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| Well everyone Spring is officially in the air, The time of year when we will begin to hear the Blue birds singing and I think for many of us, I for one have been looking forward to this time of the year when we can begin to cut and separate our succulents and begin propagating them to increase our collection, experiment with our plants and share with others.
I know we all live in different climates and it's not propagating time for all of us, but maybe you can share what time of the year is good in your zone for propagating where you live. And some of your own experiences. What plants are you looking forward to being able to propagate in your garden this year and what has worked for you and what hasnt worked in the past that we could all benefit from. G.
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by plantomaniac08 8a (My Page) on Wed, Mar 21, 12 at 23:25
| I have already successfully propagated my TC cactus this year. I removed around five stems from the original plant about a month ago, placed them in the soil, and they have already rooted! My TC already looks fuller, I'm excited to see how big it will get this year. Planto |
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- Posted by wantonamara 8bTx (My Page) on Thu, Mar 22, 12 at 0:12
| Yes it is spring. My prickly pear , aloe, claret cactus are blooming. My wildflowers are letting loose. |
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| Planto, good to hear it, sorry what is a T C cactus I don't think I have that spieces? Wantonamara, that's funny, my wildflowers are cutting loose hahaha... Makes them sound out of control :) I can't wait to start separating all my various Echeverias and making new ones. Greg |
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- Posted by plantomaniac08 8a (My Page) on Thu, Mar 22, 12 at 11:39
| Greg, Sorry for the abbreviation, Thanksgiving Cactus. :) Planto |
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| Planto, no worries, I should have known that, I googled it after I sent that message and then thought, duh... Enjoy your blooms . Greg |
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| I bought a great book on how to propagate succulents and learned what I was doing wrong in deheading. I tried it out on an aeonium and sure enough, I got roots right away. So I just deheaded a graptopetalum and cut a hunk of the stem too. The stem is already sending out a root. Yea for Spring! Penny |
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| Penny, Sounds like you found a book I would really enjoy and could use, would you mind telling us the name of the book and the author of it by any chance? Thanks Penny Greg |
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- Posted by plantomaniac08 8a (My Page) on Thu, Mar 22, 12 at 19:26
| Greg, Hehe, it's ok, I do that myself sometimes. If I can manage to get it to bloom this year, I'll post a photo. :) Planto |
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- Posted by cactusmcharris 4 / Interior BC (My Page) on Thu, Mar 22, 12 at 20:43
| Well, if we Northerners measure it by the robin's return, and I do, it's Spring - just not yet. March is indeed a month of fickleness, with flurries one day and temps in the high teens the next. I stopped trying to figure it a while ago and figure Spring's here by mid-April (though we can still get snow then, so none of the now-indoor plants outside until mid-May). |
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| Well its interesting how for one its the blue bird and others its the robin, what kind of bird signals that spring has sprung for you ? Today felt like the first day of summer the news man said adding that rain was in store for this weekend. Good O'l southern California :) Greg |
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| Down here in Alabama we don't have many robins. We see flocks of them around February on their journey north. Most of our birds are year long residents such as cardinals and mockingbirds. It's going to be a hot summer because temps this week hit ninety. I'm excited this spring because all 40 of my Easter cactus are loaded with buds. Last year I repotted all of them in orchid bark and they have really taken off in that mix. I read that they grow in nature like orchids do so I tried a couple in orchid mix. Those two took off so the other thirty-eight were planted in the orchid mix. The plants are doing great and they are all loaded with buds. I can't wait for the blooms because I have many different colors. |
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| Avondale, Wow thats pretty nice, Orchid mix huh, I would think it would be to moist but arent they kinda like the Epi plant that are native to rain forest type of areas? If so I think I'll try it out with my Epi's , Greg |
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| Around here in Toronto, Canada, the minute I hear or see robins, it's spring - regardless the weather. They have been around earlier this year. I have only some hens&chicks and few different hardy succulents outside; some will be divided or repotted. Nothing fancy... The first one is Sedum selskianum 'Goldilocks' |
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| Greg, I have two epis and I planted them in the orchid mix. One is currently budding while the other one is doing nothing just yet. I had a couple of Easter cactus and Christmas cactus in cactus mix that I bought at WalMart. It's a name brand mix but my plants rotted and died. I wasn't heavy with the water either. Sometimes they got watered once every two weeks. I purchased a couple of cheap Christmas cactus at WalMart and planted them in Dyna Gro. They did well in that mix. I then purchased more Christmas cactus and Easter cactus and planted them in Dyna Gro. They did well but I stumbled on an article that said epis grow on trees in the wild like orchids do. I thought that if they grow like orchids then they will probably do well in orchid mix. I tried it and they have really taken off. The plus side to this for me is that the Dyna Gro is reuseable so I didn't throw money away since Dyna Gro costs me a pretty penny. My plants seem to like the orchid mix much better. BTW, I grew orchids for many years and after thirty plus something years of growing them, I got tired growing them. I can tell you one thing though, orchids are much much easier to grow than Easter cactus. |
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| Greg, the name of the book is Succulents: Propagation I bought it online from a store that specializes in cactus/succulent books here in California. The link is below. It cost $15.95 and with shipping and handling it came to $23.22 It's not a very big book, but the best I've seen on the subject! Great photos of techniques, charts of which succulent, when to propagate, how to, notes, propagation by genus... It had one technique, core drilling, that I've never heard of before. It won't replace the experts on this Forum, but it'll sure be a keeper in your library. I'd take a couple of photos for you, but I don't think it's legal. If you are a bookalcoholic like me, you'll find lots of other books to buy there too. |
Here is a link that might be useful: The Cactus Book Store
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| Avondale, thanks I will difinetly try the orchid mix on my Epi's. I've been waiting to long and havent seen any that looks close to a bloom with the cacti mix, thanks. Penny thanks for the name of the book and the site too, I'll get to it later today but I really appreciate the tip. Rina, nice pics, Lol... I like your attitude about the Robbins, if there here then it's spring. Greg |
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| Greg, I meant to say Dyna Rok not Dyna Gro. One thing good about potting them in the orchid mix, is that you don't have to water too often. Try it a first with just a couple of plants to see how it goes. I bet that you will see good results. Down here we also have a lot of humidity. Living here is good for the plants but I can't take the heat and high humidity. Living down here is like living in a greenhouse. Thank goodness for air conditioning. |
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| avondale, I know what you mean about humidity, OH BROTHER!!! yeah whenever it's humid here I always say, "The only thing I like about humidity is the fact that my plants love it, so I put up with it for my babies." Other than that I could do without it. Ok, Dyna Rok, got it, I dont think I've ever seen it before but then again I've never looked for it before and you know what they say, You only find what you're looking for, Thats been true for me. I'll check at Home Depot or look it up on line , Thanks, Greg |
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| Hi all. It sure feels and looks like spring here plants and trees are flowering that shouldnt be for at least another month. It sure makes me want to put my whole collection outside now , something I never do till the first of May. I keep reminding myself we have not had our 'Blackberry winter"yet, but maybe we wont have one this year I hope, I have all ready put a good many plants outside but have not dared to put my most prized succulents out yet I am not brave enough, though it has been in the 70 and 80's for weeks! |
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| Greg, that Dyna Rok is way to expensive. I also use something much cheaper and it works just as well. Try using leca stones. I have many plants in the stones and they perform just as well as those in Dyna Rok. You can usually find leca stones at a Home Depot or you can buy it online. Leca stones can be used over and over again like Dyna Rok plus it's PH neutral like Dyna Rox. Leca stones are also forty bucks cheaper than Dyna Rok and it works just as well. Leca stones are my preferred medium because it's much cheaper and works just as well. I hope that this helps you. |
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| Katluver, ha, I love spring so much more than winter, I know we need all the seasons of the year but I like spring & summers the best, if I could have things my way it would be spring all year long. I know how you feel about bringing your best succulent plants outside before It's safe enough. Avondale, Leca stones ... That's the 2nd time this week I've heard that name not sure if it was by you or not, I did go to Home Depot I didn't ask for help but I couldn't find any, so at $40. Less you can assure I will look harder next time, and ask for help too, many thanks for that bit of advice. Listen to this, how ironic. Just today for the very first time I noticed something on my epi's that I believe to be flower buds, they're about the size of a Q-tip tip. I actually placed them in and area that provides some full sun for the very 1st time last week since I've had them, which is about 4 - 5 years. They had been in a bright light area only for about 4 or 5 years . But today I saw these little shoots and thought Omg where have you guys been? There was about 3 that I could see. Is spring in the air Or what ? Greg |
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| Usually I determine spring by the baby birds...but this past winter we had baby birds in early December and through the winter. And so if that fails, when the Rufous hummingbirds come and war begins with the Anna's humms, which we have year-round. Or when Mom's clematis begins to show life, or when the daffodils begin to emerge, both of which occurred in late January this year. We have a confused ton of birds. I'm happy if it's 60 degrees. I'd like it 55 or 60 degrees all year. Perfect. Tomorrow will be the first 60-degree day!...with nights still in the thirties. Ugh. |
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| And spring is certain new-plant time and propagating time! The plants realize it's the time. Colleen |
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| Colleen, Sounds like that game, Angry birds. Lol... I've never played it but I always hear others say they are. This morning as I looked outside I could see new growth on my epi's, for instance I had mentioned to avondale about them saying that the new flower stems that were starting to bloom were about the size of a Q-tip tip, but this morning I have to say now they're the size of the Q-tip . Very exciting time of the year kind of like Christmas for those of us who just enjoy growing and collecting cacti & succulents, just to witness all the new growth. Colleen , boy you like the weather to be just on the Chilli side, brrrrr.... Greg |
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| Oh, bah, 60 is not cold; you guys are nuts. :) 60 was today, and it was perrrrfect. I say if you're cold, there are sweaters, but if you're too warm, you're basically stuck and miserable while trying to cool down, and I personally can't stand the heat...so I have an interest in the wrong plants! I really don't mind winter if it would just stay above 30. And if it's not windy, I can stand being out in 30 degrees, no problem; it can almost be pleasant! :p |
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- Posted by pirate_girl Zone7 NYC (My Page) on Sun, Mar 25, 12 at 12:58
| Well here in NYC I noticed yesterday all the Spring blooms are out. I first notice the Crotons & the Daffodils & Tulips. Crocus were a week or 2 past, the Daffys are up now, a couple of early Cherry trees are in delicate, lacy white bloom. The Pear trees' bloom seemed to open overnight, I think I saw buds for one day. Magnolias bloomed overnight; it's been in to 60s & 70s here, very confusing. Peach trees are budding up a month or 2 early, Redbud trees still sleeping, very, odd. |
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| Greg, Good post. You know that it's imposable to enjoy something until you earned it. Like a nice lazy Boy chair. If you just sit there all the time, it starts to feel incompatible. But just work out or a long walk and boy is it nice to come home and sit in it. Spring, like the chair, is more enjoyable when you pass thru a long bad winter. On another point, we just finished up summer here. Now we are getting spring. I thing the weather is really messed up this year. Blame it on the 'Jet Stream'. |
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| This year, as opposed to too many before, I'm trying to propagate more of the Aeoniums. Don't know why I haven't been doing this every year, oh well. For some reason I'd tend to neglect cuttings that I just threw on a table or in a box. Something about 'standing' them up in this milk crate excites me more...
Saw this baby poppin' her head out of the ground the other day too --- just amazes me how the send out that runner. So what happens, as soon as it hits the surface, the 'plant' kicks in?? Too much fun...
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| Stush, I hear you about after a hard blizzard or a freezing cold winter you aren't just ready for spring your looking for it around every corner or sunrise , once spring has arrived you just know everything will be alright and just knowing your plants will make it to the next season is a great feeling. Pirate girl, sounds like everythings popping around you, and spring is working overtime in your area, a lot of excitement in the air. Nice temps too, good to hear. Sounds like a very nice scenery . Colleen , not saying your cold blooded but it sounds like it girl, I mean the temps you mention call for blankets, jackets, fireplaces, and a lot of firewood at hand. And one of stushes well deserved lazy boy chairs . So just what are the wrong plants LOL...? I know my Aloes get these spectacular red and bright red orange blooms that only the cold ushers in, so I say, ok thank god for some cool temps. But keep and eye out for spring & summer, and some of the blooms hang around for some warmer days just to add some color. You must have grown up in Oregon and adapted to cold tempertures really well, for me sunny southern California we've been kissed by the sun and moderate temps. :) Awww Greg |
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- Posted by tom_termine z5b MA (My Page) on Sun, Mar 25, 12 at 19:29
| ...spring is officially no longer in the air in New England. They are calling for a low of 19F tomorrow night. 80F last week...19F tomorrow...wassup? Tom |
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| Tom, wow I was saying earlier to stush on a sanseveria thread that the weather was bouncing all over the place here in California, but yours is out of control ! . Growforit, I like that name, It's kinda hard to think you'd forget especially with your handle. I like your idea for the milk carton I have couple and they're doing nothing, I think I just found a job for them, LOL... Your aeoniums look like very healthy cuttings, what kind of soil do you use? My father has some that grow like gang busters they are so large and he just puts them in the ground and in pots with soil from the ground . I plant mine in cacti mix and his look way better than mine. Greg |
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| Spring is definitely here in Alabama. I saw a female cardinal picking up sticks and building a nest in a crepe myrtle tree that is in front of my house. A mocking bird must have a nest in my magnolia tree because my dog and I were dive bombed when we went underneath the tree. I love to watch them attack cats. Those mockingbirds can really sing though. I guess another cardinal was trying to establish a nest in another cardinal's territory because two males were definitely fighting. The fight lasted over ten minutes. Apparently the winner is the one whose mate is building the nest because I saw him fly to that tree and up to the female after the fight. I love this time of the year but I dread the next season. I can't tolerate 95 degrees with a 92% relative humidity. The plants love it though. |
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| avondale, Front row seats at the Angry birds match, plus the attack of the cats meow... Can it get any better! I mean poor cats. Yeah those mockingbirds make some pretty crazy sounds all night long they sound like a video game playing in the trees. The ones I hear sound like a electr9ic toy of some sort. Greg |
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| Greg, Your father, his plants are probably in a hot area that the plants love. Remember we have to amend our soils in pots to make up for what they can't get in nature. The soils in Africa is not what we plant our sans in. I told a guy about using cactus mix for his plants and he said 'isn't that what the desert is made of'. Good point if your growing in the desert but in our homes and yards, no. Tom, Growforit, |
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- Posted by kathi_mdgd 9 S.Ca (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 16:56
| Penny, Thanks for the link to that book.I may have to go check out his shop.He is in the next town over from me.My son has a dirtbike shop in Vista and my other son lives there.Yet i didn't know of this place. Kathi |
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- Posted by greenclaws UKzone8a (My Page) on Tue, Mar 27, 12 at 19:03
| Well spring has most certainly sprung for us here in the UK as we are in the middle of a heatwave with daytime temps up to 20c. (Our 1971/2000 average max temp for March is 9.3C!!!) This has been happening for several days now and looks like there's more to come, it's gone crazy. We have forgotten what clouds look like as there have been none for days now, just wall to wall clear blue skies. It's causing outdoor plants to burst into growth much earlier than normal as our fruit trees look like being in bloom at least 2-3 weeks earlier than usual at this rate. Things are stirring in the g/h also and today I spent a happy hour or so watering and tidying up my plants....I just hope they don't get knocked back if it turns cold suddenly with all this new growth that they're putting on. Gill from the UK. |
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| Kathi, call before you go. I don't think he is open every day. |
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- Posted by rosemariero6 z10 /ss24 So. Calif. (My Page) on Wed, Mar 28, 12 at 19:58
| The Cactus Bookstore: Open Tuesdays, Fridays & maybe Saturdays, but he recommends you call first. I made the mistake of just dropping by...on a day it was closed. |
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| Gill from the uk , wow talk about a strange weather pattern, you guys are really experiencing fluctuating temps which seems to be springing the spring buttons for you all there, hopefully all your cacti & succulents burst out with new growth for you. I was admiring all my cacti & succulents that I will be propagating here in the next few days, lots & lots of them popping out all over the place giving them the Hens & chicks look. I hope its ok to share that, I'm not selling them nor am I passing out numbers except the good deal I found. Greg |
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| After months of complaining about my plants just sitting there doing nothing, they now are out of control. It was a warm afternoon to work in the garden and I noticed babies coming out of where I didn't know babies could come from. What I thought were weeds, upon closer look were succulents that had somehow jumped out of their pots, flew through the air, and had taken up residence in the most unlikely places. At least I now know that what I thought were weird grotesque leaf growth are actually flower spikes jutting up. I have to admit that some are not very pretty, and perhaps downright ugly. I can see how this hobby gets out of hand real fast now. Penny |
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| Penny, isn't it exciting to see all the new pups hanging around the mommy? And all the new plants you can start now, and then those will multiply and those will multiply ect, ect, ... Lol... And then you can start a little nursery in your back yard. :-) Enjoy your new family. Greg |
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| Pirate Girl, those magnolias that you speak of must be the Japanese type. Down here in the Deep South, the true magnolia has very hard, deep green leaves. Our magnolias have a gigantic white bloom that also has a heavenly smell. If you touch a bloom on our magnolia, the bloom where you touched it will turn brown. To really see our magnolias, just look up the state flowers of Misissippi and Louisiana. We have the Japanese down here too, but those purple or pink flowers pale in comparison to the American variety. Hopefully, a true southern version will be developed that can withstand the temps. in the North. Breeders already did it with the southern crepe myrtle. |
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| Well spring has sprung for me BIG time today on the Sanseveria Thread I am in a growing contest with what is called a Sanseveria Bantel Sensation and the contest was such as, no root system to start off and then see whose would root and bloom first. Well today after April fools day having posted a April fools prank saying my plant had did what I just mentioned, It Did!!! Yup spring has sprung for me because without spring I couldn't have sprung this on my own, so today I feel like dancing. Greg |
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| Golly, I didn't know plants played April Fools tricks too! You must have gotten the plant culture just perfect for that plant, so you get to do a happy dance. Now the trick is to remember just what you did. Penny |
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- Posted by cactusmcharris 4 / Interior BC (My Page) on Wed, Apr 4, 12 at 14:55
| Some of the tulips are pushing up, but it's still freezing at nights. I know the days of pants are going to be gone soon, I just wish they'd expedite the order. |
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| Wow, I really feel sorry for you all living in the colder zones. I always wished I lived in a warmer zone myself, but this year we had a zone 9 winter. And all of march has been in the 70's and 80's. Will be traveling to Biltmore again this weekend and hope to see some amazing plants in bloom! |
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- Posted by pirate_girl Zone7 NYC (My Page) on Fri, Apr 6, 12 at 19:43
| So Jeff (Cactus McH), Getting ready to give up pants are ya? Revving up to go bottomless? A Canadian gardening adaptation? Na, Jeff & I are friends, I can yank his chain abt this, since I know his formerly Californian self is talking about switching to walking shorts a la So. Cal. But I think giving up pants is a funny idea. |
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