The Coleus Greenhouse With Heat!

Not sure if I mentioned it previously but there has been a need for heat in the early spring to get things along. Planned properly I can probably get an extra month (two if started in late February) of full color by using this older idea.

Four Coleus were picked up from Quinns Greenhouse up in MaCaysville, GA (borders TN) three weeks ago. Mother plants in the center. Forty are shown that have been rooted at different times. Other stuff include some potato vines from Florida and a tray of climbing Nasturtiums moved from the seed house.

The heater is ideal, but I was a bit concerned with the area being so small and how it would work, not to mention burning the house down if it shorted. Designed for indoor use, it's also referred to as a milk house heater. For $29.00 from the local Ace hardware it keeps things in the mid 50's even on cold nights like this morning when the outdoor temperature was 28. The current setting is very low, so the potential for heating a much larger area is very good.

Who knows what kind of set up I'll have next year. Maybe I can specialize in something and earn some extra income.

Multiplying Plants Through Rooting

Considering the local Lowes doesn't get what I want these days; namely different colored annuals I thought I'd try my hand at propagating through rooting. Easy peasy the message boards say. Yea, some are some are not. Easy ones Impatiens and Coleus. Tough ones or ones I haven't figured yet include Vinca and Angelonia (that happen to go grow extremely well here)

So here's the progress..

One reason for doing so many Impatiens is I'd like to have this place flush with color come this fall. I mean everywhere. So far approximately 150 plants rooted. All seem to be working well. And I always wanted to try New Guinea Impatiens but didn't want to pay the steep price. So I found two plants discounted at WalMart and managed to get 26 rooted.. They're doing well too.

Not so successful is an attempt at a climbing hydrangea first rooted May 26. Three tried and three failed. Oh well, the first attempt. I know what I did wrong and plenty of time to get some good plants by winter. Give it 4-5 years and I'll have several climbing on the trees around here. Never did get around to pics but this is the second try. They have their own private greenhouse in the woods.

 
Reference to procedure

Fairly easy to get things rolling around here where there's moisture. I have several very dry areas that are troublesome. Remember the Oxalis from last spring? Only a few came back. What an expensive failure. I've been meaning to see if the "corns" or seeds are still in the ground and try another location.