Leaf cuttings, the other method of plant propagation we are going to discuss here, are made in several different ways. African Violets and Gloxinia and a number of other plants are propagated by cutting a leaf at the point it joins the stem and setting it in the starting mixture. Within a few weeks, roots Continue Reading …
Seed Germination
Procedure for Starting New Plants from Cuttings
A stem cutting is made by slicing off a section of stem, roughly four to five inches long, with a diagonal cut made just below a leaf node. If the plant from which you are making the cuttings is overgrown you of course can make a number of cuttings from it. The slips, as the Continue Reading …
Starting New Plants from Cuttings
Professional gardeners use many methods of cuttings to propagate new plants. We will talk about the two most frequently used methods here—stem cutting and leaf cutting. Increasing your stock by cutting often can serve two purposes. Beside the obvious one of giving you more plants, stem cuttings can often be helpful in trimming back an Continue Reading …
Replanting Seedlings
In replanting seedlings (pricking off is the gardening term) you must be extremely careful not to damage the roots of the new plant. A good way of assuring yourself that the plants go undamaged is to use a notched planting stick to prick them off. The soil in the pot should be dampened to receive Continue Reading …
Seed Germination: Water and Time
When all your seeds are in, give the pots a good soaking from the bottom, leaving them standing in water until the surface of the soil appears damp. Here again, always use water at room temperature. Water that is too cold may slow the germination process. The pots should then be covered with panes of Continue Reading …
Timing and Procedure
In general, the best time to start sowing seed for plants which will reach maturity in the late fall or winter is in the early spring months of March and April. Seeds sown during these months should produce plants that are hardy enough to be set out in the garden (or in window boxes or Continue Reading …
Equipment and Soil
Here again no professional equipment other than pots is necessary although a dibble and a tamper are helpful. Seeds are never sown in the usual potting soil used for full grown plants—it is too rich in nutrients and would “burn out” any seeds sown in it. Until fairly recently home gardeners used a sand soil Continue Reading …
Starting Plants from Seed
Growing plants from seed obviously takes more time and more effort than buying mature plants from the nursery, but it is infinitely more rewarding and a great deal cheaper. Especially with flowering plants which tend to be more expensive than foliage plants the difference is astonishing. It is not unusual for a package of seeds Continue Reading …
Seeds and Seedlings, Slips and Cuttings
One of the real joys of working with house plants comes when you decide to try your hand at creating plants yourself. The indoor garden that is made up completely of plants bought from a florist or nursery can be wonderfully satisfying, but at the same time it leaves you in the position of simply Continue Reading …