On a chilly autumn morning at the UC Merced Experimental Smart Farm, about a dozen people enthusiastically dug/plunged their hands into soil in an exercise on how to propagate plants.
For the less horticulturally inclined, propagating is the process of creating new plants from a single parent plant. Methods include using cuttings, seeds and dividing plants.
"You can do this from a lot of plants," Lynn Breithaupt told the group of students, staff and faculty. Breithaupt is a Ph.D. student who studies California vernal pools and volunteers with native plant restoration projects. "Each plant is specific as to what it wants."
The demonstration in the smart farm's greenhouse included species of California native plants, propagated with seeds and cuttings. It was the first of a series of planned workshops at the farm. California native plants are easy to grow, Breithaupt said.
"They've adapted to their habitat."
It just takes a little care and know-how, she said.
