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Learn with Dr Noel Kingsbury

Propagation

Learn how to propagate your plants including different methods of propagation, taught by expert horticulturalist Dr Noel Kingsbury.

Course overview

An introduction to the basic biology of how plants can be propagated – understanding core principles is a real help here as it will enable you to make informed decisions about the way you work with plants. We then move on to nature's highly effective 'first method of choice' – seed, collecting seed yourself and storing it to keep it viable for as long as possible.

Meet Dr Noel Kingsbury

Dr Noel Kingsbury is an acclaimed garden designer, best-selling author of numerous books and long-time collaborator of the renowned designer Piet Oudolf. With a doctorate from the University of Sheffield he is a leading figure in naturalistic planting design and the New Perennial Movement. Noel Kingsbury is an international garden designer and writer on gardening, plant sciences and related topics. He is best known for his promotion of naturalistic planting design in gardens and designed landscapes (e.g. the 1996 publication of 'The New Perennial Garden', pub. Frances Lincoln, London), and his 25 year collaboration with Dutch garden and landscape designer Piet Oudolf on books on planting design. He writes sometimes for The Daily Telegraph, Gardens Illustrated magazine and The Garden - the membership magazine of the Royal Horticultural Society. He has worked with Prof. Nigel Dunnett, of the University of Sheffield on the first book in English on green roof and related 'green architecture' technologies. In collaboration with Tim Richardson Kingsbury has edited Vista, the Culture and Politics of Gardens and co-chairs events at the Garden Museum in London under the title 'Vista'. He has worked with several notable garden photographers, such as Marianne Majerus and Andrea Jones. Kingsbury earned a doctorate from the University of Sheffield in 2009, for a thesis on the Long term performance of ornamental herbaceous vegetation. He continues to research in this area. Kingsbury has also written a history of plant breeding, Hybrid, The History and Science of Plant Breeding (2009).

Course description

Expert gardener and horticulturalist Dr Noel Kingsbury teaches you how to propagate plants - from collecting seeds to taking a cutting or division and grafting.

What is plant propagation?

Propagation is about making more plants. Propagation is crucial to the nursery industry, and, therefore to the whole garden and landscape business.

There are many different ways to propagate plants, including taking a cutting, collecting and growing from seeds, division and grafting. Different methods are used for different species – which method you use depends very much on the form of the plant, its lifecycle and its own natural ways of increasing itself.

With some plants, several different propagation methods might work, but one may be more popular because it is easier to do on a large scale, gives quicker results, may be cheaper or give different outcomes, such as plant size or vigour.

Noel will teach you how to choose the most successful propagation method for different plant types, and practical instructions on each propagation technique.

You'll learn:
  • how to propagate all types of plants
  • collecting and storing plant seeds
  • germinating seeds
  • hybridisation
  • vegetative propagation including taking cuttings and growing roots from cuttings
  • perennial propagation
  • division and grafting techniques

    • The course includes:
  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Dr Noel Kingsbury
  • lifetime access to the videos and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • practical propagation projects (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online with students from around the world and share your creative ideas

    • Time to complete the plant propagation course

    Every student is different, but in general, we think the whole course will take around 11 hours 30 minutes to complete, including:

  • Video lessons: 1 hour 30 minutes in total
  • Your plant propagation assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

    • You'll need:

    You don't need any special equipment, but you will be completing propagation assignments, including researching propagation techniques and how to propagate different types of plants in your garden.

    Ready to get started?

    Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Noel on your propagation assignments.

    If you know someone who'd love this course, then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

    Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.