Les it's like Hosta, you have to cut out a piece of the crown and roots. That's the way that I've done it before.
Cher

On several occasions, a single heuchera leaf in water on my kitchen windowsill has developed a really impressive cluster of roots. I have never tried planting one, but I expect it would eventually grow -- African violets grow from a single leaf like that don't they?
Jan

Yes you can! I break off a plant from the crown of the mother plant and apply root tone to the base of the stem, Plant it in potting soil,water and wait. This year I went outside on Jan 31 (I am in Mississippi)and took several pieces and started them inside my small greenhouse. Almost all of them rooted and I have already planted some in the ground, waiting for most to grow a bit more. Last summer I did it later and left them outside in the shade to root. It's very easy. Good Luck!

Glosgarden - how long have you found it takes for a stem cutting to develop its own crown and start putting up new growth?

Did you sterilize the potting soil or just use it "straight from the bag"?

Jan, I have done that with a lot of perrenials. I don't know why I haven't tried rooting in water with Heuchera.

Les

Les,
Probably 2 to 3 weeks. I try not to check on them too often, it seems if I don't they will grow better!
Sounds like Karen's was a couple of weeks also.
I never sterilize soil for anything.
The ones I did the end of Jan. I used some of the promix that was still on the driveway from last fall because I didn't have any bagged.
I tried a couple of leaves at the same time and they both rotted. I must not have the touch for that.
I'm loving this forum!
Hosta is my first love but I have gotten a good many heuchera in the last few years but don't know much about them, so this is a great way to learn.
Gloria

I cut the old foliage off my heucheras today and noticed many need dividing. They are sticking up out of the ground quite a ways. I still would like big clumps though so is it possible to just hill them up a bit with some new topsoil?

Here's a great vid on this from Dan Heims at Terra Nova Nurseries.
Michelle

Here is a link that might be useful: Heuchera Video - YouTube

Les,not only can it be done,but here is a pic of one of my Palace Purple Heucheras,that I just stuck in the half whiskey barrel,after I pulled on a dry leaf of the plant,and it came up with small roots on the piece. I took it over,and made a small slit in the soil,and just stuffed it in. This pic is this year,but years after I did it. This plant looks better than the plant it came from! Take a look. Phil

{{gwi:876606}}

I'm starting three that I broke off from mother plants right now, not sure if they have rooted yet - it's only been less than two weeks.

I broke them off, made a clean diagonal cut with a sharp knife, dipped them in root hormone, and put them into very loose soil indoors. I have kept them moist but not wet. We will see if it works. They are looking reasonable, not dead, so I think it may be going along well... not to count my chickens.

I am not experienced at rooting things, trying a bunch of stuff this year.

N

I can't wait to try this!

swontgirl, I have added soil around the base of large plants before and they did well.
I have also had big plants that seemed to just be growing at the very top of the plant and I have dug around the base a bit and pushed them down into the soil to get them back down more where I wanted them. Just do it gently so as not to break anything. They do tend to break easily.
Nicole sounds like yours will do great1
Let us know your results.
echinacea have fun!

Pretty much just repeating what was said by others earlier...

but I usually just pull off small divisions at the crown -- no need to get roots with it -- and replant so the new division's crown is just above the soil line. It will root within a couple of weeks. I don't even use root hormone... just stick it in the loosened soil where I want it in the garden.

The old leaves will flop over and look pretty awful within a few days, but like Karen said in an earlier post, new young leaves will start to emerge after a couple of weeks. Unless my heuchera needs to be divided or replanted, this is the way I always start new plants. So much easier than digging the plant up and chopping it into pieces!

Michelle, thanks for posting that video! It helps to see it rather than just reading a description. I have a couple that mostly died b/c of last summer's heat and drought, and they're kind of straggling along. Now I know how to revive them.

Loving this new forum!

Deanna

Thanks glosgarden,
I put some new soil around several of my heucheras and heucherellas today. They look much better and I think will appreciate it. On a few I cut the old dried up stems off because they had new leaves starting at the bottom. I will see what happens with these. I also gave them some slow release fertilizer. Last year we were really dry and I think some just didn't get enough water. That and the fact that many are several years old just resulted in a bunch looking terrible. We are due for rain tomorrow and it is warming up so hopefully the timing was right and they take off now.

morning all!

I don't post much in the plant forums but I love heucheras! I have no idea how many I have but they are everywhere here!

I have been doing my clean up here in Ma. I just break pieces of as I am cleaning up and tuck them in promix, no rooting powder nothing. I leave them in the shade and have dozens of new plants for the swaps every year.

RE: covering the long stem of a more mature plant, why?? pull that whole baby out of the soil, pull each little clump apart and plant all the small pieces. I cut that big stem into about 2 inch pieces, stick it in the ground and voila....more plants....lol I end up with soooo many plants that I leave them at the end of my street with a free sign.

Good luck

Lisa

I just bought some Heuchera at the garden center. They are single plants in a 1/2 cup container. How big will they get this season, once planted? I am zone 4-5

My heucheras have become very leggy...all growth is at tip of a long fibrous root that just lays on the ground. Could I chop these long "roots" up and replant as noted above????

Thanks,
Sharon
Marin County, CA zone 17(I think)

Sharon,

Yes you can. I have seen several people say that they dont divide their heuchera but I always have. I don't like that leggy look.

You can not only chop that long root down to about an inch or so and plant the mother plant with some roots but also cut the long woody stems into pieces and they will make new plants too..

Lisa

Thank you, Lisa. Will try that today.