Plant Propagation

Remember when you did this?

Now people do this.

History of Propagation

• Ancient peoples• Middle ages

– Herbals

• Victorians

Sexual Propagation

Flower parts

Seeds are Formed by…

Pollination:The transfer of pollen from the anthers to the female stigma by a pollinating agent such as wind, insects, birds, bats, or in a few cases the opening of the flower itself.

Fertilization: The fusion of two gametes (sperm and ovum) to produce a zygote that develops into a new individual with a genetic heritage derived from both parents.

Pollinators

Seeds- A packaged plant surrounded by endosperm (food) and protective seed coat

Germination of a Bean Seed

Check for seed viability!

Spores- A reproductive unit found on ferns, mosses, and mushrooms

Sporangia in sori

Underside of pinnae

Asexual or Vegetative Propagation

• Leaf Cuttings and Leaf-bud Cuttings• Stem Cuttings• Root Cuttings• Division• Layering

– Tip Layering

– Air Layering

• Grafting• Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, Tubers, Stolons

Leaf Cuttings- Use only the leaf

Vein cutting

from leaf

RememberPolarity or

which way is up!

Leaf Section Cutting

African violet

Stem Cuttings- Use the stem and leaves or just the stem.

Cuttings should be 6-10” long & between nodes

Dibble, then placecutting in soil

Root, Cane Cuttings- Uses roots or shoots

Stokesia Root

Blackberry root

Cane cutting

Bulbs- Specialized roots and stems

• Bulbs- Underground organ with scales and basal plate1. Tunicate- onion, garlic, daffodil, tulip2. Non-Tunicate- Lily

Corms- Specialized roots and stems

• Corms- Swollen base of stem axis- Solid-

– Gladiolus, – Crocus

Gladioluscorm with bulblets

Rhizomes, Tubers, Stolons

Potato TuberStolon

Dahlia tuber

Iris rhizome

Division- To separate a clump into individual plants-Used for perennials and some houseplants

Photos from Garden Gate Magazine

Dig up Mother Plant Clean off root ball Separate roots to find individual plants and

plant

Layering- Growing new plants while attached to the mother plant. They are later separated.

Ground layering

Air layering

Grafting and Budding- Used to attach one plant to the other for strength or variety

Bud-grafting

Whip Grafting

How can I propagate my bulbs?

• Tunicate Bulbs– Cuttage (8 Sections)

– Scooping– Scoring– Coring– Sectioning (5-10)

• Non-tunicate Bulbs

Bulb Scales

When to propagate

• Late spring and early summer= optimal growing time

• Depends on type of cutting • Need to check resources for specific plants.

Each one may have an optimal time• Some seeds need to go through stratification

or period of cold to break dormancy• Some seeds need to be scarified or scratched

Propagation Environment

• Aerial Environment– Humidity– Light– Temperature– Air quality

• Growing Medium– Moisture level– Temperature– Aeration– pH– Nutrient level

Equipment and Hygiene- Keep everything clean so disease is not spread

Pruning knife

Hand cutters

Watering CanLiners

and Light

Sterilize all toolswith alcohol after

use!

Soil

• Purpose of soil– Larger particles (sand) holds plant in place – Smaller particles hold water and nutrients

• Ingredients in soil– Vermiculite= Holds moisture– Perlite= Increases aeration– Peat=Moisten –Helps stop decomposition – Sand=Drainage– Sphagnum Moss= Holds water well, light in weight

• Recipes and proportions vary depending on plant!

When can I plant it?

• Gently tug on the cutting to see if your plant has developed a good root system

• Repot in larger pot if necessary

Have fun and enjoy your new plants!

What does propagate mean?

• Latin propagatus, past participle of propagare to set slips, propagate, from propages slip, offspring,

• pro- before + pangere to fasten Date: circa 1570

How Do Stem Cuttings Work?

• How roots develop– Response to wounding-dedifferentiation– Cells begin to divide – Callus begins to form– Certain cells begin to divide and initiate root

development

How do leaf cuttings grow?

• Origins of roots and shoots varies– Embryonic cells are

involved in meristematic activity

• Compounds trigger growth of roots and shoots

Root apical meristematic tissue of onion

Shoot apical meristematic tissue