Asexual Plant Propagation by Cuttings
Asexual Plant Propagation by Cuttings
PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS
2. Types of cuttings
Cuttings are made from vegetative parts of plants, such as stems.
modified (rhizomes, tubers, corms, bulbs), leaves or roots. Cuttings can be
classify according to the part of the plant from which they come as follows:
Stem Cuttings:
. From hardwood:
Expired.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
Plant Production. .
I.E.S. Federico García Lorca (Churriana de la Vega -
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Narrow-leaved perennials.
. Semi-hardwood.
. Of soft wood.
. Herbaceous
Leaf cuttings.
Root cuttings.
Stem cuttings, which are the most important type, can be divided into four.
groups according to the nature of the wood: hardwood, semi-hardwood, softwood and
herbaceous.
The hardwood stakes are prepared during the season of deciduous woody plants,
of rest, at the end of autumn, in winter or at the beginning of although it is possible to propagate
spring, usually from fast-growing woods by hardwood stakes
previous, although in fig, olive, and certain cultivars of without leaves you hit species
plum, wood that is two years old can be used. The stakes of evergreen like the olive.
hardwood is used more frequently in propagation
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Rooting of woody cuttings
The propagation material from hardwood cuttings must be taken from plants
healthy, of moderate vigor, that grow with good sunlight. The wood taken should not
to proceed with very vigorous growths with abnormally long internodes, or branches
weak, slow-growing, or from the interior. The most suitable wood is that of size and
moderate vigor. The cuttings should have a ample supply of stored nutrients
to nourish the developing roots and branches until the new plant is self-sufficient.
The tips of the branches, which usually have few food reserves, are discarded. The
best stakes isobtained fromthe central and basal parts.
The long stakes, when used as fruiting patterns, allow the grafting of the bud of the
to cultivate in the original branch after it has rooted, instead of doing it in the younger branch
little that comes out of the original stake.
The stake must have at least two nodes. The basal cut is usually made
just below a knot and the upper one 1.5 to 2.5 cm above another knot.
The diameter of the stakes can vary from 0.6 to 2.5 and sometimes up to 5 cm.
depending on the species.
For the preparation and handling of the stakes before planting them, there are several methods of use.
common
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They must be rooted under conditions that prevent excessive drying.
they are slow to root, sometimes taking from several months to a year. Due to the factor of
the juvenility, the cuttings taken from young mother plants grown from seed root
more easily than those taken from older trees.
The cuttings root better in a greenhouse with relatively low light intensity.
high and elevated humidity conditions or with very light fog, without wetting the leaves in
abundance. Good results have been obtained by providing a temperature in the background
from 24 to 26.5°C. The sand alone is satisfactory as a medium for rooting, just like
a 1:1 mixture of perlite and peat.
The type of wood that should be used to make the stakes varies significantly.
according to the species to be rooted. The cuttings are made about 10-20 cm long,
removing all the leaves from the lower half. Generally, the terminal branches are used.
mature from the growth of the previous season. Some nurserymen use tip cuttings,
5 to 7 cm long, placed very close together in a box for rooting.
The stakes are made 7.5 to 15 cm long, keeping the leaves at the top.
superior. If the leaves are very large, they must be reduced in size to decrease loss.
of water and allow for closer spacing in the growing beds, They are often used
tips of the branches to make cuttings, but the basal parts of the stem also root.
The basal cut of ordinary wood is made just below a knot. The wood for stakes must
to be obtained in the early hours of the morning, when the stems are still turgid and
keep wrapped rolled with damp, clean cloth, or placed in polyethylene bags
They must be protected from the sun all the time, until the stakes are made.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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I.E.S. Federico García Lorca (Churriana de la Vega -
Granada).Propagation by cuttings
Softwood stakes
When making softwood stakes, it is important to obtain from the mother plant the
suitable material, although this may vary according to the species in question. However, the branches
tender, soft, fast-growing ones are not suitable, as they may be
deteriorate before rooting. At the other end, old woody stems root with
difficulty or they can also just drop their leaves and not do it. The best material for
stakes have a certain degree of flexibility, but they are mature enough to break
when it bends too much. Weak, thin inner branches should be avoided as well as
vigorous, abnormally thick or overripe. The most suitable material is from the branches
lateral branches of the mother plant. By trimming the main branches, the growth of
numerous lateral shoots from which softwood cuttings can be obtained, from 7 to
12 cm long with two or more knots.
The basal cut is usually made just below a node. The leaves are removed.
from the lower portion of the stake and the upper ones are retained. The large leaves must
reduce in size to decrease the transpiration rate and take up less space in the
propagation bed. All flowers or flower buds must be removed. In some nurseries
where a considerable amount of stakes are prepared, the bundles are cut quickly to
a uniform size using shears for paper.
It is better to collect the material early in the day and it should be kept at all times.
fresh and plump, wrapping it in a damp cloth or placing them in polyethylene bags
(sheltered from the sun). The exposure of the prepared material or stakes to the sun,
Even for a few minutes, they cause serious damage. It is not advisable to soak the material.
or the stakes in water to keep them fresh.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
Plant Production. .
I.E.S. Federico García Lorca (Churriana de la Vega -
Granada).Propagation by cuttings
Herbaceous stakes
Leaf stakes
One type of propagation by cuttings is the one that involves cutting sections of 7 to
10 cm long, these portions are buried up to three quarters of their length in sand, and
after a while a new plant forms at the base of the leaf, disintegrating it
original stake.
When starting with leaf cuttings of plants with fleshy leaves, they are made to be cut from the
veins, on the underside of the mature leaf, which is then placed flat on the surface of the medium
of propagation. The leaf is fixed or kept in contact with the medium in some way,
leaving the beam of it exposed upwards. After being for a certain time in
In humid conditions, new plants form at the point where each vein was cut.
The old leaf gradually disintegrates.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
Plant Production. .
I.E.S. Federico García Lorca (Churriana de la Vega -
Granada)Propagation by cuttings
A leaf cutting with a bud consists of the blade of a leaf, the petiole, and a
short portion of the stem that has an axillary bud.
These stakes are especially valuable in plants from which the leaves
Adventitious roots begin to develop but not stems. The axillary bud that is at the base of the
the petiole gives rise to the new shoot.
Daughter stakes with buds are particularly valuable when the material of
Propagation is scarce, as the same amount of maternal material can yield
twice the new plants than if stem cuttings were made. Each node can be used
for a cutting. In plants with opposite leaves, two cuttings can be obtained from each node.
from leaf cuttings with buds. Leaf cuttings with buds are best obtained from material that has
well-developed buds and healthy leaves that are actively growing.
The treatment of the cut surfaces with one of the substances that
they stimulate rooting, should help with root production. The cuttings are inserted
in the rooting medium, placing the bud at a depth of 1.5 to 2.5 cm in the
rooting medium. High humidity is essential and the heat at the bottom is
convenient for achieving quick rooting. The sand or sand with peat in
1:1 ratio is satisfactory medium for rooting leaf cuttings with
yolk.
Stakesroot
With stakes of this type, the best results can be expected when the
root sections are taken from young mother plants at the end of winter or early in
spring when the roots are well supplied with stored nutrients, but before
let the new growth begin. It is advisable to avoid taking cuttings in spring, when
the mother plant is rapidly developing new branches.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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proximal (closer to the plant crown) and an angled cut at the distal end
(the farthest from the crown). The root stakes should always be planted with the end
proximal upwards. When planting, the stake is inserted vertically, so that
that the upper end is level with the ground. However, in many species
It is equally satisfactory to plant the stakes horizontally, at a depth
from 2.5 to 5 cm avoiding the possibility of planting them upside down.
Propagation by cuttings is very simple, but the size of the root being...
whoever pays will be the one to indicate the best procedure to follow:
Plants with small and delicate roots. The root cuttings of such plants
they are started in a greenhouse or hotbed, in sand boxes or finely tilled soil
screening. The roots are cut into small pieces, 2.5 to 5 cm long and are
they are distributed horizontally on the ground surface, covered with a layer
of 1.5 cm of sand or fine soils. After watering them, they are covered up to their
wrapping with polyethylene film or a glass to prevent them from drying out. The
boxes are placed in a shaded area. After the plants are well
formed, they can be transplanted to other boxes.
Plants with somewhat fleshy roots. The cuttings of plants with fleshy roots
You start better in a sandy soil box, in winter or a heated bed. The sections
The roots should be 5 to 7.5 cm long and planted vertically, maintaining the
polarity.
Plants with large roots, propagated outdoors. Large cuttings are made.
from 5 to 15 cm long. They are tied in bundles, ensuring that the ends are all
in the same position to avoid being planted inverted later. The stakes are
they are placed in boxes with sand, sawdust, or moist peat and left for about 3 weeks
keep at about 4.5°C. After this, they are planted at a distance of 5 to 7.5 cm
among themselves in the well-prepared nursery soil, leaving part of the tops of the stakes to
ground level or just a little lower.
3. Cutting techniques.
Mother plants: sources of material for cuttings
In the propagation by cuttings, the source or origin of the material is of great importance.
the mother plants, from which they are obtained, must possess the following characteristics:
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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To obtain the appropriate material for stakes, there are several possible sources:
From plants that grow in the landscape, in parks, around houses or buildings, or in
wild state. For nurserymen who propagate plants for sale, this source can be
risky. It may not be of the specific type desired and may carry some
diseases.
The cuttings of young nursery plants obtained by pruning and shaping them.
Many nurseries use these cuttings as the main source of their stake material.
However, sometimes pruning is not done at the right time to root them.
There is a need to store the obtained stakes.
Soil
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Usually, soil is used to plant the hardwood stakes of deciduous species.
two root stakes. A sandy soil with a crumbly structure is preferable to a soil
heavy clay, since in the first one a higher rooting percentage is obtained,
with better quality roots. Also in sandier soils, the stakes can be
plant earlier and, once rooted, they can be taken out much earlier, after
the rains, which when heavier soils are used. The nursery soil should be
free of nematodes, verticillium, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
The soil is not considered a suitable medium for the rooting of cuttings.
more succulent type, like those of semi-hard and soft wood, although some of the
Commercial viveristas have used it successfully.
Arenas
The most suitable granularity ranges between 0.5 and 2 mm in diameter. Its density
apparent is similar to gravel. Its water retention capacity is medium (of the order
of 20% in weight and more than 35% in volume), its aeration capacity, although it is
Vada can decrease over time due to compaction, its capacity to inter-
Cation exchange is null. It is relatively common for them to have limestone content.
higher than 8%. Some types of sand must be washed before use. Their
pH can vary between 4 and 8. It lasts a long time.
Turbines
They are remains of disaggregated and partially decomposed plant organic matter.
originating from the ancient vegetation of swampy waters in which as a consequence
of poor oxygen environmental conditions and excess water has
the mentioned partial decomposition occurs. They form in very cold regions with
high precipitation and high relative humidity (Canada, Finland, Poland, Russia...)
what determines that this type of peatlands are extremely poor in bases and
nutritional elements and present a strongly acidic reaction. Under these conditions,
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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Only low-demand species such as sphagnum can be established.
(Sphagnum spp, which represent about 90% of the botanical composition of these
peat bogs), ericaceous plants, cyperaceous plants, and others.
It is quite normal for the peat to be sold in bags after being processed.
about her a series of operations, such as:
Pearl
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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I.E.S. Federico García Lorca (Churriana de la Vega –
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the material is fragmented and subjected to 1000°C for 5 minutes. The water
combined evaporates quickly, expanding the product (up to 20 times
its initial volume) to form a lightweight aggregate material with a
approximate density of 125 kg/m3.
The pearl has a rough surface that provides it with a large area.
superficial and allows it to retain water on its surface along with the water it retains in the
existing pores, all released at very low voltages. It is used
widely as an aeration component in growing substrates.
From a chemical point of view, perlite is an inert material that does not
biologically or chemically decomposes. It is fundamentally composed of
silicon and aluminum and, from a practical point of view, it can be considered that
it has no nutrients.
Vermiculite
4. Injured
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
Plant Production. .
I.E.S. Federico García Lorca (Churriana de la Vega -
Granada)Propagation by cuttings
A
Materials
The chemical substances that have been found to be most effective for
stimulate the production of adventitious roots in cuttings is indoleacetic acid (IAA) acid
indolebutyric acid (IBA) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), although other ones can be used. The acid
Indolebutyric is probably the best material for general use, as it is non-toxic.
for the plant in a wide range of concentrations and is effective for stimulating the
rooting in a large number of plant species. These substances are available
in commercial preparations, dispersed in talc or in liquid formulations that can be:
dilute in water to the appropriate concentration.
Application methods
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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to do it individually, being careful to ensure that
the stakes of the inside of the bundle receive the same amount
of dust than those that are outside of it.
For the treatment, just the amount of powder that adheres to
the stakes after having shaken them lightly. The s-
tacas should be inserted in the rooting medium
immediately after treating them.
Powder hormones
In this procedure, the basal part (about 2.5 cm) is soaked for 24 hours in
a diluted solution of the material just before it is placed in the rooting medium. The
concentrations used range from about 20 ppm for easy rooting species to
about 200 ppm for those that are difficult to root.
The treatment method with concentrated solution has several advantages over
others. It eliminates the need to have equipment to soak the stakes and then
volverlas a manejar para insertarlas en el medio de enraíce. Además, es muy probable que se
they obtain very uniform results because the surrounding conditions do not influence
both in the absorption of the substance by the stakes and in the other two methods.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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5. Treatment of stakes with fungicides
The most commonly used techniques for improving plant rooting are calen-
basal treatment and nebulization.
Basal metabolism
The stakes, previously treated with rhizogenic substances, are placed before their
budding, in suitable trays where a heating element has been installed at the bottom
thermoelectric plant or a piping system through which hot water circulates.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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The substrate is maintained through automated control systems at a
temperature of 20-22°C while the atmospheric temperature near the ground fluctuates,
given the time, on values much lower 5-10°C. Thanks to the constitution of a
thermal gradient, the roots can develop before the shoots.
Nebulization
For herbaceous and semi-woody cuttings, both equipped with leaves, the ...
nebulization technique.
This technique is derived from humidification, which consists of keeping the cuttings
in a humidity-saturated environment using appropriate humidifiers. In these
conditions the stakes significantly reduce the intensity of their transpiration, they do not
withering - as it would occur under conditions of transpiration not compensated by adequate
water supply - and they develop adventitious roots. To achieve a high
hygrometric grade the stakes subjected to humidification must be placed in an environment
confined (greenhouse or boxes with glass cover), although in these conditions,
temperature easily reaches very high and therefore harmful levels.
With the nebulization, the stakes, previously treated with rhizogenic products, are
riegan intermitentemente con agua pulverizada, para controlar tanto la intensidad de su
internal transpiration, and at the same time the stakes can take advantage of the maximum
solar irradiation.
The nebulization can be done both in a greenhouse and outdoors, having the
caution in this case, to protect the rooting beds laterally for
achieve a uniform distribution of water supplied by the sprinklers.
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Asexual Reproduction. Organization and Management of the
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The rooting substrate must be well-drained to avoid harmful effects.
water stagnation. Thermoelectric resistances can be installed on the same substrate.
to also subject the stakes to basal heating.
In the rooting beds, especially in the final phases of the process, the
stakes can be watered with fertilizers, considering that the leaves are subjected to
losses of macroelements and microelements due to washing effects.
sometidos.
The water used for nebulization should not be hard water and must be free of
impurities (e.g., sand) to prevent clogging in the nozzles.
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