Which of these perennials could be easily grown from seeds/cuttings?

May 8, 2017 8:44 AM

My landscaping project is out of control. Can you help me reduce the cost of purchasing 150 plants from a nursery to landscape a huge, sloped, backyard hill? Details inside.

I’m looking at landscaping my backyard hill that has been eroding. Phase one was installing a french drain behind a wall that I rebuilt after it fell over. Currently I’m finishing up covering the hill in landscaping fabric.

Phase two is landscaping with plants that will help mitigate further erosion and look nice throughout the seasons . An acquaintance helped me sketch up plans with his plant suggestions. Researching their average prices at my local nursery came out to $1500. That is over my entire budget and also leaves me with no funds for phase 3 (building stone steps to the top. There is some flat land on top which would make a nice hammock oasis).

While I could plant in yearly phases and save up for next spring, I was wondering if I could cut some corners growing any of these from seeds or cuttings. Perhaps I could either sow some directly, or start them from seed and plant in the fall? The dogwoods I’m sure I would have to buy. Here my list:

Red Twigg Dogwood - 33
Rug Juniper - 20
Elijah blue fescue - 24
Dianthus - 20
Lily turf/Loriope - 60

I already have a few lily turf plants in another spot that I can divide if that is advisable.

Here is the drawing of the above plant placements for a backyard in central PA, zone 7 climate. Any other suggestions for alterations to this plan are also welcome.

posted by Mikey51 to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

Best answer: Actually, Red Twig Dogwood propagates easily from cuttings. Maybe you have a neighbor who will let you take some for free. (Or, buy just one from a nursery use it for cuttings.) Googling just now indicates that you can do the same with Blue Rug Juniper, but I have no experience with this plant. The other three plants... personally, I would consider planting something native instead. I think you end up with a more balanced yard ecosystem when you use natives, because they host the local bugs that feed the local birds, for an overall healthier landscape.
posted by xo at 9:15 AM on May 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Actually of the ones listed I think the dogwood will be the easiest to propagate. You can cut a young branch above a leaf node, hit it with some root hormone and plant it in the ground or in some potting soil. There's also another method of rooting where you bend down a branch, scrape off the end, and stick it in the ground. Then once it's established you can sever it from the parent plant. FWIW these methods also work very well on forsythia.

To my understanding the dianthus and liriope do better if you let them get established for a few years, then you can essentially dig them up, chop them apart with a shovel, and replant the new pieces.
posted by specialagentwebb at 9:20 AM on May 8, 2017

You should be able to propagate both the Dogwood and the Juniper. (on preview xo beat me to it.)

Plant some trees that make fruit!
posted by gregr at 9:21 AM on May 8, 2017 [1 favorite]

Fescue can be propagated by taking a large healthy clump and dividing, and in fact the first place that I googled to confirm that warns that although it's a perennial, "it is a short-lived plant that must be propagated every few years to ensure its continuity" i.e. there will be maintenance on this landscaping.

The tradeoff you make with cuttings vs nursery plants is that you won't have anything like the final landscape for a couple of years if you're starting from seedlings, the nursery plants give you a head start on that.
posted by aimedwander at 9:22 AM on May 8, 2017

Oh, and I'll add that yes, dividing your existing lily turf is one of the accepted ways to propagate it (google "lily turf propagate"), but it's more difficult than just splitting the root ball with a trowel, woody enough that you'll probably need a saw.
posted by aimedwander at 9:24 AM on May 8, 2017

Best answer: If you have a local Facebook buy/sell page or active Craigslist, I'd try posting on there with an explanation of what you're doing and see if you get any nibbles for people willing to buy or give you plants. My mom has an enormous garden (nowhere close to you, alas), and she sometimes has to throw away plants when they overcrowd her space and she can't find anyone to give them to. Gardeners, even hobbyists, hate to see nice plants go to waste, and they might have some suggestions for more plants to use and would know whether it's okay for the plants to just give you cuttings, etc. Since you're using them for ground coverage I'd bet that the plants tend to spread, and those are the ones that are easiest to get cheap, the gardeners always have extra.
posted by possibilityleft at 9:53 AM on May 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Dogwoods in Connecticut have been ravaged by disease. Check with someone knowledgeable about your area and your cultivar.

My father scavenged blue cedars from fields the were left unused for years. They are like a weed in NJ. (The polite term would be that the cedars are the first phase of reforestation.) Seedlings of many kinds of tree can be found in any forest. Seeds germinate and the plant grows for a year or two before dying for lack of light.

BTW, your list looks like a lot of plants for the space.
posted by SemiSalt at 9:56 AM on May 8, 2017

Best answer: Oh! The National Arbor Day Foundation has trees at steep discounts for members, and membership is only $15 per year! Plus you get 10 free tree seedlings when you join! They have fast-growing trees, too. I don't know if the trees/plants you want are in their inventory but it's totally worth taking a look. A willow, for example, is a super fast growing tree (3+ feet per year) and you can get a 3' one from the NADF for like $15!

I don't work for them, I swear! I just joined this year and got my baby trees last week; planted them yesterday and I am SO EXCITED.
posted by cooker girl at 10:11 AM on May 8, 2017 [7 favorites]

Best answer: I highly recommend checking out Rutgers Deer Resistance Ratings, especially in central PA - nothing is worse than finishing a planting only to have it eaten.

Dogwoods are disease prone and even more so when planted close together. Mixed hedges are more resilient. Mountain Laurel is pretty bulletproof as are some native holly (ilex glabra and ilex opaca, specifically) and the Pennsylvania Bayberry.

I feel obligated to plug native plants. They're great! They restore/maintain wildlife habitats! They tend to have less pest and disease problems! And they're cheap! There's a billion nurseries in PA, and most carry natives. I'm not quite sure where you're at, but Blackcreek has a great selection native perennials at $3 a quart/$6 a gallon pot.
posted by givennamesurname at 10:54 AM on May 8, 2017 [2 favorites]

Dianthus grows from seed super easy. I don't know what zone you are re the planting out in fall working or not, I'm in zone 5 & usually plant out in spring. Once you have a big clump of them you can propagate them by dividing the clumps up.
posted by wwax at 11:55 AM on May 8, 2017

I thin out my Liriope every few years, propagating it by division. Down here in DC I did it about 2-3 weeks ago and the new starts are growing happily. You might be find a neighbor up your way who will let you do some thinning on their plants, as I imagine it is just about the right timing for it now, or just divide what you have already.
posted by exogenous at 2:04 PM on May 8, 2017

If you're open to using natives, see if you have a soil and water conservation district in your area. They can likely help with plant selection and sourcing, and you can probably get a deal on the plants and maybe financial support for erosion control and restoration. Agricultural extension office is also worth trying. May also be worth searching for erosion control with your city and county governments to see if they have any resources that could help.
posted by momus_window at 7:20 AM on May 9, 2017