It all started with a news article about an old redwood tree in downtown Petaluma that is going to be removed. When I first read the article I though "when they cut down the tree, I should collect a few pieces for my home". Then it hit me! I already have enough crap (including random bits of wood) in my place, and I should find a better tree keepsake.

CLONE IT! MUAHAHAHAHA

Get some clippings

Fortunately for me, there are some nice low branches on the tree that have fresh soft-wood shoots. A few flicks of my trusty pocket knife and I had a handful of tree cuttings.

Put the cuttings in a bag

The clippings were put in a plastic bag with a bit of water for the walk home.

This picture was take in The New Yorker where I purchased a sandwich to go. mmmm nom nom nom

I found some sand!

For anyone wondering why I've been asking for sand, this is why.

In this sweet PBR bucket I mixed sand, peat moss, and a bit of potting soil. Apparently soft sandy soil is great for cloning plants.

A feather

While mixing soil on the stoop, I found a nice blue feather present from the jay that lives in the crab-apple tree in my front yard.

What does this have to do with cloning a redwood tree? Nothing, get over it.

Shit!

Everyone knows that feathers are magic. Do you know what else is magic? Deer crap. What? you don't have a bag of deer nuggets to help fertilize your garden? rookie.

Look at all of these nice starter pots; each with a few nuggets of deer poo in the bottom. On the right is today's coffee cup.

Time to add some soil.

Ready for water and sun

A few days ago, I picked up some "rooting powder" from my local hardware store. This stuff is supposed to help promote rooting of clippings... we'll see.

The clippings were powdered and placed in the sandy soil. On the far left is a pomegranate clipping from my buddy's yard. mmmm pomegranate.

If all goes according to plan, in a few weeks I will have some redwood saplings ready to be planted somewhere.

Now quit reading, and go save a memory of something