Plant propagation can be done from seeds, cutting, division, layering and grafting.
Sharing cuttings is an easy way to share plants. Some plants root extremely easily, while others can take time, and some never root. Some gardeners are better at propagating than others, and some are much more patient than I am. My new friend in Mississippi, Carol, is a whiz at propagation.
She roots things in a variety of ways. A lot of cuttings she roots in water.
Many gardeners like to do that so they can see the progress. I have usually preferred to root in soil. That hails back to my college days. Roots formed in water supposedly were better adapted to water than soil, but I saw no problems in Carol's plants. Everything she transplanted into soil flourished.
She also had some unique propagation chambers. She used simple plastic storage boxes that were clear with a solid top.
She would stick cuttings in a variety of things--soil, water, and oasis (the stuff florists use in floral arrangements), then watered everything, then put them in the storage bins in the shade outside, sealed. It made its own rain cycle and kept the plants moist. When they got bigger, they moved up to larger pots and open air. She also had a greenhouse, so her work and the storage of hundreds of plants could be achieved.
It reminded me of the cardboard boxes lined with aluminum foil that Union Co. MG Barbie has showcased.
The main difference was light source. Barbie used a lightbulb to keep it bright, while Carol just went with ambient light outdoors--no direct sunlight or the plants would have cooked. I was quite impressed with her collection of Green Giant arborvitaes that she rooted in oasis. They were lush with new top growth and strong roots.
Right now is a great time to collect seeds from many plants.
Dogwoods root easily, but the seeds do need a cool, moist storage period called stratification. Simply remove the red outer pulp,
get a ziploc plastic bag with moist sterile soil and put the seeds in.
Label and date the bag, then store the sealed bag in your refrigerator for a few months, then plant. Many seed bearing plants that live in temperate areas need this stratification before they will germinate. They would get it naturally outdoors in the winter months, but you can easily reproduce it with a refrigerator. Some seeds, like magnolias have a hard outer shell and need scarification and stratification.
Take some sand paper and rub the seeds, or lightly scar them with a file, or lightly tap them with a hammer. Don't smash them or you will ruin them. Once they have been scarred--scarified, then give them the cool, moist stratification process. After that, they will germinate--see why you need patience?!
No one can know the specific requirements for what each plant needs for best propagation practices. There are a lot of propagation books out there, but with the aid of google, if you know the name of the plant, you have a wealth of information at your fingertips.
Division is the easiest method and is the most common used with many perennials.
Perennials that bloom in the spring or summer can be divided now as they are going dormant. Everything from hostas, to daylilies, coneflowers and black-eyed Susans can be divided now. I like to use a serrated bread knife when cutting through the root balls. Fall flowering plants or winter bloomer like hellebores should be divided in the spring. My hellebores are all putting on lots of new foliage with even a rare bloom on one. Now is a great time to clean them up--removing any damaged leaves that may be lingering from the growing season.
This will give them a fresh green look, but dont divide them as they begin their growing season.
As the weather is getting cooler, if you have found a new favorite coleus, or other bedding plant, you can take cuttings now and root them. That is preferable to digging the whole plant up and moving it indoors.
Coleus in particular, are easy to root, but you do need to keep them alive all winter indoors. I use a zip lock plastic bag over the pot I am rooting in to create a little greenhouse environment so I don't have to remember to water as often. Once they are rooted, just give them a bright window and don't forget to water. A coleus in Carol's yard came from a cutting she took in Biloxi.
The plant has a mix of colors on it, with some plants having red, yellow, and green,
while others are just green and yellow and others are red. We have no idea of the variety, but we might just name it Carol! If you know the name, send it my way. Try your hand at propagating, and pretty soon you will have so many plants, you will have to share with friends. Or find a friend (like Carol) who is already propagating, and you can get some of her extras!