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Propagation series Part 2 "Tools of the Trade"

> 
> PROPAGATION SERIES PART 2:  "TOOLS OF THE TRADE"
> 					(by Amber Hearn)
> 
> With only a few exceptions, the tools you will utilize when you are
> propagating are a matter of personal choice.  This being the case, what this
> portion of the series covers, is the kinds of choices that are available to
> you as a propagator.
>   
> CUTTING TOOLS: The one item that is essential is a good sharp knife or
> exacto/razor for taking cuttings, and preparing plants for layering and
> grafting.  You will probably start with an old kitchen knife like I did.
> This is fine, but be certain that it is as sharp as possible. Clean cuts can
> be the difference between success and failure when preparing plant material.
> When you cut into plant material, a ragged edge will leave tissue that dies,
> rots, and introduces mold, lessening your chances of success. In addition,
> an improper cut may destroy the vascular organs (veins/arteries) of the
> material, rendering it incapable of sucking up moisture, and destroying any
> chance of it surviving. 
> 
> I use an exacto blade exclusively for doing cuttings and layering of soft
> plant material. They are relatively inexpensive, and when they get dull, I
> just put in a new blade, instead of sharpening a knife. I use a heavier
> knife for making cuts into woodier subjects, and a very tough old butcher
> knife, sharpened regularly, for cutting through the tough crowns of plants
> like Salvia, Veronica and Ornamental grasses. 
> 
> As you become more advanced in your new gardening hobby, you may find that
> you want to use professional blades.  I won't attempt to describe all that
> is available, as there are specialty knives, blades, scissors, pruners and
> saws designed specifically for just about every task you will ever come
> across. These professional tools are nice luxuries for the hobby propagator,
> but you can get along fine without them.  The only professional blade I use
> in my business is a grafting knife, as it is designed to make the perfect
> cuts necessary for this task a lot easier. Professional tools may be a
> little difficult for you to find at your local garden center, but they are
> readily available mail order from many different sources, should you feel
> you need them.
> 
> Other cutting tools that you may want to have on hand are: Heavy duty
> scissors for taking cuttings quickly in the garden (You will have to recut
> the stems with a knife later) and for removing foliage.  Pruners/secatuers
> for the same purpose, but for heavier material, and a small pruning saw, for
> removing small branches and the like when preparing specimens for grafting. 
>  
> DIBBLES  AND WIDGERS:  These obviously British terms are words for simple
> tools used to make life a little easier. A "dibble" (also called dibbler) is
> a tool used for poking holes into cutting soil. It is similar to an awl, but
> larger. I have several of these, made from dowels with one end rounded off
> and a handle screwed into the other end. Before you run out to the garage to
> make one though, I should tell you that I never use mine. It seems that the
> one mother nature provided (my finger) is always easier and faster to use,
> and it never gets lost.  I think the only reason I have them is that my
> hubby likes to make gadgets. A pencil would work equally well.
> 
> The "widger" is simply a term used to describe a small spatula like tool
> used to dig out seedlings and rooted cuttings and help position them in
> pots.  This is another little nicety that is handy, but not necessary.  A
> number of things can be used for this, like a small screwdriver, the handle
> end of an old spoon, or a crochet hook. I don't use one. I do use a pair of
> hobby tweezers for positioning tiny seedlings, but I've always found my
> fingers faster for transplanting, probably because that is the way I was
> taught when I used to work for a greenhouse grower. It is simply a matter of
> what feels comfortable for you. 
> 
> TWEEZERS AND HEMOSTATS:  I mentioned using tweezers. The tweezers I use
> aren't like the ones women use to tweeze their eyebrows, although those
> would be fine too. Available at hobby shops, these are extra long, with a
> curved blunt end. There are little ridges on the inside to make holding onto
> things easier. If you know what hemostats are, they are similar to them, but
> they don't lock into place. I use tweezers for positioning tiny seedlings in
> pots, and for moving seeds around when sowing them.  They are another tool
> that is
> handy, but not really necessary. I also have a pair of hemostats that I use
> to lock onto seeds that need to be scratched or nicked before sowing (like
> Morning glories). They just keep them from jumping out of your fingers while
> you are working. Hemostats are expensive, and I wouldn't recommend buying a
> pair, but if you already have some, they can be useful. 
> 
> GRANITE GRIT:  Granite grit, or Chicken starter grit as it is sold, is
> something I just started using a couple of years ago, but I wouldn't be
> without it now. It is simply small white granite chips (about the
> consistency of coarse cat litter) that is sold for chicken farmers to feed
> to chicks for digestion.  The reason that professional propagators use it is
> that it allows light and water to percolate through it, while preventing the
> growth of fungus, mold and moss because it dries quickly. (Actually, it
> isn't as good at preventing moss as it is mold and fungus) When sowing
> seeds, it is used, instead of soil, for covering the seeds.   When inserting
> cuttings, it is used as a dressing around the cuttings for the same reasons.
> I also use it as a top dressing for those plants that do not like moisture
> around their  crowns. (I'm into alpines and rock garden plants, and a lot of
> those are like that).  As a bonus, it is a very attractive mulch for your
> potted plants, and soft bodied creatures like slugs and snails hate it.  It
> is normally sold in 50 pound bags, which will last you for a long time, and
> the average cost is between 5 and 7 dollars a bag. It should be readily
> available at the nearest animal feed store, or ask your favorite garden
> center to find you some, but be sure to get "starter" grit, as there are
> larger sizes available that are not appropriate for our use. And avoid
> getting any grit that contains salt or other additives.
> 
> ROOTING HORMONE:  A commercial concoction, consisting mostly of a fungicide,
> with which to dip your cuttings into.  Although some people don't use it, it
> is my one concession to non-organic products.  It is available in three
> different strengths, the least powerful is for softwood cuttings, the second
> for easy woody subjects and the third for very difficult woody subjects.
> The one readily available at the garden center is the one for softwood
> subjects.  The other two may be available if you ask for them, but be
> prepared, they
> are hard to find in anything but huge portions, and they cost an arm and a
> leg.  The bright side is that with proper storage, they will last a long
> time. Most beginners start with softwood subjects, so purchase a small
> amount of this and practice with it before moving on to the big boys. Then
> try to get your local greenhouse to sell you a small portion from their can.
> The most commonly available brand name for rooting powders available in the
> US is Rootone.
> 
> In the last couple of years, the industry has introduced liquid dips that do
> the same thing. I haven't investigated these, and cannot advise you on their
> use, but it may be that they are easier to use than the old powder standard.
> 
> A few of my hard-core organic friends won't use rooting hormone because it
> is not organic.  Instead, they soak the cuttings in a preparation of willow
> leaf tea for 24 hours before inserting them. To make the tea, place several
> cups of willow leaves and green wood (the more the better) into boiling
> water. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pan and leave until it
> cools. They swear by it, but I honestly cannot say one way or another as
> I've never tried it.  I do know, that the sap of Salix (Willow) contains
> natural fungicidal
> properties. If neither one of those methods appeals to you, you can try the
> method the Ancient Roman's used to use.  They dipped the cuttings in Ox
> dung. Yummmm. I think I'll stick with the powder.
> 
> MISCELLANEOUS:  Some other things that you may find useful.
> 	RUBBING ALCOHOL for cleaning your tools.  Cleanliness is as essential in
> the greenhouse as it is in the kitchen to prevent the spread of disease.
> Always clean your tools between uses, preferably between plants.
> 	PLASTIC POT LABELS AND WATERPRROOF MARKING PENS Always label your pots of
> cuttings and seeds. No matter how careful I am, I always forget
> to label something. There is always at least one mystery plant for sale at
> my nursery here in the spring because I forgot what it was. If you ever see
> a grab bag of unlabeled plants available for sale at a discount, you will
> now know what happened. *BG* You can buy labels or make your own by cutting
> them out of recycled plastic containers. (Bleach or cola bottles are great).
> Write on them only with waterproof ink. Waterproof marking pens are
> available at the local discount store. 
> 	WHITE PAPER TOWELS:  We will use these for seed starting. It is important
> not to use printed towels, as they are usually printed with vegetable inks
> that will rot. We'll talk more about this later.
> 	SPAGHNUM MOSS:  The unshredded kind is used in wrapping subjects for air
> layering.
> 	PLASTIC SHEETING: Again, this is useful in layering, or for wrapping pots
> of cuttings.
> 	PLASTIC BAGS:  I mention these for two reasons. If you are going out to
> take a number of cuttings, these will protect them from wilting until you
> can return them to the shade. Place a few drops of water in them for added
> protection. Secondly, I am going to teach you to one method of starting
> seeds without soil, and it is necessary to have thin, non-ziploc, poly
> sandwich bags to do this successfully.
> 
> Also under miscellaneous, we could include the various specialty items that
> you may need for specific propagating techniques, such as grafting tape, but
> I think it best if we save most of that for when we discuss the individual
> techniques. The last thing on our list of tools is pots and flats:
> 
> POTS AND FLATS: These are obviously essential to the grower.  Again, the
> choice of what to use is completely up to you.  You can buy pots, reuse ones
> that you bought plants in, or use other containers that you have recycled,
> such as yogurt and sour cream containers, cut off milk cartons, paper cups,
> etc. I have even seen people make pots out of old newspaper instead of
> buying the peat ones for plants that hate root disturbance. I use the black
> bottoms off of 2 litre coke bottles for starting seeds, but they are hard to
> obtain
> these days.  Whatever you use, it is important that it have good drainage
> and adequate root space for the plants that are to be in it. It is useful to
> have a range of sizes available. Most cuttings can be inserted into 4" or 6"
> pots, and I do most of mine in seedling flats, unless they are very large,
> like roses, or shrubs. Pots can be reused, but make sure you clean them in
> hot soapy water between plants to prevent the spread of disease and fungus
> and to kill off any insect eggs. 
> 
> Propagating or seedling trays, are traditionally used by most gardeners both
> for sowing seed and pricking out seedlings. Trays are fine for annuals and
> veggies where seedlings are wanted in large quantities, but unless you are
> working on a commercial scale, only a few plants of each species is
> required. Even if you want a couple of dozen plants, a 4" pot should
> accommodate the seedlings, and a couple will take the cuttings. Sowing a
> whole or half tray would be a waste of time, space and seeds. It is much
> more worth while growing 4 or 6 of each different plant than taking up space
> with several dozen simply because you have them.  Most of us learn the hard
> way that it is very difficult to throw excess seedlings away, and I'm sure,
> have all ended up with so many plants that there has been nowhere to put
> them all.  In the long run, they all suffer for it, as you can't care for
> them all. These
> excess plants usually finish their short, undernourished, pot bound lives as
> expensive additions to the compost pile, and the ones you keep could have
> been better if they'd had more space, light and food. It is a lesson that is
> well worth learning, but I must warn you, a difficult one to learn. I still
> end up with hundreds of extra plants each year because I can't bear to throw
> any of those cute little seedlings away. I spend the summer feeding and
> watering them, and then don't sell them and don't have time to plant them.
> Believe me, you can only give so many away. 
> 
> One place that you can often obtain pots cheaply is the local discount
> store, and your local garden center. Around here, Walmart and Kmart throw
> away all of the leftovers, and they are free for the asking. Often, the
> local garden centers do the same thing, & they may be like our little
> business. Every customer is encouraged to bring back their pots so we can
> recycle them. I always end up with a lot of odds and ends that I can't use,
> and I give them away to anyone who wants them. If that fails, they may be
> able to obtain you a good supply by ordering a crate and splitting it with
> you.  There are some wholesale sources that will sell to the hobby gardener.
> Park Seed Wholesale will sell you cases of pots and flats as long as you
> don't live in North Carolina. Don't order from Mellinger's though, as there
> are much cheaper sources.  I'm sure there are others as well.
> 

> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
> Amber & Wayman Hearn                    jadare@accessus.net
> Whippoorwill Creek Nursery              USDA Z-5
> 943 Foxville Road                       mintemp = -15F/maxtemp = 102F
> Kell, IL 62853
> 618-822-6000
> Perennial Editor, http://www.suite101.com/
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