A List of Plants by Genus / what method of propagation I use Locally and what time of the year (A). Some tips on how to get the right kind of tissue for your cuttings (B), Special Notes on propagation of Lillies (C), More propagation links at bottom of page (E), Books (F).
(A)
Amelanchier / softwood tip cuttings in May / Division in September and October / Layering in October and November.
Aster / basal cuttings in April and May / Division in March and July.
Buddleia / Semi-mature cuttings in June or July / Hardwood cuttings in October and November
Buxus / Hardwood cuttings in September and October
Calluna / Semi-Mature cuttings in August and September / by Layering in March and April
Caryopteris / Softwood Tip cuttings in March and April / Semi-mature cuttings June through August / Hardwood Cuttings October and November
Chaenomeles / Root cuttings in January and February / Layering in March and April / Semi-mature cuttings June through August.
Chrysanthemum / Basal cuttings March through May / Division in July and August.
Clematis / Layering in March and April / Tip cuttings April and May / Semi-mature cuttings June through August.
Cotinus / Layering in April and May / Softwood Tip cuttings in May and June.
Dahlia / Basal cuttings in March and April / Division in April.
Daphne / Layering in May and June / Semi-mature cuttings June through August.
Erica / Hardwood Cuttings in February / Semi-mature cuttings July through September / Layering in October and November.
Hibiscus / semi-mature cuttings in July through September (added August 24, 2003).
Hyssopus / semi-mature cuttings June through September (added August 31, 2004).
Kalanchoe/According to Ken Druse in his book "Making More Plants" Stem cuttings from these plants nead to be left for several days to heal over before being inserted in the rooting medium (Druse, 135). (Added 9/24/04)
Lillies special notes below.
Peonia / Division in August and September / Layering in September through November.
Polygonum aubertii (silver lace vine) Semi mature cuttings from June to September / Hardwood cuttings in October and November / by division in april and august (added 3/20/04).
Rhododendron / Hardwood Cuttings in February / From seed without bottom heat March through May / by Layering in April / Semi-mature cuttings July and August.
NOTE: American Azalea by root cutting, roots from pencil sized to 3/4 of an inch, ground pine bark, peat and perlite, 1/2 inch of cutting above soil line, in pot, in white plastic bag (stake in bag to keep bag from deflating) Leave some water in bottom to be wicked up (information available from book "American Azaleas" by Towe published by Timber Press, Inc., The Hazeltine Building, 133 S.W. Second Ave., Suite 450, Portland, Oregon 97204-3527, USA
Rosa / Root cuttings January and February / by Division in March and April / semi-mature cuttings in July and August / Bud Grafting in July and August / Hardwood cuttings in October or March/
Spiraea / Semi mature cuttings June through August / Hardwood cuttings October and November / by Division in March and October.
Syringa/softwood cuttings in May / I have been assured that you can propagate from semi mature cuttings in July (but I have not succeded yet).
Viburnum / tip cuttings in April and May / Semi-mature cuttings July through September / Hardwood cuttings in February and October / Layering in September and October.
(B)
The easiest way to get softwood tip cuttings early in the year is to pot up a stock plant and take it into a heated greenhouse early in the year. Cut it back to around 2 or 3 inches called stooling or coppicing), fertilize every 2 weeks and in 4 to 6 weeks it should provide plenty.
Take another stock plant give it the same treatment but leave it outside (mulch the pot) and you will have nice semi-mature cuttings in July and August. Later on it will also provide good hardwood cuttings.
The easiest way for an amateur propagator to root cuttings is with hardwood cuttings in a slit trench with a cloche. Take lots of these each with several eye's because you probably wont root more than one in five.
Another method called Mounding or Stool Layering involves coppicing the plant then, after it forms a thicket gradually mound up around the new canes (fooling the plant into rooting higher and higher. When the new growth is 6 inches tall mound to half their length. Continue to mound higher and higher as more new growth apears leaving the top bud or two exposed. The following spring wash the mound away and seperate from the parent plant below each clump of roots, then carefully pot up and baby for a while under shade cloth. This method should work with roses though there are no guarentees. Grafted roses when planted 4 or 6 inches deep often root above the graft and thats basicly what we are doing here. You might experiment on different canes with wounding the node or other part (label each cane with what you did so if it roots better you can do that from then on).
(C)
Special Notes
Lillies
Collection of seed should be done after the capsule containing the seed has turned color from green to yellow and then to a dessicated brown. Failure to wait til the seed is mature could greatly reduce the odds of germination.
There are two types of seed germination differing mainly in the stratification (special conditions) required. Tiger lillies should germinate easily as shown below. In February and March with bottom heat, April and May without.
The soil used in your pans should have a coarse, fibrous mix as a base topped off with a sifted finer mix. The best qualities a seed starting mix should have are good drainage, high water retention and good porosity to provide lots of difuse oxygen. At the same time the mix should not lose these qualities through rapid decomposition (fill container 2/3 with potting soil then 1/6 with sifted vermiculite).
Water must be aplied carefully in order not to float the seed.
Place pots in a propagator in which a bottom heat mat is covered with a layer of sand. After watering the seeds, a one inch (or thicker) piece of styrafoam should be laid over them all together to retain heat and moisture. When seedlings emerge remove the styrafoam and reapply it each day. Water well with a fine rose (a rose is the part of a watering can that breaks up the water). There is little chance of overwatering as the soil mix should not retain any water at all. Fertilizing should commence as seedlings emerge.