Operation Propogation

Many of us are spoiled...

we like our new plants big, healthy, blooming or fruiting, etc

the minute we put them in the ground. 

It takes more planning and imagination to plant immature plants,

or (gasp) sow seeds. 

It's easier to pick out a nice, mature speciman

and add it to the garden creating instant beauty

and immediately achieving the perfect landscape. 

Who wouldn't like that?! 

But, of course, this path is a pricey one. 

I typically choose the more frugal path
of perusing the clearance isle of big box stores,

the 'first aid' section of the local nursery, or better yet,

obtaining divisions from friends and neighbors. 

Our local extension office typically offers young affordable plants as well. 

Of course, these discounted rates come at the great price of patience. 

Luckily, most gardeners are well acquainted

with this quality and lovingly wait,

coddle, fertilize and speak with our fledgling foliage.

Recently, I charged down another path....

"Operation Propogation". 

This is actually a little embarrassing

because the majority of my family are FARMERS,

and I am well-versed in farming practices. 

However, I don't typically opt for propogation techniques...

primarily due to lack of experience and funds

to retry my experiment if it fails. 

However, due to my lack of funds

to opt for the previously mentioned paths,

I am forced to charter unknown territory. 

My first challenge is easy. 

So easy, I've done it since I was a child 

but never referred to it by it's proper term of 'propogation'.  

Last week while on a walk, I found a gorgeous passion vine

growing wild along a hedgegrow and pinched off some new growth.

I proceded to take it home, cut it into 10-15" sections

and place them in a cup of water to root. 

Tah Dah!!!  Propogation!!! 

Actually, many vines root in water quite readily. 

The trick is to obtain new growth and cut

into 10-15" sections about an inch or two below a node. 

Remove bottom foliage and keep the water clean. 

Before you  know it, new roots form and can be planted in soil. 

Be sure to keep the soil moist (not wet)

until the plant becomes established. 

Of course, some plants are more difficult to root this way,

and I am certainly no authority. 

Check with your local extension office or master gardener for specifics.
(I'd like to note that the internet suggests propogating passion vine via moist moss/soil and growth hormone vs submerging in water. I'm using my grandmother's method for now...I'll try it the other way if this method fails.) 

My second challenge is just as easy,

although I didn't know about it until

I spoke with a friend of mine last year...

John of JGs Tropical Plants

informed a group of ginger and heliconia enthusiasts

how easy it is to grow your own edible ginger. 

Simply purchase some ginger root from your local farmers market

(the grocery is OK but it's been sitting around longer than the fresh market),

bring it home and place it on your kitchen counter. 

Let it sit. It's a little annoying, but just do it. 

It will grow little sprouts, similar to a potato.

Once the sprouts appear, simply lay the root

on top of some soil
and gently sprinkle soil on top of it.

Now treat it like any other plant...water as needed. 

I've not grown my own edible ginger before, but I am now!

Another new challenge was

growing new dendrobium orchids from stem cuttings. 

Lets face it...

when not in bloom, dendrobiums are not attractive. 

They mean well, but honestly!!! 

And since dendrobiums usually benefit

from a little cooling off in the winter,

I left mine out on the back patio during a cold spell. 

Unfortunately, it got a little too cold

and my poor orchid dropped most of its leaves. 

Seeing as the poor thing was now even less attractive than before, 

I chose to propogate. 

I reached for my handy reference book for this project. 

Dendrobiums are supposed to be easy to grow,

but I don't know about cutting them up! 

So, here's the procedure...

Gather your materials...

sphagnum moss, sharp sterile knife /pruners,

and plastic bag or plastic covering.

Cut the leafless orchid stem

close to the base using a sharp sterile tool.

Moisten the sphagnum moss in clean water

(not from the tap).

Cut the dendrobium stem in 2-3 inch sections,

making sure each section has at least one

dormant bud where a leaf once grew.

Place the cut orchid sections horizontally on the moist moss and keep in a moist shady spot. I placed mine in a ziploc bag to form a terrarium.  Once the buds have produced plantlets, detach and plant them in orchid mixture/bark.  I'm still waiting, but am hoping for the best!

Finally, I used the original method of propogating by seed. 

Last fall, Susan from Simply Susan graciously sent me

some blackberry lily seeds. 

Since I was moving, I saved them to plant at my new home. 

Blackberry lilies grow easily from seeds although I wasn't sure

of the exact method so I planted some indoors in a pot

and planted others directly in the soil outdoors. 

They reportedly take 2-4 weeks to sprout. 

We'll see what happens!

So there you have it, and there it is!! 

"Operation Propogation" is in full swing! 

I'll post my results, positive or negative. 

Keep your fingers crossed for beautiful blooms!!