Plant Cloning

So I’ve been seriously considering plant cloning experiments. I read a lot (obviously) and I’ve got some plans up my sleeve. I have an idea that I’d like to try cloning some mint (because I’ve heard it’s an easy plant to learn cloning on) and then perhaps making hybrids via cloning. I’ve read how to do it and it doesn’t seem like it would be that hard.  I thought I’d try it with tomatoes and see what I came up with. how cool an idea is that? If I crossed one determinate and one indeterminate variety of slicing tomatoes – what would I come up with? Had I gone to college for something actually useful, it probably would have been horticulture.

Waiting for my cloning gel sample to see if I like the product. I could just go steal some willow branches from a neighbor, but I am not so sure my neighbor would be happy with that (as  Willow is a natural cloning agent).  Anyway I’d like to try cloning some evergreens for the yard (among other plants including the grape vines and raspberries).  Obviously I worked in the garden/yard today. I’m anxiously awaiting the spring bulbs to go dormant so I can dig them up and stick them in pots. The backyard is still in a state of flux and we’re getting ready to demolish one of the backyard gardens soon. I have daffodils and tulips in that particular garden and the damn squirrels keep moving my bulbs around the house. So tulips are springing up in really bizarre places.

Oh – and wildflowers beneath the front tree. Including Yarrow, Daisies, Larkspurs, Poppys, Blue Flax, Alyssum,  Primrose and Black-eyed Susans. Good call if you ask me. They won’t require a lot of water once established and they’re all native. Not to mention they’re all cutting flowers so my vases will be full whenever I choose. (Not to mention many of the flowers have magickal uses).

Learned a trick to planting sweet potatoes watching a gardening show on PBS this morning. Evidently if you plant them in a trench sideways (all but the last top leaf) you get a higher yield of sweet potatoes. As opposed to planting them upright. Interesting, no?  Fascinating stuff.  On that note – the garlic died. Hmm. Bizarre. But I still have onions in the back garden. For how long I have NO idea. ::shrug::