Rooted Dahlia Cuttings.

Good evening all. Tonight I’m going to show you my first Dahlia cuttings to root this year. There were seven in the pot and all but two have rooted. Below is how I root the cuttings in sealed plastic bags.



Below is how this particular pot came out of their bag. Still looking green and pretty fresh. I've heard it said not to let the leaves tounch the sides of the bag as they will rot but I can't say I ever have much trouble in that respect.

The best way to tell if your cuttings have rooted is to look under the pot and if you can see roots through the holes in the bottom then it’s safe to tip them out. You can of course tip them out anyway but you run the risk of the whole lot dropping on the floor and I find if you can’t see any roots through the holes in the bottom of the pot then even if they have started making roots they won’t be taking any harm. Below you will see one root coming out of the pot but even so it wouldn't have hurt to leave them another week.
Here below are the five cuttings with roots. When potting these on in to three inch pots you have to be very careful not to break off the roots as they are very delicate at this stage.
As the two cuttings that hadn't rooted weren't showing any signs of rotting I repotted them in the hope that they too will make some roots.
Bob.

Primula

I recently read a post in Emily's Garden about
http://garden-week-by-week.blogspot.com/2009/04/do-you-think-seedlings-actually-breed.html how she intends to grow more Primula's for next spring. As most of you will know there are many different kinds of Primula's but for those who don't know I've taken some pictures of the ones we have so you can see the difference for yourself.

In this first picture it shows Primula's and Polyanthus planted together. As you can see they are very similar in looks but the Polyanthus, which at the back in the picture stands a bit taller. This is due mainly to the flower been held above the foliage on a single stem whereas the Primula has all its flowers on short individual stems, each flower having its own stem. The Polyanthus flower is like a firework shooting in to the sky before bursting open. I have to say I prefer Polyanthus for this reason, they are more showy and much easier to dead head, and the ones we had this year have flowered all winter.



As well as the above two you also get Cowslip's, the yellow flowers below. These are like Polyanthus in that they have their flowers on top of a single stem.

Below is a picture of an Auricula Primula, these are more often grown to display in pots rather than used for a bedding display although they can often be found in borders of cottage gardens and are well suited to the british climate.
Bob.

Who is your real friend?

Who is your real friend?

This really works...!
If you don't believe it, just try this experiment.
Put your dog and your wife in the boot of the car for an hour.When you open the trunk, which one is really happy to see you?