Here is a list of topics about propagating plants for your home landscape that I’ve written about here on Growing The Home Garden. The first four posts have some important information on propagating plants while the individual plant posts offer information about propagating the plant in question as well as my own experiences with them. Enjoy!
Plant Propagation Techniques
What is Plant Propagation?
Plant propagation has to be my favorite subject! Plant propagation is one of the most inexpensive ways to make more plants and expand your gardens. There are several methods of propagating plants and three of the most common ways are through through division, through layering, and through cuttings. Each of these methods has a few advantages that are worth looking at. Some of these methods will work for some plants but may not be effective for others. Here is a short summary of these methods.
Plant Propagation Method: Division
Dividing plants is a very good method of propagation for many clump forming species of plants. Hostas, heucheras, daylilies, ornamental grasses, and many other perennials will not only tolerate but sometimes need to be divided. It is better to divide most plants in the spring when they are actively growing and the roots can take some abuse but some will successfully divide in the fall. You don’t have to divide plants until they have developed a dead hole toward the center, but if you would like more plants faster, divide away!
Plant Propagation Method: Layering
Layering is a safe strategy for many plants. It involves burying a length of a low growing stem underneath the soil until it develops roots. Then the gardener can sever the new plant from the mother plant and plant somewhere else in the garden. To speed up the process the stem can be wounded and applied with rooting hormone but many plants naturally layer by themselves. Viburnums, forsythias, and azaleas are good candidates for layering along with many other shrubs. This is a safe method of propagation since the stem remains attached to the main plant until roots are formed. There is very little risk involved for the cuttings. The biggest disadvantage is that you can’t make as many plants as you can with cuttings.
Plant Propagation Method: Cuttings
This is probably the area I have the most fun experimenting with in my garden. There are several different types of cuttings you can take from stem tips to basal root cuttings. Some plants take to cuttings readily while others can be a difficult challenge. Most perennials will easily work with stem tip cuttings or basal stem cuttings. Trees and shrubs can be more difficult, but if the plant creates suckers there may be good rooting material. My favorite shrub for propagating through cuttings is the red twig dogwood. I’ve found that they work best as hardwood cuttings done over winter. Salvias, verbena, Russian sage, catmint and many other perennials work well as stem tip cuttings.
More Information on Plant Propagation for Home Gardens
The links below will give you some solid information about the process and procedures for propagating plants.
- Propagating Plants: The Basics of Cuttings
- Plant Propagation through Hardwood Cuttings
- 10 Easy Plants to Propagate for Your Home Garden
- What in the World are Plant Patents?
- Division: Divide and Conquer!
- Layering
- Building a Plant Holding Bed
Propagating Shrubs and Trees
The links below will give you specifics from my experience on how I’ve propagated various plants. Many of the techniques cross over to other plants.
- Birch Tree (Betula nigra) from cuttings
- Caryopteris (Blue Mist Shrub)
- Crape Myrtle Propagation by Cuttings
- Red Twig Dogwood
- Beautyberry from Cuttings
- Deciduous Magnolia through layering (‘Jane’ magnolia)
- Dwarf English Laurel
- Pyracanthus augustifolia (Firethorn)
- Ninebark Propagation from Cuttings
- Japanese Dappled Willow (Salix integra) Cuttings Water Method
- Butterfly Bush Cuttings Making Progress
- Butterfly Bush Propagation Progress Update (Progress report on Butterfly Bush Cuttings)
- Grape Vines from Greenwood Cuttings
- Holly Cuttings
- Hydrangeas: Variegated (macrophylla), Update
- Hydrangeas: Oak Leaf (Hydrangea quercifolia)
- Hydrangeas: More on Oak Leaf Hydrangea
- Burning Bush (Euonymous alata)
- Purple Leaf Plum Propagation
- Densiformis Yew
- Leyland Cypress
- Viburnum Cuttings
- Viburnum, Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
Propagating Perennials and Annuals
- Russian Sage Cuttings (Plant Propagation Update)
- Achillea millifolium
- Coleus Cuttings
- Catmint Cuttings (Nepeta faassinii)
- Propagating: Russian Sage, Salvia, and Coneflower
- Asiatic Lily Propagation
- Artemsia ‘Powis Castle’
- Persian Shield (Strobinlanthus dyerianus)
- Salvia
- Husker’s Red Penstemon Propagation
How to Propagate Plum Trees from Hardwood Cuttings
Last year my plum tree was the victim of a savage deer rubbing attack. The bark was stripped all the way around the trunk leaving no possibility of water passing toward the top of the tree through the cambium layer. It was frustrating to say…
Layering a Viburnum, The Results!
It’s not a secret that I’m a fan of plant propagation. Who wouldn’t be? You get free plants! One of the easiest ways to propagate a plant is through a technique called layering. With layering you essentially pin down a branch of a shrub or…
Propagating Grape Vines with Greenwood Cuttings
I’m always looking for new plants to experiment on to see if I can get them to root. Yesterday I took some cuttings from a grape vine at my mom’s house. Grape vines are pretty popular with home gardeners who want to grow their own…
How to Propagate Boxwoods from Cuttings
Propagating Beautyberry Through Cuttings
If you’re looking for a plant that provides fall color in the form of berries as well as late season nourishment for the birds than look no further than the beautyberry (Callicarpa). Our beautyberry that we purchased in the spring is turning a deep purple…
Plant Propagation Bench for Seedlings and Cuttings
I’ll continue with the Seed Starting 101 Series tomorrow but I thought I would use today’s post to share with you a related project. Recently I purchased a seedling heatmat that I’ve been testing in the garage to see how seedlings will grow out there. …
How to Propagate ‘Purple Homestead’ Verbena
Flowering of the Purple Homestead Verbena If you haven’t tried growing ‘Purple Homestead’ Verbena in your home garden you really should! I’ve used this purple flowering perennial in three places so far and can think of many more locations I would like to see them….
How to Grow Sweetbay Magnolia from Seeds
No matter where I go when I see seeds that are ripe I’m tempted to collect them. That was the case when walking around Knoxville last year and seeing some ripe magnolia seeds on some Sweetbay magnolia plants. Sweetbay magnolias have several names including: sweetbay…
How to Propagate a Deciduous Magnolia Through Layering
Layering is a fantastic way to make more free plants with very little risk. Propagating a plant through layering usually involves pinning down a branch to make contact with the soil so that the branch can begin forming roots. I’ve used layering to propagate more…
Garden Shed February Update
It’s been a long while since I’ve mentioned anything about the goings on in my garden shed world. This should take too long, after all it is February, not much is growing, and it’s a small world afterall! Let’s dig right in and look to…