With only a few exceptions, the tools you will utilize when you are propagating are a matter of personal choice. This being the case, what this portion of the series covers, is the kinds of choices that are available to you as a propagator.
CUTTING TOOLS: The one item that is essential is a good sharp knife or exacto/razor for taking cuttings, and preparing plants for layering and grafting. You will probably start with an old kitchen knife like I did. This is fine, but be certain that it is as sharp as possbile. Clean cuts can be the difference between success and failure when preparing plant material. When you cut into plant material, a ragged edge will leave tissue that dies, rots, and introduces mold, lessening your chances of success. In addition, an improper cut may destroy the vascular organs (veins/arteries) of the material, rendering it incapable of sucking up moisture, and destroying any chance of it surviving.
I use an exacto blade exclusively for doing cuttings and layering of soft plant material. They are relatively inexpensive, and when they get dull, I just put in a new blade, instead of sharpening a knife. I use a heavier knife for making cuts into woodier subjects, and a very tough old butcher knife, sharpened regularly, for cutting through the tough crowns of plants like Salvia, Veronica and Ornamental grasses.
As you become more advanced in your new gardening hobby, you may find that you want to use professional blades. I won't attempt to describe all that is available, as there are specialty knives, blades, scissors, pruners and saws designed specifically for just about every task you will ever come across. These professional tools are nice luxuries for the hobby propagator, but you can get along fine without them. The only professional blade I use in my business is a grafting knife, as it is designed to make the perfect cuts necessary for this task a lot easier. Professional tools may be a little difficult for you to find at your local garden center, but they are readily available mail order from many different sources, should you feel you need them.
Other cutting tools that you may want to have on hand are: Heavy duty scissors for taking cuttings quickly in the garden (You will have to recut the stems with a knife later) and for removing foliage. Pruners/secatuers for the same purpose, but for heavier material, and a small pruning saw, for removing small branches and the like when preparing specimens for grafting.
DIBBLES AND WIDGERS: These obviously British terms are words for simple tools used to make life a little easier. A "dibble" is a tool used for poking holes into cutting soil. It is similar to an awl, but larger. I have several of these, made from dowels with one end rounded off and a handle screwed into the other end. Before you run out to the garage to make one though, I should tell you that I never use mine. It seems that the one mother nature provided (my finger) is always easier and faster to use, and it never gets lost. I think the only reason I have them is that my hubby likes to make gadgets. A pencil would work equally well.
The "widger" is simply a term used to describe a small spatula like tool used to dig out seedlings and rooted cuttings and help position them in pots. This is another little nicety that is handy, but not necessary. A number of things can be used for this, like a small screwdriver, the handle end of an old spoon, or a crochet hook (the crochet hook idea was courtesy of Marvgard. Thanks Marv!:=). I don't use one. I do use a pair of hobby tweezers for positioning tiny seedlings, but I've always found my fingers faster for transplanting, probably because that is the way I was taught when I used to work for a greenhouse grower. It is simply a matter of what feels comfortable for you.
TWEEZERS AND HEMOSTATS: I mentioned using tweezers. The tweezers I use aren't like the ones women use to tweeze their eyebrows, although those would be fine too. Available at hobby shops, these are extra long, with a curved blunt end. There are little ridges on the inside to make holding onto things easier. If you know what hemostats are, they are similar to them, but they don't lock into place. I use tweezers for positioning tiny seedlings in pots, and for moving seeds around when sowing them. They are another tool that is handy, but not really necessary. I also have a pair of hemostats that I use to lock onto seeds that need to be scratched or nicked before sowing (like Morning glories). They just keep them from jumping out of your fingers while you are working. Hemostats are expensive, and I wouldn't recommend buying a pair, but if you already have some, they can be useful.
GRANITE GRIT: Granite grit, or Chicken starter grit as it is sold, is something I just started using a couple of years ago, but I wouldn't be without it now. It is simply small white granite chips (about the consistancy of coarse cat litter) that is sold for chicken farmers to feed to chicks for digestion. The reason that professional propagators use it is that it allows light and water to percolate through it, while preventing the growth of fungus, mold and moss because it dries quickly. (Actually, it isn't as good at preventing moss as it is mold and fungus) When sowing seeds, it is used, instead of soil, for covering the seeds. When inserting cuttings, it is used as a dressing around the cuttings for the same reasons. I also use it as a top dressing for those plants that do not like moisture around their crowns. (I'm into alpines and rock garden plants, and a lot of those are like that). As a bonus, it is a very attractive mulch for your potted plants, and soft bodied creatures like slugs and snails hate it. It is normally sold in 50 pound bags, which will last you for a long time, and the average cost is between 5 and 7 dollars a bag. It should be readily available at the nearest animal feed store, or ask your favorite garden center to find you some, but be sure to get "starter" grit, as there are larger sizes available that are not appropriate for our use.
ROOTING HORMONE: A commercial concoction, consisting mostly of a fungicide, with which to dip your cuttings into. Although some people don't use it, it is my one concession to non-organic products. It is available in three different strengths, the least powerful is for softwood cuttings, the second for easy woody subjects and the third for very difficult woody subjects. The one readily available at the garden center is the one for softwood subjects. The other two may be available if you ask for them, but be prepared, they are hard to find in anything but huge portions, and they cost an arm and a leg. The bright side is that with proper storage, they will last a long time. Most beginners start with softwood subjects, so purchase a small amount of this and practise with it before moving on to the big boys. Then try to get your local greenhouse to sell you a small portion from their can. The most commonly avaliable brand name for rooting powders available in the US is Rootone.
In the last couple of years, the industry has introduced liquid dips that do the same thing. I haven't investigated these, and cannot advise you on their use, but it may be that they are easier to use than the old powder standard.
A few of my hardcore organic friends won't use rooting hormone because it is not organic. Instead, they soak the cuttings in a preparation of willow leaf tea for 24 hours before inserting them. To make the tea, place several cups of willow leaves and green wood (the more the better) into boiling water. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pan and leave until it cools. They swear by it, but I honestly cannot say one way or another as I've never tried it. I do know, that the sap of Salix (Willow) contains natural fungicidal properties. If neither one of those methods appeals to you, you can try the method the Ancient Roman's used to use. They dipped the cuttings in Ox dung. Yummmm. I think I'll stick with the powder.
MISCELLANEOUS: Some other things that you may find useful.
RUBBING ALCOHOL for cleaning your tools. Cleanliness is as essential in the greenhouse as it is in the kitchen to prevent the spread of disease. Always clean your tools between uses, preferably between plants.
PLASTIC POT LABELS AND WATERPRROOF MARKING PENS. Always label your pots of cuttings and seeds. No matter how careful I am, I always forget to label something. There is always at least one mystery plant for sale at my nursery here in the spring because I forgot what it was. If you ever see a grab bag of unlabeled plants available for sale at a discount, you will now know what happened. *BG* You can buy labels or make your own by cutting them out of recycled plastic containers. (Bleach or cola bottles are great). Write on them only with waterproof ink. Waterproof marking pens are available at the local discount store.
WHITE PAPER TOWELS: We will use these for seed starting. It is important not to use printed towels, as they are usually printed with vegetable inks that will rot. We'll talk more about this later.
SPAGHNUM MOSS: The unshredded kind is used in wrapping subjects for air layering.
PLASTIC SHEETING: Again, this is useful in layering, or for wrapping pots of cuttings.
PLASTIC BAGS: I mention these for two reasons. If you are going out to take a number of cuttings, these will protect them from wilting until you can return them to the shade. Place a few drops of water in them for added protection. Secondly, I am going to teach you to start seeds without soil, and it is necessary to have thin, non-ziploc, poly sandwich bags to do this successfully.
Also under miscellaneous, we could include the various specialty items that you may need for specific propagating techniques, such as grafting tape, but I think it best if we save most of that for when we discuss the individual techniques. The last thing on our list of tools is pots and flats:
POTS AND FLATS: These are obviously essential to the grower. Again, the choice of what to use is completely up to you. You can buy pots, reuse ones that you bought plants in, or use other containers that you have recycled, such as yogurt and sour cream containers, cut off milk cartons, paper cups, etc. I have even seen people make pots out of old newspaper instead of buying the peat ones for plants that hate root disturbance. I use the black bottoms off of 2 litre coke bottles for starting seeds, but they are hard to obtain these days. Whatever you use, it is important that it have good drainage and adequate root space for the plants that are to be in it. It is useful to have a range of sizes available. Most cuttings can be inserted into 4" or 6" pots, and I do most of mine in seedling flats, unless they are very large, like roses, or shrubs. Pots can be reused, but make sure you clean them in hot soapy water between plants to prevent the spread of disease and fungus and to kill off any insect eggs.
Propagating or seedling trays, are traditionally used by most gardeners both for sowing seed and pricking out seedlings. Trays are fine for annuals and veggies where seedlings are wanted in large quantities, but unless you are working on a commercial scale, only a few plants of each species is required. Even if you want a couple of dozen plants, a 4" pot should accomodate the seedlings, and a couple will take the cuttings. Sowing a whole or half tray would be a waste of time, space and seeds. It is much more worth while growing 4 or 6 of each different plant than taking up space with several dozen simply because you have them. Most of us learn the hard way that it is very difficult to throw excess seedlings away, and I'm sure, have all ended up with so many plants that there has been nowhere to put them all. In the long run, they all suffer for it, as you can't care for them all. These excess plants usually finish their short, undernourished, pot bound lives as expensive additions to the compost pile, and the ones you keep could have been better if they'd had more space, light and food. It is a lesson that is well worth learning, but I must warn you, a difficult one to learn. I still end up with hundreds of extra plants each year because I can't bear to throw any of those cute little seedlings away. I spend the summer feeding and watering them, and then don't sell them and don't have time to plant them. Believe me, you can only give so many away.
One place that you can often obtain pots cheaply is the local discount store, and your local garden center. Around here, Walmart and Kmart throw away all of the leftovers, and they are free for the asking. Often, the local garden centers do the same thing, & they may be like our little business. Every customer is encouraged to bring back their pots so we can recycle them. I always end up with a lot of odds and ends that I can't use, and I give them away to anyone who wants them. If that fails, they maybe able to obtain you a good supply by ordering a crate and splitting it with you. There are some wholesale sources that will sell to the hobby gardener. Park Seed Wholesale will sell you cases of pots and flats as long as you don't live in North Carolina. Don't order from Mellinger's though, as there are much cheaper sources. I'm sure there are others as well.
I hope I haven't forgotten anything important, but I think that covers most of what you may need. The next lecture, I will continue the series with the topic "Seed Propagation" It is a long subject, and will probably take two or more weeks. Hope to see you there.
