Propagation of Herbaceous Perennials 



By William Lamb. 



(Coiiiiiiucd.) 



Each plant, if broken off with a Httle earth clinging- to 

 it, is in condition to commence growing at once. The soil 

 will hold the fibrous roots in a natural position and keep 

 the plants in good condition, long enough to establish 

 themselves in their new quarters. 



When planting pot grown plants, the roots especially at 

 the base of the ball must be loosened and the shoulder of 

 earth at the top taken ofl'. so the advantage of quick pl.mt- 

 ing is in favor of plants grown in boxes. 



Coarse seed, such as Hollyhocks, Hibiscus and strong 

 growing plants are best sowed out in the open ground in 

 spring or fall. 



-Sow in drills about one inch deep ; the rows mav be 

 from one foot, for Papaver orientate, to two and one-half 

 for Hollyhocks, as such plants grow very strong. 



The seedlings must be thinned out where thev are 

 growing too thick : either transplant the surplus or pot 

 them and grow in the cold frames. 



These rows are far enough apart to work with the hoe 

 or wheel hoe and the plants can be left growing until 

 large enough for selling. 



A cold frame makes an excellent seed bed, dig in well 

 rotted manure ; after pulverizing the top soil, work it level 

 with the back of a rake and it is ready for sowing seed. 

 The frame must be level and properly drained and with 

 .glass sash and shades, seed can be given the same care as 

 in the greenhouse. 



The seed may be sown broadcast or in drills about one 

 inch apart, leave a space or lath between each kind of seed. 

 Sow thin enough, so the seedlings can grow until large 

 enough for potting into two inch pots. 



Begin sowing seed in April : these plants will be ready 

 for selling in the fall and the next spring. The seed 

 frame can be kept busy the year round. As seed ripens 

 on the plants, collect and allow it to dry for a couple 

 weeks before sowing. 



Seed is then in the best condition for germinating and 

 the largest percentage of seedlings will mature if sown a 

 couple of weeks after collecting. Seedlings grown out- 

 side, in the frame or seed bed, are best potted until ready 

 for planting out. The weather is less favorable for plant- 

 ing during the summer than in spring, and pot plants may 

 be grown on in the old frames until weather conditions 

 are favorable for planting. 



Seedlings potted in late sumnuT and fall are best kept 

 in the frames over the winter and planted out in early 

 spring. Seedlings too small for potting in fall should 

 be covered with straw or a like material that will not hold 

 moisture, and left in the seed bed, over winter, they make 

 sturdy little plants for potting or planting out in spring, 

 cnxixcs. 



Perennials, such as Lavendula vera. Dianthus, |)luma- 

 rius. Santolina incana. Iberis semperflorens superba and 

 similar plants of an evergreen nature, will readily grow 

 from cuttings in winter. 



A suitable bench in the greenhouse should be filled 

 with clean sand and ])repare<l for cuttings about the first 

 of December. Wood for making cuttings can be taken 

 from the plants named above and many others of like 

 nature as required almost any time during the winter. 



In case of a snowstorm, straw mats or burlap should be 

 covered over the plants, the wood can then be obtained 

 quickly free from snow or ice. During severe cold 

 weather, the tops can be kept in better condition for 

 making cuttings, if covered the same way. 



Cutting wood, especially if frozen, should be given a 

 drenching with water as snnn as it is brought inside the 



shed, before they are made up. This takes all the frost 

 out of them. 



As the cuttings are made they should be put in water 

 until ready for planting in the sand. Cuttings do best 

 if put in the sand a short time after being made, not more 

 than a couple of hours. It is not a good policy to let 

 cuttings stand in water over night and plant them ne.xt 

 morning ; plant them all the same day they are made up. 



Alake the rows one and one-half inches apart and the 

 cuttings three-fourths to one inch in the rows. The 

 sand should be pressed about the cuttings as firm as pos- 

 sible after planting, and then given a thorough watering 

 with the can and rose. 



Shade top cuttings with paper or muslin, removing 

 shades at night. Shade should be put on a little later 

 each morning and taken ofif earlier each evening until 

 cuttings are strong enough to stand without shade. 



Shade should not be used on dull days, except when 

 the light is strong enough to make the cuttings droop. 



The sand in the cutting bench should be soaked thor- 

 oughly with water, allowed to drain for a couple of hours 

 and then pounded firm and level before any cuttings are 

 planted. Careful watering and ventilation will prevent 

 many evils of the cutting bench. 



To keep cuttings from drooping, a light sprinkle of 

 water on top of the shades is better than directly on the 

 cuttings. Water the cuttings when the sand begins to 

 dry and give them plenty each time with the can and rose, 

 so it will drain through to the bottom of the cutting bench. 



When cuttings of perennials begin to grow at the top, 

 usually they have made roots large enough to begin pot- 

 ting into two or two and one-half inch pots, the root 

 growth should be from one-fourth to one-half inch at the 

 time of jiotting. 



Plants that are strictly herbaceous, whose tops die 

 down to the ground, cannot be propagated by cuttings, 

 except from young shoots that spring from the base of 

 the plant. When it is desired to propagate such as Phlox 

 decussata varieties. Chrysanthemums. \"eronica subses- 

 rilis, etc. The stock plants should be dug up and taken 

 inside in early winter. 



The first crop of cuttings will be ready to make up in 

 Januar\-. and others about ever\- two weeks until the old 

 plants are entirely used up for cuttings : what is left can 

 be thrown on the rubbish heap. The first lot of cuttings 

 will be strong little plants in two and one-half-inch pots 

 by .April 1, and all should be large enough for four-inch 

 pots by the end of May. 



Root cuttings require the least care and are easy to 

 make. Usually the roots, or in many cases the under- 

 ground stems of the plants, are cut in two and one-half 

 to three-inch lengths and planted in the sand so the tops 

 are about even with the surface, .\fter watering, the 

 cuttings should show about one-eighth inch above the 

 sand. 



When making root cuttings, care should be taken to 

 keep the tops all one way so they can be put in the bench 

 right end up. Root cuttings do not ret|uire shading like 

 the top cuttings. Some plants grown this way are Ane- 

 mone Japonica and varieties Stokesia cvanea, Papaver 

 orientale. Phlox decussata and Anchusa Italica. 



During late spring and summer, the greenhouse bench 

 or a cold frame, covered with glass sash can be used for 

 growing cuttings. The glass can be washed with mud 

 and water on the inside to aflford proper shade. Cuttings 

 may be gathered from plants in the open ground, when 

 they have grown large enough for this purpose. — From 

 Xational Xurservman. 



