GROWING TECHNIQUES

Growing Techniques

One of the most satisfying aspects of gardening is to see a plant grow from a seed you’ve sowed yourself just a few months before.

If this is the part of gardening that you live for, then these guides are for you. Here, we’ve all sorts of techniques and products to enhance your growing capacity and help you to grow stronger, healthier plants.

From how-to guides teaching you common garden techniques like pruning propagating, taking cuttings, and more, through to specialised equipment guides for growing mushrooms, maintaining plant nutrient levels, and so on.

We believe that the real joy of gardening comes from being able to curate your experience and pursue your passions.

INFORMATIONAL GUIDES

seedbom bee and butterfly seed throwers
We Tested 11 Seed Starter Kits & Wildflower Bee Balls From Retailers
pink flowering shrub growing in a black hanging basket that has been placed in fornt of a grassy lawn with trees in the background
This Is How To Make A Homemade Hanging Basket As A DIY Low-Cost Option
small plant seedling growing in the ground surrounded by blue fertiliser pellets
Fertilisers Can Be A Gardener’s Secret Weapon – But When Should You Use Them?
blue hose pipe head being used to water plants in the garden
Is There Actually A Best Time To Water Plants? Here’s What The Science Reveals
overhead shot of deciduous trees with orange, green and red foliage
What Does ‘Deciduous’ Mean? Why Some Plants Lose Their Leaves For Some Of The Year
green leafy vegetable growing in a raised bed outside
Expert Growers Share The Secrets To Raised Bed Planting: Build These Types Today
potted houseplant growing on a table in front of a window
Harriet Thompson Shares Her Secret To Bottom Watering For Potted Plants
white cabbage leaves with a trail of scattered wood ashes next to them growing from soil
Horticulturists Share 9 Uses For Ashes In The Garden That Might Surprise You
acidic soil that has been scattered with ground lime, a white powder
Lime Can Be Used To Reduce Soil Acidity, But How And When Should It Be Used?
a barrel full of rainwater stillbeing filled by droplets in front of some grass
Is Distilled Water Good For Plants? It’s Complicated – There’s No Scientific Consensus
a purple flower being pollinated by a bee in a field of grass and other purple and white flowers
Everything You Need To Know About Cross-Pollination (And What To Do About It)
three eggshells being used as mini planters filled with soil, all with different sized seedlings growing from them
Fertiliser To Pest Management: 9 Ways To Use Eggshells In The Garden
several different sizes plastic containers used as cloches to protect plants on a vegetable plot
Cloches Can Protect Plants And Reduce Losses – Here’s When And How To Use Them
harvested comfrey leaves bound by an elastic band
Turn Your Comfrey Leaves Into A Fertiliser ‘Tea’ And Feed Plants Organically
potato plants growing in rows
A Beginner’s Guide To Crop Rotation With Garden Presenter Ade Sellars
potatoes being bagged in a supermarket
Why It Might Not Be A Good Idea To Grow Potatoes From Store-Bought Ones
using cardboard on soil in a no dig garden
No Dig Gardening Explained For Beginners: Experts Share The Benefits And Their Advice
pruning an olive tree with secateurs and sunset in background
Olives Respond Very Well To Pruning: Encourage Fruiting And Keep Your Plant In Check
Lily of the Incas in the botanic gardens of Singapore
Divide Alstroemeria Tubers In 4 Steps To Reduce Overcrowding And Produce New Plants
frost covering flowers and foliage in a winter garden
7 Essential Steps For Protecting Plants In Winter That Every Gardener Should Know
hyacinths, tulips and allium planted in a tin bath bulb lasagne
Plant A Bulb Lasagne (Layer Them In Stages) For Incredible Mixed Displays
pink flowers of clematis Elizabeth trained against a timber fence
Train Your Clematis To Climb: Experts Share Their Advice For Trellis, Walls And Fences
geranium cuttings ready to place into growing pots
Here’s How To Take Geranium Cuttings – Buy Just Once And Propagate New Plants
close up of hosta leaves
Dividing Hostas: ‘It Will Be Best To Dig Them Up Every 3-4 Years’ Advise These Experts
blue upright delphinium flowers
Beware Delphiniums Sensitive Root Systems Before Growing In Pots Says Graham Austin
pieris japonica leaves
Pieris Can Be Left Alone, But Follow These Steps If You Decide To Prune Yours
mixed microgreens on a wooden background
Microgreens Can Be Grown At Home Year-Round For An Endless Supply – Here’s How
red leaves of a Japanese Maple tree
Only Prune Maples ‘If You Want To Form The Tree In A Precise Shape’ Says This Expert
a strawberry runner above soil
Propagating Strawberry Plants Using Runners: Get New Plants For Free With This Easy Process
double cordon apple tree in an orchard
Growing Fruit Trees In Smaller Spaces? Use A Cordon System To Increase Your Yield
white choisya ternata flowers
Don’t Damage Your Choisya Plant – Only Prune Once All Risk Of Frost Has Passed
deadheading a lily plant
What Do You Do With Lilies Once They’ve Flowered? Lynn Slackman Reveals All
two traditional clay forcing jars next to rhubarb plants
Experts Reveal How To Force Rhubarb For An Early Crop (Make It Grow Faster And Earlier)
a hydrangea cutting growing from a terracotta pot
Propagate Hydrangea Through Softwood Cuttings In Summer For Best Results
purple flowering wisteria tree in a garden
Pruning Wisteria Can Breathe Life Into Mature Plants – Here Are Chris O’Keefe’s Top Tips
an espalier fruit tree trained against a grey fence
How To Create An Espalier Fruit Tree Screen, With Advice From A Forest Gardener
dark blue hydrangea blooms
You Can Keep Your Hydrangea Blue With An Acidifying Routine, But Is It Really Worth It?
an apple tree with fruits in an orchard
Registered Arborist Dan Ori On The Reasons To Prune An Apple Tree (And How To Do It)
pak choi being grown in a cold frame
Cold Frames Can Help Extend The Growing Season: Here Are 5 Practical Uses
ripe plums fruits hanging from the branches of a tree
Pruning Requirements For A Plum Tree Are Different To Other Fruits – Here’s Why
pink Calluna vulgaris heather
Woody Or Leggy Heather? Expert Nursery Growers Share 5 Rejuvenation Tips
holly branches and berries up close
Sue Hunter On Pruning Holly: Be Selective With Young Plants; Use Hat-Racking For Older Ones
succulent cuttings sat on soil
Succulent Growers On Their 6 Step Propagation Routine: ‘Most Grow From Leaf Pullings’
mini succulents in a glass terrarium on a windowsill
In Just 5 Steps You Can Make Your Own Terrarium To Combine Hobbycraft And Horticulture
Close up of purple Buddleja plant
Prune Buddleja To Increase Flowering – ‘Remove Dying, Dead, Damaged Or Loose Stems’
gardener in blue gloves pruning rose bushes
Cuttings Are A Great Way To Propagate A Cherished Rose Plant: Just Follow These Steps
home garden vegetable patch
Get Planning And Start A Vegetable Patch In Your Garden With This 12 Step Guide
field full of green manures
Why You Should Be Using Green Manures To Improve Soil Structure And Weed Suppression
an allotment in Britain
How To Start An Allotment: The Beginners Guide With Secrets From Expert Gardeners
mint cuttings propagating in test tubes
Master Horticulturist’s Guide To Taking And Propagating Plant Cuttings
mulching on garden flowerbed
Mulching Can Be The Ace Up A Gardener’s Sleeve: Here’s How To Use It Effectively
Slide Background
GROWING ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST
We are an independent collection of horticulturists based in the UK.
- REVIEWED BY MASTER HORTICULTURISTS

Our hundreds of growing guides are each reviewed by RHS Master Horticulturists.

- EXPERT-ONLY CONTRIBUTORS

Our contributors include RHS Gold Medallists, estate gardeners, society members and more!

READ OUR EDITORIAL GUIDELINES
email icon