Plant Propagation:
Grow more from what you have
Do you have a favourite plant from a family member or special neighbour? Would you like a piece of their garden growing in yours? How about a favourite perennial that you would like to have more of? Rather than taking a trip to the nursery, why not propagate it yourself? Many plants can either be divided and spread around, or, if there are seeds, collect them!
Let’s Start with Collecting Tiny Little Seeds
Collecting seeds and the promise of new plants from those tiny little seeds can be exciting! With a little care and luck, you might end up with a whole collection of plants at very little cost. Many plants produce seeds – perennials that come back every year, biennials that flower in their second season and annuals that only live for one season often produce seeds. It’s in their genetic make up, as they need to produce seeds to multiply. By collecting seeds we are providing a helping hand, giving them an opportunity to multiply in another location.
Where, When & What seeds should or shouldn’t we collect?
- First, if the seeds you are looking at are not on your property, you need to seek permission from the property owner. If the seeds are on public property (municipal parks, conservation areas, provincial parks or national parks), collecting seeds is a no no.
- Second, be very sure you know what type of plant you are looking at. Is it an invasive species? Invasive plants can be beautiful and tempting to add to your garden but may cause greater ecological damage (and headaches for you) by furthering their spread.
- Third, how much of this plant do you see around? Is there only one? Is it an endangered or at risk species? If so, you should leave it be to allow the seeds to spread naturally to grow the colony. If there are many plants, and it’s not rare or endangered, then you could carefully harvest some seeds. Never take more than 10% off a plant. This leaves the other 90% to sow naturally or provide food for other creatures.
- Lastly, be sure to write down the location and any other details you might need in the future (bloom colour, bloom time, height, soil conditions). Don’t skip this step, you may think you will remember (and you might), but my experience is that I always think I will remember and then don’t.
Some flowers produce very obvious seeds (like Milkweed (Asclepias)) but some are a little harder to find. The trick is to collect the seeds when they are ripe. Too soon and the seeds might not be fully mature, too late and they might be gone. Like milkweed, one day the pod is green and soft, the next it has dried, split and the seeds are scattered in the wind.
If you decide to try collecting, keeping your collection organized is key to your success. Storing seeds in little paper envelopes is great. That way you can write the type of seed, date and location collected, colour or any other useful information on the outside of the envelope. You will thank yourself come planting time when you are able to plant based on species, colour, etc.
Now that you have your seeds, you need to ensure the seeds are totally dry and that takes time. Laying them out on something like a coffee filter for a couple weeks should do it. Then pop them into the envelope and seal it up. Do not store seeds in an air-tight, sealed container. If there is any moisture left in the seed, it could start to mold, ruining the rest of the seeds around it. Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry, dark location.
Seed Viability
Some seeds will store for only a short time, many can be stored for several years, some may even last for over a hundred years. But how do you know? Let’s say you went to the trouble of collecting some seeds (and of course you carefully marked them), and tucked them away to plant at a later date. When you find those seeds at the back of the drawer, how do you know if they are still viable (able to germinate)? To test for viability, place approximately 10 seeds on a moist, but not wet, paper towel. Put the paper towel in a sealed container out of direct sunlight. Keep an eye on the container and peek in every couple of days. Most seeds will break their seed coat (hard outer shell) in a few days up to a couple of weeks time. If the paper towel dries out, add just a bit of water. You don’t want the seeds sitting in a puddle, the paper towel should just be damp. If nothing happens after a couple of weeks you may be out of luck, you can still try planting them, you never know, some seeds just take a long time to germinate.
Another thing to keep in mind is the type of seed. In order for some seeds to germinate they need to be cold stratified (think freezing in the soil for winter). But again, how do you know? As a general guideline, if the plant overwinters, the seeds will likely need to spend some time in the cold. Planting in the fall is best. If the plant is killed by frost, spring planting will be the answer.
Some types of seeds need to have their seed coats scarified (damaged) – think passing through an animal or bird. Those seeds will need to be scratched up, nicked or cut to weaken the seed coat. A piece of sandpaper, emery board or nail clippers will do the trick. Sometimes soaking in water is enough to soften the seed coat. These seeds are often more of a round or bean shape.
A quick search on your specific seed should let you know what is required.
Seed collecting can be very rewarding. Spending time outside, paying close attention to the plants around you, and noticing the birds that might be feeding on the seeds is a great way to spend some time (even hours on end if you are like me and enjoy walking). At a later date, carefully placing that little seed in some moist soil and waiting for the little green sprouts to appear takes a bit more patience, but in the end you will be rewarded with a whole new selection of little gems to spread around.
Digging & Division (and watering) is up next
Many perennials are easily divided. Sharing your extras to friends and family or moving them to another place in your garden can be rewarding. Receiving a piece of someone else’s treasure can be quite special. If a plant is growing well and now has outgrown the space allotted, it’s time to split it up.
Before putting a shovel in the ground
Plants are tough. If it is growing well don’t be afraid to dig in and go for it. Before you start, take a few minutes to have a look at it. Consider the following:
- Why is it growing well here?
- What is the soil like (sandy, clay, or rich)?
- How much moisture is there (is this a wet area or dry, does the soil drain quickly or slowly)?
- Amount of sun (how many hours of sun hit the location, is it in morning or afternoon)?
Next, look around your yard, is there somewhere else that has similar conditions that could use a little something more? Spreading what grows well in your yard is a great way to fill empty spaces. Chances are if it grows well in one location it will likely grow well in another location on the same property, providing there are similar conditions.
Where are you going with the transplant? If you are moving it in your yard, the new hole should be dug with the soil amended ready and waiting. If you are transplanting it to a different location, make sure you have a temporary pot large enough to put your new plant piece into for transport. If you’re putting it in a pot for a while, remember that the pot will dry out very fast. Keep the pot in the shade and water daily.
Before attempting to lift and divide a plant, make sure it is well watered at least a day before. Depending on your soil type you may need to plan a bit ahead. If you have not had any rain for a while, it may take a few days to get the soil good and moist and the plant well hydrated. You don’t want mud, that’s miserable to work with, but you also don’t want the soil so dry that it falls off the small little root hairs, as that will damage them. The plant will be happier and recover faster if you take the time to do this step.
What time of day is best for dividing?
Dividing in the heat of the day is not a great idea, it will cause unnecessary stress and the plant will likely suffer. Later in the afternoon/evening is better when the heat of the day has passed. When digging up a plant, disturbing the roots and damaging a large number of the little hair roots is unavoidable. The plant will pout and wilt as a result. It’s kind of a self defence mechanism. With a significant reduction in those little root hairs it can’t take up moisture from the soil properly so it shuts down the transpiration out of the leaves until it settles into its new home.
After a few days, the hair roots start to grow again. This is when you will notice the plant starting to recover, it won’t wilt as fast and/or new leaves start to emerge. Water well at the time of transplant and for at least a month afterwards (your specific conditions will influence this – if it has been pouring rain, no need to water). Keeping the soil evenly moist will help to develop a nice strong root system. Keep an eye on it, after a month you can start to back off on the frequency of watering. The plant will still be weak for up to a year. Make sure to water deeply at the base of the plant and around it too. You want to encourage a deep root system. Keeping the soil close to the plant nice and moist makes it think “this is great, I don’t have to look for water, it’s all right here for me” – not ideal. What you want is for his new gem to be self sufficient, ideally relying on the rainwater mother nature provides to survive.
What time of year is best for dividing?
A bit of research is needed to look into the specific plant you are wanting to move. You need to know what you are dealing with. Some plants need to be divided in the spring, some in the fall. The summer is almost always not the time for dividing or moving. It is often too hot and dry and the plants will suffer too much.
Having said that, there are situations when digging up plants in the heat of the summer is just unavoidable (your neighbour decides to replace the fence, your waterline breaks and the city comes to dig up your property). It happens, just do what you can and hope for the best. Keep everything as moist as possible, re-plant as soon as possible, and if you can, shade the plant until it shows signs of recovering (leaves that don’t wilt are a good sign).
A general rule of thumb on when to divide is if it flowers in the spring or summer, divide and move in the fall. If it blooms in the fall, divide in the spring. That way the plant has a season to recover before bloom time. Something like Hostas should be divided in the early spring when the growing points are about 10cm (4”). Dividing a Hosta after it has mature leaves will leave you with a misshapen plant for the season. It won’t hurt the plant at all, it’s just an aesthetic thing.
What type of roots does the plant have?
The next thing to consider is the type of root system the plant has. A fibrous type root mass on something like a grass or Hosta will take a lot of abuse. Lifting the mass and chopping it apart with a sharp spade or garden knife is all that is needed. These can be divided into many sections and replanted. Water well and watch them grow, never skipping a beat.
Something like a Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) or Coneflower (Echinacea) takes a bit more care. The roots are much more delicate and closer to the surface. Often you don’t need to lift the entire clump to divide these types of perennials. You should be able to remove the section destined for transplant without disturbing the remaining plant too much. Slice down with a spade between the original plants and transplant first. Take a good shovel full of the transplant, keeping as much of the soil surrounding the root as intact as possible. By doing this, it should recover relatively quickly.
If you don’t know what type of root system your plant has, carefully investigate by gently digging around the edges of a plant.
Some perennials like Peonies (Paeonia) have thick tuberous roots. Peonies in particular will need to be carefully divided making sure the eyes or growing sprouts are not damaged. Peonies also need to be planted to a certain depth in order for the plant to be happy and re-bloom. Their growing points should be just barely below the surface. They may take a couple of years to settle in before re-blooming. Be patient, once they have settled into the new location, peonies can be happy for 50+ years!
Some perennials are not a fan of being moved. Lupines (Lupinus) or Oriental Poppies (Papver orientale) for example, have long tap roots that are very difficult to protect enough to move. (Lupines produce seed pods so your best bet is to collect the seeds). Long tap roots often break and the plants suffer. It’s possible to move them, it is just riskier than other types of plants. Ultimately, if you don’t want the plant or it’s in the wrong place you don’t have much to lose. If you really want to move the plant, go slow and protect as much of the root as possible.
When putting your new plant into its new home, be sure to plant it at the same soil level or slightly above the original soil level. Pack the soil firmly around with your hands – do not use your feet, as your weight can damage roots and compact the soil, which should be avoided. Once watered, the soil will sink a bit. And, I’m repeating myself again, water well and wait. Watering really well at this point is crucial to remove any air pockets in the soil. Roots that are exposed to air will die off. We want to protect all the remaining roots giving them the best chance of recovery.
With a little bit of effort and time (and water!), you can enhance your gardens with more of what you love. Whether that is a Peony from grandma’s garden or a favourite hosta. (Even hostas can be sentimental. I have two in my garden that were developed and named by one of the top Canadian Hosta breeders for my husband’s grandmother.) Collecting seeds and watching them grow can be very rewarding. Dividing plants and sharing perennials also has its own rewards. Regardless of the method used, the end result will leave you surrounded with even more beautiful plants.