It’s a Frugal Way to Make More Plants

Are you looking for a way to increase the perennial plant population in your yard? You can wait until the season is over and divide the roots. Or you could make cuttings and learn to propagate new plants that way. Another alternative is to learn how to do plant propagation by layering stems. You will have new plants in no time.

There are several benefits of learning to propagate plants by layering them. First it’s a frugal way to get more plants for your yard. You only need to purchase one “mom” plant and make many more. You can use it to fill out a pot (like I did with my spearmint) so there is more for the harvest.

Plus you have more plants to share with others. Just be sure you are not breaking any plant patent laws by making new plants for anyone besides yourself. (See Rights Conveyed by a Plant Patent – below)

Best herb plants to use for layering

You are looking for a perennial plant that has long stems. Something like lemongrass or chives, that grow in clumps, are not suitable. Any plant that can be propagated by stem cutting will work. Consider plants like:

• // Mint
• // Rosemary
• // Thyme
• // Oregano
• // Lavender
• // Lemon Verbena
• // Tarragon
• // Perennial chamomile
• // Witch Hazel
• // Curry plant
• // Hyssop
• // Bay Laurel
• // Horehound
• // Lemon Balm
• // Bee Balm
• // Catnip
• // Blackberry, Raspberry (tip layering)
• // Sage
• // Santolina
• // Winter Savory
• // Feverfew

Propagation by Layering Instructions

Choose a healthy perennial plant with stems that are at least 6 inches long. Leave the tip intact and pinch leaves off the stem for about four inches. This is the part that will be underground and make new roots.

Make a one inch trench and lay the stem in it. Secure the stem. I unbent a paperclip, made it into a horseshoe shape, and used that. Cover the stem with soil, tamp it down securely and water well. You want to keep it moist until new roots grow.

After three or four weeks the buried stem will grow new roots. You can cut the stem and pot your new plant into its own container to leave it where it is. That’s what I’m doing with my spearmint plant. I want to be able to increase my harvest and making new plants will do that.

Rights Conveyed by a Plant Patent

Grant of a patent for a plant precludes others from asexually reproducing or selling or using the patented plant. A plant patent is regarded as limited to one plant, or genome. A sport or mutant of a patented plant would not be considered to be of the same genotype, would not be covered by the plant patent to the parent plant, and would, itself, be separately patentable, subject to meeting the requirements of patentability. A plant patent expires 20 years from the filing date of the patent application. As with utility applications, when the plant patent expires, the subject matter of the patent becomes public domain.

There are no special tools required for plant propagation by layering. It is the ultimate frugal way to get new plants for your garden. What plants do you like to propagate?