Organic Gardening Tips and Methods Propagatation from Cuttings Most tender, indoor plants may be readily propagated from softwood (tip) cuttings (rooted in compost or water), leaf bud or leaf cuttings, semi ripe or woody cuttings may be taken from indoor shrubs. The chief factor for success are; timming, hygiene, warmth and humidity. Semi-ripe Cuttings; Take cuttings of semi-ripe wood from the current seasons growth in summer after the main flush of fast, spring growth but before the wood is fully ripe, suitable material is firm but flexible and offers some resistance if bent. Plants grown under cover may reach maturity before mid-summer, so check any new shoots carefully from early summer onwards. Leaf-bud Cuttings; Genera such as; Ficus and Hoya may be increased by leaf-bud cuttings, a type of semi-ripe cutting, cut stems into 2.5-5cm (1-2in) length each with a single leaf and leaf axil bud, then insert them into pots of cuttings compost and place the pots in a propagator at a temperature of 15-18 degrees C (59-64 degrees F). Softwood Cuttings; These are in taken early spring, select new, short-noded side-shoots and remove them with a clean sharp pruning knife, when preparing cuttings, make clean, precise cuts, so that no snags are left on the stems. Dip the base of each stem in hormone rooting powder/gel and using a dibber or pencil, insert several cuttings into a pot of standard cuttings compost, the cuttings may be close together in a pot placed around the edges as long as their leaves do not touch. Place the pot in a propagator or cover it with a plastic bag to reduce water-loss, make sure that the bag does not touch the cutting, however, leave the pot in a warm, light position but out of direct sunlight, check the cuttings each day or two, and if necessary clear any condensation by opening the propagator or bag for a while. It should take about four to six weeks for new roots to form, at this stage, when young growth can /may be seen, transfer the cuttings to individual pots of peat-substitute or loam based compost to grow on, keep the young plants in a warm, lightly-shaded place until they are well established. Rooting Softwood Cuttings in Water; The simplest method of rooting softwood-cuttings is to place them in a glass/jar of water in a light, warm position, prepare each cutting as for a normal softwood-cuttings, ensuring that the lower leaves are cleanly removed, support the cuttings on netting placed over the glass so that the stem is suspended in the water, when the roots develop and there is fresh growth, pot up the cuttings, prepare pots with drainage material and 2.5cm (1in) of compost, hold each cutting in a pot with its roots spread and fill in with compost until the roots are covered, then firm and water the cuttings thoroughly. Propagating From Leaves; Some plants may be propagated easily from whole leaves or leaf sections, in some cases, the leaves are inserted in compost (or water), while in/with others they are scored or cut up before being inserted in or secured flat onto the compost, each leaf should produce a number of small plantlets where the leaf veins have been cut. Whole leaves; Certain plants, often those with fleshy leaves growing in rosettes such as African violets (Saint Paulia) and Gloxinias (Sinningia speciossa) as well as Rex and rhizomatous begonias and some succulents may be increased from leaf cutting. For the cuttings, choose healthy undamaged fully grown leaves and cut them off close to the base of the leaf stalk with a straight cut 3cm (one and a quarter inches) below the leaf blade, insert the cuttings individually into prepared pots of cuttings compost (1part sand and 1 part peat substitute or peat), label, and water, place the pots in a propagator or cover each one with a clear plastic bag or improvised cloche (such as a plastic bottle cut in half). As soon as each cutting produces plantlet, remove its cover grow on the cuttings until the plantlets are large enough to be teased apart and potted on individually, alternatively, leaves with long stalks (especially African violets) may be rooted in water, although rooting tends to take longer than in compost. Scored or Cut Leaves; The leaves of plants with prominent veins, such as Rex Begonias and various members of the family, Gesneriaceae, for example Streptocarpus, will produce small plantlets if they are scored or cut up, and the veins are then kept in contact with the moist compost, the leaves may be divided either in half or into small sections, or they may be scored through, whichever method is used, keep the container in a propagator or in a clear plastic bag in a light place but out of direct sunlight, inflate the bag so that it does not touch the leaf sections and seal it, the leaves being propagated should be kept at 18-24 degrees C (64-75 degrees F). When clumps of plantlets develop from the cut veins, carefully lift and separate them retaining a little compost around the roots of each plantlets and pot them up individually into 7cm (3in) pots containing cuttings compost, some succulent plants including; Sansevieria and those that have flattened leaf like stems such as; Epiphyllum, may also be propagated from “leaf” sections although these are treated slightly differently. Propagation by Layering; Layering involves wounding the stem of a plant, inducing it to produce roots, and then separating the rooted stem, this method has a high success rate since the layered stem receives nutrients from the parent plant while it is developing, some indoor plants may be propagated by layering, either in air or in the soil. Air layering produces a fairly large, new plant from an older specimen, but it may take some considerable time, simple layering in soil provides new stock quite quickly. Air Layering; This is an excellent method for replacing old or damaged house plants, for example; The Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) and its relatives, the top of the tip of a branch may be encouraged to form new roots, and is then severed from their parent, choose a section of stem of new growth that is straight, about 10cm (4in), long and of at least pencil thickness, cut the bottom off a clear plastic bag to create a transparent sleeve and slip it over the stem or if the leaves are too large to permit this, fold a clear plastic sheet around the stem and tape up the seam, secure the sleeve below the selected area of the stem, using a sharp pruning knife, make a shallow upward-slanting cut in the side of the stem, then wedge this tongue open with moist sphagnum moss, alternatively, on woody plants, score two rings 1-2cm (1/2-3/4in) apart blow a healthy leaf joint on the selected area of the stem, he scores should be just deep enough to penetrate the bark without harming the wood, peel of the bark between the rings leaving the cambium undisturbed, in both cases, dust the cut area with a rooting powder, pack the sleeve with damp moss, and seal it so that the area is tightly enclosed to prevent it from drying out, if the stem is heavy, provide a cane support. It may be many months before the roots show, if the moss begins to dry out, open up the plastic add a little water, and reseal, when roots appear, sever the layered stem from the parent and pot it up into a loam based potting compost, water the young plant sparingly until it is established. Simple Layering; Climbing or trailing shoots may be layered into the soil while they are still attached to the parent plant, choose a long-vigorous shoot and peg it down into a small pot of moist cuttings compost, after three or four weeks, roots should start to grow into the compost and new shoots begin to form. The rooted layer may then be detached from the parent plant, if required, several shoots may be layered at the same time, each in its own pot, when severing the new plants, always take care not to spoil the shape of the parent plant. Leaf Cutting; Some succulent plant for example, many species of Crassula and Echeveria may be propagated from leaf cuttings these should be taken from the parent plant in spring or early summer when there is plenty of new growth, choose firm fleshy leaves and remove them carefully from the parent plant, sever them with a sharp knife o pull them gently downwards, ensuring that a small piece of the stem remains attached to the base of each, put the severed cuttings on a clean piece of paper and place them in partial shaded at a minimum temperature of 10 degrees C (50 degrees F), leave them for a day or two until each one has formed a noticeable callus, fill pots almost to the brim with equal parts of peat substitute (or peat) and sharp grit or sand, each cutting should be inserted in an upright position in a pot so that the stem of the leaf is just held in place in the top of the compost, firm the compost around the cuttings with your fingers, cover the surface with a light top-dressing of gravel or grit to help keep the cuttings in position, label the pot and place it in dappled shade making sure that you maintain a regular temperature of 21 degrees C (70 degrees F), keep the young cuttings moist by watering them every day with tepid water, use a fine mist-spray to cause least disturbance to the cuttings, rooting does not take long and normally occurs within a few days. Approximately two weeks after new growth appears, pot up the rooted cuttings into suitably sized pots filling them with standard loam-based compost. NOTE; All the information given is within the guide lines of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 12:20:42 +0000
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