book for PDF - John Snow International Europe

Taking cuttingsThe cold dry season is the best time to take cuttings. Most herbs(lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, rue, oregano) and fruit trees (such astree tomato, mulberry, fig, citrus and avocado) can be grown fromcuttings.To take cuttings:• Find a productive, healthy plant.• Use a clean sharp knife or pruning shears and cut woody stemsno thicker than your little finger and 5-10cm long.• Cut the stems at a sharp angle. Remove most of the leaves fromthe stem.• Dip the base of the cuttings into ash to prevent fungal infection.• Place the cuttings into containers of damp sandy soil mixture.• Keep the cuttings moist but not too wet.After some weeks you will noticenew leaves appearing. This showsthat roots are beginning to from.When the leaves are well establishedyou can plant the cuttings into largercontainers or into the garden.Growing seedlings in containersVegetable seeds are expensive. To get the best germination form yourseed, plant them in containers in a nursery close to your home. Seedsplanted in a seedbed in the garden can suffer from pests and diseases,too much heat, frost, wind or lack of water. Young plants need cool,moist conditions and protection from pests and diseases. Seedlingsgrown in containers raised off the ground suffer from fewer diseases.42