My name is Dan Demers, and I am new to the Planters’ Choice team. I am leading the Propagation Department. I have over 10 years of experience in propagation, mostly with woody ornamentals and I am a self-proclaimed plant geek! My favorite plants are Oxydendrum arboreum (Sourwood), Chionanthus virginicus (White Fringetree) and Viburnum ‘Pragense’ (Prague Viburnum).
Right now in the greenhouses we are sticking herbaceous perennial cuttings for the next growing season. Some varieties we are working on are Salvia, Delosperma, Monarda, and Gaura. We are also doing some seeding, mostly on Rudbeckia and Echinacea.
Cuttings are when we take a clipping off a plant, treat it in a rooting hormone, stick the cutting in a propagation media, and place that flat under a mist system. We mist the plant cuttings based on the environmental conditions and plant type. The mist is generally more frequent when the cutting is first stuck, then slowly over time, it is reduced as the cutting roots and is able to take up water by itself through the newly produced root system. Interesting to know, the water is not used to water the soil, it is used more to cool the foliage and stop the plant from desiccating and wilting.
That’s it for now – stop in soon and take a peak!