Learn the lost art of propagation DOWN THROUGH the ages, there have been many frivolous hours frittered away in the pursuit of mak- ing something out of ncthing. To some it’s alchemy, lead into gold and all that: others try writ- ing their MP in a senseless search for galden bits of wisdom in them thar’ Capital Hills. At the other extreme are those cynical souls who firmly believe that there is not much point in trying to better their cir- cumstances. To them there is one axiom of life: no matter how hard we aspire for the treasures of the moment, life will surely beat us down Iead-lined misery. Being a bit of an alchemist at heart, | find myself fascinated by the various processes of plant propagation. I may not be able to make gold out of lead, but I can definitely save a loony or two by using a few of the plants I have to produce even more. Most people will have experi- enced this in its most obvious form. Either sowing a few of the seeds from last year's bedding plants or enjoying those volun- teers that have sown themselves. Fewer have explored the benefits of taking cuttings from plants such as geraniums and fuchsias. And very small indeed is the number of those who have reaped the rewards from cuttings taken from easy-to-multiply, woody shrubs such as hydrangeas Geoff Tobiasson OVER THE GARDEN GATE and laurels. Rhododendrons are easily among the most expensive plants in the garden. This higher price is a reflection of the difficulties ex- Perienced in propagating them; rooting these and other “tough nuts’’ from stem cuttings is not an easy task. It takes a practised hand to generate a new root system before the cuttings dry our. They may not be the easiest of plants to multiply, but with a littie knowledge and perseverance, you can save yourself quite a bit of money. Let's look at a few ways to make the task a little easier. The most efficient method of propagating plants such as these in the home garden is through the Procedure known as ‘‘layering.“ This is the term used to describe the developing of roots on a siem while it is still attached to the parent plant. There are two different tech- niques commonly used in layering hard wood plants such as rhadodendrons. The first and eas- jest, forces the stem to remain in contact with the ground while disrupting the normal flow of sap from the leaves to the roots. This ‘‘simple fayering’’ is per- formed by bending a branch to the ground and partially covering it with soil, Bending the branch severely at the point of contact will disrupt the flow of — car- bohydrates and other growth substances, thereby increasing the likelihood of root formation. In some cases, more radical treatment (or mistreatment) will Produce better results. In these situations, you may find that fur- ther injury to tie stem at the point of contact may be required in order to apply sufficient pressure on the plant's system to force the production of roots. 4&6 Rhododendrons may not be the easiest of plants to multiply, but with a little knowledge and perseverance, you can save yourself quite a bit of money.99 Some plants have rigid, vertical branches which will not bend close enough to the ground to pur the preceding practice into operation. In these circumstances, ‘‘air layer- ing’* may be the best method. The idea here being that if you cant get the branch to the ground, get the ‘‘ground”’ to the branch. This technique involves wounding the stem near a likely rooting producing zone and wrapping the wound with soil eid in place by a polyethylene cover. The problem here is in keeping the soil or rooting medium pro- perly moist. I find that if you place a small slit in the plastic on the top side, you can then add water at sufficient’ intervals to keep the soil moist but not wet. One of the key considerations to successful layering is locating good rooting points on your stem. in general, most plants will pro- duce roots where they once pro- duced leaves. If you look for the scars left where the plant has shed old feaves, you will have located a good rooting zone. So the next time someone tells you that money does not grow on trees, layer one or two of your more expensive garden plants and prove them wrong. Good Juck. Alan Block. a a mortartess concrete block retaining wall system, offers untimited design potential. Curves. corners. stairways and elaborate " landscape terraces are easily achieved in both commercial and residential projects. Allan Block provides an atirsctive, affordable and highly durable retaining wall. 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