Cuttings

For whatever, reason I really like to propagate plants. Maybe it has something to do with my previous days spent working in a nursery where I did the bulk of their propagation. Or maybe I just like the fact that I can increase my garden tenfold simply by clipping a plant and causing that clipping to take root. Whatever the reason may be, I do enjoy it- almost too much sometimes! Some years I go a little overboard and do not know what to do with all the cuttings that I root. Those years find me practically begging people to take some home with them.

This year I have been very busy so my propagating frenzy has been small. That does not mean that I do not have any rooting right now though! In fact, last week I took several cuttings of Lemon Verbena, Lavender, Rosa Rugosa, and Buddleia.

The above picture shows how I like to go about rooting my cuttings. I just use a mix of perlite and potting soil and plunge the little cuttings into this. The pots are recycled nursery pots. Everyday I check to see if they need water (they usually do) as it is important for them to say damp but not soaked or they will rot. It usually takes my cuttings about 3 weeks to root so I have about another 2 more weeks to wait before I pot these up into their own individual pots.

In the top left of the picture you can see my Rugosa cuttings. I am trying something different with them. I have placed an empty 2 liter bottle on top of the pot to act as a makeshift greenhouse. (The pot is actually an empty yogurt container- I reuse everything.) So far it seems to be working great as the rose cuttings have not once wilted.

The other day I went out to check on my cuttings to see if they needed any water. When I began to water the Lemon Verbena something started jumping around in the little rose cutting greenhouse. I thought it was a grasshopper as they are EVERYWHERE out here right now (gross!). When I got a closer look this is what I found:

I guess this little guy climbed in through the opening of the bottle. Notice how he matches the color of the rose leaves just perfectly. I am really baffled by the tree frogs this year. I keep finding them all over the garden. In fact, when getting my pictures for yesterday’s post on worm tea I came upon one on top of my worm bin. I am really stumped as to why they are all over my garden as I have never seen one before this year.

After getting his picture taken I tipped the bottle onto its side so the little tree frog could hop out which he did. I guess he approved of my rose cuttings!

Tagged as: Frogs, Propagating