"Fenny" k wrote in message
...
I have plenty of books that tell me how to sow seeds, take cuttings,
graft, layer or otherwise propagate my plants, but none of them seem to
cover the aftercare of plants once they have rooted. Does anyone know
of a book / URL that covers potting on, hardening off, lifting of
hardwood cuttings etc? Getting them to germinate is only the first bit
of the process.

Thanks
--
Fenny

It isn't that easy to write about. I can reply to you in a few sentences. No amount more is going to make things clearer
or simpler, you just need to do it and learn from your experience.
The main thing is getting your tender young seedling/graft/cutting gradually accustomed to the harsh world outside the
propagating house. They need to get used to lower more variable temp/humidity and brighter light, more air movement etc.
This 'weaning' process is normally done before you pot on or prick out so you have a more robust plant to handle at that
stage and also to save space in your propagating facility (window sill, propagator, prop house or whatever).
Seedlings are generally best pricked out as soon as large enough to handle. Keep pots etc in proportion to your young
plants - don't put tiny plants in huge pots.
Outdoor grafts are just left in position until the end of the first growing season after grafting. For more advanced
techniques like bench grafts etc you really need something like Hartmann & Kester 'Plant Propagation' from your library
or RHS Lindley library.
Hardwood cuttings are easy just leave them outside where you struck them for at least a year then handle like any young
bare rooted plant.

That really is most of the basic stuff, all you need to do after this is watch your young plants and pot on/plant out as
needed and remember what you did right and what you did wrong.

Rod