Viewing post #2205 by twitcher

Some considerations from the Dr.

1) Cruelty in all aspects of life can negatively affect your karma. If you must transplant chicks, please do so with love in your heart.

Growers Tip-> 2) How you take the chick can have some consequences. If you take the chick from the end of the stolon (close to the chick), while the offset is still somewhat small and before it develops roots and while the stolon is still healthy, the stolon may develop additional chicks. You need to do this before the chick roots and the stolon starts to die off. When you take the chicks smaller, the smaller chicks will grow a bit slower the first year, but you will have more plants. This is not guaranteed, but works for many of the varieties.

If you take the chick with the stolon attached and stolon severed close to the hen, then plant the stolon, the chick will likely root and grow faster.

3) If you really want to be cruel or see something neat, and if you are growing some rollers (Jovibarba hirta), take some offsets and place them on the soil upside down so the crown is facing the dirt and the bottom of the roller is facing the sky. The little buggers will send out roots towards the soil from the bottom of the plant, take root, then turn the chick over so that it is oriented correctly. Takes a little time for them to do this, you'll just be going by one day and see them facing the right direction again. Plants move - don't forget it less you miss the early signs of a triffid presence... Once the offset is right side up again, if you turn it over again, it may call triffids to your garden for protection, so remember point number 1) You could have offset races. Take a group of offsets, turn them upside down, then take bets for which one will right itself first! (Lynn, sounds like a possible contest to me). or Rank the hirta varieties to see which ones move the fastest.