Grafting is not as hard as it sounds

We can often use a gardening discovery to advantage in our propagation quest.

Try digging up and moving a mature oriental poppy (Papaver orientale). The following year, several shoots will appear at that spot from root particles left behind in the transfer. So, it’s propagated by planting pieces of root, of finger-length and thickness, upright and just out of sight, in a pot of gritty compost.

Phlox are the other popular flowering plants that lend themselves to root cutting reproduction at this time of year. This method became popular because of stem and leaf pests, and diseases. Roots of phlox are not as thick and sturdy as the poppy, so a tray of similar moist medium is more appropriate. Lay them horizontally on the surface and cover lightly with compost.

Stem cuttings taken from all manner of plants are potentially capable of rooting in water or other media. The important bit is knowing when to do it.

Warmth is a key factor in winter so a propagating facility with soil-warming cable or similar is helpful when rooting chrysanthemum shoots or other soft stems. Once the cutting has formed roots, good daylight or supplementary lighting ensures sturdy growth.

When the warmer weather arrives it’s as if the floodgates for propagation opportunities have opened wide. A bed for seed sowing of herbaceous perennial flowers in the great outdoors is possible. So-called asexual propagation from plant parts can proceed in mobile propagating containers. Time to experiment with leaf and petiole cuttings of Begonia rex, African violet, streptocarpus, also scales, bulblets and bulbils of lilium.

Having once honed those skills it’s time to become more adventurous.

Try air layering and budding or grafting, they’re not as difficult as they sound!