SUCCESSFUL GROWING
Adapted in part from LearnToGrow.com
Planting
Dig holes or beds wide, not deep
Lightly amend heavy clay or sandy soils with organic matter
Gently remove plants from containers, keeping the root ball intact
Loosen potting soil and roots around bottom and edges of root ball
Plant level with surrounding soil, spreading roots outward
Fill around roots with lightly amended native soil
Cover the area with leaf or bark mulch 1 - 3 inches thick but not piled up onto the plant's stem/trunk
Water deeply to establish

Watering
Fast-growing herbaceous plants require more attention to watering than woody plants
When possible, water in the morning to avoid promoting diseases from night watering
Water slowly and deeply when plants begin to wilt and do not perk up at night
Watering twice, a few minutes apart, helps water soak in deeper
Soaker hoses and trickle or "drip" irrigation are very efficient and water-conservative
Never overwater, or you may cause root problems
In dry climates, form a soil "ring" around plants to hold water longer
Pruning
Tall or leggy plants may be cut or pinched back to stimulate strong new growth
Cut or pinch stems of flowering or foliage plants just above leaves or old leaf joints
Thin excess growth so remaining growth will be more vigorous
"Deadhead" - remove faded flowers or seed heads to stimulate new flowering growth
Remove dead, faded, or diseased foliage as needed
Remove some foliage during transplanting to reduce stress on new roots
Clean up plants at end of the season to reduce pest/disease buildup and keep area neat
Avoid putting diseased plant parts in the compost, or risk spreading diseases later

PROPAGATION
Methods include sexual reproduction from seeds and asexual propagation from a variety of methods including: stem, leaf, and root cuttings, root division, layers & suckers, air-layering, budding, and grafting.
Propagation from Seed
Collect seed from mature plants early in the season to avoid seed-borne disease
Place seed in labeled envelopes or containers (include year that seeds were collected)
Store in a cool, dry place indoors. Sow seed of perennials such as coneflowers, coreopsis, and others in the late summer or late spring, keeping them moist and giving them enough time to sprout and grow roots before extreme cold or hot weather
Refrigerate seed if long-term storage is desired
Propagation from Stem Cuttings
Take leafy cuttings from new growth, a few inches long
Strip or prune off bottom leaves, leaving three or four at the top
Insert into moist potting soil or water.
Place in bright but indirect light
Cover with a plastic "tent" or cut-off soda bottle to retain humidity (not Really necessary in our climate)
Keep moist, not wet
Notes Some annual cuttings root readily in water; follow all the other directions
Dipping cut ends in rooting hormones gel or powder may increase propagation success of semi-hardwood cuttings like Hibiscus, Schefflera, Arelia, and Philodendron; and hardwood cuttings including Bougainvillea and Ixora.
Propagation from Leaf Cuttings
Leaf Cuttings: Leaves of Kalanchoe, Sedum, Echeveria, Begonia Rex, Peperomia, and African Violets placed on moist sandy growing medium will sprout babies Sansevieria, Gasteria and Drimiopsis can be propagated by using an entire leaf or by planting leaf sections.
Propagation by Division
Divide clump-forming perennials such as hosta, daylily, iris, sedum, phlox, and most ornamental grasses in the late fall or late winter into individual plants, each with a piece of stem, crown (body), and roots
Sow seed of perennials such as coneflowers, coreopsis, and others in the late summer or late spring, keeping them moist and giving them enough time to sprout and grow roots before extreme cold or hot weather
Some perennials, including sedum and phlox, root readily from stem cuttings taken in summer
Keep newly-propagated perennials moist, not wet, and cover the soil underneath with mulch to protect roots from weather extremes and to reduce competition from weeds
Fertilization Most plants need a regular "diet" of all-purpose plant food, either specialty (labeled for your specific plant type) or a generic N-P-K (nitrogen - phosphorus - potassium) Fertilize early in the plant's growing cycle - spring for summer plants, fall for winter plants
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