Page 11 - MNLGA Free State Summer 2021

the number of plants here has dropped into single digits
which is a bit of a worry to me as the plant should not
disappear. During one of those times of scarcity I tried
making softwood stem cuttings under mist. I made 10
very small cuttings and 8 rooted but did not survive
the winter. Also, the donor plant was too stressed by
its reduction in size to survive the winter either. Since
then, I went back to division to propagate it. This winter
I managed to get 92 divisions to survive. Potted into #2
containers they are doing well. Over the years I have
noticed that other Hibiscus growers cut them back as
they reach 6 to 8 inches or so to make them branch. I
Flower Annie J Hemming never did this and ended up with tall single stem plants
that fell over a lot. So, I decided to try cutting them back,
selling public domain plants under a trademark is legal
and is not a new practice. You usually can identify the ending up with shorter 2 to 5 stemmed plants that look
practice if you see a trademark plant tag with no PPAF or good. Thinking that if I took one, say 4 inch, cutting off
patent number listed. This practice of renaming and trade each plant that both the cutting and the parent plant
marking existing plants is legal but should be condemned would both survive. I have done 50 cuttings and we will
by one and all. It’s just sleazy and does nothing but add see. I really hope to get enough plants that I can sell at
confusion to plants names just to make some money. We a low price to reestablish this plant in the trade among
should be ashamed to continue it. We should only sell perennial growers. It deserves to be available in quantity
plants under their correct name. Read more here if you once again. A
wish: https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60620500/
CrapeMyrtle_ReleaseNotices.pdf and here: https://garden. Mike Hemming
org/ideas/view/dave/1396/Solving-the-Mystery-of-the- Eastern Shore Nurseries Inc
410-822-1320
Black-Diamond-Crepe-Myrtle-Series/
esn@goeaston.net
This year’s propagation is going well. The Electronic Leaf easternshorenurseries.com
was placed in the same area as last year, only needing a
couple minor shifts in position and turns on the adjustment
screw. I will be very diligent
on spraying just stuck
cuttings that I had trouble
with last year with a contact
insecticide. So far, no trouble
but it is early.

As you may know my
grandfather, Ernest
Hemming, hybridized
Hibiscus Annie J. Hemming
and we have always
propagated it by division,
a method that is a bit slow
to reach large quantities.
Several times in the past,
Black Eyed Susan 'Autumn Colors'

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