Propagation Of Your Plants

Propagating By Seed

1. You can use small fiber pots, seed trays, and pot makers to start your seeds.
2. Each type of pot has its advocates, experiment with what works best for you.
3. Something that holds moisture well, but also drains well is important, and sterile medium to prevent damping off or other fungal and disease problems. Special starting medium is widely available (my local green house uses coco fiber with good results).

A few sources to understand how to propagate your plants.

• Taking Stem Cuttings
• Asexual Methods (cuttings, layering, divisions)
• Ten Best Articles (and more) for Starting From Seed
• Seeds, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
• BBG Seed Starting Guide
• Seed Starting 101

All-Important Moisture

Seedlings need constant moisture, but not drowning.

It always seems that early spring is filled with so many things to do. A self watering mat is ideal for someone like me, it keeps the moisture available for the critical time that new seedlings must not dry out or get waterlogged. It might be useful for vacation time for my indoor plants, too.

I am really sold on water retaining granules, too. Add these into the soil for both indoor and outdoor container plants OR buy a soil mix formulated like Miracle Grow Moisture Control. I buy bags of it every year for my container pots.

Soil Moist Granules are what you want if using your own soil mix, and desiring to give additional moisture retention.

Grow Lights

If you use grow lights, keep the lights three (3) inches above the seedlings so plants grow to be sturdy and compact- or “thrifty” as gardeners like to put it. If relying on the sun from a window, be sure to turn the plants every once in awhile.

Handy Calculator Tool for grass seed

• Many helpful pages listed for seed starting Making seed pots, germinating and expert advice

Other Propagation Tips

Make your own seed tapes:

1. Using plain newsprint, make one inch wide strips of paper.

2. Concoct a glue with a ratio of 1/4-cup water to one-cup all-purpose flour.

3. Dot the seeds with the flour-water glue to stick them along the center of the newsprint strips. Space evenly: the recommended amount of space listed on the seed packet is the measurement to use.

4. After the glue dries, roll up each strip and store each in a sealable plastic bag. Silica packets are handy or use one tablespoon of salt to keep dry. Place the seed tape into the seed packets marked with the plant name.

5. Store in a cool place until spring planting time.

6. After local frost dates, you can plant your seed tapes: Place each strip seed-side-up in rows an inch or two deep. Cover with soil. Water. That’s it!

-via gardenplace

Best Planting Dates for Seeds – Look up your area’s ‘Best Planting Dates’.

Botanical Interests sprouter

Winter Sowing

Have you heard of “winter sowing”? The practice of germination for seedlings during winter’s cold, giving a head start on the growing season.

How do you do that, you ask? By creating miniature greenhouses out of easy- to-obtain materials like plastic milk jugs or liter soda containers.

This is the ideal method for seeds which require “pre-chilling” or stratification, hardy, or even half-hardy seeds.

I singlehandedly write and run this site and others (see my author page). Enthusiastic gardening since 1974 and before -if you count me working in my mother’s and grandfather’s gardens. Ordering through my Amazon links helps to support my writing.
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Best Seed Sowing Sites:
The Seed Site