Course overview

Expert gardener and horticulturalist Dr Noel Kingsbury teaches you how to propagate plants - from collecting seeds to taking a cutting or division and grafting.

What is plant propagation?

Propagation is about making more plants. Propagation is crucial to the nursery industry, and, therefore to the whole garden and landscape business.

There are many different ways to propagate plants, including taking a cutting, collecting and growing from seeds, division and grafting. Different methods are used for different species – which method you use depends very much on the form of the plant, its lifecycle and its own natural ways of increasing itself.

With some plants, several different propagation methods might work, but one may be more popular because it is easier to do on a large scale, gives quicker results, may be cheaper or give different outcomes, such as plant size or vigour.

Noel will teach you how to choose the most successful propagation method for different plant types, and practical instructions on each propagation technique.

You'll learn:

how to propagate all types of plants
collecting and storing plant seeds
germinating seeds
hybridisation
vegetative propagation including taking cuttings and growing roots from cuttings
perennial propagation
division and grafting techniques

The course includes:

4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Dr Noel Kingsbury
lifetime access to the videos and interactive class
flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
practical propagation projects (with tutor feedback available)
access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
small interactive online classroom - chat online with students from around the world and share your creative ideas

Time to complete the plant propagation course:

Every student is different, but in general, we think the whole course will take around 11 hours 30 minutes to complete, including:

Video lessons: 1 hour 30 minutes in total
Your plant propagation assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

You'll need:

You don't need any special equipment, but you will be completing propagation assignments, including researching propagation techniques and how to propagate different types of plants in your garden.

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Noel on your propagation assignments.

If you know someone who'd love this course, then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.

Watch course trailer

Lesson summary

The outlines of propagation: seeds, collecting and storing

An introduction to the basic biology of how plants can be propagated – understanding core principles is a real help here as it will enable you to make informed decisions about the way you work with plants. We then move on to nature's highly effective 'first method of choice' – seed, collecting seed yourself and storing it to keep it viable for as long as possible.

Sowing seeds and hybridisation

We continue our exploration of growing plants from seed: sowing it both inside under protected conditions and outside. We look at the reluctance that some seed has to germinate, why this is so, and how we can deal with it. Finally, there is a brief outline of hybridisation, which is important to understand if we want to ensure that we get what we want from the seed we sow.

Vegetative propagation, cuttings and layering

Vegetative propagation is very different to growing from seed, and in many cases gives quicker results. Here we look at the basic principles, and then at the most important method for many of us – taking cuttings, at different types of cuttings and how to get the best results. We also look at layering techniques, useful for certain shrubs and climbers.

Division and grafting

Division is a very easy method of propagation for perennials; here we look at how to make the most effective use of it. We also take a quick look at grafting, which is a specialised technique, but it helps to have an outline understanding of it, and why it is used in many circumstances.

Choose how you want to learn

Expert-level

Develop your learning further with marked assignments and personal tuition:

Start the course whenever you like
Tutor access for personalised assignment feedback & coaching
Certificate of completion and CPD learning hours
Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
Lessons with expert videos & notes
Group chat & direct message with tutor & classmates
Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom

Peer-level

Get the most from shared knowledge and community study:

Start course whenever you like
Practise what you learn with your peers
Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
Lessons with videos & notes
Course assignments
Group chat & direct message classmates
Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom

meet the expert

Dr Noel Kingsbury

Renowned garden designer and author known for naturalistic planting and collaborating with Piet Oudolf.

Why choose Learning with Experts?

Start whenever it suits you, and immerse yourself in motivational lesson tutorials with expert guidance.

Enhance your learning and personal growth with lesson assignments. Each course includes an optional assignment at the end of every lesson.

Drop a friendly message or respond to your assignment feedback. Our world-class experts are just a click away, ready to help you!

Stay informed about your own progress and those of your peers, and take joy in celebrating achievements along the way.

Chat and share ideas with passionate communities of learners from around the world.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between PEER and EXPERT options?

At Peer and Expert level, you get access to the same core content and features:

Video lesson tutorials led by your expert tutor
Downloadable lesson notes
Option to practise what you learn with lesson assignments
Group learning within an online interactive classroom of up to 20 classmates
Lifetime access to videos, notes and classroom

If you choose Expert level, you get all of the above plus the following:

Personalised assignment feedback and coaching from your expert tutor
Opportunity to interact with your expert tutor through a private messaging system
Certificate of completion.

What is an online classroom?

Our online classroom has been developed to allow you to learn from our experts in a sociable environment alongside up to 20 other students. After each video tutorial led by your expert, you will be encouraged to practice what you have learned with optional assignments - these can be seen by the other students in your class, who are free to share their own thoughts and questions with you.

You will be encouraged to take part in an ongoing class discussion where you can discuss ideas, post images or work, and comment on each other’s assignments. It’s a great way to learn from other like-minded people who share your passion from all over the world.

This means not only do you benefit from people who are outstanding in their field, but also from a close-knit group of like-minded people whom you can learn alongside. Group learning has shown to greatly improve not just the experience of studying, but also how well you retain the knowledge, and we have built our classroom experience around this fact.

When can I start my course and how long will it take?

You can start your course any time within 12 months after receipt of your purchase confirmation email. Once you start, you’ll have lifetime access — meaning you can revisit the lesson videos and notes whenever you want.

Our courses are designed so that you can study at your own pace, some prefer to binge learn while others like to spread their studying over a longer period of time - it’s completely up to you. To give you a rough time frame, each lesson video is approximately 30-40 minutes long, and we recommend that you spend around an hour on each assignment.

How often can I speak with the Expert?

If you opt for the Expert version of your course, the time you have to interact with your tutor is limited to course length. You will have one week per lesson to chat to your tutor and to have your assignments marked, and during this period you can ask them as many questions as you would like.

To find out the length of each course, head to the product page and look at the Course outline to see how many lessons it contains. e.g. a four lesson course assumes that you will have completed the assignments within four weeks.

Your tutor interaction period will start as soon as you enter the classroom. If you find that you are struggling to complete the assignments in the allocated time or you wish to put this function on hold, just get in contact with one of the team via the support button and we will help you out.

Support and full FAQs

If you need any help with a course, be it one you’ve started already, or one you are looking to purchase, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Support email address, or view the full FAQ’s here.

You can also use the orange speech bubble on your page to start a conversation with us.

For privacy or data questions, please contact us here.

Propagation