Thursday, November 30, 2017

Vicks plant, succulents and incidental finds

At the herb event I attended back in October, I was given a cutting of vicks plant by one of the gardening gurus, and stuck it in water at home until I could see what was what.  This is a velvety plant, which smells of vicks vaporub, in fact I would guess it's the natural origin of that mentholated stuff.  

It promptly rooted in the water, very exciting, then I bust off a piece to see if that would root.  And it did.  So I thought I'd better learn more about this plant.  Turns out it's related to coleus, species plectranthus, no wonder it rooted so obligingly.  And I found a youtube video about propagating, and found it's as easy as busting off pieces and rooting them in potting soil.  They used rooting hormone, which I've never bothered with, not being in a mad rush to get the roots going.

Then, in the course of digging out a suitable pot from the storage closet outside the front door, where I keep a bunch of them with soil in, like prep cooks doing vegetables ahead of time, I picked one out.  And found when the water wouldn't go through very fast, that it was the one I'd put the ginger roots in way back, which I'd given up on.  It got mixed up with the ones with soil but no occupants. But here it goes with a little shoot!  so it's back in the house to await further developments.  When there's something big enough for a pic, I'll pic it.



And another pot did for the little bits of vicks, seen here complete with now empty glass, scissors for cuttings, and spoon, the handle of which made a hole for each cutting.  All highly technical.




Then I put them among their friends, plants do seem to like company, to create a micro climate, but out of the direct sun.  We'll see if we end up with a much bigger set of plants. This is the kitchen, west-facing, window.  Soon I'll have to start cooking in the living room at this rate.

2 comments:

  1. Well, I've grown ginger from a grocery-store root, but have never heard of a vicks plant! Live and learn. Sounds like a useful plant to have around :)

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  2. I've never heard of a vicks plant either - wonder if it has another common name. Interesting that it smells like vicks (a smell I have always liked).

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