Best Propagation/Horticulture Book?

Hi,

I'm rapidly expanding my propagation skillset, and moving towards a backyard nursery, and I want to further enhance my knowledge base.

Do any of you have recommendations for the definitive guide to propagation (as in, the most complete and useful resource)?

What about books for specific aspects of propagation? As in, what's the best grafting resource? What about rooting cuttings? What about plant breeding? Etc...

Let me know what's worked for you and, for context, let me know how much experience you have propagating yourself.

William Horvath, the Permaculture Apprentice, told me (along with his entire email list) that I needed this book. Plant Propagation by American Horticulture Society. I found mine used for $16.00.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:William Horvath, the Permaculture Apprentice, told me (along with his entire email list) that I needed this book. Plant Propagation by American Horticulture Society. I found mine used for $16.00.

That's the second time I've gotten that particular recommendation. It's currently in my list. Thank you for adding more weight to the suggestion.

Hi Chance - this is a great topic, so glad you have started this thread, and best wishes for your backyard nursery goals!

Regarding specialty areas... one of mine is medicinary herbs. Many do not have straightforward propagation (or even clearly understood needs for propagation), and there are real concerns about depletion due to wildcraft harvesting. For some of these to be sustainable, we just gotta become capable of a farmed production base.  (You can see more about the at-risk species here: https://unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk-list/)

To this end, I can recommend this book by Richo and Sena Cech: 'Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs'. Richo Cech is all in on herb seed saving and production, propagation, creating appropriate environments for herbs, etc.  I have tied in one of his YouTube interviews below.

Carefully written, based on practical experience, and I am finding some successes with the guidance here that I would never have come up with on my own.  This is the most specialized in   Richo's full series of books on plant medicine.  All of them are good, though this one on the hard to cultivate at-risk herbs really provides an invaluable service with info I have not seen anywhere else.



If you are interested in having medicinal herbs as part of your future backyard nursery, these might want a place on your growing bookshelf.

The AHS Plant Propagation book keeps coming up for good reason. If you get into woody plants specifically, Dirr's Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation is the one people reach for once they're past the basics, very species-specific which makes it actually useful rather than just theoretical.

Below is the cover on mine. And the content pages to whet the appetite.

It is done.