Propagation of Plants

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20231, 15 February 1934, Page 6

Propagation of Plants

A Garden Corner

'J'HE MAJORITY of plants are readilv increased from <=ecd. but this is not the quickest method of reproduction. Some plants, such as Gloxinias, Begonias and certain species of orchids, are fairly hard to grow from seed. Other seeds, such as Cannas. require soaking in hot water for several days, as the outer shell is so hard. Then again, there are those seeds like Nelumbium and the Sacred Lily of the Nile, whose seed shells ate so hard that they are usually filed to help germination. The more usual and quicker way of propagation is by means of cuttings taken from a parent plant. Cuttings can be divided into two classes, namely, softwood and hardwoOd. As examples, Violas Fuchsias, Geraniums, Dahlias, Chrysanthemums and Catmin belong to the former, while Ericas, Manukas. Aucuba, Laurels, Privet and coniferous trees form part of the latter. Cuttings of certain plants, such as Begonia Rex, Bertolonia, Echeverias and Streptocarpus, can also be raised by pegging down full-grown leaves. T. D. LENNIE.