Creating New Plants with Plant Propagation
Would
you like to make some new plants from your favorites?
When
we make new plants we can use asexual or sexual methods.
Planting
Seeds
The
most popular and most used method is sexual propagation. This is
when we start new plants from seeds. You can save seeds from your flowers
and use them to grow more. Or just let the plants do it themselves.
Some spread easily by seed as long as the seed falls in a suitable spot.
Of course if you are a neat freak and can't keep from pulling all those
little stray seedlings you may not give your flowers a chance to spread.
If that is the case you better plant the seeds in a special tray so
you know that what
is
growing belongs there.
Annuals
(grow one season) are generally easier to start than perennials
(lives many years) and would be the best bet for a beginning gardener.
Some perennials can take a year to germinate or need different temperature
changes to break dormancy.
Another thing to consider is if the plant is a hybrid. Plants grown
from saved seed of hybrid plants don't normally come true. That means
they probably won't be just like the original plant you saved the seeds
from. If you are up
for surprises go for it, otherwise buy some seeds.
I wouldn't try this with your favorite veggies, like tomatoes, or you
may come up with qualities that are not to your liking. Best to buy
that seed or buy the plants from the greenhouse.
If you want to just have some fun and watch things grow like I did when
I was
younger, try planting seeds from things you wouldn't think of growing.
Like seeds from a date, orange, avocado, mango or anything else that
you can find.
For your seed starting
endeavors you can use things around the house or buy special seed starting
supplies from catalogs or sometimes at your favorite garden center.
 
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Parks
also has a great selection of seeds! |
For some tips on
seed starting check out this information brought to you by the North
Dakota State University.
Taking
Cuttings or Division
The other types of
propagation deal with starting plants using the plants themselves and
not seeds. This way you get an exact replica of the original. There
are different techniques such as division, cutting, grafting, layering
and tissue culture.
When using these methods watch out for patented plants which are not
allowed to be propagated without permission by the developer.
Dividing plants is probably the most popular in asexual propagation.
Who doesn't have a neighbor or friend that has dug out a piece of a
favorite perennial to give to them.
So now you want to divide some of your plants. You may need to divide
them because they are overgrowing or you may just want to spread some
around.
When would be a good time?
Actually you can divide your perennials anytime you can dig. But if
you want to enjoy the flowers they bring this year you will need to
be more selective with your timing. If your plants bloom later in the
season then divide in early spring before they grow much and they will
still have time to establish themselves and bloom that year. If they
bloom in the spring wait until after blooming is finished to divide.
You can also wait and divide in the fall but that can cause problems
for northern growers if they wait until too late. The perennials may
not have enough time to get a good root system before the freeze and
thaw of spring. That can pop them up out of the ground and kill them.
But if it is the middle of the summer and you don't have a choice in
the matter then it will be fine. Just cut the tops of your perennials
back to reduce transplant shock and make sure you water if there is
not sufficient rainfall.
Some plants grow suckers that you can dig out and move without disturbing
the main plant. Just be sure they have a sufficient root system to grow
on their own and trim the plant back so there is not so much growth
for the roots to feed.
If you want to propagate plants that do not divide easily you will have
to use another method.
Taking cuttings or layering would be your next choice.
Layering works well if you only want a few plants. You can do this by
taking a branch that is close to the ground and bend it so that you
can bury the middle of it 3-5 inches deep. You may have to place a stone
or brick over it to keep it from lifting up out of the soil. Mulch it
so it stays moist. Choose branches that are young and limber. Encourage
rooting by cutting away a piece of bark from the underside of the stem
and dust with a rooting hormone.
If you need a number
of plants you can take cuttings. Stem, leaf and root are three different
types of cutting and stem cuttings can be divided into herbaceous, softwood,
semi-hardwood, and hardwood.
Herbaceous cuttings are taken from non-woody plants and are ways we
usually root houseplants. You can also root perennials and tropical
plants this way.
The other three are used on woody evergreen or deciduous plants and
taken at different times during the year.
You can also get new plants from the leaves and roots of plants.
I've learned some
things about propagation from FreePlants.
You could spend hours reading all the information found at that site.
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