Table of contents
- Which plants form runners?
- If the plants multiply too much by suckers
- What are foothills for?
As an offshoot or Stolons are appendages of plants that continue to grow on their own after being severed. Some runners literally creep along under or above the ground, other runners are elongated side shoots that emanate from the base of the stem or from the rosette of leaves. Some runners also emanate from the root collar.
Which plants form runners?
- Bindweed and Wheatgrass - both weeds that, due to the stolons, make it very difficult to banish them from the garden. The tiniest bit of root gives rise to a new plant.
- Mint - actually very popular in the garden, until it appears everywhere and can no longer be limited.
- Yellow Loosestrife - a rewarding and everblooming garden plant, also snail resistant, but will spread rapidly and encroach on anything planted around it
- Snowy loosestrife – similar to golden loosestrife
- Goldenrod - not all species sprout strong runners, but there are plenty of them
- Bamboo - the classic among usurers. However, you have to differentiate between them. There are clump-forming (Fargesia and Borinda) and runner-forming species (Phyllostachys). Fargesia does not sprout, it is completely harmless.
- Some Ferns - form short runners and propagate like a carpet throughout the garden.
- cinquefoil; sempervivum, thyme; Valerian; lovage, shadow green,
- Ranunculus shrub - is often used as a flowering hedge, but spreads quickly
- Alba Roses - These white farmhouse roses (also pastel shades) are quite old and particularly fragrant. They tend to form offshoots.
If the plants multiply too much by suckers
When the plants spread throughout the garden, good advice is often expensive. For some it gets really bad. Removing bamboo is a feat of strength and often not crowned with success. If a tip of root remains somewhere, a new plant will sprout from it. Only a root barrier will help here. This must be introduced right at the time of planting and must be very stable. The runners of bamboo penetrate even the thickest pond liner. You shouldn't save at the wrong end and should buy a real rhizome barrier. Mint also has the property of spreading wildfire. Therefore, you should also cultivate them in pots and containers. If you love order in the garden and don't want to leave any pots lying around, you can also place them in the bed and bury them. In this way, the spurs can be kept within limits.
What are foothills for?
Foothills – however and wherever they grow – serve the vegetative, i.e. asexual, reproduction of a plant. Spurs are a type of blastochoria. They have so-called nodes. Roots, but also shoots that grow upright can develop on these.
The connecting shoots then die off. Strawberries, for example, have runners. It should be mentioned that monthly strawberries do not form any runners. With the monthly strawberries, you have to grow the strawberries from the seed year after year. These are then planted out as young plants in the spring.
The young plants of garden strawberries, on the other hand, are grown from stolons. If plants have too few runners, some will certainly appear on the mother plant in the summer months. New plants can then be easily grown from these.
Basically, you should only remove runners from really strong plant specimens. You should not take more than two, at most three shoots from each mother plant. The other offshoots are simply cut off.
You can also cut off foothills in September by digging up the plant. However, so-called sprout tubers can also form from foothills, i.e. thickenings. An example of this is the Potato.
garden editorial I write about everything that interests me in my garden.
Find out more about A for maple
What is sprouting spray? When is it useful? How is it done?
Pests can cause great damage to fruit and ornamental trees. They appear out of nowhere, but that is deceptive. They have already overwintered on the trees, for example as larvae. A sprouting spray in the spring can destroy them before they wake up.
Japanese maple, Acer palmatum: care, pruning and more
The Japanese maple impresses with its large but filigree leaves with extraordinary autumn colors. It does not make any special demands on care, but is considered to be somewhat picky about soil and location. Small varieties can also be cultivated in tubs.
Red maple: 9 tips for caring for, cutting & overwintering
The red maple is one of the most impressive trees in Germany due to its unusual scarlet leaf colour. Here you can find out how to integrate this impressive plant into your garden and how to keep it healthy and vigorous.
Red Norway Maple: Basic Care | Red-leaved maple
Red maple is well on the way to overtaking its green-leaved counterpart as a popular house tree. This guide will acquaint you with the basics of care so that the red-leaved premium variety can make the most of a representative welcoming committee in the garden.
Is the Japanese maple hardy? This is how you overwinter it properly
The Japanese maple is so popular in the local latitudes because it can be cultivated in the garden and in a bucket. Because the tree has its origin in the Japanese mountain regions, where there is a similar climate. It is therefore not difficult to get the plant through the winter well.
Pruning instructions for the maple - How to cut it correctly
A spherical maple does not keep its round, compact crown by itself. Without pruning at fixed intervals, the decorative shape will be lost over the years. The point in time is no less important than the incision. These instructions explain in detail when and how to properly cut the elegant ornamental tree.