Description
Online Plant Propagation Course
For the past six years, I’ve been grown a collection of thousands of woody trees and shrubs for my urban plant nursery, Forest City Plants. In this time, I’ve had to use a variety of techniques to collect, store, and propagate plants from seeds and cuttings. And, now I want to share my knowledge with you!
In this online course, I will teach you how to collect and propagate hundreds of woody plants – focussing on trees and shrubs – in the comfort of your own home or garden. We will cover plant anatomy and taxonomy, seed and cutting collection and storage, germination requirements (scarification and stratification), and propagation techniques.
Course Format (October 2020 – May 2021)
Course content will be delivered via an online community platform and can be completed at your own pace. New lessons will be released each month with content corresponding to specific tasks required at that time.
Monthly online check-ins will be scheduled as a way to touch base, answer questions, provide face-to-face guidance, and to demonstrate specific techniques.
Hands-on Learning with Provided Seeds
Participants will be given a dozen seeds from 6 unique plant species; each requiring different treatments to germinate. In addition to receiving seeds, students will be shown how to collect and propagate plants of their choosing.
Included *Seeds:
- Honeylocust or Kentucky Coffee Tree
- White Russian Mulberrry
- Pawpaw
- Black Walnut or White Walnut
- Bristlecone Pine
- Japanese Flowering Quince
*Seeds may vary depending on your growing zone and availability. To receive seeds, students much be within Canada as shipping across international borders requires additional paperwork.
Propagation Course Outline
1. Botany
- Plant Anatomy
- Seed Anatomy
- Annual, Perennial, Biennial Life Cycles
- Plant taxonomy
- Pollination
- True to Type (Genotype vs Phenotype)
2. Seed Propagation (Sexual Propagation)
- Sources and Collecting Seeds
- Storing Seed
- Dormancy Factors Affecting Germination
- Scarification and Stratification
3. Vegetative Propagation (Asexual Propagation)
- Runners, Suckers, Layering
- Separation, Division,
- Grafting
- Cuttings (Softwood, Semi-Hardwood, Hardwood)
4. Nursery Management / The Home Nursery
- Record Keeping and Labeling
- Nursery Hygiene
- Pest and Disease Management
5. Propagation Media, Structures, and Materials
- Potting and Propagating Media
- Containers, Pots and Propagation Trays
- Bottom Heating Propagation
- Watering and Misting
- Supplemental Lighting
