Where your plants come from + how they are grown!

Where your plants come from + how they are grown!

By Jennifer LaMontagne

Where your plants come from + how they are grown!

At Mill Creek, we’ve been busy getting ready for the spring season since January!  There are a lot of steps that go into getting the plants ready by spring time.  Here is an inside look at our growing process.

About 98% of our plants are grown from seed, unrooted cutting, or tissue culture on site at Mill Creek.  Coleus, gazania, vegetables, and herbs are a few examples that we grow from seed.  Hoya, pothos, peperomia, and spider plants are some houseplants that we propagate from cuttings.  We also propagate most of our annuals and perennials from cuttings.  Coneflower, rex begonia, and heuchera are a few examples that are grown from tissue culture.  

Every little detail is important when planting cuttings to ensure successful growing rates.  We use a growing medium that is fluffy and even.  The growing trays are watered at just the right moisture level.  Each cutting is dipped in a root hormone before planting.  The cuttings also have to be planted at just the right depth in the soil so they can root.   

Each new plant is cared for with its specific requirements for heat, light, and water in our propagation house.  Heated tables provide warmth to the base of the trays and grow lights hang from above.  New cuttings are misted with water every hour for the first 5 days.  This is because they get their moisture from water on their leaves until they grow roots.  Once the new cuttings have grown roots, we then stop misting from above, and just water the soil when it is dry.  Every night, the new cuttings get covered with frost cloth to keep humidity and warmth inside.  

We remove the plants from table heat and overhead lighting once they have grown well-established roots.  They stay in the propagation house until they are large enough to be moved to another greenhouse. After the plants have grown to a decent size, they are then planted into larger containers or hanging baskets.  They will continue to grow and fill out their new pot or basket in time to look great for spring (mid-April – May)!       

Want to learn more about how your plants are grown at Mill Creek? Send us an email!  Message us on Facebook! Come + chat with us (AND check out our houseplants selection)!

 

0 comments

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published