• Seed propagation p. 12
• Self-sown seeds p. 13
• Direct sowing of seeds p. 13
• Growing seeds in pots p. 13
• Collecting seeds p. 14
• Getting started with seed collection – collecting common Australian native plant seeds p. 15
• Propagation by cuttings p. 16
• A step-by-step guide to preparing cuttings p. 17
• Soft-wood cuttings p. 17
• Woody cuttings p. 18
• How do I look after my cuttings? p. 19
• How will I know when the cuttings are ready? p. 19
• Long-stem cuttings p. 21
• Growing cuttings in water p. 22
• Getting started with cuttings p. 23
• Softwood cuttings p. 23
• Semi-hardwood cuttings p. 24
• Hardwood cuttings p. 24
• Propagation by division p. 24
• Division made simple p. 25
• How do I look after the new divisions? p. 25
• Propagation by layering p. 26
• What is layering? p. 26
• What plants can be propagated by layering? p. 27
• When is the best time of year to start layering? p. 27
• Aerial layering p. 27
• Simple layering p. 28
• After-care for layered plants p. 29
• Getting started with layering p. 29

• Self seeding p. 30
• Optimising seed propagation p. 31
• Seed propagation made simple p. 31
• Growing medium p. 31
• Container p. 32
• Method p. 33
• Propagation environment p. 33
• Time of year p. 33
• Things to look for in the propagation stock p. 34
• Theory of seed propagation p. 34
• Seed collection p. 37
• Open pollination p. 39
• Self-pollination p. 40
• Cross-pollination p. 41
• The practicalities of collecting seed p. 42
• Fruit types p. 43
• Seed cleaning p. 49
• Seed storage p. 50
• Seed testing p. 51
• Commercial seedling production p. 54
• Seed dormancy p. 56
• Light induced dormancy p. 56
• Hard seed-coat dormancy p. 57
• Smoke-enhanced germination p. 57
• Dormancy created by chemical inhibitors p. 58
• Temperature-related dormancy p. 58
• Chemical treatments used to break dormancy p. 59
• Handling of seedlings after germination p. 60

• Getting started with stem cuttings p. 65
• Theory of stem cuttings p. 68
• Softwood cuttings p. 70
• Semi-hardwood cuttings p. 71
• Hardwood cuttings p. 72
• Storage of stem cuttings p. 73
• Difficult to root cuttings: tricks of the trade p. 74
• Root-promoting compounds and techniques p. 74
• Why do etiolation and banding treatments work? p. 78
• Should fertilisers be added to media for cutting production? p. 79
• Summary of adventitious root formation in cuttings p. 80

• Theory of leaf cuttings p. 84
• Leaf and petiole method p. 86
• Leaf section method p. 87
• Severed vein method p. 87
• General hints on leaf cutting p. 88

Theory of root cuttings p. 91

• Preamble discusses simple and aerial layering pp. 93-98
• Additional methods of layering p. 98
• Tip layering p. 98
• Serpentine (compound) layering p. 98
• Mount (stool) layering p. 99
• Trench layering p. 100
• Theory of layering p. 100

• Division p. 105
• Separation p. 108
• Bulb types p. 110
• Bulb cottage and twin scaling p. 111
• Theory of division and separation p. 112

• Grafts p. 115
• Cutting grafts p. 116
• Budding p. 117
• Theory of budding and grafting p. 118
• Formation of the graft union p. 121
• Further notes on grafting and budding techniques p. 122
• Grafting p. 123
• Tools and accessories p. 125
• Rootstocks p. 125
• Rootstock suckering p. 126
• Scionwood p. 126
• Compatibility of rootstock and scion p. 127
• Graft incompatibility p. 128

• Commercial micropropagation p. 135
• Plant tissue culture as a research tool p. 140
• Embryo and ovule culture p. 140
• Anther culture p. 141
• Protoplast culture p. 141
• Callus culture p. 142
• Cryogenic culture p. 142
• Stages of Micropropagation p. 143
• Micropropagation at home p. 152

• Nutrition p. 154
• Management of pests and diseases p. 154
• Genetic stability p. 157
• Juvenility p. 159
• Flowering status p. 161
• Seed orchards p. 162
• Eucalyptus seed orchards p. 164

• Structures for plant propagation p. 167
• Glasshouses and greenhouses p. 167
• Cold frames p. 167
• Shadehouses p. 168
• Methods of environmental control p. 169
• Humidity p. 169
• Temperature p. 172
• Light p. 174
• Carbon dioxide p. 175
• Environmental control in the home garden p. 175
• Create your own greenhouse p. 175
• Propagation structures for the home garden p. 176
• Summary of environmental control p. 177

• Pests and diseases – Fungi p. 179
• Damping off, seed rot and root rot p. 179
• Grey mould (Botrytis cinerea)
• Vascular wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) p. 181
• Other pests and diseases p. 181
• Viruses p. 181
• Sciarid flies (fungus gnats) p. 182
• Sap-sucking pests p. 183
• Weeds p. 183
• Hygiene and sanitation p. 183
• Methods of hygiene and sanitation p. 184
• Integrated pest and disease management in the propagation house p. 185
• Media and hormones p. 185
• Media for plant propagation p. 185
• Methods of propagation p. 190
• The role of plant growth regulators and plant hormones in plant propagation p. 191
• Auxins for root initiation p. 191
• Gibberellins or gibberellin acids p. 193
• Cytokinins p. 193

• Theory of smoke-induced germination p. 196
• Summary of smoke-induced germination p. 200
• What sort of smoke is required? p. 200
• How should the smoke be applied? p. 200
• Can smoke treatment be applied in the field without burning the area? p. 201
• Can smoke-treated seed be stored and successfully sown later? p. 201
• Are there other factors which interact with smoke chemicals such as hormones, temperature, moisture, nicking of seeds? P. 202
• What is the importance of this discovery on horticulture? p. 202
• I have tried smoke treatments by have had limited success. Are there any factors which may cause problems with propagators? p. 203
• Species, arranged by family, in which treatment with smoke or aqueous smoke extract has been shown to give improved germination (Courtesy D. Oriel Seed Exporters) p. 203
• Appendix 2 Propagation of commonly encountered plants p. 206.
• Propagation methods for Australian native plants p. 206
• Propagation methods for exotic species p. 242