Propagation Methods

At The Achiltibuie Garden we raise almost all of our plants from seed or cuttings. All the methods we use are suitable for growing plants at home and may be purchased in our online shop.   These are:

• Gold
• rockwool plugs
• 'RootRiot!' cubes

Seeds raised by these methods can be grown on in hydroponics or soil. 

Gold: Most seeds are sown directly into Gold (our own mix of special mix of perlite and vermiculite with balanced nutrients and trace elements, which is ideal for propagation.  See Growing Media for more information about Gold). Gold has a much higher success rate for germination and rooting of cuttings than ordinary composts.  It also reduces the risk of "damping off" and other fungal problems. Salad and herbs seeds can be grown on in the same pot, larger plants which need more space can be transplanted into a hydroponic growing system.

Rockwool plugs: We use these for both seeds and cuttings. They are made of the same material used for roof insulation. The seed is sown into the plug and kept moist. When the seedling is well established we can transplant the whole plug into a growing system with no root disturbance.

'RootRiot!' cubes: These are made from composted organic materials and are biodegradable. They have a spongy texture which retains the perfect air/water ratio for healthy, rapid root growth and are suitable for both cuttings and seeds. The cubes are specially inoculated with micro nutrients to nourish the young plants, and also beneficial rooting fungi to aid root development. As with the rockwool, the whole cube can be transplanted without disturbing the plant roots.