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Summer Plant Propagation
By
Vincent LoVerme
 If you have ever propagated a plant
successfully, whether from seed, a cutting, or any other method, you know the
incredible feeling that comes with it. I'll never forget when as a child I rooted leafless stem
cuttings of our family fig tree. What a feeling of pride and accomplishment as
I watched them push new leaves and start to grow.
Plant
propagation is the process of reproducing plants. It is divided into two major
types: sexual propagation and asexual propagation. Sexual propagation is plant reproduction from seed. Asexual propagation is plant
reproduction from vegetative growth such as leaves, stems, and roots. It consists
of cuttings, grafting and budding, layering, division, and micropropagation.
Although
we buy most of what we sell at Oliver Nurseries, we still do some propagation
in order to provide our customers with plants that are more difficult to obtain,
or that we sell in large quantities. Timing is important depending on plant types, with summer being a prime
time to take herbaceous, softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings. Many herbaceous plants, shrubs, and
even trees will root more easily than you think.
Here's
a quick step-by-step process to propagation via stem cuttings. First,
collect your cuttings with sterilized pruners. Prepare your cuttings by making them about 2-4" long. Strip some of the lower leaves and
reduce the number of leaves to 2 or 3, depending on leaf size. Large leaves can also be cut to reduce
size if necessary. Make a nice
clean cut on the bottom and in some cases wound the stem in one or more places
to promote root development. Some
plants require additional rooting hormone applied to the stem. Second,
stick your cuttings in a suitable rooting media. Your mix might consist of one
or more of the following: peat moss, perlite, sand, bark, and vermiculite. I've found that many plants will root
readily in a 50:50 mix of peat moss and perlite. Moisten the soil beforehand. As soon as you've stuck your cuttings, water them in to be
sure you have good stem to soil contact. Third, the key to
producing roots is to keep the leaves moist. This can be as simple as putting them in a shady spot out in
the yard and misting them several times a day, or as involved as using a mist
system in a greenhouse. Keep in mind ideal soil temperatures should be
approximately 70-80F.
 Doing a little
research to see what's worked for others is always a good idea. A good source for woody plants is The
Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation by Dirr & Heuser (Timber
Press, second ed. 2006), and for herbaceous plants, Steven Still's Manual of
Herbaceous Ornamental Plants (Stipes Publishing, 1993).
With any luck you'll have roots forming
within a couple weeks, or it may take as long as a couple months. Don't be discouraged if you're not
successful the first time. Plant
propagation is a learning process accomplished by trial and error. Good luck, and enjoy your new
babies. Maybe someday you'll be
able to point to that big mature specimen in your garden and say as you're
bursting with pride, "If you can believe it, I propagated and grew that
myself from just a cutting!"
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What's Wrong with my
Dogwood?
By
Scott Jamison
 This was the most frequently asked
question we heard at the nursery this summer. The answer is dogwood anthracnose,
caused by the fungus Discula destructiva. Although it is a disease that was first
reported on native dogwood back in 1983, its spread and prevalence has
increased in recent years. This season has been particularly bad due to the
unusually wet weather we experienced this spring and early summer.
The fungus attacks the newly developing leaves in
early spring causing the foliage to develop black spots that often spread to
the edges deforming the leaf and eventually causing the leaf to die. From there
the disease can spread into the twigs causing whole branches to die and in the
most severe cases can spread into the main trunk which causes cankering. That
may eventually cause the death of the tree. Dogwood anthracnose thrives in
moist conditions and usually affects the lower branches or the shady side of
the tree first, as these remain wet the longest.
The question that always followed the first was, "Is
there anything I can do to control it?"
As is the case with most disease problems, good
cultural practices are the best method for limiting the spread of anthracnose.
Proper location of the tree is perhaps the most important. Dogwoods are a
native of the woodland and prefer a site with filtered sun. Avoid areas with
dense shade or intense afternoon sun. Provide a generous layer of mulch over
the roots avoiding contact with the trunk. This keeps the roots moist and cool
but also protects the trunk from lawn mowers and string trimmers. Water the
trees during times of drought and avoid wetting the foliage. Prune and remove
dead branches as they appear and remove the fallen foliage in the autumn, limiting
the over wintering of spores which can cause infection the next season. Light
fertilization in early spring to maintain a healthy tree is also advisable.
Even with the steps outlined above, it may be necessary to apply a fungicide
spray in early spring just as the buds break and you start to see green at the
tips of the branches. Follow up with two or three more applications at 10-14
day intervals to achieve complete control.
This might seem like too much of a chore, but there
are few trees as beautiful as a healthy dogwood in full bloom.
If
you are looking to plant a dogwood next spring we will have a new selection
called Cornus florida
'Appalachian Spring' which seems to have an almost complete resistance to
anthracnose. Time will tell!
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 Ferns, Ferns and More Ferns
If you love ferns now is the time
to shop at the nursery. If you don't love ferns, now is the time to let us
convince you what a great ornamental addition they are to your garden. Our
selection is at its apex this year. We have more than 22 varieties, from
tried-and-true classics like Japanese painted fern to the rare low-growing
Himalayan beauty Adiantum venustum.
The Dryopteris collection is
particularly large right now and includes Dryopteris
filix-mas 'Linearis Polydactylon' and Dryopteris
dilatata 'Recurvata.' To compliment this collection, landscape designer
Melanie Fox, the resident fern expert at the nursery, will present a free
program called "Beyond the Painted Fern" at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, September 19th,
to introduce people to this genus, its major and minor players, as well as how
to use them in the garden. No reservations are necessary. With a few
well-chosen companion plants, a fern garden can be a spectacular and deer
resistant addition to any property. For more information, call the nursery at
(203) 259-5609.
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 Fall Hours: September to Mid-November; Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
For more information visit our Web site at www.olivernurseries.com, or call us at 203-259-5609.
Image in header: Detail from Spring, engraving by Bruegel. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dick Fund, 1926.
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