Super Easy Geranium Cuttings. 22 Feb 24

Last summer knocked off a branch from a geranium  (or as the call it in UK, Pelargonium).

Here is the branch.  It was lying around more or less in the shade for about a month, while I had other things to concern myself with.

It stayed green and alive looking, somI thought I would use it for cuttings.  I cut it into four pieces, using a sharp knife.

Then Imstuck them all into a four inch pot with potting soil.  Not a special rooting medium, not peat moss or sand, no rooting hormone, no scoring the sides.  Just stuck them into the soil.

Then I watered just like any indoor plant.  They are in my sunroom.

Last month, they had grown quite a bit and were crowding each other.  I took them out of the container, separated them, and pruned back for better branched plants.  Here they are now.

They are growing very nicely.  By Spring, I'll have four nice geranium (pelargonium) plants, nice size and shape, probably in bloom.

I think these are one of the easiest plants to grow, take cuttings, overwinter.  They are very rewarding.

Onion And Leek Seedlings. 21 Feb 2024.

 The onion and leek seedlings look pretty good.  With mild weather conditions, but cloudy/drizzly, I moved them outdoors.  Most alliums don't mind cool Spring weather and they won't dry out as fast outdoors.

Saving A Grocery Store Mini-Rose. 21 Feb 2024

 This is a yellow throw-away rose, bought at grocery store for Valentine's Day.  It's a nice yellow rose.  The challenge with grocery store plants, is they are grown in a peat moss/ perlite medium, great for mass greenhouse blooming plant production, but not good for home growing.  It dries out super fast for me, and the plant goes through successive cycles of wilting and perking up, each time with more leaves becoming crispy dry and useless.

I'd like to keep it alive long enough to plant outside, probably in containers or in the garden.

Here's how it looked.  Pretty sad.

The remaining buds won't do anything.  I cut off the flowers, buds, and the worst of the dead leaves.

Then take out of container.  Not at all root-bound.  It was just that peat/perlite medium dries out so fast that the plant dries out.

This is actually five plants in one container.  I separated them.

My goal is to remove most of the old growing medium, and plant in the good stuff I use for everything else.  It's not necessary to wash off every bit, but I did soak them in rainwater and wash off most of the old medium.

Then I planted each into its individual container, in my usual potting soil.

I hope they grow.  I cut off some additional dry leaves and stems.  They look pretty good.  If buds start growing lower on the stems, I might prune back tower to make them more bushy.

I've never had good experiences growing roses indoors, so my goal is just to keep them growing and alive long enough to  transition to outdoors.

Alstroemeria Seedlings. 21 Feb 2024.

 The Alstroemerias are germinating over a wide range of time.  Of eight or nine original seeds, so far it looks like five or six have germinated.   I think five.  One is too tiny to show up in the photo (lower left cell) and I cant tell yet if another is one or two (lower right cell).   I read they need warm, then cold, then warm stratification.  These germinated before they could get the cold stratification, so they never got that.  I'll just continue watering and see what happens.  They are under LED lights in sunroom now.

Eucalyptus Seedlings. 21 Feb 2024

 Here are the Eucalyptus seedlings so far.

Eucalyptus citriordora.  Lemon bush Eucalyptus.  These are in their transplanted container. They look a little sunburned, although they are under the same LED lights as everything else.  Maybe it's just how they look.  They smell exactly like lemon balm, and very strongly for such small plants.

Eucalyptus cineria.  Silver Dollar Eucalyptus.  Some websites stated they needed cold stratification.  I did not, I just had them on the same seed warming mat as everything else.  Tiny, tiny seeds.  It looks loke most germinated.  More than I "need", anyway.

So far I'm quite happy with my Eucalyptus experiments.

Overwintered Garlic Looks Good So Far. 5 Feb 2024.

 Despite some historic cold last month, and slugs, the garlic looks pretty good so far.

Overwintered Chives and Chinese Chives Are Growing. 5 Feb 2024

 These are containers of chives and Chinese chives that I started from seeds last summer.

One has been pulled up.  That's probably a Stellar Jay.  They are pretty but they are obnoxious jerks LOL.

Container Bulbs And Rhizomes Are Growing. 5 Feb 2024.

 Most of the container - planted bulbs have emerged.

You can see tulips, daffodils, grape hyacinths so far.  

In addition to bulbs, some of the bearded iris rhizomes are starting to grow.  Some look better than others.

Onion Seedlings. Progress Notes. 5 Feb 2024.

 Here's how the onion seedlings look now.  They are all growing fine.

I dropped one of the Patterson hybrid onion containers.  That's the one on the far left.  Some have recovered.  I also planted another container of those.  Those have also started to germinate.

Eucalyptus Seedling Update, And Starting Some Silver Dollar Eucalyptus Seeds. 5 Feb 2024.

 Here are the Lemon Bush Eucalyptus seedlings now.  I have also seen them called Corymbia citriodora. 

 They are growing nicely and will need to be moved into larger containers soon.

With that success - so far - I found some seeds of Eucalyptus cinerea.  These are what we usually think of as the classic eucalyptus oil scent and greyish / bluish round leaf shape.  My intent is to have container plants or grow far from the house, because this variety is flammable.

Per the seller's instruction, the seeds should be soaked 24 hours but I forgot and soaked 48 hours.  They were so tiny, I spooned them out of the soaking cup with small amounts of water, and poured those spoonfulls onto the pre-moistened seed starting medium.  On the warming mat, and under an LED desk lamp, they germinated in one week.

These are tiny.  So far, so good...

Finishing the Wooden Box. 5 Feb 2024

 Here's the completed project.  I did six coats of aerosol satin finish polyurethane.  It gives a nice lustre and feel.

I was thinking about lining the drawers, but opted for just using a wood conditioner.

I made a template to get the handles as uniform as possible.

I could have painted, but I enjoy looking at the natural wood grain.  I think this looks much nicer than the original box, and is perfect for the planned use.  I like the way the joinery gives structural detail, rather than being hidden or painted over.

Refinishing A Wooden Box. 24 Jan 2024

In the process of some downsizing, I got rid of a very large, heavy oak desk.  I replaced it with a table for computer and sewing, with much more legroom and which I already owned.  The oak desk had narrow drawers that were handy, and I'd like a place for wallet, glasses, and keys so I don't lose them.

I bought this wooden box on Amazon.  It's 100% wood, but I didn't like how it looked.

I don't like the holes for drawer pulls.  The stain looks dull and dirty.  There is no protective top coat over the stain.  With time, I imagine it will look even more dull and dirty.

I'd like to add some drawer pulls, and ordered them.  But on close inspection, they will look oddly placed if they cover those holes.  And they might not cover them.  Hmmm.  

What if I turn the drawers around, so the fronts are the backs and vice versa?

That actually looks better. I like the contrasting of the two colors of wood. I don't know what kind of wood this is.  It feels soft.  Maybe pine? Eucalyptus?  I don't know.

I decided to go with a darker stain for the box, something light for the drawers.  I sanded it inside and out with 220 grit sandpaper.  Then I brushed with a pre-staining wood conditioner, waited a bit, and wiped it all off, rubbing it into the wood.  Then I stained the outside box with ebony black stain.

 So far, I think this is a much nicer look.  Even though the black stain is darker than the original, the grain shows more clearly.  I debated staining the drawer fronts red (it's an option the stain rack), I couldn't find any.  I have some old "golden oak" stain, but on experimenting on some stirring sticks, it just looked murky.

The next step, after  couple of days, will be a few coats of polyurethane.  Polyurethane tends to darken wood a bit, bring out grain some more, and can develop a golden hue, so I think I won't stain the drawer fronts at all.

Starting Alstroemeria Seeds. 22 Jan 2024.

 These seeds are for the Astroemeria "Ligtu Hybrids".  (Peruvian "lily" that's not really a lily).  I hope they will be a diverse variety of nice colors.

They have  complicated stratification.  First, soak the seeds 24 hours.  Then plant them 1/4 inch deep, and keep warm for three weeks.  Then refrigerate for three weeks.  Then keep them warm again, and hope for germination.

Edit:  I forgot the seeds and wound up soaking them an extra day.  I planted them in seed starting mux, and wrote the planting date and chill date on the container.

Now they are on the warming mat until the chill date.

Planting Onion Seeds. 22 Jan 2024

 Now is about the time I start onion seeds.  I can get them to garden size and in the raised bed, before starting more tender garden seeds.

I decided not to bother with the Red Wethersfield Onion seeds from 2022, but kept them just in case.  Onion seeds are considered short lived, only a year or two, so those might not be viable.  

I'm curious to see how the saved seeds do.   I am also planting a packet of bought seeds, just in case.

Germinating Eucalyptus Seeds. 22 Jan 2023

 The lemon Eucalyptus have begun germinating.  Actually, some have been visible for a few days, which makes the earliest germination time under a week.

The seedlings are difficult to see until the green cotyledons spread out.  There are about eight seedlings emerging so far, out of eighteen seeds planted.

So far, so good.

Accessible Gardening. 15 Jan 2024.

This is  work in progress.  My thoughts change all the time.  This is the first of what might be a number of posts.

Time takes its toll, and stuff happens.  Gardening is still one of life's great joys, with innumerable benefits.  But you can't garden if you are too limited in function, and don't have an accessible garden, and don't have ways to accommodate those limitations .  There are lots of ways to make it much, much easier to garden, without sacrificing quantity, quality, flavor, beauty, or variety.  It just takes a different way of thinking.

First - what are the major limitations?

Physical - hard work, height - high or low, energy required, strength required.  There are lots of ways to put the plants at a height that works best for the gardener. There are lots of ways to make a garden less physically difficult, while helping plants grow better.

Financial - if something is not affordable, it's out of range.  If every plant is pre-grown and sold potted, it gets expensive.  Seeds can be expensive.  There are many ways to save costs, while having better suited plants, a healthier garden, and a lot of fun.

Saboteurs  - People, small pests, big pests. Deer, slugs, feral cats, moles, birds, insects.  There are lots.  There are ways of dealing with some, but sometimes choices have to be made.

Climate and weather   - watering plants can require a lot of effort, especially during the hottest, sunniest months when the most growth happens and the effects of missing a watering can ruin months of effort.  Overwintering plants requires a different kind of effort.

Time - You can only do what you can do.  Using time in a thoughtful manner can make a big difference.

Information - If you don't know how to do it, then it may not grow.  There is a lot of false information out there.   A lot of garden lore is lost now, as older generations die off.  Some old methods can be so empowering, save money, bring the most suitable plants into the garden, and bring a lot of joy.

What else? -  I'll add  more as I think of it.

--------------------------

Physical Challenges.

Addressing physical challenges is the most obvious  way to make gardening more accessible.

The best position for garden tasks is within a foot or two or three, of the hands.   For gardening in the soil (vegetables, flowers) that can be accomplished using raised beds or containers.  Not just the six-inch high raised beds, but two or three feet high.  That's why I built some of mine using cement blocks - inexpensive, can be built a few blocks a day, can fill a bucket at a time.  As time passes, the bed reaches the desired size.  It doesn't have to be done in a week, or two weeks, or three.

(more to follow, and probably some edits.  This is very much a work in progress, and I don't know where it's headed).

Starting Eucalyptus Seeds. 15 Jan 2024.

 I wanted to try something different.  These Eucalyptus citriodora can be grown as an annual.  The trees in Australia are beautiful and truly massive, but the goal here is an annual, sort of similar to a mint or lemon balm, that will tolerate what has been a trend to hotter and drier summers.  If they grow, I'll try growing them in containers.  Of there are extras, I can see if they survive a border accesible to deer.  I bet the deer don't bother them.

I surface planted the seeds in a six pack on moistened peat and perlite seed starting medium. I dusted them with a bit more medium, then spritzed with water.

Again with avoiding unnecessary plastic, I covered with a glass baking dish lid.

I read they require warmth and light, so they are sharing an LED desk lamp with the Schlumbergera seedlings.

From the previous post, these are the seeds.

Stratifying Rudbeckia Seeds. 15 Jan 2024

 I like to start Rudbeckias early.  They usually need cold stratification.  

(The Eucalyptus will be in the next post.)

I label paper towels, using a sharpie.  Let it dry.  Then run water over the paper towel, squeeze it out so they are fairly damp but not dripping.  Sprinkle on the seeds.  This is a lot more than I'll know what to do with, if they all grow.

Fold it over twice, so seeds don't fall out.

Then place into labeled zipper sandwich bag.

I label the paper towel so I can place more than one variety into the bag, to reduce plastic use.

Schlumbergera Seedling Update. 15 Jan 2024.

 So far, so good.  I'm just keeping them under an LED desk lamp, very close.  Light is on about 12 hours daily.  At night they are covered with plastic.  I water them when dry, with a very dilute bloom food.

A few are growing their first true (tiny) cactus pads.

Rose and Blackberry Hardwood Cuttings. 20 Dec 2023.

 I stuck cuttings for some roses and blackberries into the soil in  two of the planters.

I cut pieces about the length of a pencil*, and slightly smaller diameter.  Trimmed off lower leaves (if any).  Stuck them 2/3 to 3/4 of their length, into the soil.  Covered the soil with degraded tree leaves from last year, to reduce weed germination.

I didn't use rooting hormone.  It usually isn't needed for this method of a lot of hardwood cuttings including most roses and blackberries.  It's OK if they don't grow.   I think most of them will grow just fine.

One rose is a climbing type.   The other is a No-ID antique type.  They are nice unlabeled varieties.

*For younger readers, a pencil was a device made of wood wrapped around a graphite core.  It was the size and shape of an i-pad stylus.  The user scratched it onto paper to write, which is sort of like typing but without a keypad.  Crazy!

Daffodills Emerging. 20 Dec 2023.

 The first of the daffodils have emerged.  

Only a few so far.  It seems early.  Daffodils are tough.  They can handle freezing weather.

Garlic Emerging. 20 Dec 2023.

 Almost of the garlic has emerged.

This is the German garlic.

This bed is Lorz (in front) and Music (in back).

There has been some slug predation of some, so I scattered more slug bait. 

Last year I grew it the same way.  They grew fantastically well.  I will try not to be too concerned about slugs and freezes.

Now and then, I move some leaves so the garlic plants aren't buried.  I think it's birds who move it back.  It would be nice if the birds ate the slugs.

Semidwarf Orchard Re-Do and Cleanup. 20 Dec 2023

This was last week.  I removed all of the deer fencing around the semi-dwarf apple trees, and made big headway on pruning them.

Three views.

I've been trying to get a few of these trained to the Goldilocks zone of bearing branches too high for deer comfort but low enough for me to maintain - thin, bag, prune.  This is about as good as I can do.  Last year I did that with the pears, which worked out *almost* just right. All still need more pruning and training this winter, but this was a BIG step in progress.

The Liberty and Jonagold trees are about how I wanted them.  The Akane needs more training, but is close.  Ditto for the Winecrisp.  I left NorthPole as a tuft on top, to pollinate the two triploid trees.

The grass is uneven - wait until more needs mowing, then do this as well.  No use wasting gasoline just for this area.

With the deer fencing removed, now it can all be mowed with the riding mower.  Much faster and easier.  I'll use grass and clover as ground cover, no more thistles and blackberries to contend with.