Thanks, ego. Do you mean that September would not be a good time because it doesn't give the plant time to establish itself before it gets cold? We generally hit frost around end November, but of course, that could change to much earlier - we never know. Also, when you say loose soil, in other words, strip the leaves and basically stick it in the ground and that's it? I do that with Montauk Daisies and that works find for me. Thanks - Carrie (PS Will do some in the spring, but may try a couple now)

Prairiemoon2, I checked my records and my Sweet Kate was planted in the spring of 2003. To my eye it appears to be slightly smaller than some of the other green Trads that I have in the back of my yard (no record of the variety of these). It definitely has finer foliage, more grass-like, and has not spread at all for me. My green ones reseed around a bit, but not heavily. I also have 3 Bowles Golden sedges (Carex) that are also clumpers. These are quite a bit taller, maybe 2 1/2 feet or so and are planted in my "wet" garden. I have never had Bowles Golden reseed at all since they were planted in 2002. I have never divided them either, so their growth while fast in the beginning is very moderate later on. These were grown from plugs in basically unimproved heavy wet clay soil. Both these are lovely gold/chartreuse plants, that don't fade out much (the Bowles a little more than SK) at all in a zone 5 mostly sunny garden. As the thicketing shrubs in the "wet" garden have grown up & thrown more shade the Bowles has become more chartreuse in summer for me than gold.

Just want to emphasize steve_nj8's point of slowly (slowly!) weaning them from the high humidity environment - crack the container to gradually let in more and more air. I've used transparent tubs upside down to start cuttings. The plants are on the lid and the tub itself is upside down, like a dome. By sticking something between the tub and the lid you can let in air. If there is plenty of air circulation you can put it in front of a window and have a "mini-greenhouse". But check with a themometer to make sure it isn't getting too hot (greenhouse effect, LOL). Good Luck

First off, you need a pair of pruning shears. They don't have to be expensive, but they do need to be clean and sharp. When you break off pieces of the crepes, you can tear the bark and cause unsightly ends and even injury to your plant. Much better to snip the cutting. It looks better when you are done, too. Take cuttings from the tips or ends of the branches. Ideally, you would do this just as they start to form buds, when night time temps are consistantly 70 degrees or warmer. You can do it now with success. tho, even if they are blooming. Make a cut about 1/4" above a node, about 6" from the end of the branch. If you clip close above the node, the branch will easily put on new growth from there. If you leave a stub, it will have to die, and fall off, and still may not put on new growth. It will only make new growth from a node. Collect several cuttings, put them in a ziplock bag, and keep them in the shade until you are ready to stick them. A small ice chest, such as one for a 6-pack is ideal for this. Don't let the cuttings dry out or wilt; they will not recover. I would stick them in pots, and I would use a mix of peat and perlite, in a 50-50 mix. You can use sand, vermiculite, or a purchased soil-less mix. I am just suggesting what I use. Soil in your flowerbed has a lot of bacteria and other pathogens that can/might/will attack your little cutting and kill it. Peat needs to be moistened before you work with it. This applies whether you are mixing for cuttings, for a flowerbed, or whatever. Before I ever open a bag or bale to use, I poke a hole in the package and stick the water hose in to run slowly. The peat can absorb a LOT of water! You don't want to work with it dry either, it is not good for you to be breathing this stuff. Lots of little thingies that could be harmfull to your health in there. Wetting the peat makes it bearable to work with. Fill several pots with your medium. Have several markers available. I counsel using miniblinds, cut apart and into pieces about 5-6" long for a marker. Even if you buy a new miniblind, it costs only about $4.00, and you can cut a cazillion markers from it. With a #2 lead pencil, like we used in school, write the pertinant information on the marker. The pencil is by far the best thing to use to record the information you will need in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months or in 5 years! It will not fade, wash off, or rub off. You can erase it and reuse the marker, however. So, you have your pots and markers ready, clean the cuttings by trimming the long stem under the bottom node on your cutting and removing all but the top 3 or 4 leaves. Leave about 1/4" of stem under the bottom node. Dip into some rooting hormone, and place into a hole that you have made with a stick or your finger in the medium in your pot. Pull the medium up snug aroung the cutting, and proceed with the next cutting. You can put a lot of cuttings in one pot. Stick the marker, and place the pot in the drip line of your house, (if you have no gutters on the house), or in a spot that stays shady all the time, if you do have gutters. Condensation from the night will fall off the roof and water your pot every night. You will have to water the pot otherwise. Don't let it dry out, not even once. You could use a chamber like the one in the link too. I thought you might be interested in it. Helps with the watering situation. Good Luck! Janie Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Propagation Chamber