Propagating is both fun and cost saving. There are several different propagating techniques including grafting and layering, but the two I mostly use are planting seeds and taking cuttings.

Planting seeds is the most common way many gardeners propagate plants, usually by using commercial varieties of seeds. More and more gardeners are using seed saving techniques to gather the seeds from the plants in their own gardens (or nearby gardens) and use these seeds for next years plantings. There are many benefits of saving seeds including, preserving unusual or heritage plants, developing plants that have been acclimatised to your particular garden and, of course, saving money.

Cuttings are another easy way to propagate plants by taking small pieces of existing plants and placing in a suitable growing medium (usually a good potting mix or seed raising mix but this can vary according to the plant) and letting them develop roots. Once the roots have developed and the plant is growing and healthy you can plant it out in its final position. Depending on the plant you either use softwood (still green and pliable) or hardwood (brown and stiff) cuttings. Some plants, such as grapes, strike very easily and quickly while others may take weeks or months.

Sometimes you will get a very poor strike rate and many of the cuttings will not grow. Don’t let it get to you! Remember, all it cost you was a bit of time. I usually put in lots of cuttings at the same time and then just pick the strongest growing ones, that way you almost always get enough even if something goes wrong.

Shown here are examples of both seedlings and cuttings. The plants on the left are seedlings from a pomegranate in a nearby house that has very sweet fruits. In the centre are a number of grapevine cuttings from some new vines I planted earlier in the year and finally there is another seedling that I think is a custard apple, but I’m not sure. My mistake for not labelling them! Oh well, time will tell. 🙂

We have a some additional land next to our block under the powerlines which is very under-utilised. We also have a friend who is a keen Aloe grower but who has virtually no backyard. His yard is filled to overflowing with Aloes and succulents.

View from outside the Greehouse

Through the Door and into the Greenhouse

One day he said to me, “Mick, would you be interested in letting me put a greenhouse on your vacant yard to grow some Aloes? I would buy the materials, you could provide the space, we could put it up together and share it.”

Well, I thought about it for, maybe, half a millisecond and said, “You betcha!“

As it turns out, he has the lions share of the space but that’s ok because it’s a massive 4m x 20m! and we have the steelwork for another 10m section.

I now have a greenhouse where I can grow out-of-season fruits and vegetables and propagate plants, he and his dad come down and look after the aloes and chip in for the electricity and water that’s used. There is less to mow on the block and everybody wins “Yay!“

Ginger and Avacado growing in the Greenhouse

Aloe seedlings

If you would like to see more of his Aloes you can go to www.rarealoes.com

Well, the summer growing season is well and truly behind us now and a few weeks ago we picked the last of the grapes. The chooks thought it was a great idea and gathered round to feast on the fallen. The grapes were a little past their best but that didn’t worry me or the chooks! 🙂