But don’t despair: there is a solution. Stop paying extravagant prices for plants and grow them yourself.
There’s no reason why you can’t stock your garden for free, simply by dividing your existing plants or taking cuttings.
Years ago, that was what everybody did. Most plants can be propagated (multiplied) with ease. Some techniques are almost foolproof, even for complete beginners; others are more complex, but the gardening expert John Cushnie believes that almost all are realistic options for the amateur gardener who’s prepared to accept a few failures along the way.
Here are some of the methods he recommends to increase your planting stock this autumn:
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Division
“Though the majority of herbaceous perennials are best divided in spring after the soil warms, agapanthus and hostas are best done in the autumn,” Cushnie says. “The method is the same for both: take them out of the pot or earth and, using a sharp
spade, saw or knife, cut down through the roots. Discard the old woody centre piece and pot up all the outside bits. The soil should be free-draining but moisture-retentive. And both like to be fed regularly.”
Layering
Layering works well with clematis, rhododendrons and Virginia creeper. “The method is simple: bring a branch to the ground, ‘wound’ it, secure it in the ground, cover it with soil and leave it to its own devices, apart from a little watering in dry spells. The next year you’ll have a sizeable plant ready to plant out. The new plant is feeding off the main plant all the time; as it develops, it is still attached to its parent by an umbilical cord.”
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Scaling bulbs
Bulb propagation is a skill that has almost been lost, but Cushnie says it’s simple. “People don’t know how easy it is to propagate lilies by scaling. You peel off the scales (or skins, just like peeling layers off an onion), making sure each scale has a base portion attached. You then dust the scale with fungicide and store it in a clear polythene bag until mini bulbs form at the base. This takes up to 12 weeks. The scales can then be half-buried in compost, kept in a cool greenhouse and planted out the following year. All you need is patience.”
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Cuttings
There are three types of cuttings: softwood cuttings, taken when wood is still soft in May and June; semi-ripe cuttings, taken from August through to early October; and hardwood cuttings, taken from October onwards.
For a beginner, the best plant to take a cutting from at this time of year is clematis Amandii, which roots like a dream. Dipping the base in hormone rooting powder will encourage roots to grow; it can then be put in compost, moistened and placed in a propagator or covered with a clear polythene bag and placed on a well-lit windowsill (but not in direct sunlight) to develop.
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Mound layering
Mound layering is really effective with woody plants, such as blackcurrant and dogwood, and is a process to begin in winter. Cut a healthy shrub to within 45cm of ground level; the following winter, prune it again, this time to within 2.5cm of the ground. When new shoots start growing in spring, heap loose topsoil around them to form a mound, leaving just the tips exposed. Continue “earthing them up” until late autumn. The new shoots can then be cut away from the parent plant and potted separately.
Seeds
The most obvious way to grow plants for free is simply to collect seeds from other people’s plants, put them in the ground and let nature take its course. This will save you a small fortune, but Cushnie reckons the key motivation should be “the joy of literally growing something from a seed or cutting”. For him, that’s nothing short of magic.
John Cushnie’s How to Propagate: Techniques and Tips for over 1,000 Plants is published by Kyle Cathie