American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques

I was in search of a good informative book for seed starting and stumbled upon this one. What a find!!! They give detailed instructions for hundreds of plants (including hardy and tropicals) defining exactly what propagating technique(s) works best for each. Softwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings, dividing, grafting (far more methods than I have ever seen in one book) and the various methods of gathering and seed-starting, whether your species prefers cold-stratifying, soaking, scarification or if it prefers to be direct-sown. This book has techniques for reproducing just one or hundreds of plants. I could go on and on but it all boils down to this; If you have any interest in multiplying plants this book is a must!

I bought this book for my husband, but I use it more than he does! This is one of the best plant books I have ever seen. The techniques are easy to understand and follow, the pictures are outstanding, and there are TONS of plants listed! This book will take you through the history of plant propagation, genetic ins and outs, and the techniques that you can use in your own garden. If you have a garden full of veggies, or a yard with trees, shrubs, and rose bushes, this book really is a must for you!

Book contains 46 pages on introductory propagation methods, followed by very specific information on propagating these plant types: 44 pages on trees, 54 pages on shrubs, 64 pages on perennials, 16 pages on annuals, 20 pages on cacti, 28 pages on bulbs, and 28 pages on vegetables and herbs. In the back are a glossary, an index, and north america hardiness map. Very complete.If you can grow it, the instructions are listed in this book.Book contains hundreds of small, but helpful photographs that demonstrate a process or identify some plant anatomy.Solid information, well worth the money!

As a professional horticulturalist, gosh what a word, I spotted this delightful book in the Beaufort Public Library, kept it out too long because I did not want to take it back and it cost me a 75 cent fine...such a deal. Now I MUST buy my own, even though my birthday is less than a month away. It makes propagation a breeze. And what great graphics and photos. I'll be out gathering palmetto seeds soon. Ever wonder what to do with a sago palm seed? You won't believe what they need to sprout. Now I know why the plant is so expensive to buy. With this book you have the knowledge to start just about any plant you can think of.

This book is a must for anyone interested in the propagation of just about any botanical-from herbs to vegetables to exotics. As an avid seed collector and gardener, this book has been indespensable and reigns as king of my botanical library!! Ideal for the professional and lay person, this book explodes with beautiful photographs. Even the half-hearted gardener will dream of seed starting after studying this tome. The only thing I found missing was a chart for seed identification-but overall, this book was superb!! Kudos to the American Horticultural society for such much-needed knowledge! Even Sir Joseph Banks would be proud of this one!!