What are Coral Bells?
Coral bells (Heuchera spp.) are a type of perennial plant that is native to North America. The plants have large, bold leaves with vibrant colors and they produce tiny bell-shaped flowers in the summer. They do well in full sun or partial shade and can be used as ground covers or container plants.
Propagating Coral Bells
Coral bells can easily be propagated by taking cuttings from an existing plant. To propagate them, you will need some rooting hormone powder and a pot filled with damp soil mix. First, take a 4-inch cutting of the coral bells stem just above a leaf node or joint. Trim off any lower leaves on the stem so only about 2 inches are left at the top of the cutting below where it was cut from the parent plant. Then dip the bottom inch of your cutting into rooting hormone powder and tap off any excess before gently placing it into your prepared potting mix up to where its lower leaves were removed from – make sure not to bury those remaining 2 inches too deeply! Keep your potting mix slightly moist but not overly wet for best results during propagation time which should take about 6 weeks for roots to form and new growth to start appearing at which point you’ll know your coral bell is ready for transplanting out into its final home!
Tips For Successful Propagation Of Coral Bells
• Make sure you use sterilized garden tools when taking cuttings so as not to transfer diseases between plants – always wash them thoroughly after use too!
• Use fresh pots each time – this means using clean pots without any dirt particles inside that could harbor pests/diseases while also ensuring good drainage since old soils can become compacted over time making water retention more difficult (which may result in root rot).
• Maintain high humidity levels around newly rooted cuttings by covering them with plastic wrap or another airtight lid until their shoots appear – this helps keep moisture trapped near their stems so they don’t dry out before establishing themselves properly.
• Be careful when watering – overwatering can cause root rot whereas underwatering may stunt growth; aim for evenly moist soil at all times instead!
• Monitor closely for signs of disease such as wilting foliage and brown spots on leaves – if found, isolate affected plants immediately & treat accordingly; healthy specimens should remain unaffected however due diligence is still important here just in case something slips through unnoticed initially
