- 01Sow direct
- Put seed straight into its final garden position, so its roots are never disturbed by transplanting.
- 02Sow direct in blocks
- Sow in a compact grid instead of one long row. This helps wind-pollinated crops such as sweet corn set well.
- 03Start in trays
- Germinate seed in trays or small pots, then transplant the strongest seedlings once they are established.
- 04Sow or transplant
- Either sow seed in place or use established seedlings, depending on the weather, time and space available.
- 05Sow or plant seedlings
- Start from seed in the bed or plant nursery-raised seedlings for a faster, more reliable beginning.
- 06Plant seedlings
- Set young plants at their final spacing, keeping the root ball intact and watering them in immediately.
- 07Plant cloves
- Separate healthy garlic bulbs and plant individual cloves with the pointed end facing upward.
- 08Plant seed potatoes
- Plant certified seed potatoes—small tubers or cut pieces with healthy eyes—rather than ordinary seed.
- 09Plant slips
- Plant rooted shoots, most commonly sweet potato slips, with the roots covered and leafy tip above the soil.
- 10Plant bulbs
- Set true bulbs at the recommended depth, usually with the pointed growing tip facing upward.
- 11Plant chilled bulbs
- Plant bulbs that have had a cool resting period first, which can improve flowering where winters are mild.
- 12Plant corms
- Plant solid, swollen underground stems such as freesia or gladiolus at the recommended depth and orientation.
- 13Plant claws
- Plant ranunculus tubers with their finger-like claws pointing downward after preparing them as directed.
- 14Plant tubers
- Set swollen underground storage stems, such as dahlias, with buds or eyes positioned to grow upward.
- 15Plant in a container
- Grow in a pot with drainage and fresh potting mix—useful for spreading plants such as mint.
- 16Plant tubestock
- Plant a small, deeply rooted nursery plant from a narrow tube, commonly used for Australian natives.
- 17Plant groundcover
- Space low-growing plants so they can spread into a living carpet without crowding one another.
- 18Plant runners
- Plant rooted young plants formed on creeping stems, such as strawberry runners, with the crown at soil level.
- 19Plant a young shrub
- Move a container-grown shrub into a hole no deeper than its root ball and water it in thoroughly.
- 20Plant a grafted tree
- Plant a nursery tree joined to selected rootstock, keeping the graft union clearly above the soil.
- 21Plant a bare-root tree
- Plant a dormant tree sold without potting mix, spreading its roots before backfilling and watering well.
- 22Plant crowns
- Set a dormant crown—such as asparagus, rhubarb or a pineapple top—with roots covered and the growing point correctly positioned.
- 23Plant rhizomes
- Lay a healthy underground stem such as ginger or turmeric just below the surface with visible buds facing upward.
- 24Plant a vine
- Set a young climbing plant beside a strong trellis, keeping its root ball level and training new growth onto the support.
- 25Plant cuttings
- Root a healthy stem section or plant a pre-rooted cutting, keeping it evenly moist while new roots establish.
- 26Plant divisions
- Separate an established clump into rooted sections and replant each division at its original depth.
- 27Plant a sucker
- Remove and replant a rooted side shoot, commonly used to establish bananas and similar clumping plants.