{"id":3230,"date":"2025-06-11T12:23:25","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T17:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bohemianutopia.com\/?p=3230"},"modified":"2026-01-09T22:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T04:15:12","slug":"propagating-pollinator-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bohemianutopia.com\/?p=3230","title":{"rendered":"Propagating Pollinator Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"

This year I *really* noticed the Western Soapberry trees in the North Texas (North of Dallas \/ Ft Worth MetroMess) area during their bloom, and the pollinators all over the trees while in bloom.\u00a0 \u00a0I suspect this was a 2nd bloom for the year.\u00a0 \u00a0My time really noticing them was from the end of May through the 2nd week of June 2025.<\/p>\n

Here is some good general info on the Soapberry Trees:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.wildlifedepartment.com\/outdoorok\/ooj\/wildlife-food-thought-western-soapberry<\/a><\/p>\n

And a good video that illustrates the differences in the Western Soapberry and the Chinese Tallow – https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nPdBIumKmPs<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the properties where I manage honeybees – has several of the Western Soapberry Trees.\u00a0 There is an old adage that “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago the second best time is now”.\u00a0 \u00a0So\u00a0 – NOW is the time to start propagation to get more pollinator-feeding trees planted in areas where they have not been before.<\/p>\n

This tree is the Western Soapberry – it’s blooms, leaves, and berry<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I took cuttings of relatively young growth, along with 1 year old wood, as well as leaves.\u00a0 \u00a0My truck was full!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Once home, I started cutting the appropriately aged wood to 6″-8″ (15cm-20cm) lengths, with a node just above each bottom cut, and a node at the top if possible.\u00a0 I made approximately 100 cuttings of woody material, and appx 15 cuttings from leaves – just as an experiment to see if the leaflet stalks will root.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>I soaked the bottom end of all the cuttings in rainwater for about 36 hours…\u00a0 \u00a0then prepared a damp sand mix into several containers, to provide beds for mass rooting production.\u00a0 \u00a0Each container was filled with damp sand to have a depth of about 4″ (10cm), and I used an old writing pen to make holes in the sand – where the cuttings would be dropped into.\u00a0 \u00a0Before dropping each cutting into it’s hole – I dipped it into the powdered rooting hormone – to give it a thick coating of the hormone.\u00a0 Then, each one was dropped into it’s own hole in the sand – and was patted by hand, so that there should be no air voids next to the under-surface portion of the cuttings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The containers of cuttings were then placed into white trash bags – and the tops tied, so that they will act as a terrarium – holding in water \/ moisture, and maintaining a damp environment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n