#Transplanting And Potting Rooted Cuttings

[the-pharmacology-specialist]

Caring For Black Pepper Plants In Winter

Protecting Tropical Plants From Harsh Weather Tropical plants such as cardamon, noni, and black pepper are frost-sensitive, which may cause leaf drop or death. They need to be placed in a sheltered location. Consider employing fencing, netting, or neighbouring vegetation to protect them from cold winds. Applying mulch and composted manure just before the temperature declines can furnish warmth…

[headspace-hotel]

Tree stuff

Most trees should outlive you. If a landscaper tells you the lifespan of a tree is 10 years, they don't know what they're talking about.

Trees are free. Carefully comb over your yard for baby trees, especially in mid-spring!

Similarly, If you live near a gravel driveway or gravel parking lot, you can find baby tree sprouts that can be easily transplanted by gently removing the gravel bits from around the roots, wrapping the roots in wet paper towel, and transplanting to a large pot.

Do not pile up mulch around the base of a tree. You can mulch under the tree, but it should be a mostly flat layer, not a raised mound, and keep the mulch a few inches away from touching the trunk. Roots need some access to air or the tree will grow roots upward through the mulch, and the roots will slowly wrap around the trunk and strangle the tree to death. It's called root girdling and it is very sad.

Trees need friends!!! If possible, plant two or three trees instead of just one. Trees share nutrients through the mycorrhizal network and they protect each other from storm damage.

Always get a tree that is native to your area and suited to your local environment.

Growing an oak from an acorn is easy. Go to an area where there are oaks in the fall, and collect the acorns that have turned brown and whose hats have popped off. Get large pots at least 8 inches depth, and lay the acorns on their sides on top of the potting soil, then cover them with a layer of damp fallen leaves, and leave them outside all winter long. Just be sure to cover them with some wire mesh or something to protect them from squirrels

Please keep oaks and other large trees about 20 feet from any structure because they will grow huge. Websites will tell you to keep trees X distance away from "structures or other trees" but other trees can go as little as 6-10 feet apart whereas structures need to be like 15 feet away minimum, generally speaking

Prune the tree while it's dormant, NOT in the middle of summer!

If you happen to be from the Eastern United States, please consider getting an oak! They are keystone species and host plants for literally hundreds of insects. We have too many maples here too, so maybe consider a Sweetgum or Black Gum for pretty fall colors?

If you have a tree that's tied to a stake to keep it upright, get rid of that thing as soon as you can, particularly if there's zip ties holding it to the tree, because those can grow into the bark and kill the tree...

If your tree is dead, please consider cutting off the branches and leaving at least 6-10 feet or so of trunk standing. Dead tree snags like this are important nesting places for many birds and you might see a woodpecker

If you live in North America, whatever you do, do NOT get anything marketed as an "ornamental flowering pear tree." They're typically Pyrus calleryana, and they're virulently invasive

Bugs eating a few holes in the leaves of your tree? Good for them! (They aren't hurting the tree unless they're like, fully skeletonizing it, and they're just the caterpillars of butterflies and moths. Want Luna moths or Tiger Swallowtail butterflies? Let the caterpillars eat their dinner mmkay.)

Don't throw away the fallen leaves! Butterflies, moths, stick bugs, lightning bugs, ladybugs, and many other insects hibernate the winter in the fallen leaves. Use them as mulch for flower beds, compost them, or just leave them alone! You'll probably want to stop mowing after the leaves fall if you'd like to see bugs.

[hedgehog-moss]

Some plant news! I've been waiting impatiently to see if the stuff I planted last autumn had survived the winter, and it's looking good so far. All my young fruit trees are blooming (quince, cherry, apple, mirabelle)

The persimmon has no blossoms but some microscopic leaves, I hope it grows more vigorous... I only lost one baby chestnut tree, which seems to have been massacred by a very angry animal. A boar having a bad day? I'll have to plant a couple more this autumn and protect them better. I can just use the remains of one of the many types of fences that Pampe has defeated.

My greenhouse now has to wear a blanket in the afternoons so it doesn't get too hot inside. I planted four flowering shrubs around it in November, so their roots will consolidate the new terraces, and I'm happy to say they are all accounted for—these two have already doubled in volume, they seem thrilled to be there:

Whereas these two all but disappeared during the winter, the ground just swallowed them; I wasn't too optimistic but they showed up again last month, with timid new leaves :) (The pics are very zoomed in, the resurrected shrubs are about the size of my fist but I'm proud of them)

Also I found wild redcurrants by the stream last year and I snapped a few small branches and just stuck them in a pot without really believing it would work. Internet said it would work but it seemed impossible. I left the pot outside all winter, never watering it or taking care of it in any way, with these four bare sticks that I sometimes looked at dubiously. It worked!!! They have leaves now! I made new redcurrant plants by sticking branches in dirt, it feels magical. They're my favourite berries too...

(My project for next autumn will be to propagate elderberry cuttings alongside the fence.) And speaking of berries, I got to eat my first aquaponic-grown strawberry today, it was delicious <3 Congratulations to the 42 fish who are hard at work fertilising the plants in the towers. There are many more strawberries in preparation!

I leave the greenhouse doors open all day when it's sunny so there are pollinators busily flying in and out, doing their job. I tried to relocate a few ladybirds to the strawberry towers to eat aphids but without success, I think they left immediately...

My lettuce and tomato plants are doing great, but the courgette plants got decimated by slugs despite my efforts to repel them. I ended up buying some organic antislug product a friend of my mum's recommended. I started new courgette seeds, and I'll wait until they're bigger to transplant them to slug territory.

The little Mexican orange tree is blossoming, and finally making new leaves (the new ones are yellow) after looking worryingly bald for a while this winter. The blossoms really do smell like orange blossoms! I know it's right there in the name but I'm still like oh look at you you talented orange tree, you got the smell of your flowers right on the first try and everything

Congrats to Mascarille who was looking for the greenhouse entrance in the above pic (she always has to walk around it a few times, she's confused by glass walls) and eventually triumphed over adversity.

Oh and I'm still getting fresh peas, in homeopathic quantities. I found that they grow well in the middle of winter so I'll plant a lot more this autumn when the towers aren't full of strawberries and herbs; for now I've started just eating them raw like little green candy.

Last but not least, Louise Michel the new hen has finally learnt how to climb my homemade stairs that lead to the greenhouse! Look at her showing off her new skill, all casually like this problem hasn't stumped her for weeks:

[henbane-and-honeysuckle]

In the back yard of the duplex I rent, there's an elder tree shrub. I loved her very much and her presence in the yard felt like a good omen to choose this place to live. Well last year she was mowed down one day by the landlord's landscaper and I was devastated. She came back this year tho! So I decided to try to propagate a cutting from her to grow in a pot in case she was mowed down again. I'd never taken a cutting of a plant before but I watched videos, made the propitiatory offerings and rhyme, and then took a cutting of her roots including a green branch with leaves, and planted her in a pot on my front porch.

She immediately displayed transplant shock, her leaves all died and she droopped all the way to the concrete. But I knew she was still alive. I read that it can take months to recover from the shock, so I removed all her dead leaves and used a stick from the yard to help her stand up straight. Then I patiently watered her and braced myself to wait months to see if she'd bounce back.

To my utter surprise, she's recovering much faster than anticipated! Look at her leaves!! And she's standing on her own now despite the intense wind we're having. I'm so happy!

I'm looking forward to tending this emissary of the Elder Mother.

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Melody of Return Letter Translation

*Light and Night Masterlist *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *This will go under everyone’s personal tag *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut

❖ Osborn:

My Little Naughty (Y/n),

Finally willing to come back, huh? The long-term contract we signed has yet to be fulfilled, so I'm not letting you escape all so easily. ‘Sides, I don't believe that you don't miss me at all, seeing how I'm always at your disposal, all day, any day. Milkie has become friends with the others at home, and Xiaoragon loves it. But I know that Xiaoragon loves you best. Ye Chuan asked about your recent situation, saying how he wouldn't be able to have peace of mind until he saw you for himself again. Let's go visit him when we have time.

—Osborn

❖ Evan:

My Little Rabbit, (Y/n),

That spider plant is flourishing. It helps put me at ease whenever I place it in its daily spot of sunlight. However, I do think sometimes that it shouldn’t be trapped in a small flower pot indoors, relying on regular and controlled amounts of watering to sustain its own life. Perhaps the life it wants is being able to take root in the soil and grow freely. Let’s transplant it to the yard together once we’re free, and we can watch the ending of the movie we first watched together after.

—Evan

❖ Sariel:

My dumb bird, (Y/n),

Qi She said that I wasn’t smiling as much during the time you were gone. I thought about it, and maybe I do smile around you a lot. Maybe that was what gave Qi She that misconception. But you’ve always done well; your growth as a designer is steadily improving, and you’ve never been a dumb bird. In short, you don’t have to go away for such a long period to further your studies next time. You can just come to me. I’ve brought back a couple of trinkets that I think you’d like. I’ll deliver it all to you later.

—Sariel

❖ Charlie:

My Dear Fiancée (Y/n),

The joy of publishing ten papers cannot even come close to the joy of seeing you. So, if you want to come see me more often, I can reciprocate as well by coming to visit you instead. However, I am not like the golden bachelor you read about in novels, who wants to confine their Fiancée like a canary in a cage. I fully support your decision to go further outland to further your studies, but don’t forget to contact me more no matter where you are. Texting would be good, phone calls are better, and of course, bringing me along would be the best.

—Your ever-waiting Fiancé, Charlie

❖ Jesse:

My Dear Lady, (Y/n),

You’ve finally returned! I’ve lost weight waiting for you, and the costume you [personally designed and made before you left doesn’t fit as well anymore. So, when are you gonna come by and help me make some alterations, Milady? Also, you once pinky swore with me that you’d always stand by me and that you’d never leave. I won’t let you go back on that promise, so you’d best be prepared~

—Milady’s One & Only Knight, Jesse

[tomorrowsgardennc]

garden update // september 24th

phew! today was busy! rain is supposed to fly right on thru our area very quickly because of Helene so i have been busy shifting gears into prep mode for that.

the biggest deal was getting these basil seeds inside. i would rather have them sit on the plant for another 3 or 4 days... but i also would rather not have them drenched in downpours and end up rotted. so i cut a majority of the basil heads and will let them dry inside in a paper bag before processing. it's spicy globe basil - my absolute favorite basil variety ever - and since it's so tight and compact the bees love sleeping there at night, like this little guy. so i did leave some for them, especially the not-too-developed seed heads. hopefully it'll all be ok.

a lot of the no longer baby plants in the greenhouse are now in their semi-final home. transplanted like crazy the past two days! the cilantro doesn't have true leaves uet, but they were stretching like cray cray in the greenhouse since i have shade cloth on it, so i went ahead and put them in their pot. i say semi-final home because it's their final home in my garden before they are sold at the market. typically i transplant, let them grow in their new pot for 2 weeks, then consider them for market inventory. those 2 weeks allow for root growth and for them to get used to their new surroundings outside the greenhouse. kinda like hardening off, but not really.

went from 8 trays down to 4 in the greenhouse. the heating pads are NOT on, just don't have anywhere to store them so they just stay put. next week this will be back to full after i start more seeds. these were the only babies left without any true leaves. kohlrabi, cabbage, lettuce, collards, and celery.

so early this spring hubs and i pruned a pomegranate tree that's at the farmers market. not the best time to prune tbh but that's ok. i took 50ish cuttings and tried to root them. only these two did so. admittedly i'm a novice at rooting cuttings so honestly surprised i got these two. now i need to find a final home for them by next fall... for this winter they'll go in the greenhouse.

pro tip (like, the only tip i know about cuttings): the best way to tell if your cutting is still alive or transformed into a stick is to take your thumbnail and scrape a tiny dent into the bark. if the layer underneath is green, it's still alive and would prefer to not be knicked again plz thank you. if brown, then it's now a stick and you can toss it in the compost pile or to your dog. they are still babies so they don't like to be knicked so do this test as tiny as possible. its like checking to see if the chicken is raw after cooking... if you have to squint and hold it up to your face to try and tell, then its cooked dont worry. if you have to hold the cutting up and squint at it to find the green layer then its cooked, too.

peas are happy. the daikon totally wasabi *wink wonk* radishes have transplanted well. the cantalope from the compost pile is photobombing the peas and daikons.

last but not least, cascading over the raised bed edge appreciation photos. although deer have been coming by to eat the sweet potato leaves. but that's ok. and the creeping rosemary is absolutely loving its spot under the blueberry bush. i have had horrible luck trying to grow normal rosemary, but this creeping variety is more visually fun.

hopefully next week we will get a break from freak pop up tropical systems and i can finally get my two new metal raised beds in place! yippee!!

[plantanarchy]

so when roots are overgrown in the pot to the point that the whole thing pops out because it's ALL ROOTS and there's hardly any actual dirt left, are you supposed to tease the roots out a bit or leave them? grandmother taught me the latter, but I feel like it's additionally traumatic to the plant on top of being replanted

Most of the time, it's a good idea to tease those roots! You don't have to be overly aggressive about it if it makes you nervous or the plant is otherwise in ill health. But it won't hurt the plant and will actually encourage new outward growth into the surrounding soil/media. It is going to have to focus on growing new roots out and down anyway.

You don't have to spend a whole lot of time getting it all perfectly untangled either or worry that much about breaking roots. When I transplant hydrangeas for spring, to help them grow their roots out and break dormancy, I score their roots with a soil knife with four cuts on each side of the root ball. Otherwise they keep growing in circles even when given the chance to spread out.

If the potting media the plant is growing in is significantly different than the soil it will be planted in (like a nursery potting mix to a heavy clay soil) some people even recommend wholly bare rooting the plant, spraying off all soil, and teasing the roots fully loose. Then filling in with native topsoil, making sure to fill every gap. I've done this method a few times if the nursery mix really really sucked (cough cough Monrovia cough)

[queer-ecopunk]

I've been lurking for a while and I gotta ask:

are you familiar with basil and hacks to properly transplant it? I followed the turtorials I found but my [store-bought] basil plants always struggle to take hold of new earth and pots :-(

Despite the much bigger space they always struggle to survive.

Ngl basil is a plant I have historically had problems with, so I don't have hacks specifically for it. If anyone has specific basil tips, get in the comments.

I do have some general transplanting tips though.

- Handle the roots as gently as possible, especially if you need to seperate tangled plants. Additionally, keep them moist while transplanting

- Water the plant right away after transplanting and keep a close eye on moisture, since transferring can cause root damage which makes it harder for plants to stay hydrated. A little bit of wilting is expected because of this

- If moving them outside / to a new location, check that temperatures are warm enough and harden off the plants as needed (help them gradually adjust to new temps)

- Thin the seedlings as needed, since cutting out some of the weakest / smallest plants can allow the others get more nutrients and space to grow stronger

- Be cautious of wind, if moving them outside

Side note: grocery and hardware store plants are unfortunately not always well cared for before you buy them (looking at you Home Depot). They have a higher risk of carrying common diseases and pests, as well as an increased risk of nutrient deficiencies, dehydration, and rootbound issues. Sadly, sometimes these plants are very hard to keep alive even with your best interventions. I would recommend you:

- Check for signs of disease / pests / deficiencies before buying. Yellowing, spotty, or crispy leaves can indicate unhealthy plants

- Transplant immediately after purchasing, so your plant has access to good soil and adequate space right away

Hope this helps! Happy gardening 🌱

[lailoken]

Dressing the Wishing Bush

An important Walpurgis custom of ours has long been the traditional Dressing of the May Bush. This year, though, things have gone a bit differently.

In the past, we would harvest a small branch of blooming Hawthorn on April 30, which we would set before the home and decorate with Clooties. We would ideally ornament the living Matron Whitethorn by our front gate, but we have been discouraged from drawing attention to her unnecessarily, lest we risk attracting the unwelcome. As such, we've used a small switch from the Matron tree each year.

This year, however, we were given leave to harvest a special thorn-broom from her central bole that we've admired for years. We will dry this specimen, following today's celebration, and reuse it every year. What's more, we have been guided in establishing a different form of the May Bush, and so was born the Wishing Bush.

We used keys to represent an array of wishes for the coming year—however small—which we consecrated and tied with colorful loops of charm-knotted cord. These keys were then hung from the Hawthorn and earnest entreaty was given to the Whitethorn Mother, that She might help bring these wishes to fruition. On the next day, the cords will be cut and burned in the smoldering remnants of the Hexennacht Fire—that the Hawhthorn-blessed wishes might be carried on the wind to the powers that be. The keys, in turn, will be cleansed in hallowed waters, for future use.

EDIT: Multiple powerful omens ended up making it clear that this harvested "thorn-broom" was not meant to be dried, but was instead meant to be rooted and transplanted—most potent amongst which was the segment beginning to put out new growth after 9 days of being in a warm greenhouse with no water or soil. Despite initial fear that we heeded these omens too late to save the segment of Hawthorn (which was doing very poorly everywhere but that single branch of new growth) we managed to rescue and rehabilitate it with weeks of vigilant care. I think it should be ready to re-pot by the coming Walpurgis.

[balkanradfem]

So, some of you might remember, how I found an abandoned 'banished settlement' where people used to live 20 years ago, and they left plenty of cultivated and edible plants behind, including one huge rose plant. It was spread more than 10 meters in both directions, made thousands of roses, I used to decorate my entire place with them, dry them, they didn't have a scent so I didn't make food from them. However, the city has decided to build some ugly buildings in that place, so they flattened half of the area to the ground, made it into nothing but empty dirt. Needless to say I was devastated when I went foraging and found most of my plants, including the rose, gone.

However, the rose wasn't just a plant you can run over and destroy; in the spring I found new shoots, it's starting up again from the roots, and it's not going to get exterminated so easily. I do believe they're intending to destroy it completely, so I'm going to try and rescue it by taking some cuttings and propagating it.

Here's what it used to be vs what it is now.

:(

I took a few of the most sturdy stems I could find, I had to get plant cutters in order to do it, they will not break easily. Here's me propagating them at home:

All of the leaves and growth is stripped down, because a plant without roots cannot support foliage. For roses, I think stems of 12-15cm in lenght are reccomended for propagation, that way they have enough stem to try and grow roots from, and not too much to support. I stabbed them in a pot of soil, and then covered with this big glass thing, because cuttings will usually only grow in high humidity, they need to be supplied with water from air, because they don't have roots yet. I had to cut them down a bit more to fit them in, but I think that will be okay. I watered them excessively, and sprayed the cover with water too, so it would create super humid conditions.

I left this on the kitchen window, so it doesn't have to deal with a lot of sun or heat, it's best for cuttings to be put in mild conditions so they can focus on development of roots. If they start growing new foliage, that's the sign that the propagation is successful!

Here they are 10 days later:

To me it looks like all of them are already growing new foliage, but, it's suspicious, I don't think they would have managed to grow new roots so soon, in my mind it should take a ~while~. Maybe they're just using the plant power they had stored in the stem, and haven't figured out they've been turned into cuttings yet. The only way to really check would be to pluck them out and check for roots, but I won't do it yet, I'll leave them in here for at least 2 more weeks before trying to transplant them somewhere else. But for now it looks hopeful! I might have roses on my balcony!

Here's the first post I ever made about this rose, if you wanna see more pictures of how it looked.

(edit: I later looked into how long do rose cuttings take, and it said 2 months, but it also said that in late spring, you're supposed to only take young, flexible, and not-woody cuttings, and they'll grow faster. So I have messed up a little, sturdy cuttings are to be taken in the fall and winter and they're the most difficult ones to root. It also said you need 25cm and to bury them 70% in the ground. But it seems that it's still going well so do not follow the rules! I did have one that was young and flexible and that one is showing the strongest signs of growth.)

[bobbythestonerstuff]

Cloning cannabis is a horticultural technique used to create genetically identical copies (clones) of a cannabis plant. This process allows growers to replicate a desirable parent plant without the need for seeds, ensuring that the new plants will have the same genetic characteristics as the original.

Here are the basic steps involved in cloning cannabis:

Select a Healthy Mother Plant: Start by choosing a healthy, robust cannabis plant with the desired characteristics you want to replicate. This plant is referred to as the "mother plant."

Gather Supplies: You'll need a few supplies, including a clean and sharp razor or scalpel, rooting hormone, small pots or rooting cubes, a cloning gel or solution, and a propagation tray or a humidity dome.

Prepare the Mother Plant: Take a cutting (clone) from the mother plant. This is typically done by cutting a branch or stem tip that has healthy growth and at least a few sets of leaves. Make the cut just below a leaf node. Remove any large fan leaves, leaving only a few smaller leaves at the top.

Treat the Clone: Dip the cut end of the clone in rooting hormone to encourage root development. This helps the clone establish itself when planted.

Plant the Clone: Place the treated clone in a small pot or rooting cube filled with a growing medium, such as soil, coco coir, or a specialized cloning mix. Make a small hole in the medium with a pencil or similar tool, insert the clone, and gently pack the medium around it.

Create a Suitable Environment: To ensure successful root development, maintain a high humidity environment. You can achieve this by placing the clones in a propagation tray with a humidity dome or using a plastic bag to cover them. Keep the clones under fluorescent or LED lights for optimal growth conditions.

Monitor and Maintain: Check the clones regularly to ensure they stay adequately hydrated and maintain the right temperature and humidity levels. Mist the clones with water to keep the humidity high, and make sure they receive gentle light to stimulate growth.

Transplanting: Once the clones have developed roots (usually in 2-4 weeks), they can be transplanted into larger pots or into the garden if you prefer outdoor cultivation.

Cloning is a popular technique among cannabis growers because it allows them to maintain genetic consistency and ensure that they are growing plants with known characteristics. It can also save time compared to growing from seeds, as clones skip the germination phase and start with a head start in growth.

[xtruss]

Poinsettias adorn the Zocalo, the main square in modern Mexico City. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, the plant became a symbol of Christmas with a little help from European missionaries and an American diplomat named Joel Poinsett. Photograph By Carrie Thompson, Alamy Stock Photo

How The Rugged Poinsettia became Our Favorite Holiday Flower

Long before a clever marketer turned it into a Christmas staple, the Aztec and Maya celebrated the colorful shrub for its medicinal value.

— By Bill Newcott | Published: December 22, 2022

Think “Poinsettia” and you think “Christmas,” right? Well, think again. At the time of the first Christmas, the closest poinsettia to the little town of Bethlehem was 8,000 miles away, clinging to life in a rocky canyon in what’s now southwestern Mexico.

“The Aztec called the plant cuetlaxochitl (brilliant flower), and the Maya referred to it as k’alul wits (ember flower),” says Mark Hoddle of the University of California Riverside’s department of entomology. He became fascinated with the poinsettia while working on his doctoral dissertation in the 1990s, exploring ways to control whiteflies, a common scourge of the holiday plants.

There’s evidence the indigenous peoples of Central America appreciated the plant for its seasonal red leaves, he says, but mostly they saw medicinal value.

“When you break a leaf or branch of a poinsettia, it leaks a milky white sap,” Hoddle says. “The cultures believed that sap had healing properties.” Aztecs applied the sap to the breasts of nursing mothers to increase milk production. They also used the sap as a depilatory.

Even today, Hoddle says, descendants of the ancient Maya in Mexico boil the leaves to create a remedy for obstetrical or gynecological hemorrhaging. And if you happen to be bitten by a snake, the locals say, there’s nothing better than boiled root of k’alul wits.

The poinsettia is named in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American diplomat and avid amateur botanist who introduced the plant to the United States in the 1820s. Library of Congress

The First Christmas Poinsettias

Franciscan missionaries arrived in Mexico in the 16th century and eventually began setting up elaborate manger scenes at Christmastime. Holly, Europe’s holiday flora of choice, was nowhere to be found for the dioramas, but when the missionaries saw the red and green colors of this local plant—that happened to burst into color every December—they knew they had the perfect stand-in.

By the time an American diplomat named Joel Poinsett arrived in Mexico in the 1820s, those bright leaves were a common sight in local churches at Christmastime. A swashbuckling U.S. congressman from Charleston, South Carolina, Poinsett spoke six languages, dined with Russia’s czar, served President James Madison as a covert agent to protect U.S. business interests in South America, and somewhere along the way became, for a short time, a general in the Chilean army.

Yet despite all his exploits, Poinsett is remembered primarily as the amateur botanist who became fascinated with those red and green plants from Mexico. He sent some home to Charleston, where people began growing them in their gardens. Their notoriety grew under a variation of Poinsett’s name.

Poinsettias Become A Christmas Star

For the first 100 years or so after those first transplants arrived in Charleston, fragile poinsettias were nearly impossible to keep alive in a pot. They were sold primarily as cut flowers.

“That all changed with these guys,” says Fred Clarke, keeper of what’s likely the world’s only poinsettia library. He’s leading me toward a large, translucent white shed tucked into a corner of the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, a bit north of San Diego, California.

Each spring Carlsbad’s famous Flower Fields become a fantasia of red, yellow, and white ranunculus flowers. Clarke is the horticulturalist in charge of making sure those 80 million flowers grow and get to market, but it’s clear his passion plant grows inside this shed.

“Here we are!” he enthuses as we step inside. Sitting on a series of low, tiered risers are scores of potted poinsettias arranged chronologically in order of their historical development.

Clarke doesn’t have a sample of Joel Poinsett’s iteration, but his chronology does include a close relative: the legendary St. Louis Red. The first mass-produced poinsettia, it was introduced in 1924 by Louis Bordet of Missouri.

Long-stemmed and fragile, the St. Louis Red was still primarily a cut flower. But a self-taught Southern California agriculturalist named Paul Ecke started toying with the Red’s genetics, breeding varieties that exploded with multiple colored leaves, didn’t mind growing in a greenhouse, and, most importantly, could be shipped in pots.

Following the lead of those long-ago missionaries, Ecke began marketing poinsettias as “The Christmas Flower.” He convinced Hollywood to use them as decorations on seasonal TV specials. (Ecke’s son personally saw to it that Johnny Carson had an extravagant display behind his Tonight Show desk each year.)

For decades, the Ecke family grew nearly all their poinsettias on what’s now Carlsbad’s Flower Fields. Today, poinsettias are grown primarily outside the U.S., so the Ecke family focuses on developing and patenting new varieties. The results are on proud display in Clarke’s poinsettia library.

Ushering me through the collection, Clarke—who started working with the Ecke family 42 years ago—ticks off the subsequent varieties. They include the Flaming Sphere (1950), a floppy version that never caught on. The C-1 (1968) was the first poinsettia that could withstand the rigors of transport. The Limo (1988) introduced the deep red of present-day poinsettias. Freedom Family (1991) was the first with rounded, elephant-ear-shaped bracts rather than long, pointy ones. And the Prestige (2002), known for its rich color and stamina, is now the most popular poinsettia on the planet.

After touring the poinsettia library, Clarke invites me to enjoy one of the Flower Fields’ famous strawberry milkshakes. As we head for a small stand, he suddenly stops and turns back toward the shed and his red-leafed congregation. He smiles.

“These guys have come a long way,” he says.

[headspace-hotel]

Hello! Curious if you have any tips/insights on relocating small trees (like a 3-4 ft white pine, for instance) when they are growing in inauspicious locations. I’ve never dug up a wild-sown tree before and would like to move it to a location where it can thrive, but am worried about its root system.

Hm. Okay. I've never transplanted a pine bigger than seedling, so I don't know the general shape of the roots....but here's my general method.

Don't dig it out with a shovel. Get a digger bar. It's a really heavy metal bar with a point on it. Go like, a couple feet away from the tree and plunge the bar into the ground. Do this in a circle all around the tree until you've broken up the soil. Use the bar as a lever to pry up the dirt until the tree is free. You might have to make some decisions about cutting or breaking roots, but make sure the tree has lots of little fibrous roots to work with and don't break the main root.

Transplanting might take an hour or two. It's delicate work. Have a big big pot ready for the tree and fill it with a mixture of potting soil and dirt from the source. Hold the tree while you fill in soil around the roots. Water it immediately.

Good luck!

[recurring-polynya]

This week for Houseplant Spotlight, I wanted to feature my lovely and easygoing aluminum plant (Pilea cadierei). I actually got this plant a few years before the Great Houseplant Hyperfixation of 2023...I'm not sure when, but I'm pretty sure it was before the pandemic. It started out as a little 4" cup that I got from the grocery store, and it survived a lot of very spotty care before growing into this beauty. (I realize there's nothing here for scale, but that's an 8" pot). The leaves really do have a silvery sheen to them that is quite attractive.

I'm pretty sure I picked it because the tag said "low light". That's not exactly true-- it likes at least 4 hours of indirect light per day. Indirect light is pretty much all I've got in my house (not counting my grow lights). This guy currently lives on the bottom rack of my bathroom plant stand, where it has really been enjoying the extra humidity. I've also had luck growing them in pots with water reservoirs.

Another nice thing about the aluminum plant is that it grows from cuttings super-easily. It can get a little leggy, and pruning it helps it to grow nice and dense. I like put my cuttings in water (I use mason jars because I have a lot of them) until they grow significant roots, and then I plant them up. I took a few cuttings of this recently and they've all been growing beautifully. One of my current favorite things to do is to grow plants from cuttings, transplant them into throwaway cups, and put them out on a "free plants" table.

Anyway, it's just a nice plant that's very pretty and hard to kill. It's also non-toxic to pets. If someone offers you one, I highly recommend it!

[lunaprincipessa]

ENTRY 190

Here are 20 vegetables and herbs you can start growing indoors using parts of the produce you would throw away and this can save you a pretty penny the next time you go grocery shopping.

Romaine Lettuce - Similar to celery, keep the base of your romaine lettuce in a bowl with a ½ inch of warm water. Leave it to sit in direct sunlight, and in a week or two, your lettuce stem will produce fresh, new lettuce leaves for all your great salads. Transplant your lettuce to soil to continue growing. They should be full grown in three to four weeks. This process works for Bok Choy as well.

Garlic Sprouts - Are those tentacles?! Nope, those long green things growing out your garlic are green shoots. You can put them in a little water, under a lot of sunlight and grow a bunch of garlic sprouts. They are milder in taste than garlic cloves and are great in salads, pasta and as a garnish.

Carrots - Place chopped off carrot tops in a container filled with a bit of water. Pretty soon, they will begin to sprout delicious greens from the top that are a nice addition to meals.

Turnip - Like carrots, cut off turnip tops and leave them in a shallow container with water until they begin growing roots. This can take a couple of weeks. Once they’ve sprouted, plant them outside.

Sweet potato - Unlike most vegetables, sweet potatoes aren’t started by seed but by slips (or shoots). Clean and cut a sweet potato in half, then place it half in/half out of a jar full of water using toothpicks. Over a few days, your sweet potato will begin to sprout slips at which point you remove them and place them in water to grow roots. You should have rooted slips with the week. Next, plant them in loose, well-drained soil and water every day in the first week, and then every other day (or as needed) the following weeks.

Ginger - With ginger you already have, look for pieces that already have little things growing out of them. With that piece, cut off the parts that look like they’re about to start what’s called a “rhizome” because they’re the key to growing new ginger plants. Growing this food takes minimal effort but does require the right conditions. Warm, slightly humid places like kitchens are perfect. Plant the piece of ginger about 3-5 inches in the soil with its rhizome pointing upwards. Water it regularly. It’s a labor of love and can take up to ten months before you get a sufficient amount of ginger, but its health benefits are more than worth it.

Pineapple - This will definitely take a few years but if you’ve got the time and right climate, why not try? Take a pineapple and cut the flowery “crown” off about an inch below the leaves. Trim around the bottom until you see little brownish bumps (these are the root buds). Before planting, dehydrate the pineapple crown to prevent rotting too soon. Now, with your prepped pineapple cutting, place it in a shallow container of warm water. When the cutting begins to root, replant it into a container with soil and be sure to water once a week. If possible, keep it in a bright, warm place with as much direct sunlight as possible.

Rosemary - Like other herbs, you can regrow rosemary from 5-6 inch cuttings. Place them in water and within a few weeks, there should be enough that have rooted and not rotted. In a 4″ pot filled with damp potting soil, make a 3″ hole with a pen or pencil and place the rosemary cutting gently into it. Because this herb is so delicate, only water it when the soil starts feeling dry. Keep it direct sunlight for 6-8 hours per day because it needs light to flourish. If the soil isn’t dry yet, giving them a quick mist is also okay.

Potatoes - When growing potatoes, you need ones with ‘eyes’ (or slips) growing on it. When you’ve got a potato with a lot of eyes, cut it into 2 inch squares with each piece having a couple of eyes. Leave them out in room temperature for a couple of days to let them dry out to help prevent rotting. In a deep pot, place the cubes 8″ deep with the eyes facing upwards and cover it with another 4″ of soil. As more roots begin to grow, continuously add more soil and keep modestly watered. In as little as 70 days, you should have quite a few potatoes!

Tomatoes - You can regrow new tomato plants that can reach up to 8” feet. Ease the tomato plant out of its pot, trim the low leaves, and place it in a hole, fill it with soil, and do not compress it much.

Celery - To grow this healthy snack at home, cut off the base of the celery and leave it in a bowl with a little bit of warm water. Keep the bowl in direct sunlight, and in a week, your celery base will start to grow leaves. Transplant the celery in soil and watch it grow!

Cabbage - Don’t throw away the bottom of your cabbage head just yet. Just like celery, leave it in a container with an inch or two of water in a well-lit area and wait. Over time, it will start to regrow with no planting required.

Avocado - You can successfully grow an avocado tree from just one avocado pit.

Mint - To grow mint, get a clipping and plant it 3″ deep in a 5-8″ pot of damp soil. Make sure your mint plant is in a slightly humid, sun-exposed room (the kitchen is ideal). Every few days, to allow for the plant to grow evenly, rotate the pot. Within a few weeks, your mint plant should begin to flourish and be ready to be plucked for delicious dishes and drinks.

Lemon - To grow a lemon tree at home, you will need an organic lemon with non-germinating seeds, nutrient-rich potting soil, a planting pot that’s 6″ wide and 6″ deep, a seedling pot that’s 24″ wide and 12″ deep, and a sunny growing location (possibly with a grow lamp).

Mushrooms - Mushrooms can be regrown from spores in the comfort of our home.

Peppers - You can grow a number of hot peppers from the seeds that are leftover. Just collect the seeds from your habaneros, jalapenos or any other peppers that you have on hand. Plant them in potting soil and keep in direct sunlight unless it is warm outside and then you can just plant them in your garden area. Peppers grow relatively fast and don’t require a lot of care. Once you get a new crop, just save some of the seeds for replanting again.

Spring Onions - You can regrow spring onions in as little as five days. Simply leave at least an inch attached to the roots of your left over spring onions, put them in a small glass of water, topping up the water if it evaporates.

Basil - Got some basil clippings lying around? If they have at least four-inch stems, gather them up and put them in a glass of water under direct sunlight. When the stems grow two inches long, you can put them in some soil in a pot and grow your very own basil plant. No more basil shopping for you!

Onions - Unlike the other foods on this list, onions have to go directly in the soil to grow. Take the bottom end of the onion and plant it in a pot or directly in the soil outside. If it’s potted, water it when needed. The more of a bottom you leave on the onion, the better. At three weeks, the onion will develop roots. By the fourth week. It will sprout leaves.

More thoughts later.

[bumblebeeappletree]

Jerry rescues plants from a redevelopment site and shares tips on how to relocate them.

What to Avoid:

Established gardens often have environmental weed species that were planted unknowingly. In Brisbane these include cocos palm, tradescantia zebrina, coral vine, morning glory and the creeping inch plant which are very hard to eradicate and are weeds you'd rather leave behind. Transporting weeds to a new location can also worsen their environmental impact, so check your local authority’s website to identify each plant’s weed status before taking it with you. Invasive pests, like fire ants, or pathogens and diseases can also be spread with the movement of garden materials. Check the roots to make sure they look clean, and if you live in a containment area contact your local bio–security agency for advice.

Sadly, some plants are simply not worth the effort. Australian native, Lomandra hystrix, while useful is easy to find and very cheap to buy. And a bird of paradise might be tempting but they’re notorious for having incredibly strong deep roots and dense tough growth. You’d need a bobcat to shift it, so save your back and look elsewhere.

Save Seeds:

Seeds are a perfect way for plants to move; they’re already a whole plant packed and ready to travel. Jerry finds a bottlebrush and the Queensland classic, bushmans poison. As the name indicates, all parts of this plant are toxic to ingest, but it's a favourite in gardens for its pretty, sweet-smelling spring flowers which bees adore. This survivor is growing on shale soil and can weather harsh conditions. They’re readily propagated from seed when ripe, just make sure to wear gloves to protect yourself.

Lift Bulbs:

Another group of plants that travel well are bulbs. Hippeastrum can be expensive to buy and slow to establish which makes them valuable to save. To transport, dig them up and let the soil fall away, then trim back the leaves and roots to conserve moisture, and it’s ready to go. The important part to conserve is the bulb itself because that is the energy storage, carrying flowers for next year.

Take Cuttings:

Dracaenas aren’t exactly uncommon; however, they offer instant size through maturity. To propagate a super-sized cutting, use a sharp saw to cut the trunks cleanly at the base. You can tie this against a fence with its base touching soil, and over summer it will take root and can be replanted where you want it. Alternatively, each branch tip will root in the same way offering you a whole garden bed worth of plants. Succulents and cacti can also easily be propagated by cuttings, such as the spineless, night-flowering orchid cactus, Epiphyllum hookeri.

An iconic Queensland combination is a clump of elkhorn ferns growing on the side of a frangipani. In winter, the frangipani loses its leaves, and the winter sunshine benefits the fern. In summer when the leaves return, they shade the fern from the hot summer sun. In return, the elkhorn fern gathers leaves, storing nutrients and moisture to drip feed the frangipani. It's a blissful marriage. To transplant an elkhorn, use a sharp pruning saw to remove individual plants and then pot them up with ordinary potting mix or mount them onto a new tree. Frangipani is best propagated in winter to help the long stems seal over seal before planting. In the summer, there's a risk they may rot before establishing.

Re-potting:

The cast iron plant, Aspidistra, are tough as nails and are often found growing happily in the shadiest of spots. They’re permanently lush and green and can be dug up whole or broken into smaller clumps before re-potting. Ferns such as the native kangaroo fern, exotic rabbit foot fern and Boston fern can be repurposed in the same way but need some extra care. To transplant a fern, line an old hanging basket with a plastic bag with holes in it to conserve moisture during transit. You can disguise the bag with coconut fibre, then plant the fern in with potting mix. Keep it damp and in the shade so that it doesn’t drop any fronds, and eventually it will grow into a living sphere of foliage.