville, rosemary, sage, Joseph’s coat, sweet potato, figs, etc. Cuttings both replace and increase the plants in your garden. For example, even though Pineapple sage and Mexican sage both return every year, the plants I grow from fall cuttings expand the amount of hummingbird nectar available next spring and fall. Generally speaking, true annuals, started from seed, will not overwinter from cuttings, including zinnias, lettuce, and marigold. Fiskars has the right tools for the job! The number of cuttings you should start is based on the amount of windowsill space or lighting you have available. Most of us can make room for a dozen pots or rig up something outside. One veteran gardener puts a single light bulb inside a container made o...

The change from summer to fall is taken more gracefully by gardens than gardeners because plants have no regrets about what they did not accomplish over the summer. They are ready for fall even if they did not bloom their best or produce buckets of fruit. Gardeners can take cuttings of tender perennials now to prolong their gardening activities well into the fall. Those cuttings will grow on a sunny windowsill or under lights and provide plants for next spring’s garden. Tender perennials include: Begonia, Coleus, Fuscia, Hoya (Wax Plant), Impatiens, Joseph’s Coat, Lantana, Mandevilla, Passion Flower, Pelargonium (scented geranium), Plectranthus, Plumbago, Rosemary, Sage and Salvia, Sweet-potato vine, Torenia (Wishbone Flower), Verbena, etc. True annuals, started from seed, will not overwinter well from cuttings. Take a look at how much windowsill space you have for plants after they root. If you have a fluorescent-light bench to grow several plants, consider the size they will become a...