Shoutout to the volunteer at the Portland rose garden who saved my cuttings

I was at the International Rose Test Garden last spring, taking some stem cuttings for my own garden. I had about 15 of them wrapped in a damp paper towel, just like I always do. A volunteer there, an older lady named Carol, saw me and gently said, 'Honey, that towel is going to dry out and shock them before you get home.' She showed me how to use a small plastic bag with a few drops of water inside instead, creating a mini greenhouse. I lost zero cuttings that trip, when I usually lose at least a third. Has anyone else picked up a simple tip like that from a public garden volunteer?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo_coleman288d ago

Yeah, those volunteers are a goldmine. I had someone at our local botanical garden show me how to use a cheap plastic cup as a humidity dome for seedlings, which was a total game changer. It's the simple stuff that makes the biggest difference.

brown.wesley8d ago

Wait, a plastic cup actually works for that? @hugo_coleman28 you just saved me a ton of money on fancy gear. It's wild how the best gardening tricks are basically free.