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Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Posted by venice NSW Aust (My Page) on Sun, Oct 23, 05 at 23:55
Hi all, I'm back on track after a couple of years of ill-health (husband's) and awful old computer probs.
Just summoned up the courage about a month back to put up a sign advertising plants for sale - for $2 each to cover potting mix, fertilizer costs, etc., and have already almost sold out!! However, nearly all my customers ask for Snowball trees when they see mine out in flower, and I just can't, for the life of me, get cuttings to strike. I've tried both hardwood and softwood, all with hormone powder. Has anyone a magic solution, please? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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- Posted by deejaus Melb.Vic. Aust (My Page) on
Mon, Oct 24, 05 at 20:32
According to my sources; softwood cuttings in early summer, hormone powder and propagating mix. All sounds pretty much like what you have done. I could only suggest that you try air layering or ground layering if you can reach any stems down to the ground or perhaps even into a pot beside the bush. Good luck,
Cheers,
Dee. |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Thanks heaps for that advice, Dee.
Actually, I took 4 cuttings a few weeks' back when they were only just starting to bud. After reading your response I went out and checked on them, and lo and behold, I think they're anchoring! I do have a lot of success with other plants by taking cuttings when they're in bud - maybe they've got the will to live at that stage or something.
Cheers, Pauline |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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| Check around the base of the main plant for rooted suckers. If there are some, dig them up, pot them up and, not only will they flower next year, but they'll be much too big for you to sell for only $2. I could have filled a whole garden with snowball trees this way! |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Thanks for that hint, Wattleblossom,
I have 3 huge trees of Viburnum, and, on reading your response, went out (in a torrential downpour, yet!) and checked underneath them. And YES, there are sucklings there. No wonder my trees are so big....they're throwing little ones off each year! Call me dumb, but I'd never thought to get underneath and look, as they all hang to the ground. I shall get out there with the spade over the weekend and dig around.
And I sell ALL my plants at $2 ea., whether they're 2' or 2" high - I just love propogating and the cost is only to cover the potting mix, fertilizer etc. The total enjoyment is seeing and meeting happy customers. Eg, about an hour or so ago, a man and his wife called in (just passing and saw the sign out the front) and almost cleared me out of plants. They have 2 and a half acres (lucky couple) out whoop-whoop to plant up, apparently. Of course I threw in some freebies, but they'll be back next week with some cuttings of things I haven't got. So what goes around, comes around, eh?
On that note, out to pot up more cuttings.
Again, many thanks,
Cheers, Venice |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Venice...what good advice from wattleblossom!! Who would have thought? I think it's terrific what you are doing, selling them so cheaply. It's people like you who make it so helpful for younger gardeners who perhaps don't have a very big budget for the garden. I know I had to start like that years ago, basically taking anything I could get cheap or free. That's why I love to share my garden with others too. I do hope that your husband's health problems are over now too.
Cheers,
Dee. |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Hi again Dee,
Actually, it's mostly the 'oldies' who visit and buy, surprisingly enough. I'm appreciative of your feedback, especially as I'm not really an outgoing person. I relate better in writing (obviously!) than I do eyeballing people. Why don't you try it yourself (selling) unless you live in far outback, of course. I was very hesitant until my husband put the sign up, then there was no looking back, so to speak, although it's very seasonal. As soon as I make a few sales, though, I hightail it into Bunnings and top up with potting mix with the proceeds (they've got an amazing new mix out now that incorporates wetting agents, fertilizer and a great black soil for around $3.50 a bag - and NO, I don't work for them!)along with anything on special, etc. Our daughter grows(??) honey in Qld. and sells it through her honey-shed, along with honey skin-care products, and fruit and vegies, and I'm trying to get her to expand to growing herb and vegie and annual seedlings as well. She wants me to go up there and show her how, but my fear of snakes and love of my cats keeps me strongly rooted at home, I'm afraid!
And thankyou for your message re husband's health probs. We've done the rounds after prostate, bowel, then liver cancer, and, Thank Goodness, he's like a 20 year old again. In fact, I'm pushing him onto a plane tomorrow to Qld., which will give me a couple of weeks of peace to get on with weeding, cuttings for next season, etc.
Cheers, Venice |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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| Venice, I've just come in from pruning my snowball viburnum and am wondering if it produces so many suckers because I prune it hard each year after flowering. I haven't cultivated around the base, (the usual reason for suckers), but it now has so many that it is more like a thicket than a shrub. My point is that if you don't prune yours and you'd like more plants you could try it this year, maybe with just one and see what happens. |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Venice,
When I read your first post I would have quite happily sent you what I've got growing on my windowsill!
SIL cut off a flowerball last week accidentally and popped it into a jar I have on my windowsill for such 'accidents'. On changing the water today, I was going to chuck it out as the flowers had shrivelled up, but found that it has produced 2 fat roots, each about an inch long.
If it's any help to you getting yours to root, it's an east-facing baywindow so gets morning sun only and stays warm all day. Just used normal old tap water - which is chlorinated and floridated. I wish someone 'round here would set up like what you have. I'm only 26 but love gardening. Hate the run of the mill garden centre stuff and love finding the out of the way homegrown stuff. Few and far between though. Glad to hear you and your husband are back on your feet, sounds like the pair of you have been through the wringer though. Hope things continue to improve for you both. |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Hi Wattleblossom and Greenfingers,
Thankyou both for your advice and hints. I've tried to get in under the trees to check out the suckers, but they're just too dense to get a good peep, and I'm wary of crawling in under in case there's a 'nasty' lurking there.
As for the cuttings in water, Greenfingers, I was left speechless (for a change) after reading your message. That job is No. 1 off the rank when I finish the housecleaning! Greenfingers, could you give me an idea of how long the cutting was and how long it took to take root, please, to give me some idea? And thankyou for your wishes and encouragement re my Mini-Mini nursery. There was a big rush early-mid Spring which almost cleaned me out of plants, but things have quietened down now, just when all the beaut. pellies and rock-roses etc. are flowering. The initial rush had me buying dozens of 'different' seeds ready for next season, and already they're jumping out of their punnets. Seed-sowing was a dismal failure for a few years, until I got 'the knack', consequently dozens of punnets of 'failures' were just thrown onto the garden. Now, lo and behold, a lot of those rogue seeds have grown up all around the yard...like Paulownias, etc.
Better stop waffling and get out into the garden.
Cheers,
Venice |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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| Hi Venice, I sympathise with you regarding failed seeds! The cutting, as I said above was one that had a flower ball on it. It is about 3 inches long (not including the flower ball) and was just plonked into the water, flowerball and all, no leaves removed (all 5 of them) or cut. It wasn't till I tipped everything out to change the water and remove the dead flowers that I noticed it had roots - took about a week and a bit to produce the first signs of roots. I think that was due to being in such a warm spot in the window. I've just potted it up, and am having to keep it well watered (drowning more like it!) to stop it wilting on me! I'll take a photo and email it to you, but, it may be a while. I haven't caught up with technology yet and still have to wait for a film to get developed! Good luck! |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Hi again Greenfingers,
Thanks for the comprehensive explanation. I took 10 cuttings (a bit longer than 3") and they're in water on the kitchen window-sill. I also took a Brunsfelsia cutting, because I just cannot get those things going, either! Or mini. roses. Or Garrya. Or....lol.
But I am having enormous success with all my seeds this season. Even the snail-creeper and gloxinia seeds are coming through. Joy and bliss. And I've put them all in a spot where even the most determined snail will have an uphill battle to get at 'em.
Will let you know how the snowballs go.
Cheers, Venice |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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I have grown pin cushion and snowball shrubettes by making a cut under side of branch while still attached to the shrub and tying a mix of potting mix( the Bunnings one ) and sand in a stocking around the cut and keeping moist and has worked evertime after a few weeks you can check for roots
Bev |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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- Posted by deejaus Melb.Vic. Aust (My Page) on
Tue, Nov 15, 05 at 15:56
| Bev, well done. Air layering is usually done using sphagnum moss, not potting mix. But there you go! I think the sphagnum just holds the moisture a little better. Venice, it seems that you have a variety of methods to choose from now. Can you please let us know if the water method works? I have found that some things I have struck in water just sulk and die once put into potting mix. Good luck,
Cheers,
Dee. |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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Hi Bev and Dee,
Thankyou for your input. I love the term 'shrubette' - never heard it before, and if this water idea fails I'll go out and buy some pantyhose and try it! I hope I'm forgiven for bringing up the subject of propagation on this forum, perhaps a bit off subject, but the only propagation forum I know of is based in US and they sometimes use strange terms that I can't understand! Well, Dee, the cuttings are looking healthy in the water, and yesterday a friend told me her mother went to change some flowers and water at Gran's graveside, only to find all the hibiscus stems had taken root in the water since she was last there, so she took them home and planted them in ordinary old soil from the garden, and they're thriving. Acting on that, I went out yesterday and took some hibiscus cuttings and put them in with the snowball cuttings, plus a few lantana Calypso cuttings, and a couple of Yesterday Today and Tomorrow's, so I'll let you know what eventuates. If and when they do take root, I'll dip the ends of them all in pure (no glucose added) honey, as I did this with a load of pellie cuttings last Tues., and they've nearly all developed strong roots, so that might be the answer. Apparently the honey provides food for the cuttings. Another little hint of mine (I'm probably completely wrong, but have a lot of success) is to take a cutting when in bud or flower. I like to believe that this gives the cuttings incentive to keep on growing or something.
My only real bugbears to get going (besides the snowballs) are YTT (Brunsfelsia), diosma, pittosterum(sp), magnolia, the tassel-bush (Garrya?) and the fringe-flower.
Oh, and the Pyramid Tree. I've a huge one down the back corner, have tried cuttings in every season and even planted some of its horrible, itchy seeds, to no avail.
Any hints/suggestions will be very much appreciated.
Cheers,
Venice |
RE: Snowball tree - Viburnum cuttings.
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I had a look with google and all it says is it can be propigated from seed or semi-ripe cuttings in summer
Bev |
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