| The best time to
collect root cuttings is during the dormant season (late fall
through early winter). As you dig around the plant, try to disturb
it as little as possible. Look for roots that are ¼ - ½ inch in
diameter. Each cutting should be long enough to have at least four
buds (they will look like small bumps, or may actually have
rootlets growing from them). Root cuttings grow best in warm soil,
so if you collect them during the winter bury them in moist sand
and keep them at 40 degrees F until spring.
To plant the cuttings, dig a hole and
place a cutting in it horizontally. Cover it with soil so the root
cutting is one inch below the surface of the soil. Do not over-
water, or it will rot; if planted in a reasonably moist area, they
should be fine on their own. Root cuttings can also be planted in
trays or pots, and then planted out after they develop leaves and
the root system fills the pot. |
|
Native plants that
propagate well from root cuttings:
|
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