Gardeners Supply Plant Care & Gardening Advice/Tips/Secrets @ HortChat.com®

Propagating Kalanchoe
I would love to propagate my kalanchoe plant. What is the best way to do so and how often should I water the repotted clipping?

To propagate your kalanchoe, take 4-6 inch cuttings, remove the lower leaves so you end up with a stem 2-3″ long. Place the cutting on a counter for 1-2 days so that it can form a callus. Plant in a 3 inch pot filled with a cactus type soil (free- draining) and water. Insert the cutting, so the leaves are just above the soil surface. Rooting should take 1-3 weeks. You can also root them in water. Once rooted plant in 3-4 inch pots and water in well. Kalanchoe should be kept on the dry side, to avoid root rot. Water when to top 2″ of soil are dry.

Here’s a chance for you to show off your gardening success. 

Look what’s growing in David G’s  place.  Can you guess what it is?

David says its a zygopetalum orchid. The flowers have a nice frangrance to them.

Spider mite on mini rose

I had a very severe infestation of  spider mites  on my miniature rosebush. One day I just noticed the plant was totally covered in webs and tiny bugs. I mean, it was really really bad. All of the leaves were turning brown or covered in brown spots. I put it in the shower and sprayed down the plant with a medium pressure spray. This removed all the webs and a lot of the spider mites. Of course it also removed about half of the leaved from the plant, mostly the more damaged ones. A few days later I noticed that there were still a noticeable amount of mites tormenting my plant. I filled a small wastebasket with water and added a few tablespoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide. I submerged the entire plant and soaked it for a few hours in there but I’m not really sure how much that helped, since most arachnids can live up to 24 hours underwater. A few days later there were still signs of the mites eating my plant so I took to mechanical means of removal. I spent about an hour repeatedly flicking the stems with my fingers over a piece of paper and squishing anything I saw moving on the paper. Over time less and less mites were coming off, and I took that as a sign that I had eradicated most of them. I wanted to be sure that they were all gone, so I filled a small cup with 3% hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle, and individually dipped the remaining leaves in it for a few seconds. This was a pretty easy task because there were only a few clusters of leaves left.  After that I sprayed the plant with water to wash away the peroxide and let the plant dry. This whole time my boyfriend (who gave me the plant) was laughing at how much effort I was putting in to saving this little plant that looked like it was about to die anyway. But during the next few days, with the mites completely exterminated, new leaf buds started appearing all over the plant where the leaves had been falling off throughout the infestation.  My plant is now re-growing its leaves and starting to look really healthy again.

I know this is a very long story but I know these mini rosebushes are very prone to spider mite infestations so I wanted to share my success and method in treating a very severe infestation. If I had let it go another day before showering it off, it probably would have died, as there were thousands of the little suckers all over my plant.

 Don’t give up on your plants! Dana

Thrips are tiny, narrow insects with feathery wings which are difficult to detect.  The adult female will lay eggs on the leaf surface. Once they hatch they suck the juices out of flowers and new leaf shoots. One generation of thrips will live about two weeks and continue to multiply thru the season producing several generations. To test your plant for thrips shake and infested flower head over a piece of white paper and you should see dark fecal pellets and white dead plant tissue Another way to monitor for thrips is to hang blue-colored sticky traps by the plant. Yellow traps will also work. The sooner you spot and treat the easier they will be under control.

Thrips attack dry, stressed plants.  They will feed on leaves which will be flecked white and have black specks on the underside of the leaves. Their favorite targets are light-colored flowers such as white, blue and yellow. Infested flowers will become discolored and disfigured and the buds will turn brown, dry up and die.   Damage can look similar to spider mites infestation. The added bonus is that they can transmit viral disease.

Other than disfiguring the plant, thrips should not kill a healthy plant. The best way to approach this problem is to remove the infested flowers/buds and spray with insecticidal soap twice a week for 2 weeks until  they are under control.  Since they like dry conditions keep the plant moist not dry. A garlic spray can also be effective in repellilng thrips.  Mix 1/2 cup of finely chopped garlic in 1 pt of water, strain and spray every few days for 2 weeks. Persistance pays.

 A spray that contains spinosad (Conserve) is a biologically, safe organic insect killer which you can apply directly on the flowers and leaf buds. It works by contact and by injestion and will not harm most beneficial insects or predatory mites.  Neem (botanical) will also work.
A systemic such as Orthene will give you long term control. Orthene is not environmentally friendly since it will kill all insects even beneficial ones. Extreme caution should be used during application.

Plants affected by thrips: tuberous begonia, dahlia,daylily, gladiolus, hollyhock, iris, peony, rose.

GERBERA FROM SEED
I want to start growing Gerbera Daisies from seed. I have some Gerbera daisies in bloom now, but don’t know how or where or when to obtain the seeds from the flower.  Can someone explain this to me?

When the flower is finished blooming and fully matured, the center will become fuzzy and the ripe seeds will be on the end of the thick hairs.  The seeds should be plump, hard and slightly thick in the middle.   To collect seeds,  place the dried  flower head in a paper/plastic bag and shake to loosen the seeds.  F1 hybrid plants will not produce many viable seeds and will revert to the parent plant characteristics.  Gerbera jamesonii is not a hybrid,  seeds can be saved from this plant and should be viable. 

The best time to sow gerbera seeds is in early spring. Plant the seeds 12 weeks before setting outside. Use fresh seeds.   Plant the pointed end down and fluffy top up in pre-moistened well-drained soil(1/2 peat and 1/2 perlite). Cover the seeds with a light layer of vermiculite.  Enclose the container with plastic to maintain moisture & humidity. Provide light(12 hrs of incandescent light) and bottom heat of 68-78 (20-25C). Germination takes 15-30 days.  When the plants are 1″ tall transplant the seedlings  into well drained potting soil.  It can take up to 6 months from seed to bloom.

The tiny Gerbera seeds are expensive to buy and come in a moisture proof package with a short shelf life. Some say less than a year.  Seeds should be stored in cool temperature away from light.  Once you open the package you need to plant the seeds or they will loose their viablilty very quickly. Any unused seeds can be stored in the frig for a short time.

 

 

 

How do you properly cut Gerbera Daisies for flower arrangements? I do not want to damage or shock the plants I have… All are beautiful at this time and full of flowers.

Cut the stem as close to the center as possible without cutting into the crown. Take cuttings early in the morning and place immediately in tepid water. They have a tendency to turn to the light (phototropic) so when hydrating Gerberas, suspend their heads in a grid wire mesh to keep the stems straight or wrap the stems in damp newspaper and stand them upright in a vase of water for several hours before use.

Wait! Instead of throwing out that pineapple top - recycle it.

A great way to continue to enjoy that delicious pineapple you just ate is to grow your own.  It doesn’t take much- just time and  patience. Pineapple plant is one of those “kitchen scrap plants”  that can be started by simply rooting the crown (pineapple top) and planting it in soil.  Not only will you have a decorative plant but you will also produce a sweet edible pineapple that will give you the satisfaction in knowing that you grew it yourself.

There are several ways to propagate a pineapple crowns.

Here is how to get started: 
Use a  pineapple top (crown) with healthy, unbruised leaves. If you haven’t already, cut off the spiky top of the pineapple.   Peel off about a fourth of the lower leaves to expose the stem. You will see small brown bumps that will eventually become the roots (root primordia). Leave the pineapple top in a shaded area on the kitchen counter to dry for several days and then plant it in 6 inch pot with well-drained soil. You can brush rooting hormone on the bottom to speed up rooting (optinal). Firm the soil around the plant to secure it in place and water.  If the environment is dry, enclose the potted plant  inside a plastic bag to increase humidity and speed up rooting.  If kept at 70F (21C) it should root within 2-4 weeks.

                                                                                                                                             
Another method is to let it root in water. It can take 2-4 weeks for roots to grow. After planting keep it moist but not wet and in a sunny, warm(75) and humid place with night temperatures above 65 degrees. It should start new  growth in about 2 months. In dry conditions, mist and keep a bit of water in the center crown. Feed it with a half strength fertilizer twice a month during the summer months.

It can take several years for the plant to be ready to flower and bear fruit. The plant should have at least 25 normal sized leaves to be large enough to flower. If after 18 mos. you don’t see anything happening-place the plant in a plastic bag with two very ripe apples cut in half, this will release ethylene gas which will triggers their blooming stimuli. In 1-2 months you should see a red spiky bud followed by blue flowers in the center of the plant. This process can take 2-3 years but it’s worth a try just to have a novelty bromeliad to enjoy. When pineapple plants are forced to bloom too early the young plant will produce smaller fruit. For larger fruit it’s best to have a minimum of 40 mature leaves 18 inches long.