How To Make A Propagation Box

When frost threatens and the growing time of year comes to an end , many gardeners desperation at having to deplume up and discard their preferent frost - sensible annual . But , alternatively of convulse these colored plants onto the compost muckle , many of them can be overwintered by learn root word cutting . practice this nerveless , DIY multiplication box , made from an honest-to-god drawer , to settle down lots of cuttings of your favorite annuals . Once they ’ve imprint roots , airlift them out of the boxful and pot them up into plastic or ceramic pots , and enjoy them indoors until spring arrives when you could plant them outside again .

What You’ll Need

Step 1

Use the cordless exercise to make three to five 1/2 - in drain gob in the bottom of the draftsman .

Step 2

occupy the drawer with the potting mixture , removing the air pocket by gently tapping the drawer on a flat surface a few times . It should be filled to within 1 inch of the top flange .

Step 3

Gather eight to 10 theme cuttings . Use the pruning shears to snip off a terminal portion of the stem of whatever constitute you ’d like to propagate . Each cut should be 2 to 3 inch long and have three to five leave-taking . glean the cuttings quick so they do n’t dry out out . Jessica Walliser

Step 4

overstretch all the leaves off the cuttings with the exclusion of the top - most one . Then , dunk the bottom column inch of the cutting into a bottleful of root hormone .

Step 5

Insert the bottom of the internal secretion - dusted cutting into the potting commixture in the drawer , ensure the stain is in firm inter-group communication with the root word . duplicate until all the cuttings have been insert , spacing them about 3 inches apart . Water your cuttings in with a gentle stream of water from a watering can or hose .

Step 6

Slide the entire drawer into the wry - cleaning bag , and then collect the open end of the old bag in your hand and fasten it close with a twist tie . attempt to keep enough tune inside the pocketbook to keep it from collapsing onto the tops of the cutting . If necessary , you may prop the handbag up by enter pencils or skewers into the soil to hold the plastic bag up off the plant tops .

Step 7

Place your propagation tray in a cheery window , but keep it out of direct sun to keep from burn the cutting . The plastic base keep the humidity high , so you ’ll only postulate to water the cut from time to time , but verify the potting grime never dries out . Take the drawer out of the bag to water it , but then return it to the bag immediately after .

Do n’t worry if the remaining foliage on each cutting yellowness and dies off . This is not a big deal . Within four to six weeks , the cutting will have acquire a whole new stem system . Give them a blue-blooded towboat , and if there ’s resistance , the root system is growing well .

Step 8

Once the roots are formed , remove the plastic bagful and extend to regularly water the propagation tray . When the cut are between 6 and 12 weeks erstwhile , moil them out of the drawer and repot them into 4 - inch pots , using new potting mix . Continue to uprise your new plant as houseplant through the wintertime months and then step by step move them outdoors next leap , when the threat of Robert Frost has passed .

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