Category: Planting & Propagation

Yes, you can plant tulips in spring, but don’t expect a full show of flowers this year. Spring-planted tulip bulbs usually grow leaves only. Real blooms often wait until the following spring, after the bulb finally gets the cold season it needs. So if you just found a forgotten bag of bulbs in the garage, […]

To plant an avocado seed pit, rinse off every bit of fruit flesh so mold has nothing to feed on. Find the flat bottom (that’s the root end) and the slightly pointy top (the shoot end). Then sprout it one of three ways: suspend it over water with toothpicks, wrap it in a damp paper […]

No, you cannot grow a banana tree from a banana fruit you bought at the store. The fruit itself has no seed and no growth tissue that can root. If you want a real banana plant, you need to start from a different part of the plant, not the fruit you eat. Chances are you […]

Growing roses from seed is simple in theory. Let the rose hips ripen fully on the bush, then clean the seeds out. Place them in cold, moist storage for 10 to 16 weeks, a step called stratification. Once that’s done, sow the seeds in soil and wait for them to sprout. That’s the whole process […]

yes, you can grow a pineapple plant from the top of a store-bought pineapple, and it’s easier than most people think. Twist or cut off the leafy top, leaving about an inch of fruit attached. Let it dry out on the counter for a few days. Then plant it in moist, well-draining soil. That’s the […]

You can propagate a snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) three ways: soil cuttings, water cuttings, or root division. Division is fastest. Leaf cuttings grow roots in 4 to 6 weeks in a warm room (70 to 75°F). New leaves take 3 to 4 more months. Striped types must be divided to keep their stripes. Is your […]

The best time to plant mums is in spring, after your last hard frost. This gives roots a full season to grow strong before winter. If you plant in fall, do it at least 6 weeks before your area’s average first frost, following University of Illinois Extension guidance. You buy a gorgeous pot of mums […]

To propagate a jade plant, snip a healthy leaf or stem, let the cut end dry out for a few days until it forms a callus, then set it in well-draining soil. Keep it in bright, indirect light and water only when the soil is dry. Roots usually form within a few weeks. Before you […]

To propagate pothos, cut the stem just below a node, then place that cutting in water or moist soil until new roots form. That’s it. Pothos is one of the easiest houseplants to multiply, and most cuttings grow roots within two to four weeks with the right warmth and light. Propagating pothos is like getting […]