Method for the cultivation of a plurality of young plants which differ in terms of species or variety to form a group of young plants which can be handled as a unit

A method for the cultivation of a plurality of young plants which differ in terms of species or variety to form a group of young plants which can be handled as a unit, comprising:

• providing a plurality of propagation pots containing a substrate, each of the plurality of propagation pots having an open top end and a lateral peripheral surface, which allow roots that form in each of the plurality of propagation pots to grow out of the lateral peripheral surfaces;
• introducing at least cuttings or seed into each propagation pot, wherein at least one propagation pot receives a cutting or seed, variety or species, different from at least one other propagation pot;
• allowing roots to form in the substrate of each propagation pot;
• providing at least one growing container with a plurality of cavities formed therein, the plurality of cavities including sets of cavities that are next to each other and the cavities in each set open into each other to form a cluster, each cavity having a shape so as to firmly position a corresponding propagation put in lateral peripheral contact with at least one other propagation put in the same cluster, and each cavity configured to support a bottom portion of the corresponding propagation pot;
• loading at least one growing container with the plurality of propagation pots in such a manner that one propagation pot is arranged in each cavity and each propagation pot of a cluster is in contact with one another in at least a portion of their lateral peripheral surface, while another portion of their lateral peripheral surfaces are not in contact with one another, the bottom portion of each propagation pot is supported by a corresponding cavity;
• and
• allowing roots to form in the propagation pots of each growing container until roots emerging from the portions of the lateral peripheral surfaces of the propagation pots in contact with one another have formed a network of roots which binds the propagation pots in a growing container together as a cluster of propagation pots and holds them together.