Gardening Tips
from Loretta & friends  Allium heads going to seed. Photo by Charlotte P.
Easy Allium Propagation!
Notice the tiny balls covering the head of an allium? As the season progresses, they go from green to brown. Each ball is filled with an amazing number of tiny black seeds which begin to split open. When the plant gets to this stage, cut the stem, leaving about 2 inches of stem on the seed head. Stick the head with the short stem into the ground wherever you want more alliums. The plant knows when it wants its seed to go into the ground, so put the seed head in either just before they split or when the balls actually split. The longer you wait before putting the seed into the ground, the weaker (less viable) the seeds become, which supports the theory that a plant knows what's best. Using seeds, you will not get allium flowers in the spring, but rather seedlings, and then flowers the following year. It can take 12 weeks, and sometimes up to a year before germination. Winter does not harm the seeds. Somehow, they survive cold and snow. Contributed by Charlotte Pollock |
Photo from anniesannuals.com
Sedum propagation
Take cuttings from a healthy sedum plant and remove the bottom few leaves. Place in a clear container with water and some soil and put near a window. Once it roots, plant it in a pot of soil and water it well. Cuttings can also be planted right in the ground as long as they are in a well drained area. Sedum love to be in water in the beginning, but once a healthy plant starts, they can be planted anywhere. The more sun they get, the more color they have! Contributed by Mary Compagnone & Marion Kirohn 
Download these helpful PDFs for your gardening needs:
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