Committee Chair
Ray Fitzpatrick
To contact the committee for more information, click here.
Purpose
The Master Propagators (MP) Chair conducts a multi-day workshop to give Master Gardeners and Master Gardener Interns the opportunity to do hands-on sexual (seeds) and asexual (cuttings) propagation and to provide experience with growing seedlings indoors. The workshop is intended to provide intermediate-level hands-on propagation education and experience to those who already have elementary knowledge of plant propagation.
History of Committee
Master Propagators is the brain child of two very dynamic women, Carol Jean Locke and Eileen Rickman. Carol Jean Locke was the Speakers Bureau when I entered HCMGA in 1992. She was the only one of the 40 members that was willing to talk with outside groups. Our Ag Agent, Rolla Parsons, really appreciated her. Carol Jean also had a perennial business and raised perennials from seed. Eileen Rickman trained as a Master Gardener in Niles, Michigan. She joined us in 1993. She was involved with raising herbs from seed for Carmel’s Green Space plant sale.
In the fall of 1993, Eileen became president-elect. At about the same time, Carol Jean donated her perennial stock to HCMGA and left the area to work for the government. Eileen decided that the best use for the seed stock was to establish a Master Propagators group to grow perennials to 3-5” size, sell them and use the proceeds to fund GrowLabs, a program HCMGA was involved in for a number of years.
In spring of 1994, Eileen held the first Master Propagators in her unfinished basement in Carmel. It was a single class of about 12 MGs that met once a week in the morning. It was loosely organized on the same basis as a card club. The emphasis was on the mechanics of growing and on maximizing the yield of plants. Eileen was uncertain about how much the students could do, so Pattie Chester (involved with the GrowLab program at Carmel Schools) and Eileen’s family pitched in as well. About 200 plants of 23 varieties were brought to sale that year. Eileen celebrated with a pot luck.
Eileen continued MP in 1995 and 1996. Class size increased to 15, but remained as a single morning class. Emphasis stayed on mechanics rather than theory. Numbers and varieties of plants brought to sale increased with ~40 varieties and close to 400 plants at the 1996 sale. Pattie Chester and Eileen’s family still helped a lot. We still had potlucks to celebrate.
In summer of 1996, about the time Bill Rice became our Agricultural Educator, Eileen’s family decided to sell their house, move into an apartment and build a new house in the McCordsville area. Eileen asked Kathryn Mascaro to take on MP temporarily while Eileen was between houses. Kathryn Mascaro is now entering her 21st year as chair as of Master Propagators.
The year of 1997 was a year of changes in the program. We went from one morning class to two classes – a morning (14) and an evening (17). The class was restructured to offer theory as well as mechanics. This took the form of short lectures before each class session rather than a single lecture on procedure before the initial session. Students were given seed starting tables with information on the germination requirements of individual seeds rather than simply a plant stake with a series of code numbers telling the student how to process the unknown seed variety. Houseplant cuttings were added to the agenda. Linda Beal, who had been in all three of Eileen’s propagation groups, offered support. She helped for the first 4-5 years. Much less was asked of Kathryn’s family. We brought ~55 varieties and ~800 plants to sale. We celebrated at a brunch at Paula Korzekwa’s house, the last celebration we held.
The year 1998 was similar to 1997. (14 morning & 20 evening) We brought ~60 varieties and 1100 plants to sale. This was a challenging year for Propagators because HCMGA expenses were increasing. HCMGA needed funds to replace two beds that had been demolished in the construction of the exhibition center – AAS vegetable and Daylily beds, plus replace the lost Iris/Perennial bed out at the Farm Bureau building. Our resources of revenue had decreased drastically (no daylily or iris sales). The emphasis had to be on selling as many plants as possible.
In 1999 we were still pushing for maximum production. Eileen, now in her new house and working outside the home, offered to host a perennial cutting session rather than host MP. Consequently, cuttings went from a few houseplants to a full class session of cutting perennials at Eileen’s (morning group) and Kathryn’s (evening group). We made our first attempts at propagating shrubs from seed. There were 14 MGs in the morning & 17 in the evening. I had tried a new procedure of allowing people to sign-up for MP on the night of plant propagation lecture for the MG course. This proved to be a disaster because most of those who signed-up made other plans before February. Not realizing this, I had turned people away at the January meeting sign-up, only to find myself short-handed. It was a real scramble to fill the class, and I dealt with a lot of hurt feelings. I have not taken sign-ups before the January meeting since this time; this is a more equitable system. I also tried having one experienced helper at each of the tables with mixed success. We had ~64 varieties and ~1000 plants in the MP sale.
In 2000, Master Propagators introduced Experienced Propagators. This was a small group of 8 graduates of MP who met one evening at my place to sow trays which they took home and grew under their own lights. They then returned for a second evening of transplanting to larger pots. The object was to increase the number of plants going to sale and to give these individuals more hands-on experience. In 2000, the regular MP classes had 14 MGs in the morning and 18 in the evening. We had ~70 varieties and ~1200 plants in the MP sale. The first ever Plant Sale followed the MP sale that year and brought in $5000. The pressure was off Master Propagators!
In 2001, morning cuttings moved from Eileen’s to the home of Pete & Pat McKay. We tried shrub cuttings for the first time, quite successfully. There were 4 Experienced Propagators (EPs), 18 morning MPs and 19 evening MPs. We tried a few special annuals from seed for the first time. They were fairly well accepted. We brought ~70 varieties and ~1400 plants to sale.
In 2002, morning cuttings were at the Parsons Patch. I had 8 EPs split over two nights with 2 not finishing. There was some discussion whether EPs should change to a class of advanced techniques (difficult with my space limitations) or a fast way to learn what Master Propagators teaches (impossible). EP was not changed. Due to unprecedented demand and limited space, I set a class limit at 18 this year. I ended up with 17 in the morning and 18 in the evening. We had ~70 varieties and ~1100 plants at the sale.
In 2003, morning cuttings were at Colleen Widdis’ home. Her neighbor graciously allowed us to cut in her yard as well. There were 7 EPs. Enrollment for MP was reduce to 16 per session in response to a neighbor’s and my husband’s complaints about the parking situation. The morning group had 15 and the evening 16. We tried vines for the first time. We had ~50 varieties and ~1500 plants at the sale.
In 2004, morning cuttings were at Cindy Hoy’s home for the first of three (non-consecutive) years. We tried root cuttings for the first time (little success) and did a large numbers of shrub cuttings. The EP program was discontinued. I needed the extra time to assist on the 4-H Wildflower Project. I gave the names of participants in EP to the Plant Sale Committee to help with their seed starting efforts. Class size for MP was limited to 15, where it still remains. There were 12 in the morning group and 15 in the evening. We had ~40 varieties and ~1300 plants at our sale.
2005 was the first time we sold over-wintered shrubs from the previous year’s cuttings. We had ~50 varieties and ~1000 plants at the sale (both seedlings and cuttings). There were 14 in the morning group and 15 in the evening group. Morning cuttings were at Cindy Hoy’s house. This was the year I learned of and introduced the concept of grow-on temperatures, resulting in larger plants for the sale. This was also the year of allopathic vines. The roots of allopathic plants give off chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants in the immediate area, cutting down on competition. Whether all plants (even those of the same species) are eliminated or only certain plants are destroyed depends on the allopathic species. In indoor culture, allopathy presents itself as more than one seed germinating in a pot or cell and then all but one of these plants dying off rapidly soon after the first two leaves are open. I have not seen any evidence of the allopathic chemical being wicked to other cells through the capillary mats, but I haven’t pushed my luck.
The year 2006 was the year of bad soil. The bags of soilless mix arrived dripping wet, having been torn when they were stored outside at the retailers. We had problems with mushrooms and many other types of fungus growing in the trays as well as problems with damping-off and fungus gnats. After the problems arose, I spread the remaining unused soil in trays on the floor of my basement and dried it with circulating fans for 3-4 days. I dealt with the fungus by physical removal and sprinkling on vermiculite. I tend to use as few chemicals as possible because we are dealing with tiny, easily over-dosed seedlings in a very confined environment (indoors under domes) with little air circulation to dissipate the chemical. I am also concerned about the health of my students and my family in this confined atmosphere. The fungus gnats were controlled by flypaper. Damping-off was controlled by removing and throwing in the trash anything affected by it, followed by sterilizing the cells with bleach. Amazingly, we did manage to bring ~45 varieties and ~800 plants to sale. There were 15 MGs in the morning group and 14 in the evening group. The morning cuttings were taken at the Parson’s Patch. This year was our biggest success with root cuttings. In my basement, we made significant numbers of Rex Begonia and Vick’s Plant cuttings for the sale, a return to houseplant cuttings.
In 2007, the morning cuttings were back at Cindy Hoy’s house. Unfortunately, this was an extremely wet spring (a lot of anthracnose problems) and many of the cuttings from both classes (especially shrub cuttings) succumbed to an incredible assortment of pretty bizarre fungus. I was constantly tossing cuttings in the trash and sterilizing. I had to go to the extreme measure of wiping down the basement walls, floor, etc. with bleach rather than simply wiping down the plant stands, the sink and the benches with bleach. There were 13 in the morning group and 15 in the evening group. We brought ~60 varieties and ~1100 plants to sale.
In 2008, we responded to the rapid rise in seed and supply cost by encouraging donations of seed. We had had some seed donations all along, but had not actively sought them before. In the past, I had been quite picky about using some of the donations, since people tended to give us stock they were getting rid of “in case there is anything good in there that you might want.” This year I gleaned a significant percentage of the seed we used from donations. My ideas of how long different types of seed are good for (see #15 under responsibilities) began to coalesce in 2008. I also learned that native seed tends to have a lower germination rate because the plant is producing not just to propagate itself but also to feed the wildlife. (I realize that analytically this make little sense. But the theory is firmly held by naturalists and does explain the phenomenon we witness.) This important learning answered the questions of frugal MGs wishing to use their seed stocks as long as possible and answered questions coming from the growing number of MG native plant enthusiasts. However, the learning did affect our productivity for the year. We brought ~65 varieties and ~800 plants to sale. The morning cuttings were taken at the Parson’s Patch just before they began renovation.
In 2009, we could not get peat pots and peat cell-packs. Peat pots are used for plants that dislike being transplanted, especially plants with tap roots. They also serve the purpose of supplying acid to plants that need pH 5.5 or lower to germinate and/or thrive. Some peat pellets were available, but peat pellets tend to be too moist if you’re using domes, causing too much mold & damp-off. (My basement, unlike a greenhouse, has too little humidity to operate without domes.) What biodegradable pots were available were coir pots (coconut fiber). These are neutral pH, and only the matrix that holds the fibers together is biodegradable. For our purposes, it is best to use individual coir pots rather than coir cell-packs. The sturdiness of the fibers makes cell packs very difficult to cut apart. Our standard procedure for peat pots has been to place them on a half-inch of moistened soil (to keep the pot and its content moist and allow the roots to grow through the bottom of the pot). We tried the moistened soil with the coir pots; but it didn’t keep the pots and its contents adequately moist. This procedure needs more work. We also used tea (sun tea made with one tea bag per gallon of non-softened water) to water plants needing acid. This procedure needs tweaking. 2009 was the year to learn that the taboo on fertilizing herbs isn’t accurate for all herbs. There were 14 MGs in the morning group and 15 in the evening group. We brought ~70 varieties and ~1200 plants to sale.
In 2010, we introduced native plant seed collected locally into our repertoire. The accepted theory is that our native seed requires stratification (a cold, damp treatment) because Indiana winters are cold & wet. Hence, we stratified (refrigerated in a wet filter for 2-4 weeks) all the native seed from Indiana. This method worked beautifully with some seeds and not others. However, there was enough success to encourage us to explore further, especially with the increased interest in native plants. We did learn the importance of putting vermiculite on the surface of pots whose seed had been hand collected to discourage the growth of fungi found in nature & present on the seed coats. We also tried germinating vine seed in paper pots (more root space than a cell pack and less transfer stress) with good success. Morning cuttings were taken at Nancy Slye’s home; she has beautiful shrubs. There were 14 MGs in the morning group and 16 MGs in the evening group. We brought ~75 varieties and ~1400 plants to sale.
In 2011, we continued our exploration on native plant seed, increasing it to ¼ of the attempted seed. We also explored replacing nicking of hard seed coats to permit germination with a 1 hour tea soak (less dangerous for the fingers when dealing with hard, round seeds); we had some success, especially with hibiscus. There were 15 MGs in the morning group and 13 MGs in the evening group. We brought ~50 varieties and ~1000 plants to sale.
2012 was the year of Pythium, a parasitic fungus spread by fungus gnats and fruit flies. It spread over the soil surface in the cell packs before the seedlings could even germinate, blocking the flow of water & air through the soil. Unlike with other fungi, sprinkling vermiculite over it did not discourage its growth. Finally, a complete scrub down with bleach water after the class and just before the 2013 class solved the problem. Morning cuttings were taken at Liza Frydenlunds home, an impressive garden of perennials & shrubs. There were 15 MGs in the morning group and 15 MGs in the evening group. We brought ~40 varieties and ~600 plants to sale.
In 2013, we expanded into annual vegetables, a subject drawing more interest with the increasing popularity of high tunnels. We tried onions, asparagus, green peppers, and even strawberries (from seed). We learned that the dried, rock-hard, red asparagus “seed” was actually a fruit containing many small white seeds and, like most fruits, the flesh inhibited seed germination until it was scrupulously removed. We learned that many annual vegetables grow large earlier than most annuals flowers and perennials, a warning not to start them too early. All cuttings were taken at my home; we had much better success working on a few trays as groups rather than many trays as individuals. There were 11 MGs in the morning group and 13 MGs in the evening group. We brought ~45 varieties and ~900 plants to sale.
In 2014, we germinated some seed for the AAS flower bed, finding these unusual annuals with varied germination rates make an interesting lesson for the group. We discovered that filling peat pots to the brim cut down on fungus growth on the soil surface. But most importantly, we discovered that placing clean, slotted, clear plastic produce containers from the grocery over the growing seedlings that were too tall for a standard dome kept the mice & voles who visited the basement (wet year) from chewing on the plant leaves. There were 14 MGs in the morning group and 13 MGs in the evening group. We brought ~40 varieties and ~900 plants to sale.
In 2015, I adopted a formula of what to plant to make sure I was accommodating all the varied interests of my students – (1) select annuals, perennials & biennials, (2) include vines, herbs, vegetables & shrubs, (3) aim for 25 brand new seeds, 14-16 one-two year old seed, and 5 older seeds. This worked well both in accommodating interests & in providing interesting challenges that were not too overwhelming. There were 9 MGs in the morning group and 14 MGs in the evening group. We brought ~40 varieties and ~400 plants to sale.
In 2016, we had no new interns because we’d had no intern class the previous year. The class was composed of MGs who had never taken propagators & returnees who were retaking propagators, some after a long break. It was a challenging combination. However, I got to address a number of practical questions from individuals who had been putting their MG knowledge to practical use in their own gardens. We tried growing from seed several types of lilies that are usually propagated by dividing bulbs; success was mixed. We put the sporadic germinators in clam shells instead of cell packs; this worked well space-wise with the bonus of less disease in the trays. There were 13 MGs in the morning group and 11 MGs in the evening group. We brought ~40 varieties and ~800 plants to sale.
In 2017, we had one intern class in fall of 2016 (afternoon), giving us a lovely bunch of fresh faces & enthusiasm in MP. The class emphasis was on teaching lots of different techniques. Our seed list was heavy on natives, plants whose seeds develop in fruits (especially iris) & shrubs with a smattering of perennials & vegetables. We did grow some annuals for AAS. Unfortunately, the classes were each one week shorter than normal because of my daughter’s wedding. There were 14 MGs in the morning group and 6 MGs in the evening class. We brought ~30 varieties and ~300 plants to sale.
