posted
yes, i did read the other thread and i did link to the page about the rooter pot.
the lilac bush is in my neighbors yard. he's already agreed to whatever i want to do. thing was, neither of us knew how to go about it!!
i think i'll try the layering thing. we've already got growth on the rose bushes and the forsynthia are just about blooming. is it too late to start the layering with the lilac now?
Seeded: 68.84.225.191
quote: is it too late to start the layering with the lilac now?
NO, but are there any suckers growing at the base of the bush???? *several sprig's comin' out of the ground around the base of the bush?????*
That is were you will find success as well..
Do several different ways... Try the layering on a couple branches.. And if you can get that rooter pot, you can do up to 5 branches... and/or maybe the suckering way toooooo!!!
What growing zone are you?? Just outta curiousity??
I am growing zone 5, and I wouldn't attempt to do one, at least for me, until April/May time...
* * * * Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
posted
that's how i got mine. 2 of my neighbors have huge lilacs and i just pulled some suckers from around the base of the plant and i just turned around and planted them right in the ground here. they didn't die and are growing pretty well. no flowers yet- they were a foot or so tall so i probably have a while to go- but hey, they were free! and i got 2 colors too!
Plants: 362 | From: NE PA | Registered: Jun 2004
| Seeded: 68.238.35.147
posted
Joclyn, Lilac's will definitely root from cuttings, but like Weezie mentioned it is easier to prune a sucker, or take a layering.
* * * * John - Zone 6 Plants: 1068 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Aug 2005
| Seeded: 209.178.236.58
joclyn
guest
posted
i'll have to take a look at the bush to see if there are any suckers i could prune. altho, i like the idea of pruning a couple of suckers AND doing the layering - then something is almost guaranteed to work!!
per the link here to the zone chart, i'm in zone 6b - which seems wrong. unless the chart has been updated over the years? granted it's been a long time since i checked into what zone i'm in.
i haven't had time to call that company about the rootpots - actually, since i want to get something going as soon as possible, i was thinking of rigging something similar (instead of waiting for delivery of what those pots - unless i could find them in a store around here somewhere).
i figured 2 liter soda bottle bottoms would work just as well if i secure them well enough and then cover with black plastic to keep the moisture in.
Seeded: 68.84.225.191
posted
I have never seen those rooting pots anywheres....
I originally realized the technique with some duct tape and a ziplock baggie and a Angel Wing Begonia... A stem had broken off, and I wanted to try to mend it back together...so I took duct tape and secured it backwards around the stem..*I put it backwards, so that the sticky stuff is on the outside and didn't stick on the broken plant stem.* and then I wrapped a ziplock baggie around it, thinking I could hold in some water to feed the plant..
Well, one day, I tugged on it to see if it "Grewwwww back together again" and it seemed steady...I undid the stuff and lo and behold.... there were roots coming out from under that ducttape.....
The concept is the same..
Just don't forget when you do the layering effect.. you must nick the stem of the lilac, so it knows it's harmed, and still can be fed by the momma plant by a strip of remaining bark...
* * * * Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
will the wonders of duct tape never cease?? (i wonder if that one is in that book about all the different ways you can use duct tape?)
this weekend, i'm planning on taking a good look at the bush to see what i have to work with. hopefully there will be a few suckers that i can move right away and then i'll do the layering as a backup.
yes, nick the stem and apply rooting stimulant...that was mentioned by someone here or it was on that link for the rootpots.
what should i pack around the stem to hold the moisture? is vermiculite good enough? or should i use sphangum (sp?) moss?
Seeded: 68.84.225.191
joclyn
guest
posted
there are lots of suckers around the basic bush. they are anywhere from about a foot tall to just over 3 feet.
so what kind of root system will these have? and how interconnected to the main roots will they be? is it safe to cut through the soil or should i remove the soil first and then make the cut?
posted
I just held them as close to the ground as I could and then yanked them out! LOL I wasn't too precise- I just thought that if I pull as much of the root as I can it would be ok. And it was- they grew quite a bit last summer.
Plants: 362 | From: NE PA | Registered: Jun 2004
| Seeded: 70.105.201.55
posted
I take a sharp pointy shovel *not a flat shovel* Then jam it down with my foot, in between the momma plant and the baby plant... it's almost got to be a direct route, if you know what I mean.. Then shove the shovel in, under the sucker about 5 or 6 times in a circle around the base of the plant.. and pull up the base under it.. and get a reasonable amount of dirt around it, *keeping the roots spread out as they were in the ground...* And that way I don't disturb the roots too much...
And make sure you have the hole to where it's going already dug out and ready to go....
And don't plant it too deep... It's always better to be a bit higher than lower... *that's another reason to keep some of the dirt around the base and not shaken off, so you can remember and see where the former level of dirt it was on the plant...
Keep us posted... Love to hear about the all about it..
Also, take a couple different sizes and do an experiment....**I love to experiment**... That way you can see which one will bloom faster, a taller one.. or which one adapted better... (usually the smaller ones' adapt better, with hardly no shock..)
* * * * Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
posted
thanks, weezie!! that's basically what i was planning on doing.
and i'd naturally do a smattering of sizes - more for asthetics than experimentation. you have a good point tho. it WILL be interesting to see which does better - the smaller suckers or the more well established.
Seeded: 68.84.225.191
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