Plant Propagation Archives – Page 3 of 3

Spring Plant Propagation Gardening High Desert

Spring & Garden Pest Control

By JM PerezMarch 20, 20133 min read603 views

Spring, oh! dear Spring. The perfect time to garden for some of us and for those who planted early, it’s the perfect time to sit back and watch those flowers blossom. I hard pruned my Rosebushes three months ago and they are now looking healthy and vigorous. While we sit back and enjoy these beautiful little things, we have to keep in mind that Spring is also the perfect time for bugs and pests to slowly make their way into our Garden and settle. By the time we blink, our lovely plants will be hosting a variety of insects:

Aphids. These pests are a gardeners nightmare and their infestations spread quickly from one plant to the other. They are very destructive and cause damage in the garden by sucking sap from new growth. A natural way to control aphids is by introducing beneficial bugs such as Lacewings, Praying Mantis and Ladybugs. Adults and larvae alike feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects. Aphids produce honeydew which ants feed on and those ants will fight for their food and its source. Click here and here for more information on getting rid of Aphids safely and click here for tips on keeping ants away from gardens.

Cutworms, which are moth larvae and hide under the soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on the first part of the plant it encounters, namely the stem or tender leaves. The easiest way to stop cutworms from eating the plants is to place a cardboard around the base of the plant (creating a barrier). Mowing and weeding the yard help expose the cutworms and destroy their habitat. Click here for other methods.

Curl Grubs, which are Scarab Beetle larvae that live in the soil and feed on plant roots. They are white or cream in color, brown headed with three pairs of legs and curved into a C shape when pulled out of the soil. They have a huge appetite and can cause major problems in the garden when they accumulate in large numbers. If you find them in your garden beds or pots, the best thing to do is pick them all out and feed them to the birds, chickens or ants. You can also use organic insecticide such as Eco-Grub®, Eco-Neem®, Yates Success®.

Slugs and Snails. These pests are considered ferocious eaters, leaving holes in leaves and slime trails on the path they have traveled. Pour Beer into a container such as ice cream or yogurt cup within an inch of the rim and place it next to your flower pot. Or bury it next to the plant being eaten by Slugs/Snails, which will be attracted by the smell of the beer. Once in, they drawn. Make sure to change the beer every few days. Sprinkle salt around the base of the plant affected. Once the Snails/Slugs climb over the salt, they will die of dehydration.

There are more Garden Pests out there, these are just the few I have to deal with, for now. It’s always a good idea to plant a variety of Flowers for their scents to attract beneficial bugs and deter unwanted pests. Plants such as Rue, Anise, Garlic, Catnip, Calendula, Marigolds, Dill, Daisy, Fennel, Mint, Coriander, Alyssum and Chives.

Click here for a list of Garden Pests and information on how to stop them.

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By JM Perez

Plant Propagation Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Rabbits: Garden Menace

By JM PerezDecember 28, 20122 min read1.8K views

For the past couple of weeks, I noticed a reduction in the amount of leaves in my barrel planters. At first I placed the blame on the Grasshoppers, then early this week, we moved all the barrels in the garden storage shed after discovering that some of the plants in the barrels were completely gone and the others were half ways gone. The rabbits ate the early Daffodils sprouts, some of my Anigozanthos and a few of my Stella D’Oro Daylily. Though heartbreaking, I couldn’t do much about it then because of the freezing temperatures.

This morning, however, I was able to step out in the backyard all thanks to the warm weather. Since the barrels were gone, these little bunnies decided to eat all of my Aptenia Cordifolia (two out of four pots) and started working on my Brooms. We took a trip to Lowe’s and bought some Chicken Wire. Prior to that, I cut a few stems from my other two ‘untouched’ pots and I propagated them. This time, I placed the pots in my Vintage Planter Stands. Like most succulents, Aptenias are easy to propagate as they sprout new growth at their base when put into contact with moist soil. They are beautiful in rock gardens and make beautiful flowering ground cover.

Steps to Propagate Aptenia Cordifolia

Using a pruning tool or a sharp knife, cut some stems.
Dig a few holes in the potting mix with your finger or with a weeder.
Plant the end of the cut stems in the holes and press the soil around their base to set them in place.
Place the pot in direct or indirect sunlight.
Water the soil (do not over water).

Rabbits are cute little creatures and some people enjoy petting them. To gardeners however, these adorable creatures are one of their worst nightmares. They are voracious eaters as they would eat pretty much everything tender and they have a very rapid reproductive rate. How can we keep them away from our gardens?

Rabbits (Bunnies) Repellents

Put up a Chicken Wire Fence, Mr. McGregor’s Fence
Traps (close to Rabbit feeding or resting areas)
Use raised Garden Beds
Buy Hot Pepper Spray and use it on plants or learn to make your own (click here or here)
You could hunt them down

Happy Gardening!

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By JM Perez

Plant Propagation Gardening High Desert

Propagation by Simple Layering

By JM PerezOctober 20, 20121 min read1.2K views

It’s always a delight, for a Gardener, to wake up in the morning and find little surprises in the garden.

A simple layering is the process in which a branch or a flexible stem is buried/bent to the ground and partially covered with soil. Some gardeners will wound the area beneath a bud to induce rooting. This propagation technique works best on plants with low-growing branches such as Roses, for instance.

In my case, Nature did all the work for me. All I had to do was to transplant the new growth and voilà!

Rose Simple Layering (Pristine®) — *Pristine® Hybrid Tea Rose.*

Early this year I transplanted my first growth. I waited for the new growth to reach a certain height before carefully separating it from the main branch. The Chicago Peace® Hybrid Tea Rose is a gorgeous fragrant Rose. Ever since I purchased mine, it has never produced the same colored flower twice. At first, I was afraid the little plant would die, but to my amazement, it is doing well and I am looking forward to watch it bloom.

Rose Simple Layering (Chicago Peace®) — *Chicago Peace® Hybrid Tea Rose.*

Click here, here and here to learn about Propagation by Simple and Tip Layering.

Happy gardening!

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By JM Perez

Plant Propagation Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Growing Trees from Branches

By JM PerezOctober 12, 20122 min read1.2K views

As we know, all trees grow from seeds. Some grow from stem cutting and others don’t. Success often depends on the timing, the type of tree and as well as the methods of propagation (Rooting, Seeding, Grafting, Cuttings, Layering, Separation, Division, etc).

Mulberry

I grew the Mulberry on the right using a branch from the main tree. It started by mistake, really. In December 2010, we cut off some branches from the main tree and decided to use them as decoration for the backyard. We placed them in pots and added dirt and water to hold them in place. After about two weeks, I spotted new buds at the base of one of the branches.

As surprised and amazed as I was; I cringed at the idea of having a second Mulberry tree as they shed all their leaves in the Fall and I do not look forward to raking and picking them up (though I always do). On the other hand, I told myself, why not? We could always use the shade it provides during Summer (and Summer here is really hot). So, we planted it somewhere in the backyard and it’s been almost two years now.

Navajo Globe Willow

Growing up in his parents home; Eduardo’s Dad got a hold of some willow Saplings which grew and grew and grew. On one of his visits he asked if it could grow from a branch and his Dad said” Yes they can and will”. Three branches about an arm’s length came from the San Joaquin Valley up to the High Desert and after sprouting roots and getting planted; only one branch survived. After a year or so, we cut a branch from that first one and after it grew roots; we set it down with plenty of water to drink. They are both doing well so far.