It started as a half cocked idea about being a tentative trial for a business while I was studying, and any source of income seemed like a good idea. It ended up as a reality check. I quickly realised that it was not going to be my path to an early retirement, but possibly a path to insanity.
From beginning to end I loved learning and seeing these trees grow. I’ve set a few aside for my own future attempts, but with the demise of the 2019 crop of seedlings, and a winter full of discarding and giving away unwanted plants, it’s time to stretch those itchy propagation fingers again.
Target for this year is; fewer in number, greater in quality. Having just cleared space around the house, there will be no filling up every corner again.
I will be attempting:
- Japanese Maple cuttings for future additions to the forest (traditionally I suck at getting JM cuttings to root)
- Chojubai cuttings (already started)
- Japanese Maple ‘Arakawa’ airlayer of thick stem not thin growth like last time
- Prunus Mume air layering of various cultivars for future personal bonsai use.
No:
- Shishigashira air layers (there would be no tree left, plus no growth on it that looks inspiring right now)
- indiscriminate growing of plants “because I like them”
- propagation of plants I don’t have a realistic plan for beyond vague ideas of selling them at Sunday markets.
- growing 500 dianthus Fringed Pink again just because I read about them in passing and wanted to try to grow them
I may start a topic for it, or I may not depending how I’m feeling when the time comes.
Nice to have a memorial tree from these crazy days though!
