Free plants: grow your own
It’s fun, economical and deeply satisfying to grow a garden from cuttings, divisions or seed. Here, we take you through the basics…
Buying plants can be a costly business, especially when the addiction sets in! But creating a garden filled with beautiful plants needn’t break the bank. Armed with some basic propagation skills and a bunch of easy-to-reproduce plants from the nursery (and whatever you can beg, borrow or steal from friends!), you can quickly start or fill out a garden for little cost. It’s the perfect solution if you’re renting or just don’t want to pour a lot of cash into the garden. What’s more, growing a garden from divisions, cuttings and seeds is not just economical, it’s fun. And the level of gardening satisfaction grows exponentially when you know you’ve done it all yourself!
DIVISIONS
Division is literally about taking one plant and pulling it apart to make two (or more). It’s probably the easiest way to make new plants, and the effects are almost instant. A lot of plants can be propagated this way, including bulbs, ornamental grasses and many flowering perennials.
BULBOUS PLANTS
Bulbs, corms and rhizomes multiply over time, creating bigger clumps that can be easily split. For the ones that die down (for example, daffodils), it’s best to dig them up during their dormant period. Use a shovel or fork, working from the outside edge of the clump. Don’t start too close to the clump or you’ll risk slicing through the bulbs.
Once they’re out, shake off the excess soil and divide them into individual or small groups of bulbs. Most true bulbs and corms, including tulip, freesia and gladiolus, will separate easily with your hands. Rhizomes and tubers, such as dahlia and canna lily, need to be cut apart. (See page 78 for a step-by-step guide to dividing canna lily.) With all types of bulbs, discard any that are soft or damaged. Replant small clumps at the same soil depth and water in.
Evergreen bulbs, such as agapanthus and clivia, can be divided anytime, except when the plant is just about to flower. Dig up the clump and tease apart the bulbs. In some cases, you may need to cut through a congested clump with a serrated knife to create divisions. Trim back some of the old roots, leaving a bit on each bulb. Remove some outer foliage to reduce transpiration while the divisions recover and generate new roots. Replant bulbs quickly into the new locations, and water in with seaweed solution to stimulate root growth.
HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
These are plants that produce fresh growth each year from their base while the old growth dies off. Many are classic cottage garden plants – think penstemon or wind anemone. In winter, simply cut the old growth off down to the ground and dig up the plant. Shake off the loose soil and use secateurs or a sharp knife to divide the base into small sections to be replanted. Water in with seaweed solution, keep moist, and fresh growth will appear in spring.
CLUMPING GRASSES
These are similar to herbaceous perennials, as many have a winter dormancy followed by a spurt of fresh growth in spring. Mid to late winter is the best time to dig them up, then cut back their grassy tops, leaving 5–10cm at the base. Use a knife or sharp shovel to cut through the clump to create smaller divisions for planting. Other plants that have strappy leaves but are not true grasses, such as mondo grass and dianella, can be lifted and divided at any time of the year. However, spring and autumn are the least stressful times for the plants. There’s no need to cut back the foliage, but ensure that each new piece has a decent amount of root mass. Replant and water well.
STEP-BY-STEP DIVIDE A BULBOUS PLANT
You can apply this technique to a range of bulbous plants, grasses and strappy-leafed plants.
1 DIG UP the clump.
2 CUT into smaller sections.
3 CREATE smaller divisions and trim some of the roots.
4 POT UP divisions or plant them straight in the ground.
5 WATER well and keep moist.