Some of our favourite and most useful garden plants are grown
from tubers. If a tuber produces several growing points, then it
can be divided for propagation. Just cut through the tuber,
ensuring each piece has an eye, or growing shoot. This method
works well with dahlias. The only danger is that the cut surface
may rot and destroy the plant. To reduce this risk, either allow
the cut section to dry before planting or seal it with fine sand
or ash, possibly adding a fungicidal powder too. If several
tubers are formed in a season, these may be separated and used
to grow new plants. In both cases the new plant will be
identical to the parent. Another propagation method is to start
the tuber into growth on a windowsill or under glass. Once new
shoots appear, they can be used as cuttings. This is a good way
to increase your stock of begonias. Tubers bought whilst dormant
will usually grow easily, the main exception to this is
cyclamen. They will often die during storage or take a long time
to recover and become es