If you want to grow a wide variety of plants, it is important that you learn how to propagate hellebores. A common plant in gardens across the world is the Hellebore. Hellebore is an evergreen shrub that grows best in fields and forests. You can plant them at home and share them with family members, destroy them for pests or even use the cuttings for composts. But if you propagate your own hellebore, you have more control over its growth and you can design the garden layout.
There are basically two ways to propagate Hellebore: division and seeds. Division refers to splitting a single stem into two, often quite small, branches. You do this by separating the two main roots from the middle vein on which the other shoots grow. This causes the stem to wither but the stems remain healthy. When the stem starts to die back, it can be removed and discarded.
The seeds can also be planted from the main trunk. Again, you divide the branches but make sure you do not separate the central vein where the flowers grow. The seeds can be placed in a shallow dish of soilless compost with good drainage and they should be sowed in small numbers around the base of the main trunk. The blooming season late winter is the best time to plant these seeds.
Helleborelets should not be planted in thickets of evergreen grass, because they prefer the shade to the competition. Planting them in a shady area between the main growth and dense evergreen can help them flourish. They can tolerate some frosts but a frost will kill most of them quickly. You should not put helleborelets in moist soil, because they will rot. You may try to spread the roots across the surface of the soil to allow for better root coverage before planting.
If you are growing a pair of plantings of hellebore, spacing between them is not an issue because each plant will take over half of the available space. Planting two sets of blooming plants at once is not advisable. This is because there may not be enough space for the roots to develop and spread out. It is much better to plant them in groups of four or five. A row of four to six is a good spacing and there should be plenty of room for the blossoms to grow up to their full size before the seeds begin to show.
How to propagate Hellebore stems is very easy. It is important that the stem that you choose to plant should have a round stem shape so that it can support the growth of the seedling. Use a sharp knife to cut off about half of the stem of the plant and hold it up so that the seedling has at least one piece of the stem with the desired shape attached to it. Collect the seeds as they come through the soil and carefully drop them into a small container where they are well protected from the elements. The best germination method is to collect your seeds from areas that receive a lot of sunlight.
When growing hellebore, another consideration is whether you want to use seedlings or seedling plants. If you plan on using seedlings, the best way to get them going is to buy them from a reputable nursery. Buying them from a reputable nursery will ensure that you are getting plants that are free of diseases. These plants will also be in their natural condition, allowing them to reproduce rapidly.
Most people, when asked how to propagate hellebores answer that the best way to go about it is to sow them in the spring after the ground has had a chance to build up a layer of moisture. Sowing them in the fall after the ground has dried out, is not recommended because this will only attract weeds and other unwanted items to the plant. Proper timing and proper care for these plants will allow them to grow to their full potential and produce beautiful flowers all season long.
