Spring is still a few months away, but that does not mean we can't do some gardening indoors while the ground is frozen solid outdoors. One of the things we like to do for the RainyDayGarden during the Winter months is propagate plants.

In the Spring and Summer, we propagate plants mostly by using rooting hormones and then plant the cutting directly in the ground. We find the method to be both highly successful and requires relatively little maintenance. In the Winter, we start out the cuttings in water and transplant them into pots when they have developed a sufficiently robust system of roots.

There are other ways of propagating plants. One ways is, instead of taking a cutting, to propagate a plant by air layering. The folks at Turkington's Garden have created a product call "Turkington's Rooting Stakes" which makes it possible to root plants easily. It uses the same principles as air layering, but done directly in the soil.

The rooting stakes are made of reed, a natural product. They are treated with a natural rooting hormone and then dipped in an organic starter fertilizer. The idea is that the rooting hormone promotes root growth and the starter fertilizer feeds the roots to get the plants established quickly.

In these economic times, we are always encouraged when we see great ideas sprout. This one from Turkington's is a very clever one. We will give these Turkington Rooting Stakes a try once the ground has thawed. Turkington’s Garden Products is a local startup located in Concord, Massachusetts. We hope their products will take root and spread. We will do what we can to nurture and help them grow. We encourage RainyDayGarden readers to do the same! [Permalink] -Plant propagaton by rooting