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 I’ll Use My Greenhouse
I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to use my greenhouse lately. There’s just enough complete on the greenhouse construction to tantalize my imagination and since people use greenhouse in so many ways that the options are virtually limitless.I don’t grow orchids or many tropical…
Propagating Perennials: Russian Sage, Salvia, and Coneflower
Spring is a great time for what? PERENNIAL PLANT PROPAGATION! OK, I get excited about making new plants and I wanted to share a little of what I’ve been working on in the garden. Spring really is a great time to take cuttings of your…
Making Free Plants for the Garden from Cuttings
Free Plants! The best possible price you can find right? Last week I was struck by a post at everyone’s favorite garden ranting website. The post discussed the “lies” of gardening and one of those supposed lies was that you don’t have to spend money…
How to Propagate Lavender from Cuttings for The Home Garden
Who wouldn’t want to make more lavender from cuttings? Lavender is a great perennial plant to have around the garden and is an easy one for home gardeners to propagate. Designers use it in knot gardens, formal gardens, or even in pots. It smells great…
How to Propagate Leyland Cypress from Cuttings
Plant propagation can continue at almost every time of the year, the winter is no exception. This is especially true if you have a little space in your house to put your cuttings or can manage to manipulate them into interesting centerpieces! In this post…
How to Propagate Catmint from Cuttings (Nepeta faassinii)
Last Saturday I was shopping at a nursery where I found a ‘Walker’s Low’ Catmint (Nepeta faassinii). I’ve talked about the benefits of Nepeta before so it may not be a surprise that I bought one. I planted the new perennial the other day in…
How to Grow Southern Magnolias from Seed
The other day while on a shopping trip I sat in the car with my daughters while my wife ran into the store for a few things. In front of our parking space was a magnolia. I doubt it was the full sized magnolia (Magnolia…
How to Propagate Birch Trees Through Cuttings – Info on Rooting Birch Trees
Birch tree cutting from a cutting taken in summer Have you ever wanted to try propagating birch trees from cuttings? The river birch is definitely worth propagating for your garden for many reasons. First of all birch trees can be rooted! While I’ve tried propagating…
How to Propagate Stevia from Cuttings
There are some plants that are tricky to propagate but stevia isn’t one of them! In fact stevia is very easy to root from cuttings. Read on to learn more about propagating stevia from cuttings! Why Would You Want to Propagate Steve from Cuttings? Stevia…
Russian Sage Propagation through Hardwood Cuttings Results
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is indeed easy to propagate from hardwood cuttings. In fact taking hardwood cuttings may prove more reliable than from softwood cuttings. I’ll continue with both methods at the appropriate times of the year but the hardwood cuttings have not had any…