Rooting Experiment Update 12/05/12

It’s been awhile since I updated everyone with my rooting experiment. This is the experiment that I am hoping that I can take a couple of cuttings from some neighborhood plants and somehow have them miraculously grow roots. You may be thinking that I’m insane but I tell you I’m not. I’ve done some research and it’s possible. Possible for me.. well that’s another story.

On a previous post I explained how I sterilized sand. If you haven’t seen that post you might want to glance over it. Well that is if you want to try your own experiment but if you are not.. then read on my friend read on… Oh just to let you know after I started this experiment I read that beach sand is not ideal for rooting a cutting. So I thought I could have started over but my stubbornness got the best of me. So I proceeded with the beach sand.

With this experiment I used an aluminum tray that I found laying in the street. With some soap and water I was able to clean it nicely. This is where I placed the sand and prepared it for the rooting experiment. Don’t forget to pop a couple of holes at the bottom of the tray. This will help drain the water when you do water it.





Here are the steps that I took to prepare the seedlings:
1 – Cut a couple of pieces from the plant. You will want about a few inches of the plant. You’ll want to cut right where the leaves are growing out.
2 – From the area that you made your cut, clear the bottom of the stem from the leaves but saving a few at the opposite end.
3 – Then you’ll want to burry the cleared section into the sand.
4 – Wait.

Well good job. You’re ready for the make shift green house. I got the idea from a video, which I’ll post a link too. But basically I used a white trash bag and a couple of spoons that I used from my plenty visits to the local frozen yogurt shop. I used the spoons to help prop the plastic bag. So the bag does not just lay on the plants itself.

Once you planted the cuttings, you’ll want to water the sand. Do not over water the plants. You’ll want it moist and not soaked.


Place the tray into the plastic bag and tie it up. Place it where it will not be bothered. I placed it in an area where it’s mostly shaded but it does get some sun. Now just wait.

As for week 01:
The plants haven’t rooted yet. From the photos you can see how moist the plants are.

Week 02:
No roots for this week. The stems have turned a dark brown.

Week 03:

No luck this week. 

This stem looks like it’s a goner.

Week 06:
I left the experiment alone for a couple of weeks. I felt that I was disrupting the rooting process due to my constant pulling the plant out. So after a couple of weeks I did a quick check up. Here are the photos:

Did you just see that? You may be asking what you are looking at or what am I looking for? It’s a white little root growing from the stem! Yes! Success! It actually rooted and it is growing.

When I pulled the first one, I saw something that wasn’t there before. So I looked closer and noticed that it was a small root. Sad thing I placed it back into the sand I felt a slight tug and I noticed the root had been broken off.

The 2nd stem when I pulled I felt it was well rooted into the sand. So I tugged and heard a crack. My guess is that I had broken off a couple of roots but luckily there were a couple of roots still.

My lesson… I have to be careful! Well I hope you enjoyed the read. I’ll keep everyone updated with these guys.

Here is that link to the video I used as reference:
MikesBackyardNursery

Herb Balcony Garden Update 11/30/12

So it has been about 2 weeks since my herb balcony garden update. The weather here in Los Angeles has been kind of cold and wet. Besides from being sick and the occasional rainfall, my garden has been growing at a snail's pace. You’ve probably read some of my previous post on repotting my Kalachuci plant and splitting the snake plant  that I did not know I had. So the garden is evolving as we speak. You may be asking yourself, to what? I’ll be honest I’m not sure what yet.

My steps to splitting a snake plant from my balcony garden

So after a couple of hours of searching the Internet. I was ready and wanted to dive into it… or should we say divide into it.. split into it… part into it.. oh I think my jokes are just getting worse

Splitting a Snake Plant

It’s been about a year since I’ve live at my lovely apartment.  Everyday I would walk along the corridor  and head straight to my balcony garden. Everyday I would attempt to show off to my love and tell her “I started these basil plants from seeds and look at them now!” I marveled how my limited spaced balcony garden was doing so well. I found a new passion and I was thrilled of my little plants. Hold up before I start going off on this.. it wasn’t like a beam of light descended from heaven. It was more like “Wow this is pretty cool. Oh I have to try that” So no glorious moment here but a light bulb turning on.

Update Tuesdays on a Wednesday!! 110712

It’s time for UPDATE TUESDAYS of my thriving, well some dieing, balcony garden. Oh wait but today is Wednesday. I know I’m a day late posting my Update Tuesday report. But I promise you I did take these photos on Tuesday, I just did not post it till now. But let’s not dilly dawdle anymore and get to it.

OK so here’s the scoop on Oakley’s garden. Some of the plants are doing really well from what I can tell. Here is the family photo:

Trash? I think not..

Ever since I've started my balcony garden.  I have been trying to use.. or more like reuse things.  I believe we all have things that we can reuse for another propose.  As in bottle jars can be reused for storing food, a coffee can reuse as a pot for a plant.. the list can go on.  There is the saying, "One man's trash is another persons treasure."  Well I found someone’s trash and it was my treasure.  Someone threw out a perfectly fine crate today.  Luckily I saw it and quickly grabbed it.  It fit perfectly on my balcony as a storing shelf.  It's perfect.. thank you to that anonymous person that had no need for it and threw it away.  Now I doubled my space.

I know it's a simple thing but I feel good to be able to reuse something.  I wonder what you have reused?  What's the most creative thing have you reused?  I would love to hear about it.  Pictures would be great also.. I'll be sure to post here for everyone to see.  Thank you and keep reusing.  

Neighborhood walks.. plants everywhere!

As I walk Oakley through the neighborhood, I start noticing more and more plants that I haven’t noticed before.  Oh my left I see Lavender, on the right Jasmine, straight ahead birds of paradise, oh wait behind me is an odd looking plant that I have never seen before.  My mind starts to imagine how my balcony garden would look like with the different plants that I see in the neighborhood.  As my mind starts imagining, I start picturing a plant hanging here and there, a plant below me, one behind another.  I move some vines to the side and see an endless row of strange and beautiful plants.  I look around and I’m standing in the middle of a jungle… POOF!  Then I snap back to it and Oakley is looking at me oddly.

My Balcony Garden Update

Hi everyone!  It has been about 1 week since I started this blog!  My balcony garden, which is rosemary, basil, calamansi bush, meyer lemon tree, and mint.  Thank you to all those who are giving me great advice and those to just blog their ideas and practices.  With the Internet, it seems that I have unlimited resources to pull from.  Sometimes, with so much information, I get bogged down and almost get lost to, what to do?  If one person says do this and another person do that.. which advice do you consider?