I certainly do. I have propagated boxwoods, lavenders, hydrangea, dogwood, succulents, creeping thymes, hostas and many more. I do semigreenwood propagation, or airlayering, seeds of course, divisions.

Ianna

I divide all my favorites so I have more next year. Basically any perennial that I like. I don't do seeds though or root cuttings.

I absolutely propogate my beloved Chelone lyonii (pink Turtlehead) bush. I love it and have added 7 new shrubs to my gardens from small prunings, alone. I shovel prune the new shoots, which emerge a couple inches or so from the mother plant. As long as I have a piece of root, they keep growing, with no sign of distress.

I also divide lilies, iris, peonies and hostas - which were designed to share. (lol)

I don't have a lot of experience with propagating but have had great success with sedums. This year I'm trying zinnias by seed and so far, so good with those. One day I will have a greenhouse (do you hear that determination?) and I plan on doing a lot more then.

Lilyfinch, I finally got a Walker's Low catmint this year as I had heard so much about it and I'm extremely pleased with it. Soon after I bot it I wished I had bought a dozen of them - it really took off! I want a lot more so will propagate it - I think one can take stem cuttings and root them. Also by division and I'm really pleased with how mine has grown so I might be able to divide it before long.

I've only propagated garden plants by division altho with houseplants have airlayered and taken cuttings of everything I could.

I do some divisisions in the spring. Hostas, tho, seem to be divideable almost any time and are easy to propagate.
am going to try to divide my creeping thyme.
I propagate by seeds with some plants...zinnias readily grow this way, cosmos, sunflowers.
When I retired from teaching in 2009, my husband and I built a greenhouse where almost all my plants were started, beginning with seed geraniums on December 22.
They are beautiful right now..my favorite is Ringo Red.

I learned a lot and had a lot of fun.

I normally don't find the time to do a lot of propagating, but once in awhile I will get a chance to. I have winter sown seed that I've collected from my favorite plants and seed I've traded for. I divide a lot of plants. I've taken cuttings and rooted them in water and set up a propagating box for other cuttings. As a matter of fact I did that again about a month ago. I wanted some extra chrysanthemums of varieties that have wintered over for me well. I also grabbed a few cuttings of lantana, hydrangea, boxwood and hollies. The chrysanthemums surprised me. I hadn't tried those before. Wow, did they root easily. In just a couple of weeks they had roots and I repotted a couple and left the others for another couple of weeks. When I went back to check them, they had a root system that needed a 4" pot. I was very pleased. The lantana and Hydrangea rooted too, but the hollies and boxwood didn't. I've rooted them before but I think it is a timing thing. I'm going to try them again.

For someone wanting to try it, I bought a semi clear plastic box with a solid cover. I suppose a clear box with a clear top might work better. I mixed sand and peat moss and put about 3 inches of it in the bottom of the box and using rooting hormone on them I stuck my cuttings in without letting them touch each other or the sides of the box. I dampened them and put the cover on and left them alone. I just forget about them and put them in a shady spot and they're on their own. I did check them a couple of times. The first time I checked, I had two small rose cuttings that had furry growth on them, so I pulled them out, but everything else was okay, so I left them. If I think of it, sometimes I take the cover off to give them some fresh air for a little while. I put it back on if they start wilting. That's it. I want to try some more. I'm going to try the boxwood and holly again and some sedum.

PrairieMoon..why not make air/circulation holes in the box top like one would do for wintersowing? Wouldn't that work?
Did you use a powdered rooting compound(Rootone)or liquid or gel? I was browsing on one of the flower catalog websites the other day and they had videos on propagating plants and I noticed them using liquid rooting compound but showed the other types. Tried to see what name of it was but they had the label turned away from the camera. Tried to find it on their website/catalog but couldn't. Maybe somebody can interject with their experience. She poured the liquid rooting compound into a bottle cap and dipped the cutting into it. Seems like it would be a lot easier and less mess than powdered compound.

pippi, I suppose it would work to put some holes in the top. My top was thick and I don't remember actually thinking about whether to put holes in it or not...lol. I have used the box, as is, without the holes a few times and have not had a problem with mold or algae, except for those two rose cuttings. Maybe it has been my choice of cuttings, or the high percentage of sand with a very minor amount of water used or the depth of the box which gives the plants a lot of headroom. I think my goal was to do something that was quick and easy and wouldn't require too much monitoring and with no holes it doesn't loose moisture. I have been able to leave it and forget it. I have been very casual with my efforts, not really 'needing' the plants but more of an interesting experiment, so I wasn't concerned if I lost them and surprised when I ended up with plants. I've left them in high light but no direct sun.

I used a powdered rooting material. It might be called Rootone? I've had the same bottle for about 3 years and still have 3/4 of a bottle left, so I don't propagate too often and it lasts awhile.

You can use any rooting hormones but use the appropriate one for the kind of stem you are propagating. For example soft greenwood requires a different strength hormone than a woody stem or a semi greenwood stem.

I normally take semi-greenwood 5-6 inch cuttings. I strip off the leaves except for 2 or even just one for any stems that have too many leaves. For a growing medium, I use a sterilized soilless mix. Using a pencil, I would poke a hole in the mix; take the stem cuttings, dip them briefly in water, then in the root powder, shake off the excess and then insert them in the mix. Once you've done all your propagation,add a layer of sand to discourage fungus, and then create a humidity tent by covering these up with clear plastic that's been perforated. This is a way to propagate during the warm season.

To propagate stems during winter, it's best to take hardwood cuttings. Cut them on an angle near the leaf node. Strip off the outerbark to expose a greenwood layer. Dip in water and then again dip in the powder mix. and then insert in the soilless mix. You will need to leave the container in a cold frame all winter long.

Another method is to take a long 6-7 inch wide strip of black plastic, line them with moistened sphagnum moss and then lay down each stem wood cuttings that's already been dipped in root hormones, and roll up the plastic, tie the roll and stand a small container to hold water. This is a way to create more plants when a lack of space is an issue.

I use this sure-fire method of propagation. It's called the "plastic" method. I go to a nursery, pick out plants and whip out the plastic!

I haven't done a whole lot of propagation but this year I did some wintersowing and set up a seed starting area in an upstairs bedroom. I also plan to take the time to dig up and divide many, many perennials later this year.

I'm going to bookmark this post to make sure I can always find all these great ideas. I've never done cuttings but would eventually like to delve into that area too. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

I propagate anything that will essentially set out roots without help- ivy geraniums, pelargoniums, and brugmansias. I have been considering trying my gold duranta, since I can't find them locally. I'll let you all know if I have any success.
Renee

I'm enjoying reading everyone else's techniques. Interesting ianna, how do you know when something is 'semi green'?

thyme2dig, I try that method sometimes too. lol

hosenemesis, I love easy to root plants. Especially ones that set roots in water. I do that with coleus and Angel Wing Begonias. I don't have enough sun in the house in winter for pelargoniums but I've done scented pelargoniums. I like to start something that I can winter over in the house without too much effort and scented geraniums fit that bill.

semi green state is when the stem is turning into a woody state but it still is very flexible. You see at this stage the stem is not prone to wilting, and it is able to absorb water better. The advantage of using such stems is that the plant easily roots in this form. Oh I should have added in the previous description of the method, that you need to make your cut just below a leaf node. It's this leaf node that later converts to producing roots. Without it, the stem won't root. You can utilize this method for roses, clematis, boxwood, hydrangea, etc.

greenwood style propagation is used for such things as geraniums, mums, etc. stems would need to be slightly shorter. The difficulties with this technique is that one needs tokeep the stems well moistened to prevent wilting. In greenhouses, they mist such plants a number of times in a day.

I am a big fan of propagating via cuttings. This year I have successfully multiplied my agastache Blue Fortune, salvia nemorosa Caradonna, several Loniceras, echinacea Pink Double Delight, artemisia ludovicana Silver Queen, boxwood, several types of cornus.

Right now I am rooting my favorite heuchera Frosted Violet and 2 different types of philadelphus, hydrangea petiolaris and also sedums, which are wonderfully easy to root.

For rooting cuttings I use a home-made propagator (I read about it on the GW), made form a clear plastic container and filled with 1:1 mixture of peat and perlite. In the middle of the box there is a small clay pot (the drainage hole is sealed) filled with water. Water seeps slowly through the walls of the clay pot into the mix, keeping the moisture level ideal for cuttings.

Brugmansia is the easiest plant I have to propagate. I just put cuttings in a bucket of water and they always root. I have given away so many cuttings. I have also rooted hydrangea cuttings and finally have had success with the oakleaf type. Right now I am trying to grow yellow clivia from seeds. I'm hoping for the best! "The seed is hope, the flower is joy"..I like that anonymous quote that I found on seasonalwisdom.com Teresa O'Connor's blog!

Wow i cant thank you all enough for the help in understanding how it works. I think tomorrow ill set up some containers and start my catmint, i really have big plans for that plant! Lol
I like that quote as well iris! Should be a winter sowing motto!

iris, I`m impressed! Oakleaf hydrangeas are hard to propagate - at least I failed in my attempts.

Brugs are very easy to propagate. It`s a tropical and any tropicals easily regenerate from cuttings. When I lived in Asia, all I did to propagate hibiscus was to take cuttings and stick them in the soil without much else to get to it going.

kiskin -cardonna sages can grow faster from root divisions done in spring. I have the plants too.

Absolutely - I am a bit of a Puritan and to me planting out only bought plants and calling it gardening is like using only packet cake mixes and calling it home baking. Fine if you are in a hurry but nothing like the same sense of satisfaction. Especially if you have a large garden, producing your own plants is really a no-brainer. Seed, cuttings, layering, division - that's what gardening is all about. And usually it's nothing like as complicated as people fear. After all what have you got to lose by trying? Lilyfinch - if you look under your catmint plants you may find they have already done the work for you by layering themselves.

I agree with flora - although I must say I like to use packet cake mixes ;0). My first ventures into propagation were not successful but in time, I got it and improved on my techniques. When I was growing up, I couldn't buy plants from garden centres because most times I won't find them there. The garden centres in my hometown were homegrown and so choices were very limited. I relied instead on asking neighbors and friends for cuttings. I had to learn to propagate my own garden.

Even now, when I propagate I don't except 100% success. With boxwood I hope for at least 50% survival. So i take as many cuttings as I can, propagate them and hope for some success.

several years ago I go 2 cuttings from a friend's gardenia. when I got home - I stuck one outside in the ground - took the other and did all the "right" things with rooting hormone etc - guess which one lived??! Yep - the one I just stuck in the ground. But I get on trying - love to be outside playing in the dirt!

my hostas just popped up in the last week or so...this weekend i am dividing, dividing, dividing! Early spring propogation of hostas is perfect because everything is small and they take so easily at this point in their life cycle. I usually seperate into 5-6 inch clumps which allows plenty of room for growth and achieves a 'full' plant effect as well! add compost if your soil is clay and some mulch around the plant (but not close to the base)...easy and lovely in your shady areas!

Lilyfinch, did you ever propagate your Walker's Low catmint? I did in 2011 when my plant was a year old. I took many stem cuttings, used rooting compound, and put them in potting soil. Despite my neglect as I am not always at home most of them rooted and are now full size plants. I hope to do more as I love this plant. I now have more than a dozen plants from that one small one I bought 4 years ago.

Absolutely,i propagate,sow from seed,etc.If there's a way to do it I will try it.
Kathi

Lucky gal ,
I don't remember if I did ! I know I divided them and I wish I had some now ! Hoping to find some locally soon. It really is just so pretty with roses and I love the scent !

In a word, yes :).

Annette

The most fun in the whole world for me is to get a seed to germinate or a cutting to take. Here is a recent picture of my "first ever" hosta propagation. The parent plant was a little thing that I got at the beginning of last summer. By the end of the summer it was big enough to cut off very small pieces with roots; only 1 eye so had to cut pieces. Overjoyed that the parent plant and the 2 babies have just come back up, and after the worst winter in many yrs. I donâÂÂt want to give the name as it is patented; these started off as copies âÂÂfor insurance purposesâ but obviously I no longer have that excuse. Great thread - helps me not feel so crazy.

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