Rose and Blackberry Cuttings Status Report. 10 March 2024.

 These are the rose and blackberry cuttings that I stuck into the ground in December.   Mostly it's been a chilly winter with lots of rain, as usual, some snow, and a few good freezes into the teens.  Other than a leaf mulch, I did not protect them.

Here's how they look now.

Climbing red rose.

Old heirloom  rose, unknown variety.  Fragrant old rose scent, highly double pink flowers, very thorny green stems.

And a thornless blackberry.

I can't promise that all of these will grow, but they usually do.  It's a good sign that the buds are plump and green or greenish-red.  And the stems look good.

I think this method might work especially will in Pacific Northwest mild wet winters.

Long before there was rooting hormone, greenhouse sprinkler misting systems, etc, gardeners propagated lots of plants this way, including roses.  My great aunts, Rose and Alice propagated stem cuttings in southwestern Illinois, with mason jars to keep them from drying out.  They were probably taught by their mother in the early 1900s.

Rudbeckia, Eucalyptus, and Schlumbergera Seedlings. 8 March 2024

 Here are the Rudbeckia seedlings.  I planted these after stratifying in the refrigerator, using the moist paper towel in sandwich bag method, six weeks in fridge.  It was a challenge getting the seeds off the damp paper towel, because they are tiny and they stick, but it was doable. I just patted the seeds onto the already dampened seed starting medium, watered them in, and placed onto a warming mat.  They germinated in a few days.

I can't see wanting more than a half dozen, so they will need thinning.  Maybe a few more.

The Lemon Bush Eucalyptus have weird things on their leaves.  I up-potted them, maybe two weeks ago.  I'll see if they grow out of whatever is happening.

The Silver Dollar Eucalyptus seedling all look good so far.

The Schlumbergeras grow slowly, and with a lot of variation.  I imagine they will need a couple of years before blooming.  It's fun, taking them through blooming stage, pollinating, growing a berry, letting that mature, harvesting the seeds, and now growing plants.  I will continue giving them the best growth conditions I can, and maybe transplant when they are a little bigger to give them more room.

Some More Geranium (Pelargonium) Cuttings. 8 March 2024.

 The parent plant in overwintering in the garage, not quite but almost dormant.  No water, cool, not much light.  There are some sturdy looking stems, and I will wan to cut it back this Spring.  I chose these for cuttings.

Then I selected some from these, and trimmed some more.

Then I stuck them all into some potting soil  in a four inch pot.  That was last week.  Today, no silting and starting to show just a little variegation. This is the variegated, heirloom variety "Mrs Pollack".

This is really pushing it, as to whether these marginal cuttings from a stressed, overwintering, nearly dormant plant will take root and grow.  But geraniums are rugged.  They just might.

Up-potting Pepper Seedlings. 8 March 2024.

 I up-potted the first 6 pack.  Half Anaheims and half Fresnos.

The rest need up - potting too.  They dry out too fast in those tiny six-packs and also become root-bound.

Alstroemeria Seedlings. 8 March 2024.

 In the end, they all sprouted without stratification.  Maybe the seed seller stratified them.  I up-potted them to give some root room.