OverSixty April 2023 Digital

OVERSIXTY.COM.AU | ISSUE 4 | APRIL 2023 23 LIFESTYLE Did you know? Cuttings are dipped in cutting or rooting powder to encourage the productionand even distribution of roots."is also helps the cuttings form a callus and shortens the time taken by the plant to root. You can use honey as an alternative to cutting powder, as it contains amino acids and growth factors. Smear the base of the cutting with a small amount. with a coarse mix of one part potting mix to one part river sand. Place the tray in a warm, semi-shaded position. • Wait until young plants form at the base of each leaf in a few weeks. When they’ve used up the nutrients provided by the leaf, trans- plant into a potting mix for succulents. Stem cuttings Aeoniums, cotyledons and kalanchoes prop- agate easily from stem cuttings. • Remove the stem from the parent plant with secateurs and place in a shady spot for about a week so the stem can form a callus, which helps prevent rot. • Plant in a pot using a potting mix formulat- ed for succulents or directly into the ground. Propagating your plants will save you a great deal of money and o%ers an immense sense of satisfaction Photo: Getty Images LIFESTYLE the pot and cover it with clear plastic, ensur- ing the plastic doesn’t touch the plants; or cut large, clear soft drink bottles in half and upend these over the cuttings. SUCCULENT CUTTINGS It’s easy to increase your supply of succulents by taking leaf or stemcuttings or planting o$- sets produced by the mother plant. Leaf cuttings Many succulents, such as gasteria, sedum, pachyphytum, graptopetalum and echeveria can be grown easily from leaf cuttings. • Remove the leaves from the stem so they come away cleanly with an almost-sealed end. Stand upright in a shallow tray !lled Plant offsets O$sets are small plants that develop from the parent plant of echeverias, aloes, agaves and sempervivums. "ese can be detached and replanted. • Remove the parent plant and o$sets from the pot or ground. Pull the o$sets from the parent plant or cut o$ with secateurs. • Plant the o$sets in a pot using a new pot- ting mix formulated for succulents. Or plant directly into the ground. ROSE CUTTINGS If you have a favourite rose or have been admiring a neighbour’s, then you can easily replicate it with cuttings. Take the cuttings from April to July from the current season’s growth. • Take 2-3 cuttings 250mm long with at least three leaf sets on the stem, cutting above a bud at the top and below a bud at the base. Remove the leaves, leaving 1-2 at the top. Dip into cutting powder. • Plant in a 150mm pot !lled with propagat- ing mix. Keep moist in a shady spot. In late spring, pull the cuttings. If there is resistance, roots have formed. Transplant to a larger pot and plant next winter. SAVE SEEDS Collecting and saving seeds is a rewarding pastime and you’ll be able to produce lots of free plants with very little e$ort. Only col- lect seeds from open-pollinated, not hybrid plants, to produce the same crop next year. • "e time to collect seeds varies from plant to plant, but watch for the %ower to die or the fruit to ripen. Store all harvested seeds in dark, airtight containers. • Save seeds from plants with dry recepta- cles such as a pod or husk, including lettuce, beetroot, beans, peas, radish and many an- nual and perennial %owers. • Seeds that mature in a dry receptacle can be left to ripen on the bush. Harvest them as they dry, then gently roll the receptacle to open it and remove the seeds. • Plants with seeds that tend to fall to the ground should be harvested as they ripen. "ese include carrot, parsnip, lettuce and some annuals. • Pull the whole plant out before all the seeds are ripe and leave to ripen in the shade on top of a piece of cloth, or hang in a dry place with paper bags over the seed heads.