By gisette
Pansy Preservation Project
Submitted on Sun, 2009/06/21 - 11:02pm
Last updated on Sun, 2009/06/21 - 11:15pm
Posted in
So, most of my pansy cuttings are still alive, and some of them starting to bloom. Not a single root has emerged from their grow sponges... But I've noticed that before. Pansies detest getting their toes wet. So - potted them up and turned back on the seedling lights for summer. Fingers crossed... I want these pansies to survive to fall / winter!
Took the clone cuttings 2009-06-03, so they're 2.5 weeks old now, and two are blooming, several others have buds.
Since the lights are on anyway, and the cucumber beetles have arrived early... 
Planted cucumber pearl in a self-watering pot, to keep the pansies company. Considered doing this as another experimenter on the hydroponic cucumber grail, but... It's better for me to have the cuke in potting mix. If the lights aren't bright enough (very likely) or it's too cool in the garage (also likely - it's why I'm trying to preserve pansies in there), I can boot the cuke outside after the cucumber beetles die back.
Sat, 2009/06/27 - 1:52pm
#1
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Sat, 2009/07/04 - 3:15pm
#2
Not sure how well the pansy clones are doing (they may not have roots coming out of their sponges yet...) but the pearl cuke is growing well for age 2 weeks. Started backup seeds of magda zuke and sweeter yet cucumber today. Will decide where they go 2.5 weeks from now, I guess.
Sat, 2009/07/11 - 2:11pm
#3
The indoor cucumber pearl is doing great. Only one of the pansies is growing convincingly. I have some backup cuke/zukes on the seedling shelf too atm.
Sat, 2009/07/18 - 10:36pm
#4
Well, one pansy is definitely growing. And the cucumber is growing like wildfire. But the insect situation was getting on my nerves - gnats galore, aphids, and today I saw an earwig nesting into the poor pansy clones. Tried milder insecticides and sticky traps, but wasn't making any headway, so went ahead and used triazicide tonight. That certainly made a big dent in the bug population.
Hopefully the bugs are under control, because I want to start some fall crops on the seedling shelf, too, tomorrow.
Sat, 2009/07/25 - 4:25pm
#5
Sat, 2009/08/01 - 10:23pm
#6
Down to one pansy, aphid infested despite my best efforts. Talked to a guy at the local nursery. My pansy plants outside (most of them...) yet live. He recommended cutting them all in half (cut top half off), and fertilizing heavily, and letting them grow back to flower in October from there. So trying that. It's hot enough and fungusy enough that they're mighty unhappy outside now.
Greens seedlings are coming along so-so. The cucumber is wildly happy in there. The fungus gnats annoy me greatly, but don't seem to worry the plants much.
Mon, 2009/08/03 - 8:16pm
#7
Lights out again on the seedling shelf. The cucumber set fruit, but they browned, so I moved it outside. The sole surviving pansy was getting so aphid-pestered inside, I moved it outdoors a few days ago, and it seems happier. The lettuce/spinach seedlings moved outside, too, in the shade of the cucumber. Will transplant them soonish, probably, anyway.
Sat, 2009/08/08 - 4:28pm
#8
Planted out the last surviving pansy clone, after hardening it outside a few days.
A guy in the local plant nursery recco'd chopping all pansies in half and fertilizing them heavily. A lot of them have leaf fungus, so it might not do much good, but trying it.
