Propagation - the basics
What is propagation? ...and why is it important...
Propagation is the first stage of a plant’s life, taking it from a seed or cutting and nurturing it until it is established and strong enough to take into the vegetative stage.
Propagation is vital to your plant’s health and growth, as it serves as the first building block in its life. A successful and strong propagation leads to a strong and healthy plant.
What does my plant need during propagation?
Water & Food– the crucial element to the plant’s growth. Be careful – too little or too much water
can lead to the plant being damaged. Seedlings and cuttings thrive with lots of nitrogen, so feeding
your babies with something like Formulex will be extremely beneficial.
Humidity – most plants favour high humidity levels during propagation – using a propagator will
keep the moisture inside which will benefit the plant. Ideally, you should be aiming for humidity
levels of around 80-100%.
Temperature – this cannot be too cold as it can cause pauses in the plant’s growth. Temperature
should be kept in the mid range of the plant’s specific ideal temperature preference. This ranges from
around 24-30°C during the day, and 18-22°C at night.
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Low level light - this will prepare the plant for more light exposure later on in life. An 864K blue
spectrum or 300K purple spectrum of light seems to be the best at this stage of the plant's life. .
Monitoring Propagation...
A thermo hygrometer will allow you to monitor the temperature and humidity in your propagator, or digital min/max one will allow you to keep track of the minimum and maximum temperature and humidity over the course of a 24 hour period. It is important to monitor humidity as too high a level can lead to a fungal infection. However, if your propagating plants are too dry, they stand little to no chance of establishing themselves.
What is Aeroponic propagation?
Aeroponic propagation is an advanced method of propagation, whereby your baby plant is suspended in a net pot and your hanging roots are sprayed by a fine nutrient mist. This is an extremely efficient method of starting your plant off in life – the root zone is constantly oxygenated allowing optimum root and plant health. Using aeroponics has the advantage of using less water, nutrient and propagating medium, whilst producing healthy cuttings in a lot less time. Roots are long, robust and the success rate of plant growth is very high.
Which propagator should I use?
Most propagators work in the same way – a clear dome lid sits on top of your tray. This allows light in, whilst maintaining the crucial humid and warm temperatures your plants need. Where your room temperatures are quite warm, an unheated propagator will do the job nicely. Heated propagators are heated from 13-24°C, helping to avoid pauses to growth on cold days – particularly helpful in the winter months. If your plants will be starting off in a chilly area, a heated propagator is recommended. All propagators have adjustable air vents.
Heated propagator
(PICTURED: BIG 3 PROPAGATOR, FKP1565, £78.90)
Unheated propagators
(PICTURED: UNHEATED PROPAGATORS, MEDIUM AND LARGE SIZES)
Which substrate should I start my seeds/cuttings in?Rockwool starter cubes, composted cubes (Root Riot or Easy Plugs) and Jiffys are all equally 
sufficient starting off your plants. The crucial part to propagation is not the medium, but the conditions at which you keep your plant – too much water can be as detrimental as too little water.You can also soak your medium in a propagating nutrient such as Formulex to give them
the best start. Alternatively, seeds or cuttings can be planted straight into soil, ideally one containing low levels of fertilisers, such as Light Mix.
How long does the propagation stage last?
Typically most plants require to be propagated for 2-3 weeks, however that is only a rough guideline. If growing from seed, plants are ready to move on from propagation when the second set of leaves appear, or when roots begin to emerge and become visible. If growing from a cutting, plants will be ready once you see some new growth from them (this can take some time so be patient.) With proper care and attention, your plants will emerge from propagation healthy, established, and ready to continue growth and development in the vegetative stage.
Safety
If taking cuttings, always be careful when handling scalpels. The only real precautions to take are
for your plant’s benefit; use clean/sterile equipment and wear gloves or wash your hands before
taking cuttings.
Example propagation products...
Clone Kit
Everything you need in one box! This is a kit made up by us at Holland’s to give you
all you need to clone your plants, and get them off to the healthiest start possible.
Includes propagator and lid, Formulex 100ml, Clonex rooting gel 50ml, scalpel and full
instructions. You can pick between a tray of 24 Rockwool blocks, or 24 Root Riot
blocks.
(PICTURED: CLONE KIT WITH ROOT RIOT, CTN5225, £18.45)
Clonebox
This is a tent purely for cuttings and seedlings. Comes with 3 adjustable racks so
you can have up to 3 layers of propagators and has 4 fan inlet/outlet holes.
(PICTURED: CLONEBOX, WEE7641, £182.85)
G.E.T. Power Thrive
Promotes explosive root formation and guards against root disease, helping total plant health
and vigour. Provides visible growth and harvest boosting, Holland’s recommend Power Thrive
without reservation.
(PICTURED: G.E.T. POWERTHRIVE 1L, KEG3998, £31.95)
Clonex
Rooting gel to help with the acceleration of root development in cuttings. Very popular. Add to
your cutting before planting to help speed up root growth and protect cuttings from disease.
(PICTURED: CLONEX 1L, PLP3187, £38.30)
Formulex
The ideal “baby food” to help your plants get the best start in life. High in nitrogen which is really
advantageous during the propagation stage. Promotes healthy and vigorous growth.
(PICTURED: FORMULEX 1L, ZWR5184, £5.85)
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