Want to grow more plants without the expense of buying new ones? Starting plants from seeds and cuttings is a simple and frugal way to expand your garden without busting your budget.
The how-tos listed here are suitable for beginners. Also, dig in to More growing tips for beginner gardeners.
Grow Your Own Plants from Seeds and Cuttings
If the words ‘plant propagation’ have you reaching for the snooze alarm or running for the hills, I’m with you! The worst thing experienced gardeners can do is make it all seem too boring-or too complicated-for beginners.
And there’s no excuse for this. It is not complicated.
Propagation simply means growing new plants from existing ones. It’s how all new plants are made in nature and a cultivated garden. And the wonderful thing is, there’s plenty of plants we can multiply within our own gardens with minimal effort and no money spent.
Here’s a bunch of tips to get your started.
Wait! Before You Plant…
Plant Buying Checklist
- Recommended for your growing zone.
- Not invasive in your area.
- Suits your growing conditions including sun, soil, water, and wind.
- Contributes to biodiversity by providing food, nectar, or habitat.
1Grow New Plants from Cuttings
- Sweet potato vine (this is the easiest one to try)
- Clematis vine
- Honeysuckle vine (choose non-invasive species only)
- Hydrangea
- Pineapple
- Succulents
- How to grow shrubs and vines from hardwood cuttings
- How to grow new plants from softwood cuttings
2Sow Seeds
When you’re just starting out, you will probably purchase seeds. As your garden grows, you may want to start saving seeds for future planting.
- How to understand the information on seed packets
- When to start seeds (and when it’s too late)
- Weekly Vegetable Seed Starting Plan
- Best soil temperatures for starting seeds
- Recommended seed starting supplies
- Favorite seed companies for organic gardeners
- How to start (plant) seeds (and grow plants)
- How to make seed tapes for fussy and tiny seeds
- Household hacks for speeding up indoor seed germination
Seed Starting for Beginners
Everything you need to get started with indoor seed starting for indoor and outdoor plants.
Grow what you want—any time of year!
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PDF Format | About Ebook
3Grow Fruits & Vegetables
- Vegetables
How to Start Your First Vegetable Garden (Right Now)
Grow Vegetables in Containers - Tomatoes
How to grow tomatoes from seed to table - Peas
How to grow peas
- Raspberries
How to transplant and grow raspberry canes - Strawberries
How to grow strawberries
New Plants By Division
Another simple way to get new plants from existing ones is to divide them up.
It varies by type of plant, but the basic premise is the same for most.
Once a plant is well-established with a large root base, you can dig up the plant, cut right through with a shovel, and plant one half elsewhere.
It’s not only a good way to get a new established free plant but often better for the original, crowded plant.
4Grow Flowers
- Delphiniums
How to grow delphiniums
How to get tricky seeds like delphiniums to germinate (sprout)
How to get delphiniums to blooms twice in one season
How to sow delphinium seeds in the fall
- Foxgloves
How to grow foxgloves - Geraniums
How to store geraniums for the winter and create new plants from cuttings - Hollyhocks
6 Tips for Growing Hollyhocks and Dealing With Rust - Hydrangeas
What type of hydrangea is this? A handy care guide - Lavender
Lavender Growing Tips and Easy Mistakes to Avoid - Lilacs
How to Grow Lilacs: Care, Prune, Propagate - Peonies
How to Grow Peonies (and Myth-Busting Tips) - Sweet Peas
10 Best Tips for Growing Sweet Peas
5Herbs
Recommended Resources
These are some of my favorite books on plant propagation. They have photo tutorials for growing plants from a variety of methods. Once you know the basics, it’s super fun and addictive.
Grow Your Own Garden by Carol Klein was the first one I bought and still the one I refer to most.
AHS Plant Propagation
Amazon
Grow Your Own Garden
Amazon or here: Amazon.co.uk
Also:
- Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck
- Plant Propagator’s Bible by Miranda Smith
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
