“Program Update–Summertime Plants: Become a Division Magician by Owning the Cloning!” discussion led by Judy West
Our presenter, Daniel Walker, had to go out of town, but happily he left his wonderful handout, which the group will review together with Judy West. If you have ever grown plants with cuttings, by layering, or one of the other techniques for cloning, come prepared to share your comments and ideas. Please note directions for this event, in Kernersville, are included below with the schedule.
[Following is the original announcement–discussion will include these same topics, but will be based on his handout.] Didn’t get all your favorite heat loving plants winter sowed this season? Not to worry. Member Dan Walker knows other ways to increase your plant supply, and he will share some of his methods at our annual Triad May plant share, scheduled this year outdoors at Shelter #4 at Triad Park near Kernersville on Saturday, May 7. This annual plant sharing is limited to members and guests, but no registration is required. Please join us! (Featured photo of Daniel Walker in his garden by Lynda Waldrep.)
Dan will cover how to divide plants and how to grow from cuttings, even in water. He will present the pros and cons of asexual cloning (divisions and cuttings) versus sexual propagation (seeds). Although there will be handouts to accompany his talk, Dan prefers to demonstrate and describe different procedures one can perform in creating new plants from divisions. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers after his talk, so come prepared to learn more and to add to the talk if division has been your way to multiply plants.
Plan on arriving by 10:30 a.m. to place your plants for the plant share. Nothing to share? No problem, as there are always folks who bring multiples. Dan’s talk will start at 11:00 a.m. and, with questions, will probably last an hour. NCNPS will provide paper products and water and tea, but bring a covered dish to share and socialize with other native plant lovers until time at 12:45 p.m. to select your new plant to take home.
Dan Walker has been interested in Southeast native plants since his days as an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, where he explored the valleys and ridges of Southwest Virginia on a bicycle, stopping to hike slopes full of wildflowers and thickets of understory plants. In his twenties he joined an outing club in Winston-Salem where he saw wonderful natives along the trails from the Roan Mountain Highlands, Sauratowns, and Uwharries all the way to Bear Island.
After retirement six years ago, Dan decided to address erosion and drainage problems on his seven acres adjacent to a 16-acre pond in Southeast Guilford Co. He dug cascading mini sediment ponds on the slopes, small bogs and temporary ponds in the low wet spots, and on the large pond made a breakwater of dirt filled tubs. All areas were planted with wetland plants, which serendipitously were mostly natives. Along the way Dan discovered carnivorous bog plants and now hybridizes Sarracenia, with over 5,000 seedlings.
His goal today is to have trails through the property like those that he hiked 50 years ago and still enjoys today in the Piedmont and mountains of NC. Dan says he has planted over a thousand Southeast US natives each year, including dry woodland and field plants. This project financially has required him to propagate the majority via seeds, cuttings, and divisions and to participate in the plant and seed swaps. He adds that NCNPS members have been “my most valuable resource for learning about natives.”
Triad NCNPS Picnic Schedule for May 7, 2022
10:30 a.m. Arrive and place your plants to share
11:00 a.m. Program on propagation by division with Q&A
12:00 noon Picnic lunch covered dish, so bring a dish to share.* Socialize!
12:45 p.m. Select your take home plant; socialize.
*Triad Chapter to supply paper products and drinks.
Link to Triad Park Map The address is 9652 West Market St., Kernersville, NC 27284. Triad Park phone number is (336) 703-2500.
Link to Triad Park Shelter #4 Photo and Description
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED–This annual plant sharing is limited to members and guests, but no registration is required. All are invited to bring plants to share, but please join us even if you don’t have plants to share!
Our zoom programs (not the annual plant share or picnic) are posted on the NC Native Plant Society YouTube Channel within a couple weeks (when all goes well). Click on “Playlists” to see programs from each chapter.
Thank you for joining the North Carolina Native Plant Society to learn more about the ecology of our region!!! We look forward to seeing you!
We hope you’ll consider becoming a member, volunteering, and/or helping to promote our education and outreach work by sharing with your friends and family. Thank you again!