BOOK REVIEW:
Root Nurture Grow
The Essential Guide to Propagating and Sharing Houseplants
By Caro Langton and Rose Ray of Ro Co
If you love plants and you have a friend who loves plants, then one of two things is going to happen: they are going to want some of your plants or you are going to want some of theirs! The good thing is, as our authors say, it's really, really easy to make this happen!
"Remember that time you looked around your home and, with sudden dismay, thought 'I have too many houseplants'? Us neither. Because when it comes down to it, life with a potted plant is undeniably better."-the authors
Propagating plants sounds like something left to the domain of scientists in white coats living in laboratories. Just the thought sounds like I'm pretty sure it's beyond my pay grade. Turns out it's not.
With Root, Nurture, Grow, you'll quickly discover how easy it is to take cuttings, cultivate runners and offsets, divide plants at the roots and even grow brand new root systems in the air. The book concentrates primarily on vegetative propagation as opposed to seed propagation, which is a good thing, since growing new plants through layering, suckers and all the above is a whole lot simpler.
A lot of information is delivered succinctly. A handy, beautiful little tome. I wouldn't choose any other book to get me through making new plants out of existing ones.
Chinese proverb: Life begins the day you start a garden.
Happy Propagating, Siri Kay Jostad
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Root Nurture Grow is written for the new gardener and appropriately has good step-by-step illustrated instructions to hold your hand all the way to your successful birth of a new plant. It's pretty straight-forward. You can expect to come away with the following:
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21 Useful Terms. Things like Sucker, Petiole, Rhizome and Coir
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9 Sure-fire tips for success
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Tools & Materials list. Turns out you need simple things like a clear plastic bag, a spoon, a spray mister
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Best watering methods
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Oodles of styling inspo
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Understanding Rooting Chambers and how to make them
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Ideas for Rooting Boosters that lean towards the natural side of things (honey, cinnamon, willow tea)
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How to: Cuttings, Grafting, Division, Layering, Offsets, Runners, Suckers, Pruning & Pinching
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Common Problems (Browning and Dropping Leaves, no-growth, sudden shedding and more)
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Causes and Solutions for those Common Problems
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Rose Ray and Caro Langton are two stylists and designers specializing in transforming urban interiors with high impact, air-cleansing greenery.
They started their business, RO CO, in 2014 with a stall on Broadway Market in East London.
With their range of exotic indoor plants and hand-cast pots, they tapped into a community of similarly plant-enthused people who felt, like them, that a life more green was a life better lived. This led to a planting design studio and have helped to transform many hotels, restaurants and workplaces with bespoke designs to suit each unique space.
They are also the authors of House of Plants. Find them on Instagram @houseofplants
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