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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Yard work is never done

The only time I think the yard work will be done is when I am 6 feet under. Everytime I walk outside I find something else that needs attention. Today it was the spreading and creeping juniper at the driveway end of the house. I usually take the pruning scissors to them and give them a hair cut in spring so they grow back fuller and look better. Today I had to use the pruning lopers on some of the branches. But they got trimmed. Then I had an idea, yep here we go again. I thought, "hmmm wonder if I could take cuttings and root them for new plants". So back in the house to google propagating creeping and spreading juniper. The instructions online says its easy to get them to take root. Ok we shall see. The method was to take young growth from the tips of the limbs making the cuttings about 8 to 10 inches long. Then strip off the lower leaves or in my case needles, stick them in damp potting soil and keep damp. They should have a humid enviroment to take root so the instructions suggested putting them in a container in a clear plastic bag and tie the top. Ok, I got as far as getting them in the soil and now who the heck has a clear trash bag that darn big. So plan is to make a cage of woven wire to go around all 3 pots of cutting and cover it with plastic to keep them damp an warm. Well if they make roots and grow, great, if not I have lost the 30 minutes it took to get them ready and in the dirt. Unless ya want to count the itching on my arms and hand from the damn needles eatin me up. So I will let ya know if they grow or not. If so I will have a boat load of spreading and creeping juniper plants. Sure could use them around here for erosion control tho.
When I came in to fix supper My cabbage had sprouted and are coming up already. I sowed some cabbage seed on Monday in a pot and covered it over with plastic wrap after I watered the seed in and in 4 days they are up. I did have them sitting here in the house on the bar. But that is rather quick.
They lil fellers but at least they are heads up outa the soil. These will go out to the summer kitchen on the counter to join the onion seedling tomorrow.
I was informed today that we are not going to plant the peas till mid-March. What the heck, make up my mind! I thought we were planting them this week but I was told we planted last year in mid-March and we did have a good crop so I reckin we are waitin for a while on them.
I hate to say this but I got a lil sun and wind burn today out working in the yard. It was so nice and warm, and I even saw some robins in the yard too. Lots of the perennials are coming up that I had not seen yesterday. Just hope to heck they dont get frost bit.
So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

Stella

1 comment:

Mary said...

I've also done a different type of propagating with creeping plants.. just take some of the lower branches/stems, strip off some leaves, bury the naked part in the dirt and put something to keep it in place-- a rock sometimes works.. Then it will root while it is still attached to the plant and you come along in the fall or whenever and cut it off and transplant it.