Re: Jim's new picture links

The local botanical conservatory's greenhouse uses a mix of vermiculite and
perlite after having tested various mixes for cuttings.   Vermiculite, to my
understanding, is a clay and does break down and sort of compact over time.
I think it is in some ways preferable to using peat as it does add to cation
exchange.

Kitty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "james singer" <jsinger@igc.org>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Jim's new picture links


> Vermiculite tends to compact in time. After a year or so, it will have
> settled about 50 percent. At that time, I use a hand cultivator and
> rake it up pretty good, then simply add more new vermiculite [a top
> dressing, if you will].
>
> The third year, I get rid of it and start over. By then it has packed
> down to the point where it likely would inhibit--rather than
> promote--root development. Because cuttings rotate through the boxes,
> some taking longer than others to root, the schedule for refreshing the
> boxes tends to slip somewhat.
>
> I dump the spent vermiculite in my potting mix bin [my potting mix bin
> is a 30-gallon pot on house plant castors that I store under the
> potting bench. When I need to pot something elsewhere, I just roll the
> potting mix to the site. Much easier than lugging all the stuff around.]
>
> Given time, I think vermiculite will set up like concrete, so you've
> got to change it. I've tried mixing perlite with it, but the results
> didn't impress me very much. The second nursery I worked in used
> perlite exclusively as a rooting medium under mist. there's a lot to be
> said for that, but it was in a greenhouse. In my case, however, when I
> tried it in the lath house, the wind blew the perlite into Lee county
> before anything rooted.
>
> On Monday, July 12, 2004, at 08:38 PM, Kitty wrote:
>
> > thanks.  BTW, your propagation beds filled with vermiculite - how
> > often do
> > you change the medium, or do you just keep using the same for each new
> > set
> > of cuttings?
> >
> > Kitty
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "james singer" <jsinger@igc.org>
> > To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> > Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 6:57 PM
> > Subject: Re: [CHAT] Jim's new picture links
> >
> >
> >> I didn't answer your question very well. Sorry, Kitty. With begonias,
> >> parts of leaves work very well.
> >> Just make sure you've got a main leaf rib buried.
> >>
> >> On Monday, July 12, 2004, at 10:22 AM, Kitty wrote:
> >>
> >>>> The begonia is wonderful, and interesting how you root things.
> >>>> Appears
> >>>> you do not do it individually potted? How deep is that bed?
> >>> Jim is a wiz at propagation and since he can do it year round, it
> >>> makes
> >>> sense to have an installed propagation bed.  Here I have to do
> >>> temporary,
> >>> makeshift things, so containerized propagation makes more sense.
> >>> Nice pics, Jim.  I've been meaning to prop some begonia leaf
> >>> cuttings,
> >>> but I
> >>> was going to do it with parts of leaves. How were yours done?
> >>>
> >>> Kitty
> >>>
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Donna" <justme@prairieinet.net>
> >>> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
> >>> Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 11:03 PM
> >>> Subject: [CHAT] Jim's new picture links
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> For your viewing pleasures, Island Jim has sent over three of his
> >>>> new
> >>>> plants pictures. You can find them here:
> >>>>
> >>>> http://simplymyworld.com/jimphotos.htm
> >>>>
> >>>> They are the first three entries on the page, also dated 7-11-04.
> >>>>
> >>>> Love the variegated taro... looks like a keeper, too bad not hardy
> >>>> here.
> >>>>
> >>>> The begonia is wonderful, and interesting how you root things.
> >>>> Appears
> >>>> you do not do it individually potted? How deep is that bed?
> >>>>
> >>>> Is that ginger variegated on the leaf tips? Suppose that's not hardy
> >>>> here either:(
> >>>>
> >>>> Donna
> >>>>
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> >>>
> >> Island Jim
> >> Southwest Florida
> >> 27.0 N, 82.4
> >> Zone 10a
> >> Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
> >>
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> >
> Island Jim
> Southwest Florida
> 27.0 N, 82.4
> Zone 10a
> Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
>
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