Plant Propagator's Bible
With her reader-friendly, easy-to-follow directions, a veteran horticulture teacher demonstrates all the ways to cultivate new plants—whether from seed or cuttings or with techniques such as layering, grafting, and budding\ Creating new plants from existing ones is one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening. But to many, the idea of propagating plants seems like a feat that only the most experienced gardeners can master. The Plant Propagator's Bible strips away the mystique and makes...
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With her reader-friendly, easy-to-follow directions, a veteran horticulture teacher demonstrates all the ways to cultivate new plants—whether from seed or cuttings or with techniques such as layering, grafting, and buddingCreating new plants from existing ones is one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening. But to many, the idea of propagating plants seems like a feat that only the most experienced gardeners can master. The Plant Propagator's Bible strips away the mystique and makes multiplying plants easy even for the novice.Drawing on her many years as a horticulture teacher, Miranda Smith explains the natural process and conditions in which plants grow and reproduce, and shows gardeners how to use these systems to propagate any plant that grows in their garden or greenhouse—or even on their windowsill. The book features:• an A to Z directory of more than 1,000 individual plant species—with appropriate propagation techniques for aquatics, ornamental plants, houseplants, shrubs, trees, vegetables, and wildflowers• "What Can Go Wrong" advice for each type of plant, explaining potential problems and how to prevent or fix them• detailed, step-by-step illustrations and annotated photographsIncluding information on essential tools and equipment, this is an indispensable addition to every gardener's bookshelf.
Introduction 6How to Use This Book 8Tools and Techniques 10The Propagator's Tool Kit 12Hand tools 13Equipment and supplies 14Soil mixes 16Propagation equipment 18Starting From Seed 20Seed characteristics 21Flowers and seeds 22Starting seeds 24Leaching 26Soaking 28Scarification 30Stratification 32Light 34Dark 35Relative humidity 36Temperatures 38Carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) levels 39Life cycles and growth / characteristics 40Saving seeds 42Pollination 44Harvesting and cleaning 46Storing saved seeds 48Treating seeds to prevent disease 50Working with hybrids 52Dividing Established Plants 54Good digging 55Dividing plants with fibrous root systems 56Dividing plants with fleshy or woodycrowns 58Dividing suckers 60Dividing plants with rhizomes 62Dividing plants with tubers 64Dividing plants with offsets 66Dividing plants with bulbs and corms 68Scoring, sectioning, scooping, and coring bulbs 70Scaling lily bulbs 72Cuttings 74Types of cuttings 75Greenwood cuttings 76Softwood cuttings 78Semiripe cuttings 80Hardwood cuttings 82Conifer cuttings 84Cane cuttings 86Leaf petiole cuttings 88Leaf vein cuttings 90Upright leaf cuttings 92Monocot leaf cuttings 94Root cuttings 96Layering 98Tip layering 100Simple and serpentine layering 102Air layering 104Stooling or mound layering 106French layering 108Dropping 110Grafting 112Grafting with rootstocks 114Whip-and-tongue grafting 116Apical-wedge grafting and saddle grafting 118Side-wedge grafting 120Approach grafting 122Four-flap grafting 124Side-veneer grafting 126T-budding 128Chip budding 130Grafting a cactus 132Plant Directory 134Glossary 180Hardiness Zones 183Plant List 184Index 189Credits 192
