Vegetative/Asexual/Cloning
Propagation
Ways to make new plants which are exactly like the
mother plant. To give you a description of how to do all these methods would be
essentially repeating what is already done in any of the excellent resources
listed below. But feel free to email me if you have any questions.
wblseedlib@gmail.com
Divisions: Separating big plant into smaller plants including
roots, stems and leaves.
When: usually late spring or early fall
e.g. Peace lily, most perennials, grasses, raspberries
Offsets/Plantlets: Small plants growing on mother plant at base or on
leaf margins
When: spring
e.g. strawberries, orchids, succulents, spider plant,
aloe, mother of thousands
Bulbs, Pseudo
bulbs, Bulbils: pod-like structures
or bulbs which grow at leaf axils or next to mother bulb underground. Plant
scales or cut bottom of bulb.
When: fall
e.g. tulips, daffodils, lilies, amaryllis, onions,
garlic, Egyptian walking onion
Rhizomes: cut into pieces but must have stem and root
When: late summer
e.g. iris, lily of the valley, rhubarb
Ground or
air layering: Shrubs, tropical plants
with thick not flexible stems.
Cuttings:
Using a piece of the plant that is not complete. For
example a piece of stem without roots or a piece of root without stem, just a
leaf, etc. You need to be diligent in keeping the plant piece and the media it
roots in clean, including the tool used to cut the plant and the rooting
hormone.
You are in a race between rooting and rotting! You are
rooting for the rooting team ;)
The sooner the plant piece roots, the less likely it
will succumb to rot/disease/bacteria.
Leaf and petiole: cut leaf and ~ 1” of petiole. Root in water or media
e.g.
African violets, begonias
Stem/stem tip: cut 3-5” stem/stem tip.
Root in water or media.
e.g. coleus, pothos, ivy, geraniums, succulents
Whole leaf: use whole leaf
e.g.
succulents, begonias
Softwood: pieces of new growth from
woody plants. Late spring/early summer
e.g.
shrubs, trees
Hardwood: pieces of woody plants while
dormant. Late fall thru winter
e.g.
shrubs, trees
Root: pieces of root. Keep correct
orientation. Early spring
Basics:
1. Disinfect snips/pruners/knife using alcohol or 10%
bleach solution
2. Cut away offset/leaf/stem
3. Dip into rooting hormone if using
4. Allow succulents to callus for several days before
potting
5. Set in water or rooting media to root. Keep moist.
Cover for added humidity. Use a heat mat to encourage rooting. Usually needs
source of light.
Can take a couple weeks to several months. Be patient.
Media: Use
a non-soil media that is porous.
Example: 1 part coir or peat, 1 part perlite, 1 part
vermiculite or
1 part sterile sand and 1 part perlite
Rooting
hormone: Auxins that speed
up rooting. Available in powder, liquid or gel. Apply to base of cutting.
Usually can be found at garden centers such as Gertens
or Bachmans and of course, the Great Supplier: Amazon. Do NOT dip your plant
piece directly in the container of rooting hormone as you may contaminate it.
Pour a little bit of the rooting hormone in a small dish.
There are also websites that show you how to make your
own rooting hormone. I cannot vouch for these methods as I have not tried them.
Plant
Patents: Illegal to give away or sell
propagated patented or patent pending plants. You can propagate for your own
personal use.
Resources:
Secrets of Plant Propagation: Starting Your Own
Flowers, Vegetables, Fruits, Berries, Shrubs, Trees, and Houseplants, Lewis Hill, 1985
Includes both seed starting
and vegetative propagation techniques including grafting.
Plant Parenting: Easy Ways to Make More Houseplants,
Vegetables, and Flowers, Leslie Halleck, 2019
Includes both seed starting
and vegetative propagation techniques, not including grafting.
Also in Ramsey County
libraries
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The
Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques, Alan Toogood, 1999
Includes both seed starting
and vegetative propagation techniques including grafting.
There are other fine books on the subject, but
I have used these three.
©Pam Larson Frink 2020
