Plant Propagation

Seeds

The most typical approach of plant proliferation is collecting seeds from plants you already have in the garden. Some plants like lettuce and celery will only germinate if exposed to sunshine; others, like phlox and allium, just if they are completely covered.

Most plants will take advantage of being started inside 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. There are a few plants that either do not like being transplanted or are sturdy sufficient to take a light frost. Those plants are much better off being planted directly outdoors. A few examples: peas, carrots, corn, beans, nasturtiums, morning glory, cucumbers.

Most perennials will greatly take advantage of being sown straight outdoors at the end of summer. That will provide the plants the opportunity to experience their natural cold cycle and make them emerge stronger and in their own time in spring.

Difficult seeds like nasturtiums, morning-glory and 4 o'clocks will sprout much easier if soaked in warm water for 12 hours prior to planting.

When: Plant annuals in spring, perennials and biennials at the end of summertime, when the heat waned a bit.

Division

A prolific way to increase your garden stock is the department of fully grown plants Many herbaceous perennials really need dividing in order to remain healthy and blooming. Among those, a couple of examples: heuchera, daylilies, pampas yards.

Other plants, like daisies and bee balms will rapidly spread if delegated their own accord. Dividing them is a great way to manage their development and fill bare spots in your garden.

To divide the plant you can either dig it out completely and break the root ball into smaller sized parts or dig out a part of the clump with a shovel. If you can do that, the advantage is that the remaining plant roots will remain undisturbed.

When: Divide spring blooming plants in the fall and fall flowering plants in spring.

Rhizomatous plants.

Amongst these: bearded irises, peonies, lily-of-the-valley, mint.

For little roots, simply pull out of the dirt and replant somewhere else. For larger roots, dig the plant out at the end of summertime after it completed flowering and cut up the root in 2-4 inch areas with leaf growth at one end.

When: End of summertime or fall, after they have finished their vegetative cycle.

Layering

This works great with ground covers, strawberries, raspberries, and spider plant. Take a runner and connect it down to the ground with a pin. After the plant develops roots you can suffice loose from the mother plant and move it someplace else.

When: whenever they choose to grow runners.

Cuttings

A lot of woody plants can be propagated like that, particularly roses, for whom this is the fundamental method of proliferation. Other plants to be propagated by cuttings: butterfly bush, weigela, pelargonium, fuchsia, delphinium, forsythia, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, African violets.

There are four basic kinds of cuttings: tip cuttings (soft, green), stem cuttings (woody), leaf cuttings (leaf and petiole) and root cuttings.

For stem and suggestion cuttings, a minimum 3 inch length will make sure the viability of the plant. Wounding the cutting (making a longitudinal cut or squashing the bottom) will promote the plant to grow new roots.

Many plants, like mint, will grow roots if positioned in water. Other plants, like African violets and hydrangeas, will more than happy to root if you stick a leaf with a long petiole in the dirt. For plants with big leaves, like hydrangea, it helps to cut up about half of the leaf to minimize the stress on the establishing root system to feed it.

If you have rooting hormonal agent, I highly advise it.

When: For fall flowering perennials and annuals, start cuttings when the danger of frost has actually passed in spring. For spring blooming perennials, start the cuttings in the fall and protect them under cloches (a glass container would work just great) over winter. It is very advantageous to the plant to go through a cold season in its natural environments, it produces a much healthier root system. This is particularly real for roses.

Bulbs, corms and bulbs

Some bulbs, like lilies, will start spreading out in a scaly pattern. Each scale with roots can be separated and start a new plant.

Onions can be vertically sliced and divided. For hyacinths there is an approach called scooping: cut up the roots off a bulb and dig the main part right below them to expose the bulb layers. Place the bulb upside down half buried in a tray full of wet sand. Place the tray in a dark warm area. In 12-14 weeks bulblets will start forming on the top of the big bulb. Plant the bulb upside down with the bulblets right listed below the surface. Let the plant go through its vegetative cycle. The bulbs can be lifted and separated in the fall.

When dividing bulbs, ensure to have at least one viable "eye" on each section.

When: In the fall, after the plants went inactive.

Dropping and stooling

Dropping consists of pushing down and covering most of the plant stems with garden compost or good quality dirt, and wait on the plant stems to establish specific roots. The plants can be separated and replanted. This works for heathers and rhododendrons.

For the stooling method mound up dirt high around the bottom of the plant, to offer the stems an opportunity to grow roots. A couple of examples of plants for which this approach works: lilacs, willows and dogwoods.

When: Drop and stool in spring, divide and cut in the fall.

Please bear in mind that some plants will successfully propagate through numerous of these approaches.

Here are some good resources for learning more about plant proliferation:

American Horticultural Society Plant Proliferation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques - Alan Toogood

Propagation Essentials: Tools Strategies Timing - Steven Bradley

Learn how to plant flowers in the ground