Do you want to know how to propagate Heuchera? Heuchera, also known as coral bells, adds color and texture to every garden. Luckily, it’s easy to propagate heuchera plants. Here’s all you need to know about breeding and growing these ornamental plants.
The Best Growing Conditions for Heuchera
Heuchera plants prefer partially shaded areas, but some varieties fare better under sunlight. They must be planted in moist, well-drained, and average or rich fertilized soil. When it comes to watering, these plants don’t require much but make sure it’s consistently moist. Heucheras are plants that happen to be hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9. However, this mostly depends on the variety you’re planting.
How to Propagate Heuchera
There are three ways you can propagate Heuchera, through seed, division, and leaf cuttings.
Seed
For heucheras to grow from seed, it’s important to stratify them first. This means that you’ll need to store the seeds in a cold area (like a fridge) for at least a month and a half. After the stratification process, place them on top of the starting medium of your choice.
Seeds need light to germinate. Heuchera seeds usually germinate quickly. Take care of seeds as you would with other plants that grow from seed. You can plant the seedlings in your garden or you can put them in a nursery until they’re mature enough to survive the outdoors.
Division
Among the three ways to propagate Heuchera, the division method is the simplest way to do so. Dividing the heucheras every three to four years keeps them healthy.
Here’s how you can divide the plant: dig an entire clump of Heuchera. Dig at least six inches deep, and make sure to preserve as many of the roots as you can. Gently divide the plants into smaller groups using your hands. It’s important to keep at least four shoots and healthy roots for each division.
Plant each section in well-drained and moist soil, with the top of the root peeking a bit from the soil. Water your plants deeply, making sure that the water reaches the roots. Keep the soil moist at all times until your seedlings grow. Once they’re established, check the heuchera variant to see how much watering it needs.
Leaf Bud Cuttings
Leaf bud cuttings refer to the cuttings taken from the main stem. Every cutting should have a few leaves in it because it’s where the foliage will grow. You can take heuchera cuttings any time throughout the growing season, but the best time would be during spring because your plants will have time to recover before the winter season begins.
Here’s how: After you’ve cut the cuttings, drench it in rooting hormone before placing it in your seed-starting medium or a 50/50 mixture of perlite and peat. Be sure to keep the planting medium moist and increase the humidity by placing a plastic cover over the plant, but the plastic should not touch the leaves. Once the roots develop, you can transplant it into your garden or place it inside a greenhouse.
Why Grow Heuchera in a Semi Pro Greenhouse?
To ensure successful growth, it’s important to provide a healthy growing environment for your propagated heuchera plants. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider growing your plants in a semi pro greenhouse:
Protection from harmful pests and diseases
Mealybugs, weevils, and foliar nematodes are some of the most common pests that attack heuchera plants. These plants are virtually resistant to diseases, but powdery mildew is usually a problem. Keeping them inside an enclosed, well-ventilated greenhouse reduces the risk of attracting pests and diseases.
Great for people with limited space for gardening
If you want to grow ornamental plants but you don’t have enough space for nursing baby plants, you can use a semipro greenhouse. Small greenhouses have a standard size of six feet, which you can place on balconies, patios, or decks. But there are smaller sizes as well if you prefer more compact dimensions.
Start planting early
With a mini or semipro greenhouse, you can start growing your plants early. A greenhouse allows you to control the temperature inside by installing heating and cooling systems. You can also add grower lights and other accessories to help your plants grow and thrive, creating an ideal growing environment specific to the type of plants you want to grow.
Protection from unpredictable weather conditions
Greenhouses are useful in protecting your plants from inclement weather conditions. It protects your plant from ice, snow, frost, high winds, and heavy rain. You can place your plants inside the structure until the weather warms. Heucheras have shallow roots and they tend to heave if they are repeatedly frozen and thawed. To prevent this from happening, keep them inside a warm greenhouse.
Final Thoughts on How to Propagate Heuchera
If you’re looking for plants to decorate your garden, heucheras are great for edging a garden bed or as a focal point in your garden. Now that you know how to propagate Heuchera, you’ll be able to grow and plant beautiful plants for your garden. Your backyard will definitely look amazing once their foliage grows and their colors deepen.