How to Make Your own Plants

This section tells you how to propagate plants by dividing, layering, sowing seeds or taking cuttings. Propagation is an inexpensive and very satisfying way to increase your stock of plants and will help you to learn and appreciate much more about the way in which plants grow.

The cost of buying plants at garden centres and nurseries seems to have increased dramatically over recent years, however by propagating your own plants you can save money and even make money by selling your new plants. Raising plants and selling them for charity is now a very popular method of raising funds and anyone can do it if they have the time and can follow a few simple steps.

Sowing Seeds

Sowing seeds is the simplest method of growing new plants. Seeds can be brought direct from shops, garden centres or ordered from seed catalogues or via the internet. However, the cheapest and most satisfying method of all is to collect your own seeds once flowers heads have died and set seed. You can even try your hand at cross breeding your own plants, which is not as difficult as you think, and allows you to create something different.
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Propagating Plants by Division

This method of propagation is one of the quickest, easiest and most successful ways to increase your stock of plants. However, not every type of plant can be divided and it is usually only suited to plants that have a tuberous, rhizome root system or ones that form bulbous roots. Because this method involves dividing established plants, the new plants will have the vigour and maturity of the parent plant and so can usually grow-on and flower in the same season.
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Striking Cuttings

Taking cuttings is not always the easiest method of propagation and can often result in failure if growing conditions are not strictly followed. However, large quantities of uniform plants can be generated quickly and because the cuttings are taken from mature parents, they can flower earlier than plants grown from seed. There are several methods of taking cuttings, including root cuttings. Different plant types require different source materials and growing conditions.
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Layering

If you find that taking cuttings does not work for a particular shrub or plant then try the layering method. This method takes a little longer to root but can more successful because the new plant remains joined to the parent plant, so it is unlikely to shrivel and die during the rooting process. And again, because the layered cutting is taken from a parent plant it will flower earlier and retain the same characteristics as the parent.
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