Hi All<\/p>\n
It’s hard to believe that January 2024 is now just memory!<\/p>\n
If you haven’t already started, now is the time to bring the stools into a heated area and feed with a dose of high Nitrogen fertilizer such as Miracle grow to stimulate new growth.\u00a0 It will take 2 to 4 weeks for shoots to develop enough to take cuttings.\u00a0 Shoots need to be a minimum of 2 inches tall for a good cutting.\u00a0 At our house this translates to moving in and heating the old stools in late Dec. so that we can start new cuttings in mid to late January.\u00a0 It’s good practice to start the late flowering varieties (1-5) first. There’s more discussion on this topic in the cultural notes below.\u00a0 \u00a0 At this point we all should have several plant stools already producing good shoots for our January cuttings.<\/p>\n
The ECA February meeting will be held on Saturday, February 17th at 10 am at Volunteer Park Conservatory in the lower potting shed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We will be taking early English, late decorative, spiders, spools, quills and garden variety starts for the public plant sale.\u00a0 If you have plant stools of the listed classifications please bring them to the cutting college so we can take cuttings. Many hands make light work.\u00a0 Please come help. This is a great learning opportunity for members who have not taken cuttings before.\u00a0 We look forward to your participation.\u00a0 Bring your labeled stools that have healthy shoots. We will have pizza and salad for lunch- provided by the club.<\/p>\n Our monthly meetings area great venue to learn from our experienced growers.\u00a0 I encourage you to bring your questions and share your growing experiences!<\/p>\n Included in this email are parking directions for the cutting university.\u00a0 Please let me know if you have any questions.<\/p>\n SOME IMPORTANT REMINDERS:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have not yet done so, Please pay your annual ECA dues.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n ECA Single Membership -$15.00\u00a0 ECA Couples membership $20.00<\/strong><\/p>\n We recently learned that the Clover URL link that has been included in our monthly newsletter as a way to pay our membership is no longer supported.\u00a0 We are actively working on a solution.<\/strong><\/p>\n For the time being we now have two ways to pay membership dues:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Supplies:<\/strong><\/p>\n The following supplies will be available at the February meeting:<\/strong><\/p>\n M&R soil less mix<\/p>\n Plant tags<\/p>\n Twist ems<\/p>\n Early Season Fertilizer<\/p>\n B9<\/p>\n 2 inch starting pots<\/p>\n If you need clay pots we have a wholesale clay pot resource – Washington Pottery.\u00a0 Contact Sue Joyner at\u00a0suej56@comcast.net<\/a>\u00a0to get our wholesale access information.<\/p>\n IMPORTANT DATES:<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday March, 9th at 10 am and Saturday, April, 13th at 10:00 AM – ECA Member Plant Sale – Volunteer Park Conservatory<\/strong><\/p>\n Plant starts will be available exclusively to ECA members at our March and April meetings <\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday April 20th – 9 am – 2 pm\u00a0 – Public Plant Sale – Volunteer Park Conservatory<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, February 17th – Cutting University at Volunteer Park Conservatory \u00a0 10 am – 2 pm<\/strong><\/p>\n Please bring your labeled stools that have healthy shoots. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We will be taking early English, late decorative, spiders, spools, quills and garden variety starts for the public plant sale.<\/p>\n This is a great learning opportunity for members who have not taken cuttings before.\u00a0 We look forward to your participation.<\/p>\n We will have pizza and salad for lunch – provided by the club..<\/strong><\/p>\n Cutting University PARKING –\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Turn right off of 15th<\/sup>\u00a0Avenue East onto East Highland Drive<\/p>\n Continue in the roundabout past the statue<\/p>\n Drive through the bullards blocking the back drive<\/p>\n Continue down the road about 300 feet \u2013 you will see a gated driveway on your right<\/p>\n Open the “mock locked” cyclone gate, continue through the gate, close and “mock lock” the gate<\/p>\n Park in the gravel parking lot just below the lower green house<\/p>\n ECA 2024 Calendar:<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, January 13, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a010 am \u2013 Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Cutting Preparations<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, February 10, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 no meeting \u2013 please plan to participate in the 2\/17\/24 cutting University event<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, February 17, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10 am \u2013 2 pm – Cultural discussion focus – ECA Cutting University<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, March 9, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10 am \u2013 Noon Club Plant Sale\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, April 13, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10 am \u2013 Noon Club Plant Sale<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday April 20, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a09 am –\u00a0 2 pm Public Plant Sale<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, May 11, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10 am \u2013 Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Bonsai and Cascades<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, June 8, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10 am \u2013 Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Hybridization; propagating from seed\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, July 13, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a010 am \u2013 Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Soil composition\/ fertilizers<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, August 10, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10 am \u2013 Noon – Annual picnic\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, September 14, 2024\u00a0 10 am \u2013 Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Show challenge opportunities and entry process\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Saturday, October 12, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a010 am \u2013 Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Show preparations<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n 2024 SHOW DATES\u00a0 \u00a0Thursday, October 31, 2024 – Show set up and flower entry<\/strong><\/p>\n November 1st – 3rd, 2024 \u2013 Evergreen Chrysanthemum Association 77th<\/sup>\u00a0annual chrysanthemum show\u00a0at Volunteer Park<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, November 16, 2024\u00a0 \u00a0ECA annual appreciation dinner and banquet – time and location to be announced later<\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday, December 14, 2024\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a010 am \u2013 Noon – Cultural discussion focus – Caring for your plant stools<\/strong><\/p>\n Our January meeting was canceled due to in-climate weather.<\/p>\n Below are some items that would have been discussed<\/p>\n 1) Growing Plan \u2013 now is the time to start thinking about your 2024 growing plan<\/p>\n 2) Prepping stools to produce shoots<\/p>\n About 4 weeks before you plan to start taking cuttings, plant stools need to be warmed up, lightly watered and fertilized with the early season fertilizer.<\/p>\n 3) Start collecting the materials you will need to take cuttings and start your plants<\/p>\n 4) Information to collect on plant tag.<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 FRONT<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0BACK<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Optional information to capture \u2013<\/p>\n 5)\u00a0 Taking cuttings from plant root stock was recommended over stem cuttings.\u00a0 The reason – Florigen, is a protein in the plant stem that triggers buds to form.\u00a0 A plant started from a stem cutting could potentially be an early bloomer. To mitigate the possibility of an early blooming mum from a stem cutting, some of our members double pinch the plant.<\/p>\n 6) Experienced growers in our club recommend taking cuttings by pinching the shoot rather than cutting with a knife.\u00a0 This process is less likely to spread disease.\u00a0 Using a blade to cut off the shoot could potentially spread disease from plant to plant.\u00a0 We had a great discussion about disease prevention<\/p>\n 7) Lastly, briefly soak the cutting in a diluted pesticide\/ fungicide mixture to eradicate any potential bug problems before applying the rooting hormone and potting the start.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hi All It’s hard to believe that January 2024 is now just memory! If you haven’t already started, now is the time to bring the stools into a heated area and feed with a dose of high Nitrogen fertilizer such … Continue reading \n
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