Quick Update before the New Year

Happy (Soon to be) New Year! Figured I'd include a quick update before 2019 rolls on outta here. 

So it's been about 2 weeks since I hard pruned my scheffleras and crabapples. The hard pruned scheffleras are doing good; that's the base plants from where I got my cuttings. As expected, they're responding well to the hard pruning.  In all candor, the schefflera cuttings look pretty shot out. They're rough around the edges and scruffy looking. Not unhealthy, but definitely look like they've been through the ringer. I expect I'll likely lose a few along the way. I'm okay with that as they're all surplus anyways. Always try to plant more than what you think you'll need; you can always weed out or give away extras.

Not counting the cuttings, I have about nine or ten scheffleras in clumps. I don't have definite plans on what to do with them.  I plan to grow some with exposed stilt roots. Maybe I'll grow some as a banyan forest style or just grow them out. If the cuttings turn out as good as Aaron's cutting, they'll be nice and thick by the end of summer 2020 and I'll have more material that I don't know what to do with. I just have to give them LOTS of light, water and fertilizer. 

I've already mentioned pruning back the crab apples and potting up the root cuttings. In all, I have five sargent crab apples, plus an assortment of root cuttings, maybe 10 (I'll have to check in the garden to be sure). It's been cold with some overnight freezing. Good dormant weather for crab apples. I still have that bundle of hardwood crab apple cuttings that should be buried. They'll be okay until I get around to it.  Or they won't. 

Speaking of freezing and cold, took a peek at the stratifying seeds in the fridge. I'm seeing a little bit of mold, nothing too bad. It's only been a month; two months (minimum) to go, so didn't want to bother them too much. 

I'm starting to see new growth from Bernie's ficus (yay! I didn't kill it!). Also seeing new growth on the assorted ficus I received in the fall. That means I must be doing something right.

OH!!! I've forgotten to fertilize my tropicals. I'll have to do some research to see if I can use some osmocote on them. All for now. I'll see if I can include some pictures next weekend, but it's so hard to take pictures when the sun comes down by 5pm.