Santolina is a perennial whose splendor you can easily multiply yourself. You have the choice between simple or complex.
Holy herb (Santolina) is an uncomplicated bedding plant that does very well in the rock garden, but can also be used for greening roofs. The plants are easy to care for and bring a welcome dash of color to any bed with their sun-yellow flowers. The daisy family also thrives in otherwise rather unfavorable locations. The propagation of the pretty, Mediterranean perennial, which is often still considered a rarity in our gardens, is definitely worthwhile. In the following you will learn how the holy herb, also called gray holy flower, can be propagated and how you cultivate the young plants so that you can quickly enjoy lush growth and rich flowering.Propagating Holy Herb - Possibilities
- Cuttings
- Division
- Lowerer
- Sowing
❶ Propagating Holy Seed by cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is the most common method of propagating the holy herb. Cuttings are preferably cut in spring. In theory, however, cuttings can be cut well into the summer. The shoot tips should be between 15 and 20 centimeters long. The lower leaves, which would be underground after planting, should be removed to prevent rot. The cuttings should not bear any flowers and not be overly lignified. After cutting, the cuttings are placed in small planters. Use nutrient-poor substrate for cultivation.
➔ Tip: You can put several cuttings in a plant pot, then the young plants will grow bushier.
Relatively high humidity is required for roots to develop. You can achieve this by covering the planters with foil.
➔ Important: The film cover must be aired regularly. Otherwise mold can form in the planter.
The planters are set up bright and warm. The temperatures should be around 25 degrees. A few weeks of patience is required. Check the plant potsregularly and keep the soil evenly moist. Even if the holy herb is used to drought, the young plants need even moisture so that the roots can develop. If the first shoot tips appear, this is also proof of successful cultivation. Once the roots have penetrated the planter, the young plants should be transplanted into larger pots. The planters are kept in the warm room until spring. From mid-May, the young plants can be planted outdoors or alternatively in pots.
Propagation of cuttings step by step
- Cutting
- Prepare the cuttings
- Place cuttings in plant pots
- Cover the planter with foil
- Place the planter bright and warm
- Water cuttings regularly
- Wait for germination
❷ Propagating holy herb by division
Propagation by division is a very popular method as you get full-fledged plants straight away. However, a division of the holy herb is only recommended every 10 to 15 years. Spring is the best time to divide the plant. In order to be able to divide the plant, it must first be completely removed from the soil. Care must be taken to avoid damaging the roots. Once you have removed the plant from the soil, shake off the soil slightly so that the root ball is clearly visible. Now the root ball is divided with a spade. Depending on the size of the plant, different parts can be obtained.
➔ Tip: Each section should have enough roots and, if possible, multiple shoots.
The division of the sacred herb also offers the opportunity to examine the plant more closely. Diseased or damaged root parts should be removed. The plant is then immediately planted in its new location. Water the plant lightly so that the holy herb takes root well.
Propagation by division step by step
- Dig up plant
- Control Roots
- Split root ball
- Replant sections
❸ Propagating holy herb by lowering
Plants grow upright as well as decumbent. As a result, the holy herb can also be propagated well by sinkers. This is an old gardening method that is a bit more complex than the propagation options just mentioned, but promises very good prospects of success.
First choose oneSprout that is elastic enough and can be bent down to the ground. The shoot must not bend and must remain in contact with the mother plant. An elongated furrow is dug on the ground, which can accommodate the shoot. This groove is filled with soil. The tip of the shoot is allowed to look out of the ground. The shoot tip can be tied to a wooden stick so that it grows upright. So that the shoot does not develop too much tension and shoot out of the ground, weigh down the filled furrow with stones. After a few months, the shoot will have formed new roots in the soil and can be separated from the mother plant and replanted.
➔ Tip: The formation of new roots will be accelerated if you lightly score the shoot in several places with a knife.
Propagation by planters step by step
- Select shoot
- Dig a furrow
- Bend shoot towards ground
- Insert shoot
- Cover shoot with soil
- Let the tip of the shoot stick out
- Grow Complain
- Fix shoot tip for upright growth
- Wait for rooting
❹ Propagating holy herb by sowing
If you don't have a holy herb yourself yet, propagation by seed will probably be of interest to you. Numerous young plants can be obtained with very simple means. The seeds can be purchased commercially or you know a hobby gardener friend who will sell you some seeds. The seeds are first dried. Then put the seeds in a sealed container and store in a cool, dry place until next spring.
Since the holy herb is one of the cold germs, a cold treatment will be necessary before sowing. To do this, soak the seeds in lukewarm water for about 24 hours. The seeds then go into a plastic bag. Add some sand and seal the bag tightly. The plastic bag is placed in the refrigerator for about a month. After this cold treatment, the seeds can be sown in a planting tray. The seeds are not covered with soil and are only lightly pressed. After a few weeks, the first cotyledons will appear. If there are several pairs of leaves, the plantlets are isolated. When there is no more frost, the young plants can move outdoors.
Propagation by seed step by step
- Drying Seeds
- Storage Seeds
- Water seeds
- Cool Seeds
- Sow Seeds
- Wait for germination
Propagation methods - advantages & disadvantages
| Propagation method | Advantages | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Cuttings | ✔ proven method ✔ good chances of success ✔ cuttings occur during pruning | ✘ Plant must be available ✘ quite time-consuming ✘ Location in the house is required |
| Division | ✔ fast ✔ easy ✔ uncomplicated | ✘ only possible every 10 to 15 years ✘ well developed plant must be available |
| Lowerer | ✔ good growth guarantee ✔ little effort ✔ no need to plant out or transplant | ✘ Plant must be available ✘ only one plant is created ✘ quite lengthy |
| Seeds | ✔ many young plants can be obtained ✔ no plant has to be present | ✘ time-consuming ✘ tedious ✘ not every seed germinates |