An esteemed member of the Association requests that information may be
given on this subject, being desirous of enjoying the pleasure of having
flowering shrubs in his grounds, and finding that it is only
occasionally that he can succeed in raising those received from the
nurseries. In compliance with this request we give the usual methods of
propagating some of our most desirable hardy shrubs, in the hope that
the information here given may prove both interesting and profitable to
many of our readers.
The _Japan Quince_ is one of our shrubs that is very easily propagated
by layers, cuttings of the roots, and seeds. The branches should be cut
with a tongue, as is usually done in layering, and layered sufficiently
deep to be kept moist through the summer, and remain in the ground until
the next spring, by which time they will be found to be rooted, when
they can be cut loose from the parent shrub and set out as independent
plants. The proper time to put down the layers is in spring, as soon as
the soil has become somewhat warmed and settled, and before the leaves
put forth. It may also be propagated from root cuttings. In order to
grow them in this way successfully, it is desirable to prepare a hot-bed
sufficiently large to insure a durable, gentle bottom heat. When this
has been secured the bed should be covered with about four inches of
good, rich, sandy loam, the roots of the shrub cut into pieces about
four inches in length, should be thrust into the soil at an oblique
angle, so as to be covered about half an inch deep at the upper end, and
three inches deep at the lower end, then gently watered with a fine
rose, so as to settle the soil well about the cuttings, and the sash
kept on day and night until the sprouts have made their appearance above
ground, when they should be treated as to heat, air, and moisture in the
same way as any tender growth. Care must be taken with the watering
before the shoots appear, not to apply so much at any time as to
materially reduce the temperature of the soil, or to make it at all
sodden. As the young plants increase in strength they should be
gradually hardened off, and by mid-summer be enabled to endure the
weather without any covering by night or day. They can be taken out of
the frame in the fall, and stored in earth in a box in the cellar, and
set out the next spring in the open ground. They can also be raised from
seed, although there will be more or less variation in the color of the
flowers of the seedling plants from that of the parent. The seed should
be sown in the fall, in shallow drills, and covered but slightly. In the
spring it will germinate, and the young seedlings will require the same
care in weeding and cleaning and stirring the soil as a bed of carrots.
In the fall they should be taken up, packed in earth, and stored in the
cellar until spring, when they should be set out about six inches apart
in rows, and cultivated and cared for until large enough to be set in
their permanent place on the lawn.
The _Plum-leaved Spirea_ is somewhat more difficult of propagation,
though it will root tolerably well from layers, tongued and put down in
the usual manner of layering. But the best way to propagate it is from
cuttings of the green wood in summer. The most successful plan is to
plant the shrub in a box or tub, place it in the greenhouse in February,
and gently force it into growth. When the young shoots have begun to
harden, they should be taken out and set in pure sand in the propagating
bed, over a gentle but steady bottom heat. Here they will soon strike,
and when the roots have been well developed may be potted off into small
pots and treated like any young, tender, newly potted plant. They may
also be grown in the summer from cuttings taken from the shrub in the
open ground, and set in sand over a hot-bed having a gentle bottom heat,
covered with sash and shaded so as to exclude the sun. Considerable
skill and attention are requisite to success in this method of
propagation; there is danger on every hand, danger from too much
moisture, and danger from too little moisture, danger from keeping the
sash shut too close, and danger from admitting too much air, the bottom
heat may be too great, or it may be too little, the cuttings may be
taken too green, or they may have become too much hardened.
The _Chinese Double-flowering Plum_ is propagated by grafting or budding
on stocks of the common plum. It is possible that it might be made to
grow from cuttings in bottom heat, but we have never tried that method,
the process of budding it upon the plum stock being much more
convenient, expeditious, and economical.
The _Purple-leaved Filbert_ is propagated by layering. We have found
that in dry and hot seasons the layers do not root freely, and that it
is often necessary to allow the layers to remain for two years before
separating them from the parent plant.
The _Flowering Hawthorns_ are best and easiest propagated by budding
them upon the common White Hawthorn. The buds take readily, unite
firmly, and grow rapidly. We have not tried the experiment of budding or
grafting these upon our common Wild Thorn; if any of our readers have
made trial of this method of propagating them, it would be very
interesting to know the result.
_Deutzia Gracilis_, a small, slender, graceful shrub, producing pure
white, bell-shaped flowers in great profusion, is best propagated also
by placing a plant in the greenhouse, and setting green wood cuttings in
bottom heat, under a bell-glass; though it is quite possible to succeed
when the bell-glass is not used.
_Deutzia Crenata flore pleno_, comes into bloom towards the end of June.
It is the most showy of all the Deutzias, bearing its hanging
bell-shaped, scalloped blossoms on the shoots of the current season’s
growth, throughout the entire length of the shoot. The flowers are very
double, pure white, splashed with bright rosy pink on the outside, and
literally cover the branches so as nearly to conceal the foliage. This
we have cultivated only from green wood cuttings taken from the parent
plant in summer and set in a gentle bottom heat. We believe however that
it might be grown from hard wood cuttings taken off in the fall and kept
in moist sand until March, and then set in the propagating bed of a
greenhouse with a gentle bottom heat, and also that it might be possible
to grow it from layers in the open ground.
The _Syringa_, or Mock Orange, is very readily grown from layers; from
suckers that spring up around the parent plant; and by dividing the
parent plant itself when it has attained to sufficient size.
_Weigela Rosea_, a free flowering shrub, with showy, tubular flowers, of
a light rose color, blooming in June, is very easily propagated from
cuttings, in a gentle bottom heat, or even under a sash without bottom
heat, in sand; also by layering.
Perhaps these instances will be sufficient to give our readers an idea
of the various methods of propagating shrubs. As a rule most of them can
be made to grow from layers, keeping them layered two years if
necessary; when this method fails, resort must be had to green wood
cuttings and bottom heat.
[Illustration: The Canadian Horticulturist]
=VOL. I.]= =JULY, 1878.= =[NO. 7.=