Gardening for Amateurs 



Increasing Hardy Plants by Root Cuttings 



T! 



increase of hardy herbaceous 

 perennials from root cuttings is a 

 practice of which gardeners do not 

 make enough use. Nature is repeatedly 

 reminding us of the fact, and has been 



The Burning Bush (Dictamnus Fraxinella) ; it is 

 by root cuttings. 



doing so for years, but we are slow 

 to avail ourselves of her lessons. One of 

 these is that numerous herbaceous plants 

 can be readily propagated from small pieces 

 of roots. Who among us has not transplanted 

 the Japanese Windflower, the Dropmore 

 Alkanet, or the Oriental Poppy, lifting pre- 



sumably every piece, yet has not the follow- 

 ing year found the plants growing again in 

 the same positions. This is conclusive 

 evidence that plants can be increased from 

 root cuttings. We flower-lovers ought to 

 experiment and find out 

 if other plants that we 

 find difficult to propagate 

 can be treated in this 

 way. A fair number of 

 perennials can be readily 

 increased by means of cut- 

 tings made of the thicker, 

 fleshy roots ; this is due 

 to the formation of buds 

 on the roots. When any 

 difficulty occurs in the 

 propagation of a plant by 

 the usual means, it is 

 worth while trying some 

 other method, such as by 

 root- or leaf-cuttings. 



When and How to 

 Take Root Cuttings. 

 The seasons of the year 

 best adapted for the in- 

 crease of herbaceous plants 

 from root-cuttings are in 

 autumn, after the plants 

 have flowered, and in 

 spring. Sometimes suffi- 

 cient roots for the purpose 

 can be obtained by digging 

 round the plant, in others 

 it is better to lift the 

 latter, shake the roots free 

 of soil, and cut all the 

 thickest roots off, leaving 

 only sufficient to enable 

 the parent-plant to start 

 into growth again when 

 planted. Three inches is 

 a good average length for a cutting, should 

 plenty of roots be available, though pieces 

 an inch long are generally successful. 

 How to start the growth of the roots is 

 the next question. The roots of Anchusa, 

 Crambe, Anemone, and others will grow if 

 dibbled in prepared beds of sandy soil out 



readily increased 



