Earthing Up - An Easy Way To Propagate Many Gardening Plants

Earthing-up is a very simple method of propagating gardening plants and is very similar to layering, but much easier.

It's one of the easiest propagating methods there is and anyone who can use a simple gardening tool can do it with no trouble.

Well, how easy is it?

It's no more difficult than using a gardening hoe or rake. And how easy is that?

It's the easiest way to propagate gardening plants���it's real easy peasy!

You will find this method so easy you will wonder why you didn't know about before.

Ok, how is it done?

Simple! The soil is just drawn up over the plant, covering the lower part of the shoots. After that the plant just gets on and does the rest.

But there is wee bit of preparation work to do first, just a bit, honest.

Just make sure the plant you are going to earth up is healthy and is a vigorous grower.

The younger the plant the more vigorous it is and the better the chance of producing plenty of strong new cuttings.

It is best to thin out the plant first by cutting out any old or dead stems or leaves. If the plant is really bushy and thick thin out some of the healthy stems as well.

You need to thin the plant out enough to allow soil to be packed around all the lower parts of the stems.

Before you draw up the earth over the plant add and mix in some horticultural grit and ordinary potting compost to the soil.

About a third of each will do, one third soil, one third grit and one third potting compost. It doesn't have to be exact.

This will allow good drainage, preventing the plant from becoming waterlogged and yet retain enough moisture preventing the plant from drying out too much.

Draw the soil, grit and compost mixture over the plant using a draw hoe or a rake.

Cover the plant so there is about 7.5cm (3inches) of stem showing above the soil mixture.

Gently firm the soil mixture around all the stems lower parts of the stems, don't compact it, just firm it.

The idea is to make sure all the stems are in contact with the soil mixture.

Water the covered plant well using a fine rose on a watering can, give it a good soaking.

You will now need to draw more soil mixture over the plant, as watering will have settled the soil mixture, making sure to leave 7.5cm (3inches) of the stems uncovered.

Once you have re-covered the plant gently water it again using a fine rose.

All you have to do now is keep the earthed up plant watered in dry weather and remove any weeds as soon as they appear.

When the shoots have produced plenty of healthy, well established roots remove them by cutting the stem, just below the new roots, with clean sharp secateurs.

Pot them up individually and grow them on or plant them in your garden where you want them to permanently grow.

Now is that easy peasy, or what?

More plants-free-for-life!

Ah, but which plants can you propagate by earthing up?

Ok, try some of the following:

Abies (dwarf) Acantholimon Artemisia Azalea Berberis Buxus Lawsoniana Cedrus (dwarf) Daphne Heather Ivy (when grown as ground cover) Lavender Ledum Rhododendron (dwarf) Rosemary Sage Syringa Thyme Veronica Violas (only after flowering has finished, cut all finished flower heads off before earthing-up)

So go on give earthing up a go and start propagating some of your favorite gardening plants the easy way.