A hard-working series with a strong identity, visible authority, on mainstream gardening subjects. Jargon-free delivery clarifying the mystique and perceived difficulty of some gardening practices. A 'Back to basics' box will debunk the old, difficult methods that are no longer practiced (such as double digging, some forms of rose pruning, folding over onion crops, painting pruning wounds, using tar oil winter wash, hormone rooting powder, copper sulphate on crops etc etc etc.

The Royal Horticultural Society is at the forefront of a gardening revolution in which received wisdom is questioned and updated. Put together by an army of RHS experts, this book is the result of more than 100 years of practical experience in gardens across the world. With this book, gardening practice is in safe hands.

6-9 Introduction: why propagate your plants 10-35 Rules and Tools: materials, environments, tools, compost, hygiene, problems. 36-95 Cuttings: Stem, leaf, root, modified stem cuttings. 96-101 Division: fleshy crowns, fibrous crowns, offsets, runners. 102-113 Layering: simple layering, air layering, tip layering 114-133 Seeds: collecting, dormancy, sowing, caring, problems 134-145 Grafting: whip and tongue, apical wedge, side wedge, chip budding, shield budding. 146-187 Propagation Directory: how, when, where for 1000 common plants. 188 Glossary Index of propagation techniques Acknowledgements