An Instructional Guide
Planting and Propagation
Those new to gardening and wondering about the best time to plant or transplant a Japanese miniature garden should keep in mind that plants kept indoors or in a greenhouse can be planted or transplanted to an indoor mini-garden any time, however, mid-summer should be avoided. Beginners are more likely to achieve better results by sticking to the standard planting seasons. Planting seasons may vary depending on the plant and the prevalent conditions.
The best time is during the cooler early autumn or late spring months. This is because the frost can affect the plants at a time when they are the most susceptible. The following is a guideline for specific types of plants:
- Plant rock plants or alpines during spring or autumn.
- Plant bulbs in August or October.
- Plant succulent plants in spring.
- Roses grow well if planted in early spring or autumn.
- Plant pines, cypresses and spruces in autumn.
- Plant conifers in autumn or spring.
For those who stay in more temperate climates, planting season can be extended to the winter months.
What is Propagation?
Propagation is the procedure of increasing the rate of birth of certain plants. Most people find this procedure extremely profitable. Besides being an interesting procedure, it also saves money as it reduces the cost of buying new plants. New plants are “born” by taking the seeds or cutting a small piece from the healthy parent plant and nurturing it with special attention and care until its own roots start developing. Most plants are easy to propagate but there a few exceptions that require a lot more care and attention in the “nursery stage.”
Stages of Propagation
The three main stages of Plant Propagation are:
Seeds:
Seeds can either be collected or bought. Apart from the seeds of various plants, you can also take the pips, stones and seeds of trees like cherry, plum, apple, conifer and orange and plant them in seeding compost when they are ripe. By soaking them in water for about 24 hours you can help germination. According to the natural growth and size, sow the seeds at a certain depth and distance apart. It is not advisable to sow the seeds too close to each other. Larger seeds like chestnuts and acorns can be planted fairly deep and well spaced. Smaller seeds like those of the conifers can be sown fairly shallow. The very tiny seeds or the near invisible seeds need not be planted at all. Instead they can be sprinkled over the surface soil.