Lecture 1 Notes

1

Lecture: Introduction – roll, Extension policy, meeting time and place, attendance and tardiness, tools etc. Tour Garden. Tool selection, care and safety. Sexual and asexual propagation defined. Introduction to the different propagation. Botany as applied to propagation. Planting mediums. Demonstration: Cutting scions for the exchange Practical: Harvesting scionwood.

1. Roll call -
2. Extension re. Interlopers
3. SAFETY
4. Food/drink
5. Attendance/tardiness
6. Blog site: http://lagardennotes.blogspot.com/
7. Books/Assigned reading (Bryant; Home Orchard & Garner)
8. Tools and tool selection
9. Waltz thru the syllabus (most of this is answered in the syllabus)

Some Notes on Sexual and Asexual Propagation

Sexual propagation involves the use of seeds. Pollination and methods of pollination.

Asexual propagation is any other way you can get ‘baby’ plants. Under this broad generalization, we include: dividing bulbs, cuttings, air layering, and division.

To do these things, you need a spade (with a sharp edge), some knives, pruners, potting mix, a watering device, and, preferably some kind of root stimulant.

By DIVISION

Most herbaceous perennials are easy to propagate by some form of division. Some common ones we can try in the Garden include:

Artichokes

Rhubarb

All chrysanthemums (including Shasta Daisy)

Cacti and succulents

You may divide or attempt to propagate almost any plant in the Garden AFTER CHECKING WITH ME. If you divide an artichoke, rhubarb or any of the succulents, I want to be with you.

10. Planting mediums
11. Botany

The two vascular plant systems are:

Xylem

Phloem (Cambium)  

Xylem may be characterized as wood and mostly dead cells – they perform their function in the plant when they are dead.

We can generally describe the function of xylem as moving nutrients and water UP from the roots. In other words, we can simplify xylem as being a kind of plumbing system with dead cells amalgamated together becoming pipes for an upward flow from the roots.

Phloem on the other hand is living tissue distributing the products of photosynthesis throughout the plant - much more than a simple "down" movement.

Cuttings:

asexual propagation

cuttings

Laser in on Cuttings: (Bryant, 92-100 – caution: he gets a little too noodgy and thinks everyone has access to greenhouses and misting systems)

Ideal wood for cutting

Pencil thick

semi-ripe wood – cover three different grades of wood – soft, semi-ripe and ripe

FOR CLASS:

1. Syllabus and copies
2. Checklist and copies
3. 
   
4. Books: The Home Orchard; The Grafter's Handbook; Plant Propagation A to Z; and The Home Orchard
5. Pruners and knives
6. Ideal semi-ripe cutting
7. Pot of stuck cuttings

david