Yearly Archives: 2006

Other applications of rooting hormone?

Posted on by

I asked these question on a propagation forum but wanted see if anyone here had additional information.

I’ve dipped cuttings in rooting hormone then placed it in soil to root. I was wondering if you can use rooting hormone in other ways:

1. Will rooting hormone added to water accelerate rooting of cuttings? (assuming the plant roots in water, i.e. coleus)

2. Can you sprinkle rooting hormone on a crawling plant’s stem that is in contact with soil to accelerate it’s rooting? (assuming the plant roots when in contact with soil, i.e. mint, creeping jenny, some succulents)?

3. Are these applications not a good idea or bad for the cuttings?

Thanks in advance for your help.

( Also posted in Gardening )

Garden Status…

Posted on by

With me planting Tomatoes and Coleus and a few other things, I totally forgot that I should have started planting the cool weather plants, like Bok Choy, Lettuce, Peas, Chard, etc… So, since I have one more day off of work, I’ll go and do that tommorow, and also try to do some maintenance in the back.

Here are some things I noticed in the garden:
– The Drawf Sweet Peas are really thriving and are starting to really flower.
– More Daffodils are starting to open.
– The Yellow Crocus just starting to show some green leaves.
– The pruned Roses are leafing out.

A Trip to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers…

Posted on by

Today, I got to feel the warmth of the sun. I think we reached about 70° F and expect the same for tommorrow. I have the day off from work and drove (with the windows open) to San Francisco to go to the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. They have free admission every first Tuesday of the month, so I thought I would take advantage of it.

It was my first time there (believe it or not) and I was surprised at all the plants they had. Mostly heat loving plants, like palms, orchids, tropical plants and aquatic plants. It was definitely humid in there and I was glad that I didn’t bring a jacket.

There was a special orchid exhibition, so I got to see and photograph all different kinds. One that really stood out for me was a blue cymbidium hybrid. I also saw some plants that I’ve only seen in photos, like the fruits of a banana, an actual coffee bean, a pitcher plant (which was really trippy), rice plants growing along with the aquatics and some variegated banana and palm.

I was glad I took the time to go, maybe next month, I’ll take my Mom, so she can experience it too. She was awed by all the orchid photos and surprised of the ones growing in trees; I guess she’s never seen that. A lot of the plants reminded her of the Philippines. She kept on saying that they had that plant there.

Of course… photos to come.

Auntie’s Orchids

Posted on by

Auntie's Orchids (1)   Auntie's Orchids (1)

[Added Feb. 8, 2006] These are Miltassia Royal Robe ‘Jerry’s Pick’ and Beallara Peggy Ruth Carpenter ‘Morning Joy’. Thanks to Flickr user ‘Dave on Long Island’ for the ID.

Avocado + Oxalis

Posted on by

It’s been a tiring two days, with me and my Mom going back and forth between home and the South Bay for my sister-in-law’s father’s funeral.

We got to visit my Aunt’s and Uncle’s second house; the one with three Avocado trees. I was excited to actually see a real life Avocado tree.

My Aunt also gave me some Oxalis weeds that I’ve been wanting for a while. They looks like this. I know they can spread rapidly, but I’m going to plant these in a pot to keep it at bay. We have some other types of Oxalis weeds, but the are not at all as rampant as I’ve heard people say they are. I just think these Yellow Oxalis are so pretty.

Spring?

Posted on by

It’s beginning to looks like… Spring?

Pink Hyacinth  Blue Hyacinth

Daffodil  Oxalis

Found Fungi

Posted on by

I found these fungi growing on a dead apple tree trunk in our back yard.

Found Fungi

two more photos behind the cut

Anxious…

Posted on by

I thought I’m really tired and it’s really late and I have to get up early for a funeral tomorrow… I’m anxious to sowed another batch of seeds. Seeing how quickly my first Coleus emerged, I’m sowing another 12 pack Jiffy Mini-Greenhouse with 6 types of Coleus (2 Jiffy pellets each):

– Coleus ‘Kong Green’ (I couldn’t tell if these seeds were good)
– Coleus ‘Dark Star’
– Coleus ‘Amora?’
– Some type of red coleus (Coleus ‘Tabasco’ maybe?)
– Coleus ‘Tilt-A-Whirl’
– Coleus ‘Kong Scarlet’