Have two plants that I really want more of so got busy yesterday and did some dividing and multiplying. The first one I tackled was a heuchera Snow Angel. The place where I had gotten my two plants had more than doubled their price on them and they were smaller than my original purchase. After exploring how to multiple heuchera on YouTube I was ready to give it a try. I modified their method which was to pull the entire plant and make it into cuttings. My favorite Snow Angel heuchera ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) I decided to take cuttings and leave the parent plant. This is my attempt for you to see the inside of the plant. You might notice several more of the leafed stems that I did not take. I left enough of the parent plants that you can not tell they had been snipped. After looking at the first heuchera I got last summer I will probably have pull the entire plants next year. The plants stems on each node do seem to elongate and get rather ratty looking. The following is a picture of the dozen starts I got. Not much to look at now, but none wilted, so hopefully will root and flower next spring. Yes, take each stem cutting back to just two or three leaves. I will leave these well watered, sitting on the ground(for higher humidity) in full shade. If they start to wilt I will put a clear cover (plastic salad container) over them. Base of heuchera ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) A dozen starts ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Next on the to do list was to multiple the double primula. I had read that this is a heritage primula that was rediscovered and brought back into production by laboratory cloning. It is the second best primula I have grown. (I have another that has survived my neglect for 30 yrs so it's Número Uno) Belarina Cream Primrose (tagged: primula acaulis) ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Each plant had multiplied from its base and all were thick and lush looking. In the following picture you can see where it has two sections of the plant. On these plants each section had developed roots. I used my gardening knife (an old serrated edge kitchen knife) and gently sawed the plant in two between the growing points. I was careful not to disturb the soil on the larger side of the plant that would remain in the same spot. (Hopefully my guarantee plant if errors should occur.) On the side that got removed I took off many or most of the leaves from the base to conserve plant energy and replaced it in the bed in another location. I will keep this shaded bed well watered over the next several weeks as the cuttings establish themselves. Primula to divide ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Slightly expanded primula bed ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Hopefully next spring I will have double the number of primula in my woodland garden and a cascade of the snow angel's.
I think I'd be scared that I mess up the plant. But it looks like you have a steady hand... and good game-plan. I'd be willing to bet that all of starts will take and we'll be looking at full beds next year. Congrats... and good luck!
Very nice Jewell. So I notice that there are little sticks near a few of the babies. Have you placed them there intentionally? Is that how you mark them to keep an eye on them?
Barb, they are for dog training the sticks and brush are in all the beds. They are placed to keep the dogs from running through and playing in the new beds. Our doberman's could quickly squash all the new bedding plants with their playfulness or create their own shortcut paths where I didn't want them. The brush deters the dogs and over time the brush gets either covered by plants or starts to decay (usually in a few seasons). This bed was created this last winter/spring so the branch is turning to twigs and the dogs are now used to using the paths....kind of. I have seen Ciara take a flying leap over the entire bed as a shortcut when the dogs are playing tag. My yard is small enough and I am so obsessive keeping track of plants is pretty easy (with only a few exceptions).
Just a follow up on the starts. Excellent success with all primroses 100%. All the original plants and some of the new plants bloomed again. I can already see where I can get new plants next spring after they finish blooming. That appears to be the perfect timing. Primrose bed. ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) Primrose ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden ) The heuchera were not as successful. I did get two nice starts, and five possibles. Not the success rate I had hoped for. I think the timing needs to be earlier in the spring prior to their blooming. Will give it a try starting cuttings again next spring. I would like them in the place of planting impatients in one area. Only two heuchera formed multiple leaves ( photo / image / picture from Jewell's Garden )
The baby primroses look great. I would be interested to hear if starting the heucheras' earlier makes a difference. BTW the photo of that heuchera, above is gorgeous. I love the variegated leaves.
