Plant parenting : easy ways to make more houseplants, vegetables, and flowers

“Everything a plant parent needs to take their plant collection—and plant knowledge—to the next level.” —Maria Failla, founder, Bloom & Grow Radio podcast Do you have a passion for houseplants? A desire to grow more tomatoes? Do you want a garden bursting with colorful flowers? No matter what kind of plant fan you are, it’s easy to make more of your favorite plants—and it can be done for free! Plant Parenting is a beginner-friendly introduction to plant propagation. Leslie F. Halleck details the basic tools necessary, demystifies seed starting and saving, and shares easy-to-follow instructions for the most practical techniques. She also provides additional information on controlling pests and diseases and transplanting seedlings and cuttings. Charming, richly illustrated, and accessible, Plant Parenting is for anyone looking to make more of their favorite plants. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 How Plants Multiply......Page 10 Starting with Seeds......Page 14 Vegetative Propagation......Page 19 Understanding Plant Names......Page 29 Materials and Tools......Page 39 Hand Tools......Page 41 Containers......Page 46 Growing Media......Page 54 Rooting Hormones......Page 63 Humidity Domes......Page 68 Capillary Mats and Heat Mats......Page 72 Automatic Propagators......Page 74 Grow Lighting 101......Page 77 Starting Your Seeds......Page 90 How Seeds Geminate......Page 93 Preparing Your Seeds......Page 97 Growing Transplants vs. Direct Seeding......Page 104 How to Collect and Store Seeds......Page 120 Water Rooting......Page 127 Vegetative Propagation......Page 136 Where to Start......Page 138 Stem Cuttings......Page 141 Leaf Cuttings......Page 160 Offsets......Page 176 Pseudobulbs and Bulbils......Page 184 Underground Propagules......Page 188 Simple Division......Page 201 Common Pests and Diseases......Page 208 Techniques for Eliminating Pests and Disease......Page 213 Graduation Time......Page 220 When to Bump Up Your Plants......Page 223 How to Bump Up Your Plants......Page 232 Graduate to the Garden......Page 236 Resources......Page 242 Supply Sources......Page 243 Additional Learning......Page 245 Photos and Illustration Credits......Page 246 Acknowledgments......Page 247 Index......Page 248 About the Author......Page 257 **“Everything a plant parent needs to take their plant collection—and plant knowledge—to the next level.” —Maria Failla, founder,__Bloom & Grow Radio__podcast** Do you have a passion for houseplants? A desire to grow more tomatoes? Do you want a garden bursting with colorful flowers? No matter what kind of plant fan you are, it’s easy to make more of your favorite plants—and it can be done for free! is a beginner-friendly introduction to plant propagation. Leslie F. Halleck details the basic tools necessary, demystifies seed starting and saving, and shares easy-to-follow instructions for the most practical techniques. She also provides additional information on controlling pests and diseases and transplanting seedlings and cuttings. Charming, richly illustrated, and accessible, is for anyone looking to make more of their favorite plants. In this beginner-friendly introduction to plant propagation, Halleck details the basic tools necessary, demystifies seed starting and saving, and shares easy-to-follow instructions for the most practical techniques for cutting, layering, dividing, and more. She also provides information on controlling pests and diseases, and transplanting seedlings and cuttings. -- adapted from Amazon.com info A hardworking, step-by-step guide to the easiest, most affordable techniques for making more plants—houseplants, vegetables, flowers, and more.