Just to let you know, the Cracked Pot Gardeners here in the Round Robin groups are doing a swap similar to the one we did - it is just that you will send and receive from one partner. You don't have to already be a member. Anyway, I thought I would mention it since I was a part of this group and I know some people need a "cutting fix." LOL
Jeanne

Someone who swapped with this group sent me Yukon Gold potatoes and I just harvested the first potatoes this year - they are really nice so just wanted to pass along the luck that I had with them.
Jeanne

Hi Jeanne,

There were several who sent in yukons, I'm not sure if any I sent in went your direction or not, but they may have been from someone else as well. That's so exciting that you have already had potatoes!!! Mine are growing like crazy as well and I'll have bunches of blues and reds for a fall swap...so I hope everyone wants some lol. Garlic is going crazy and so are J-Chokes - will have PLENTY to share next time around!!!!!!

Here's a sad story that turned out awesome!!! Amazingly, bad circumstances with rooting cuttings can be turned around if caught in time. There was one cutting offered, of Night Blooming Cereus and it was sent my direction. The cutting looked beautiful and I planted it as soon as it arrived - with the method I learned long ago. It did nothing but turn slimy and had like green goo on the bottom and I figured it was a lost cause. So I pulled it from the pot and looked closely at it. I could see that half of the leaf was still strong, but the bottom just gave up. Out came the scissors and I trimmed away most of the bottom portion of the leaf, only leaving the center vein or what ever it's called. I left only the top green part and put it back in the starting pot. It has a new leaf now YAY!!!! So it made it beautifully! My dragon fruit also has a new section growing, which has an additional root growing from it. The new one is almost 3 inches tall now WOOOHOOO!

I planted out my Candace grape, Concord Grapes and a BUNCH of Pinot Noir grapes. Also have three more types that were sent from a friend in another swap. They are rooting like CRAZY! My Zin is doing beautifully and a bunch of other cuttings are doing great as well. Not quite sure why, but the Civil War Fig didn't make it. Both methods I used to root them didn't work. I wonder if they needed end cuttings as that's what I've had success rooting on others. I have some beautiful figs, Brown Turkey and Celeste, from cuttings and was sent some more Celeste figs from the same friend as the grapes above. I walked her through the bagging method, which she did before sending. Upon their arrival, they had roots already going crazy! Needless to say I have some beautiful starts going! YAY!!!

Kiwis are in pots and growing like weeds. If you don't have roots on your kiwis and only the puffy callus and the look of roots or white bulging breaking through the sides, plant them...fertilze them and watch them grow!!!!! For some reason, the roots don't seem to like light. They are extremely timid showing their roots and in the clear bottles, the only ones getting roots are the ones that don't show in the rooting mixture. I had a long branch of kiwi that I thought was dead, so I pulled it out of the rooting mixture and used it in a pot to stake up another plant....THE BLASTED THING IS GROWING NOW!!! I have to carefully try to get it out of the pot and put it in its own lol.

Can't wait 'til Mark posts the next one. I joined the one posted above (Thank you Jeanne) as well and what a wonderful group to swap with. Can't wait til my partner gets her cuttings!

I'm so grateful for all I've learned in this swap!!! And it has gone so much further 'cause I understand what is meant with so many other things with the verbiage that is involved with taking cuttings. I am able to understand the difference between hardwood cuttings and softwood cuttings and know that so many other things can be cloned with this method.

Thank you everyone :)

Take care....gotta get back to planting...the veggie garden STILL isn't done lol.

Toni

I am such a show off - here I am back with a picture of my potatoes... LOL!
I have more potatoes from this swap also - this was just the first plant and the first type to show signs that it needed to be dug up. I think it got too hot for my garlic. I brought in one that had grown just a little and used it with some pork chops the other day. It was delicious. I don't remember what kind it was. Anyway, I have ordered some garlic for fall delivery so I will try it in September which seems to be about when it should be planted here.

{{gwi:1274391}}

Toni,
The even funnier part of your story is that I was the one who sent the cutting of night blooming cereus! So glad you were so creative and it made it. I may have a kiwi that has hopes of making it and I hadn't thought about it before, but my dragonfruit is still alive, too - small but it started a little new growth.
Hope a few more have a story or a picture to share!
Jeanne

Jeanne - Oh that is too awesome. I forgot who the cutting was from...but I'm so glad it was from you and it made it through! WOW that's a nice little batch of spuds there lol :)

There were so many little pkgs and I was heading out of town when they arrived, so I'm very pleased that all worked out. Many made it, others didn't, but I know what things went wrong with those that didn't make it. What a wonderful learning experience!

Toni

Awesome Potatos! I sent in yukons also so I am glad to hear they are doing well. Mine took off also. My red and blue both turned mush. I think it was because it was cut and then shipped because it was not so good when I got them. I am hoping to get some for the fall swap. I am really looking forward to them.

My kiwis are awesome. I am getting ready to plant them out and am excited. (Made DH build a new arbor for them) hehehe

Tammy

Oh YAY!!! I'm so glad other's Kiwis are growing!!!!! They make beautiful vining plants. So the arbor will be awesom for them!!!!!!!! Tammy, I'll have plenty of extra spuds to send whole seed this fall. So there won't be a problem with suffering starts. Maybe I can get them started before shipping...depends on the time frame with the swap.

My potatoes are still growing and flowering. They haven't died back yet....

My kiwi vines are doing great. So is my willow piece and one of my grapes.

I am so glad you all enjoyed that swap. I am waiting a few more days to see if I am teaching summer school or not so I can set the dates for the summer swap.

Thanks for all the good news your cuttings are doing well.

Mark

WoooHooo!! I've been anxiously awaiting the next one :)

Mark, I'm so glad some of the items I sent are doing well for you. Hope they keep it up :)

Toni