In our efforts to use every piece of land available it seems a preposterous notion to plant trees that only produce a single type of fruit these days. Instead, growers and hybridizers have been toying with growing different fruits on the same tree - hence the name: Fruit Salad Tree.

Instead of growing a lime tree, a lemon tree and an orange tree and taking up half your backyard, you now have the option to buy a citrus fruit salad tree that may contain all three on the one plant - plus more. It's quite possible that you could also have a grapefruit, tangello and mandarin grafted into the same tree. Or, you could have different varieties of the same fruit - ie, instead of just growing a single mandarin tree, you could have the same tree producing Murcott's, Imperials and Fremonts.

A fruit salad tree is only limited by its size and the tribe of fruit that will grow upon it. For example, while it may seem wonderful to have a tree that grows pineapples, grapes, cherries and mangoes on the same trunk it's just not possible (with the current level of technology) to achieve that. Rather, having one tree grow stone-fruits, one that grows citrus and another that grows pears, apples and nashees is not only possible but already been done.

So, the question that's on your lips now is, "How do they get them on the same plant?" Quite easily. It's a propagation method called grafting that has been utilised for centuries. The gardener starts off with one dominant root stock pruning it to one main leader. Then they graft scions of plant tissue into the trunk which becomes the basis for another type of fruit. Depending on how many varieties you want growing on the same tree depends largely on the size of your initial rootstock and the number of different scion types you have readily available.

While a fruit salad tree is very possible to create yourself, in most cases the hard work has already been done for you if you buy them ready made from your local nursery. However, while you may benefit from the convenience and save time by having a tree that's all ready to fruit you may be limited to the types of hybrids available. If you want your fruit salad tree to your personal specifications then you will have to create it yourself and have access to the fruit trees that you want to graft into the rootstock.

The downside - and there's always a downside - of fruit salad trees is when it comes to pruning. You need to have your wits about you when trimming these plants in the off-season or you might end up cutting off one, or more, of the grafts. Also, ensuring that the tree is shaped well to handle the weight of different fruits or even their cropping yields is another consideration that can't be taken lightly.

One of the main benefits of a fruit salad tree is the ability to grow fruits that produce at different time periods. You may be able to graft an early fruiting variety with one that delivers at the usual time and another that fruits towards the end of the season. This ensures that you have fruit for an extended period of time and you won't end up with a concentrated glut all at once.

So, if your yard doesn't have a fruit tree yet, a fruit salad tree could just be the answer for your garden.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (3)

Can there be anything more exciting for a gardener than to observe the germination process? It's like the optimism scale heads north once a seed begins to show signs of growth. Dreams of horticultural success swirl inside the mind and the intoxication becomes an elixir of hope.

But, how does germination occur? Why do some seeds germinate and others don't? And, how can you be more successful with the process guaranteeing a greater ratio of seeds that "take" than ones that don't?

There's enough sites that can explain the science of germination. What this post will try to achieve is delving into the 'art' of germination - the process of germinating seeds in your own garden shed instead of a laboratory.

What seeds to use for germination?
Germination can happen at anytime within your garden, and often without your consenting knowledge - just check out those drifts of weeds if you don't agree with me. Yet, that hardly seems like an 'art'.

Instead, the perfection of seed-growing starts with the seeds themselves. While one seed looks almost similar to another there are ways to test whether one will have more success over another when it comes to the germination process. Here's a post I wrote earlier about testing seeds.

See, the problem many gardeners can suffer from is planting and hoping for dead seeds to germinate - which, of course, they won't. Yet a few tests will soon prove which seeds are worth continuing with and which ones are only good for the compost heap.

How to start germinating seeds
There are two main waysto begin germination; first is to sow them directly in the soil and let nature take care of the rest. This is certainly the easier of the two but also the least reliable. What happens if the soil is not warm enough? Or, if they're planted too deeply - or the converse, and planted too shallow?

The second method is to plant them in seedling trays or on germination mats
. This gives you the enjoyment of watching the seeds germinate and pop the surface in a much more controlled setting. Plus, it's far more efficient. Because the process is happening indoors, it can start weeks before your soil may be ready but allow you get them in the ground as soon as the new season commences.

How the germination process works
It's hardly rocket science because the process is incredibly simple. For a seed to germinate it must have three factors going in its favour; 1). moisture, 2). a plant medium (soil, seed-raising mix, cotton wool) and 3). warmth. Given all three the seed will begin to swell and then pop out a root shoot (known as a 'Hypocotyl').

The Hypocotyl eventually becomes the stem of the plant which then gives support for the first foliage to appear. Once this happens the seedling becomes almost self-sufficient as it begins the photosynthesis process and no longer relies on the seed for its nutrient.

Once 2-3 leaves have formed the seedling becomes mature enough to be transplanted into its growing position and this process could take a few weeks up to a few years depending on the seed you're trying to germinate.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink

Growing a Grevillea is not a tough proposition but try to propagate them and you'll quickly understand what a challenge this plant can be - especially for the home gardener. It's not that they require such special treatment but the success rate can be quite low and even in commercial settings there is still much that is being learned about these plants. The methods that work for one species does not naturally translate to another.

This can be extremely frustrating or the challenge that you were looking for. Grevillea propagation is not a defined science yet and while there are ways that are proving to be successful experts are still be bamboozled by this species.

At present, there are three main ways to propagate grevillea: grafting, cuttings and seed germination.

Grafting has proven to be the most successful propagation technique by using Grevillea robusta as the rootstock. While this won't work for every grevillea variety it is successful for most. Plus, G.robusta is one variety that grows well from seed propagation.

Cuttings are another option that have a fairly good strike rate. Semi-hardwood cuttings taken at the end of autumn are going to be the most beneficial material. You will need a cutting of around 100mm (4ins) in length. Once you have your grevillea cutting, remove the lower foliage and strip back some of the bark on the stem to expose the living tissue. Then dip this into some very strong root hormone powder or gel - I would recommend the gel - and then place into trays, or pots, of potting mix.

Your cuttings should strike within a few months and hopefully go onto grow into a healthy specimen. If they don't seem to be doing too well then remove them from the potting medium, scrape the stem back again and re-dip into the footing gel and start the process again.

The final, but least successful, form of grevillea propagation is through germinating seeds. The reason this method is not as viable is because the home gardener needs to understand how this process naturally occurs in the Australian landscape. Seeds can often be torn apart by birds and other wildlife, eaten and then scatttered by the same beasts in their droppings or invigorated by smoke in a bush fire scenario.

Just taking a seed and planting it in some potting medium will have very limited success. The seed, which is tough to collect anyhow, needs some pre-treaments if propagation is going to work. These may include smoking the seeds until they open, heating them in the oven or microwave, soaking them in boiling water, or cutting the hard shell exterior to allow the embryo to moisten.

Once all this has been completed you may have to wait anywhere between 8 weeks and 12 months before you can determine whether your propagation has been a success or a failure.

So, while grevillea propagation may not necessarily be the best way to increase your plant stocks at home it certainly is one of the last great challenges that home gardeners have in front of them. If you have the time, and the patience, then this activity may suit you. All the best.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink

Most gardeners wouldn't buy liriopes for their flowers. Dainty and delightfully pasted to a totem resemblant spike, they are fairly insignificant and command an attentive eye to take notice of them. Yet, isn't this one of the joys of gardening - discovering hidden jewels amongst the plethora of flora in our gardens?

For me, it was a spontaneous moment of breathtaking awe. As I spent Saturday afternoon systemically pruning my way around our back yard, I began to tidy around some of our pots. I was disentangling some alyssum from amongst our kalanchoe, which both shared a container with the liriope, when I discovered these beautiful flowers.

I had forgotten that liriopes even flower.

Purchasing them predominantly for their fountainous foliage, I had never even considered that there might be more to these plants than their strappy leaves. Honestly, I was a little surprised to find that it was producing flowers - and not just one spike but multiple emanating from what appeared to be the centre of the plant.

While this discovery was somewhat humbling, I did consider whether this knowledge would have affected my initial purchase decision. Alas, I reasoned that the foliage virtues were far more appealing to me than its blooming prowess.

In essence, liriopes are destined to be noted for their foliage over and above any other feature. And this isn't such a bad thing. Their common names; Lilyturf or Border Grass advance similar notions - and why not? We need foliage plants in our gardens as much, if not more, than flowering extroverts. They create the backdrop for our art-form like supporting actors help focus the attention on our movie prima donnas.

How to grow and care for liriopes

If you're looking for a border plant that won't be exposed to full-sun all day then liriopes might be a wonderful option. They actually prefer part-shade and can even tolerate full-shade locations provided they're situated in well-draining soil.

Liriopes aren't even fussy about fertilisers and can often reside in soil that is far from rich in nutrient base. But, if you want to get the most from these plants then rewarding them with a twice per year foliar spray might just encourage some better growth - and even a peek into their floral producing acumen.

Their watering needs are fairly minimal and they have few disease and pest problems.

Propagating Liriopes

The propagation of liriopes isn't overly onerous either. This plant, like many clumping foliage plants, is propagated by division. Simply lift the plants in late autumn or early spring and tease apart sections ensuring that each separation contains some rootstock. Then situate them back into their growing location or pot out in a well-draining potting mix.

Each plant can be propagated this way each year but you may want to give them a season or two before separating them out.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (3)

One of the many joys of having friends and family who also garden is the oft chance of scoring some plant material to try your hand at propagating. And for most of us gardeners the plant specimen doesn't necessarily have to be one we want in our garden, it's merely the enjoyment of successfully reproducing something.

Fortunately for me, my MIL has been growing a plant that I've wanted to grow in my tropical garden. Plumeria rubra is the common frangipani and has been on my "TO-GET" list for some time. However, I didn't just want to the very common white flowered variety but was more interested in the coral-shades. I had seen frangipanis growing my MIL's garden before but never observed it flowering to know whether it was the correct colour.

On a recent trip to visit the in-laws in Perth, I took a small cutting - certainly not big enough to notice that it had gone missing - and began drying it out. The wound excretes a fair amount of milky sap that can be quite painful if it comes in contact with the skin. This sap needs to stop flowing and the wound harden over before it can be planted out.

Once this process has occurred the stalk can be placed into some potting medium and kept moist and out of full-sun. While it's best to start the process while the frangipani is dormant - during the winter months - it can still be successfully propagated in its flowering season.

TIP: Don't take a cutting longer than 20cm in length and certainly don't pick one that is carrying flowers.

As we head towards winter, this cutting will lose its few leaves and be a bare stick but will regain its crowning glory again in spring. Hopefully, it might even flower but they don't usually within the first two years.

Here's some more info on growing frangipanis.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (14)

If you've read my post on soil-layering then you're already a couple of steps ahead. Air-layering is a very similar procedure but rather than keeping the cut stem below the ground the process keeps it in the air.

It's a very successful technique which can be applied to most of the same plants that can be soil-layered. Read on for how to do it...

Continue reading "Propagating by air-layering" »

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hardwood cutting propagation is similar to softwood cuttings except that the softwood technique uses the soft tips of the plants. Hardwood propagation utilises the harder growth of a plant and is usually undertaken towards the end of autumn or throughout winter.

Hardwood propagation allows you to grow many different plant species that won't work using the softwood propagating technique such as roses, grape vines, and other plants with a twiggy habit.

Continue reading "Propagating from hardwood cuttings" »

Posted by Stuart | Permalink

I really enjoy this type of propagating because it is usually successful but always a minor miracle. Not because I haven't taken steps to ensure the cuttings success it's more a set-and-forget type process than other types of propagating and seems to procure these wonderful results regardless of my intervention.

This technique, like any other propagating technique, doesn't work for all plants but it will work for those that have leggy, pliable stems that grow leaves along them. Practise with some of your shrubs and analyse the results.

Continue reading "Propagating by soil-layering" »

Posted by Stuart | Permalink

There are a few plants that can be propagated from leaf cuttings and the ones that are all have prominent veins. African violets and begonias are great examples of these.

This seems fairly insane that you could get new plants from just sticking a leaf in the ground but it is true and almost as simple.

Continue reading "Propagating from leaf cuttings" »

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (1)

Softwood cuttings are taken from the new green tips of perennial shrubs during their growing season in Spring. It's best to take your cuttings (usually about 10cm) first thing in the morning when they're holding the most water and keep them moist to avoid wilting. Remove almost all of the foliage bar a couple of leaves at the top of the cutting.

Dip the end of the cutting into some rooting hormone powder and then place into a good potting medium. I usually place about 5 cuttings per 200mm pot and then cover it with an a 2L soft drink bottle that's had its base removed. This produces a wonderful greenhouse effect and gives the cuttings a great start. Remember to label and date the cuttings and keep them in a shaded location.

Once the cuttings have taken root (usually 3-6 months) plant them out in to their own pots trying not to disturb their new root ball.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (1)

Clumping plants often require division for their own general health and well-being but one advantage of this practise is that you end up with more plants. This is by far one of the easier and most succesful ways to propagate plants.

To learn how to do it, read on..

Continue reading "Propagating by division" »

Posted by Stuart | Permalink

Seeds are a great way to propagate plants whether they're collected from your own plants or you're starting off some new ones in your garden. The beauty of seeds is seeing something that looks like it has absolutely no life actually spring to life.

I've just planted some seeds in my garden which I posted earlier that are now showing signs of growth. Little green stems are poking their way out of the soil and I'm optimistic that many will survive and grow well.

How do you propagate from seed?

Continue reading "Propagating from seed" »

Posted by Stuart | Permalink | Comments (3)

The cheapest way to get plants into your garden is to propagate them - making another plant from the one you already have (or a friend already has). This is also the defining arena for who is, and who isn't, a gardener.

See anyone can throw some plants in the ground and with limited understanding apply enough water, fertiliser and TLC to it that it can grow with some success. But to grow plants from something you already have instead of picking them up at a nursery - now there's an achievement.

Over the next week or so I thought it would be worth exploring some of the techniques gardeners can employ to propagate their own plants. There's a wealth of information out there but I like to build a reference that's quick and easy to get hold.

I found this helpful site (probably more helpful for Americans than us Aussies) but nonetheless helpful at understanding some propagation techniques for your plants.

Posted by Stuart | Permalink