Agastache, also known as hyssop or anise hyssop, is a beautiful flowering plant that produces spikes of fragrant flowers in shades of pink, purple, blue and white. It is a popular garden plant due to its attractive appearance and the fact that it attracts bees and other pollinators. Propagating agastache can be done through several methods including seed sowing, stem cuttings and division.
Seed Sowing
One way to propagate agastache is through seed sowing. The ideal time for this method would be in the spring when temperatures start rising above 18°C (65°F). Here are some steps you can follow:
1. Firstly fill your trays with compost.
2. Moisten the soil using water but don’t overwater.
3. Sprinkle Agastache seeds on top of the soil ensuring they’re evenly spaced out.
4. Cover them lightly with more compost.
5. Gently press down the soil but not too hard as this may damage the seeds.
6. Place your tray in partial shade where it will receive bright light but not direct sunlight.
7.Water thoroughly twice daily throughout germination.
Stem Cuttings
Another way to propagate agastache would be via stem cuttings taken during summer from established plants which have healthy stems that are around 10 cm long.Here’s how:
1.Cut off a non-flowering shoot near its base early morning
2.Remove all leaves except two at top
3.Moisten rooting hormone powder before dipping cutting
4.Insert cutting into prepared pot containing fresh moistened planting mix
5.Place pot under bright indirect sunlight
6.Water regularly without allowing their roots to become too wet or too dry
Division
The third method of propagating agastache involves dividing existing plants into smaller sections which grows new roots after being planted into different pots/locations.Step-by-step guide below:
1.Dig up established plants mid-spring, early fall or anytime they’ve outgrown their allotted space.
2.Clean away soil from the roots to see where divisions can be made
3.Using sharp scissors cut through stems and roots between sections
4.Divide sections into smaller parts with at least three shoots each ensuring you have enough root structure for each section
5.Plant in pots/locations containing well-drained soil and water thoroughly after planting.
Conclusion
Propagating agastache is not a difficult task as long as one has the right conditions for propagation. Seed sowing is easy but requires patience while stem cutting gives faster results though it may require more attention during germination. Dividing existing plants helps in maintaining vigour of the plant by ensuring its size doesn’t become too large over time. Whatever method chosen, ensure that there are enough nutrition, moisture levels and light intensity for your new agastache seedlings/plants to thrive successfully!
