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Seeds
The seeds of any plant are the children of the parent plant. Regular dead heading sends shock waves to the mother plant which then stimulates the production of more blooms thus producing more seed. Each seed contains a young plantlet or embryo but also a rich food substance locked inside its tough protective coat. The amount of stored food enclosed determines the depth at which the seed should be sown for it may use all its food supply before it reaches the surface for light. Sprinkle very small seeds on top of the compost whilst slightly larger seeds should be just under the surface. Although seeds appear dormant they are merely ticking over awaiting the right conditions for growth.
Collect seeds from ripe seed heads on a dry and calm day. Store the dry seeds in envelopes which have been properly labelled and dated. Keep them in a box or tin in the house to protect them from cold and damp. Seeds should be collected throughout the season as your spring and summer plants fade. When sowing your seeds in spring, sow in prepared trays of compost cutting the corner of the envelope to aid better distribution of small seeds.
Division
Mid to late autumn is the time when many fibrous rooted herbaceous perennials can be divided. Dig out the plant and split down the middle using a garden fork, plants such as hardy geraniums, asters, lupins etc., use a sharp knife cautiously to divide hostas and astilbes. Fleshy crowns such as peony, iris and herbs can be split using a lawn edging knife.
Springtime division includes grasses, pinks and carnations, scabious, zantedeschia, trillium and pyrethrum can all be divided after flowering. By cutting back the foliage to approximately 3 inches it will stimulate lateral growth making a bushier compact plant but will also dramatically reduce the shock to the newly divided plant.
Dividing large clumps of spring bulbs after flowering will rejuvenate the bulbs into producing more flowers the following spring; sprinkle a handful of bone meal into the new planting hole before placing in the bulbs.
Larger plants can be divided into as many pieces as you wish and placed around the borders of your garden. You can also swap plants with family, friends and neighbours to increase the variety of plants in your garden at no extra cost.
Cuttings
You can also take cuttings from your plants and shrubs. This can be done throughout the seasons. Please see the ‘In the Garden’ blog on propagation.
Image credit Markus Spiske on Unsplash
