Buying new plants for your garden is one of life's little pleasures and can be
extremely satisfying but often expensive. Equally as satisfying and an awfully lot cheaper is propagating your own plants.
There are several methods available;
softwood cuttings,
semi-ripe cuttings,
hardwood cuttings,
root cuttings,
leaf cuttings,
division,
layering
and seed.
Full details of how to carry out each method can be found below.
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These cuttings are taken from this year's young growth between
April and June. Choose a young side shoot and cut below a node about 5-10cm from
the tip. Remove the bottom leaves and immerse in a fungicide solution to avoid
fungal infections and dip the base in rooting powder. Place a few cuttings in a
pot of 50:50 sand and compost and place the pot in a heated greenhouse or
propagator or on a windowsill enclosed in a polythene bag. Keep the compost
moist. Once you begin to see new growth, pot individually into 10cm pots. Before
planting out in the garden get them used to cooler temperatures by placing them
outside during the day or move to a cool greenhouse.
These cuttings are taken from this year's ripe growth between
June and August. The base of the shoot should have started to turn brown. Cut
just below a node about 10-15cm from the tip or pull the shoot off with some of
the woody tissue (heel) attached. Remove the bottom leaves and immerse in a
fungicide solution to avoid fungal infections and dip the base in rooting
powder.
Place a few cuttings in a pot of 50:50 sand and compost and place the pot in a
heated greenhouse or propagator or on a windowsill enclosed in a polythene bag.
Keep the compost moist. Once you begin to see new growth, pot individually into
10cm pots. Before planting out in the garden get them used to cooler
temperatures by placing them outside during the day or move to a cool
greenhouse.
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These cuttings are taken from this year's woody growth between September and
November. Cut a length just below and above a node about 15-30cm long. Remove
the leaves and dip the base in rooting powder. Place a few in a pot of 50:50
sand and compost and place the pot in a cold frame or in the ground in an open,
sheltered, sunny position. Ensure the soil is well drained. The cuttings should
be rooted by the following Autumn.
These cutting should be taken between September and November. Expose the roots
of shrubs or lift herbaceous plants and select a young root near the crown of
the plant. Cut a length 5cm long with a straight cut at the top and a diagonal
cut at the base. Immerse in fungicide and insert in a pot of compost so the top
is level with the top of the compost. Cover with 0.5cm compost. Fine roots
should be laid on the top of the compost and covered lightly. Place in a cold
greenhouse or cold frame and keep the compost moist. The cuttings should have
rooted by the following spring when they can be potted on.
There are three methods of taking leaf cuttings. The first involves taking a
whole leaf including the stalk (petiole). Dip the stalk in tooting powder and
insert in a pot of 50:50 sand and compost so the stalk is buried. Place in a
propagator at 18-21 degrees C or enclose in a polythene bag and stand on a warm
windowsill. When growth appears at the base of the leaf lift and pot on. The
second method is to take a whole leaf and cut halfway through the main vein on
the back of the leaf. Place the leaf, cut side down, on the top of the compost.
Place grit on top of the leaf to keep it in contact with the compost. Place in a
propagator at 18-21 degrees C or enclose in a polythene bag and stand on a warm
windowsill. New growth will appear at the cuts. The third method is mainly used
on long leaves. Cut the leaf into 5cm sections and dip the bottom edge in
rooting powder. Insert the leaf vertically into the compost to about half it's
length. Place in a propagator at 18-21 degrees C or enclose in a polythene bag
and stand on a warm windowsill. New growth will form at the base.
Division involves dividing a plant into two or more plants and
should be carried out on most perennials every 3-5 years to maintain their vigor.
Divide in late autumn or early spring. Lift the plant taking care not to damage
the roots and shake off the soil. Using a knife or spade cut the plant into
three or four similar sized pieces and plant out each new section as soon as
possible, adding compost and a general
fertiliser.
Layering works well on woody plants and involves growing a new
plant while it is still attached to the parent plant. It is best carried out
between late spring and autumn. Find a stem which is flexible enough to bend to
the ground. Make a cut about 5cm long through a node and apply rooting powder.
Where the node touches the ground dig a small hole in the soil and add compost.
Bury the stem 10cm deep at the node and peg down to secure. Tie the end of the
stem to a support. Roots should develop within 18 months at which point it can
be removed from the parent plant and planted in its own spot.
There are several
advantages and disadvantage to propagating by seed.
Advantages: Large
volume of seeds readily available, Cheap, Simple, Vast choice of
varieties, Can be stored for a length of time
Disadvantages: Not all seeds
come true to type, Some plants have lost the ability to produce seed, Some
plants take a long time to mature and flower
Most
people will buy their seeds from a garden centre or specialist seeds man and
just follow the directions on the packet. However it is very easy to collect
seed from your own garden and also completely free. Some plants will seed
themselves, usually where you don't want them. Once they have seeded just thin
them out and/or transplant to another part of your garden. You could also pot
them on and give them to friends and family. If you do use your own seed you
must remember that most do not come true to type so will not necessarily
resemble the plant they came from. You must collect the seed when it is ripe;
store pods in a warm, dry place until they split. Once you have the seed label
them and keep in a dry, dark, well ventilated area at between 1 and 5 degrees C.
Seeds have six requirement in order to germinate:
Seeds have little water
which is why they stay dormant for so long
The temperature required to
germinate vary by seed but generally heat helps
Oxygen is required for
respiration Food Food is supplied within the seed. If planted too deeply the
food with be exhausted before it is able to photosynthesise
Some seeds require light to
germinate
Some seeds have chemical
inhibitors which need to diminish before germination is possible
Some seeds are
difficult to germinate and a number of techniques have been developed to
overcome these difficulties:
Soaking seed in warm water for
12-24 hours will soften the coating and help it absorb water and remove
chemical inhibitors
Scarification: Nick large seeds
with a knife or rub smaller seeds with sandpaper. This weakens the coating
and allows water to enter
Stratification: Some seeds
require a period of cold before they can germinate. Place the seeds in a
50:50 mixture of moist sand and compost and place in the fridge for 4-12
weeks
Most seeds will germinate better
with some heat
Hardy Annuals can be
sown outside in March or April when the soil has started to warm up. Biennials
and Perennials can be sown later in May or June. Sow directly where you want
them to flower/fruit or sow in seedbeds and transplant later. The soil should be
raked to break up the soil and to remove any stones. Firm the soil with the back
of the rake and apply a general fertiliser. If the area is dry, water well and
allow to drain. This should be carried out 3-4 weeks in advance of sowing to
allow weeds germinate. Weed the area well then sow the seed thinly in drills
5-15mm deep. Cover lightly with soil. Ensure the soil is kept moist and weed
free. When the seedlings appear thin them out to around 10cm apart, carry out a
final thinning to 15-20cm depending on the size of the final plant.
Other seeds can be sown in a
greenhouse, a propagator or on a window sill. Ideally use a compost formulated
specifically for growing seed. Fill a seed tray to the top with compost and
gently firm, wet the compost and allow to dry. Scatter the seed thinly on the
surface of the compost and cover lightly with compost. Cover with a sheet of
glass or place in a propagator at a temperature of 18-21 degrees C. Do not allow
the compost to dry out. Once the seedlings begin to show remove the cover/glass
and move to where they can get maximum light but not in direct sunlight. When
the seedlings develop their first proper leaves prick them out into individual
pots being careful not to damage the roots. Never handle seedlings by their
stems.
If the seeds are to go
outside they need should be first moved to a closed cold frame to get them used
to the change in temperature. After a few days they can be left in an open cold
frame or stood outside during the day. They can be planted out into well
prepared ground once all risk of frost has passed.
