Tip of the Week: Fall propagation

One of the easiest ways to propagate perennials is by taking root cuttings. Although the primary function of a plant's roots is to take up moisture and nutrients and to anchor the plant in the soil, roots also have adventitious buds on their surface that, under the right conditions, can give rise to new plants.

The best time to take root cuttings is from early fall to early winter, when the plants have built up nutrient reserves for next year's growth and are going dormant.

Not every perennial lends itself to this method, however. These are the best candidates:

o Acanthus spp.

o Anchusa azurea

o Japanese anemones (Anemone xhybrida)

o Siberian forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla)

o bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.)

o globe thistles (Echinops spp.)

o sea hollies (Eryngium spp.)

o ligularias

o Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale)

o garden phlox (Phlox paniculata)

o primrose (Primula spp.)

o rudbeckias

o Stokes's aster (Stokesia laevis)

o �� verbascums

Read how to take root cuttings of perennials this fall

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