Plant propagation by Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay has moved to Mystical Gardens at NikHaven, the home of Marlene and Bill Smith, our chapter President and Vice-President. After seed stratification and sowing at Providence Greenhouses this past winter, followed by transplanting in May at the UMD Extension Dairy Farm location in Gambrills, it was time to move the operation to a more central location in southern Maryland for logistical reasons.
What did it take to get to the big move that took place on the weekend of June 6 – June 7?
- 9 trips to Providence Greenhouses from Jan 20 – June 7
- 7 trips to the Dairy Farm from May 12 – June 7
- 75 Volunteer hours
- 1,092 Miles
To prepare for the move to our new location, we cleaned out six raised beds formerly used for vegetable gardening, set up irrigation, and completed sun mapping to determine the best place for the various species of native plants. All the plant material is now nestled into the new nursery and being cared for with the passion we show to all of our projects.
How many species, flats, and seedlings have we tackled so far? Of the 59 species sown in 64 flats, we have transplanted 277 seedlings into 4-inch pots and 1,125 seedlings transplanted into plug trays. That’s a lot of natives!
We still have dozens of flats containing thousands of seedlings to transplant, and now we will have more time to devote to the plants since we’ll be saving time that was previously spent traveling to offsite locations.
Now that we are more centrally located in southern Charles county, we hope to offer the opportunity for chapter members to come by to join us as we continue transplanting. Let us know if you are interested!
If you are an active member of WOCB and have a need for native plants for a public native garden project or an event focused on native plants, please reach out to us to see how we can help. Plants will be available for a nominal donation to help replenish potting soil and supplies to keep our native plant propagation program growing!
We would like to thank Rachel Carey and Providence Greenhouses for hosting our seed stratification and seed sowing activities, as well as caring for our seedlings after they germinated. We would also like to thank Lauren Toomey (UMD Extension Master Gardener AACO), Patchin Curtis (AACO Watershed Steward), and Maxine Yu (former Master Gardener Coordinator AACO) for sharing their new RePollinate AACO native plant nursery space over the past month and watering the plants. Your commitment to the success of RePollinate AACO and allowing us to cross-pollinate on this project and share the space has given us a successful start in providing more native plants for our projects and events throughout the Southern Maryland region.
Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is deeply rooted in native plants and cultivating partnerships, while striving to educate, advocate, and collaborate to connect people and native plants for a healthy planet. Our vision is native plants and natural landscapes thriving in every community. Check out our Events page, Google calendar, Facebook, and/or Instagram for our upcoming events. And don’t forget to subscribe to our new YouTube channel and email subscriber list!
