Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings

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Plant Propagationby Stem Cuttings

• Created by Ms. Holli Bowman and Dr. Frank
  Flanders
• Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office
• May 2002

Note to the teacher Click HERE to go to slides
containing teacher notes or turn on Notes/Normal
View for additional notes on each slide.
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Cutting - Defined

• Any detached plant part which, when placed under
  favorable conditions, will produce a new plant
  identical to the parent plant.

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Types of Stem Cuttings

• Segments of stems containing buds are used to
  produce new plants. There are several types
• Softwood
• Semi-hardwood
• Hardwood
• Herbaceous

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Types of Stem Cuttings (continued)

• Softwood cuttings are taken from woody plants
  when growth is still relatively soft and
  succulent before tissues have matured and become
  woody.

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Types of Stem Cuttings (continued)

• Semi-hardwood cuttings differ from softwood
  cuttings only in the maturity of the wood. They
  are collected later in the growing season when
  the lower portion of the cutting has become
  lignified (woody).

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Types of Stem Cuttings (continued)

• Hardwood cuttings are taken in the dormant
  season when tissues are fully matured and
  lignified through their entire length. This may
  be after leaves have dropped in deciduous
  species.

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Types of Stem Cuttings (continued)

• Herbaceous cuttings are made from succulent,
  herbaceous (non-woody) plants such as geraniums,
  chrysanthemums, coleus, and carnations.

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Procedure

• Gather Materials
• Prepare Rooting Media
• Remove Cuttings from Stock
• Prepare Cuttings
• Apply Rooting Hormone
• Place Cuttings in Media
• Label Cuttings
• Follow Proper Safety and Sanitation Procedures

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Materials
Rooting Medium
Cutting Stock
Rooting Hormone
Non-Water Soluble Marking Utensil
Labels
Liquid Rooting Hormone
Cup
Spoon
Pruning Shears
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Preparing theRooting Media
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Many types of media may be used for rooting beds
including sand, perlite, pine bark and
vermiculite or a combination of these products.
Vermiculite, shown here, makes a good rooting
media because of its coarse texture, sterile
nature and water and air holding capacities.
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Rooting media should be firmed so cuttings make
good contact with the media and to eliminate
large air pockets. Firming can be accomplished
with clean hands, a piece of wood or by tapping
the container on the bench. The media should
also be thoroughly moistened.
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Vermiculite is a mineral that has been exposed to
high heat and expanded sort of like popcorn.
Its coarse structure is an asset. Be careful not
to pack it or crush it, thus destroying its
structure.
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Removal of Cuttings
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Many propagators take large pieces of stock from
the field and move to an indoor location for
final cutting preparation and sticking. In this
case, place cuttings in a plastic bag and keep
the cuttings out of the sunlight.
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Keep cuttings cool and moist if they are not used
immediately. An ice chest with a small amount of
ice performs this function well.
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Select quality stock. Avoid stems with flowers
and berries.
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Make a basal cut just below a node at a 45 degree
angle.
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Make maximum use of stock provided by taking
multiple cuttings from one branch. The top cuts
are sometimes called stem-tip cuttings while the
cuttings made below the top are called medial
cuttings.
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Cuttings should be 3 to 6 long, and uniform in
size, although larger or smaller cuttings are
used in certain situations. Cutting size is
limited because the top of the cutting must be
supported by the limited amount of moisture that
can be absorbed through the base until rooting
takes place.
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• Uniformity of a nursery crop is very important
  from a marketing standpoint as well as obtaining
  a uniform, healthy look when plants are installed
  in the landscape. Uniformity begins in the
  propagation bed.

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Preparation of Cuttings
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• Remove the bottom leaves from the cuttings.
  Leaves placed under the soil or in direct contact
  with the media may rot and cause disease.

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Cuttings of harder-to-root plants are often
wounded to expose more cambium and increase the
chances of rooting while decreasing the time
required to root.
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Identify the tops of deciduous cuttings so that
the cuttings are not turned upside down in the
rooting media. Often times this is done by
cutting the top of the cutting at a 90 degree
angle and the bottom of the cutting at a 45
degree angle. This allows polarity to be
observed.
Top
Bottom
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The leaves of large-leaved cuttings may be
trimmed before sticking to conserve propagation
space.
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Application of Rooting Hormone
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The application of rooting hormone often
promotes production of a new root system.
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Measure a small amount of powder into a separate
container to avoid contamination of the entire
supply.
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Treat multiple cuttings at the same time.
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Tap off the excess hormone powder. Be sure that
the portion of the stem that will be under the
media is coated.
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If using liquid hormone, hold cuttings in liquid
for a full 5 seconds. (Count 1001, 1002, 1003,
1004, 1005.)
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Placement of Cuttings in Medium
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Make holes in the growing media with a label or
other clean tool.
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Cutting a furrow in the growing media is also
acceptable.
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Place cuttings into the media 1 to 2 inches deep.
Hold each cutting with your fingers at the
desired depth and push the cutting into the
prepared hole or furrow until the desired depth
is reached. Placing all cutting at the same depth
helps in establishing uniformity.
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Gently firm the soil around the base of the
cutting to hold the cutting in place, to
eliminate air pockets, and make sure the base is
in good contact with the moist media.
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The cuttings can also be firmed using a label or
other clean tool.
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To test for proper firmness of the media around
the base of the cutting, give a light tug on the
cutting. If the cutting slips easily from the
media with little resistance, the cutting was not
firmed properly.
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Cuttings should be spaced in the rooting media to
allow for efficient use of propagation space.
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Rows should be evenly spaced with little overlap
of leaves to help prevent disease.
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Cuttings placed too close together, with
overlapping leaves, hold moisture and prevent air
circulation, allowing disease organisms to thrive.
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Labeling Cuttings
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Using a non-water soluble marker, prepare a label
with scientific name, cultivar, common name and
date. Additional information for the label may
include hormone treatment and name of the
propagator.
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Place the label in the container with the plant
name facing out for easy identification.
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One final step is to water-in the cuttings to
settle the rooting medium around the base of the
cuttings. Following watering, the cuttings
should be placed on a mist bed to ensure proper
moisture levels are maintained.
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Safety and Sanitation Procedures
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NEVER cut toward hand or fingers!
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Pruning shears should be closed when not in use.
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Proper sanitation is essential to prevent
disease. Alcohol or a 10 bleach solution may be
used.
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Discard remaining rooting hormone to prevent the
spread of disease. DO NOT contaminate the main
supply by returning used hormone to the original
container.
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DO NOT use cutting materials that are dropped on
the floor. The dropped materials may become
contaminated with disease and infect the entire
crop. Keep work areas neat, clean and free of
debris.
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Attention to detail is important when propagating
nursery stock. Following proper procedures in
all aspects will ensure a healthy, uniform and
marketable crop.
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Summary
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Prepare Rooting Media

• Select a rooting media with good water and air
  holding capacities.
• Prepare the media by moistening and firming it
  into the selected container.
• Take care when working with vermiculite do not
  crush the material.

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Removal of Cuttings

• Take large pieces of stock from the field to an
  indoor location for preparation and sticking.
• Keep stock cool and moist if it is not used
  immediately.
• Select the best quality stock. Stock with
  berries or flowers should be avoided. If
  necessary, remove flowers and berries.
• Cuts should be made cleanly using a sharp pair of
  pruning shears, just beneath a node.
• Maximize the plant stock provided.
• Trim cuttings to between 3 and 6 in height.
  All cuttings should be of uniform height and size.

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Preparation of Cuttings

• Trim the leaves from the bottom ¼ to 1/3 of the
  cutting.
• Wound or scar the cuttings.
• Observe polarity by cutting the the top of the
  cuttings at a 90 degree angle and the bottom at a
  45 degree angle.
• Trim the leaves of large-leaved species.

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Application of Rooting Hormone

• Application of rooting hormone promotes the
  production of a new root system.
• Prevent possible contamination by measuring a
  small amount of hormone powder into separate
  container before treating cuttings.
• Treat multiple cuttings at the same time in
  powder or liquid rooting hormone.
• Tap off excess powder before placing in rooting
  medium.
• If using liquid rooting hormone, hold in the
  hormone for a full 5 seconds.

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Placement of Cuttings

• Make a hole or furrow in the growing medium to
  accept the cutting.
• Place cutting into the hole or furrow to a depth
  of 1 to 2 inches.
• Gently firm the soil around the base of the
  cutting to hold the cutting in place and
  eliminate any air pockets. The cuttings can also
  be firmed in using a label or other clean tool.
• Test for proper firmness by giving the cutting a
  light tug.
• Cuttings should be evenly spaced in the
  propagation media.

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Labeling Cuttings

• Using a permanent marker, make a label with the
  scientific name, cultivar and common name and
  date. Additional information for the label may
  include hormone treatment and name of the
  propagator.
• Make sure the label is neat and legible. Place
  the label where it can be readily seen and read.
• Water-in the cuttings and place on a mist bed.

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Safety and Sanitation Procedures

• Avoid cutting toward hands and fingers.
• Pruning shears should be closed and locked when
  not in use.
• Tools and materials should be properly sanitized
  to prevent the spread of disease.
• Excess rooting hormone should be discarded.
• The work area should be kept neat, clean and free
  of clutter.

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Teacher Notes
The following three slides contain the teacher
notes for this presentation. They can be printed
for reference or viewed in the notes/normal view
of PowerPoint.
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Title Slide This presentation gives the
definition of a cutting and illustrates the
process of propagating a softwood stem
cutting. Slide 3 The type of cutting depends
on the propagators circumstances, the time of
year and the plant to be propagated. The
following is a list of ornamentals which are
readily propagated from cuttings Abelia,
Azalea, Barberry, Boxwood, Hydrangea,
Cotoneaster, Elaeagnus, Flowering Quince,
Gardenia, Holly, Honeysuckle, Camellia, Juniper,
Euonymus, Forsythia, Pyrancantha, Rose, Spirea,
Viburnum, Crape Myrtle. Additionally, several
plants are difficult, if not impossible to
propagate from cuttings. These include fir,
pine, hemlock, redbud, ginkgo, mountain laurel,
spruce, Southern magnolia and dogwood. Most
common shade trees such as oak and elm are also
difficult to propagate from cuttings. Slide 4
Softwood cuttings usually root easier and faster
than other types of stem cuttings, taking about 6
weeks. Softwood cuttings should be taken during
the summer months when plants are still growing.
The stems should be hardened enough to snap
when bent. Slide 5 Semi-hardwood cuttings of
evergreen species are generally taken from new
shoots 6 to 9 weeks after a flush of growth when
the wood is partially matured. This can be any
time from mid-spring to the end of the growing
season. Slide 6 Cuttings should be planted
upright with the top 2-3 buds above the medium.
Hardwood cuttings vary in length from 4 to 20
inches with at least two nodes included in the
cutting. The diameter of the cutting may range
from ¼ to 1 inch depending upon the
species. Slide 7 Herbaceous cuttings are
typically3 to 5 inches in length with leaves
retained at the upper end. Most florists crops
are propagated by herbaceous cuttings.
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Slide 9 Note to teacher/presenter When
viewing the slide show, clicking the mouse once
will start the animation of this slide. The
names of each of the following items will appear
one second after the previous. Several materials
are necessary to propagate cuttings Rooting
Medium such as vermiculite or coarse sand mixed
in a 11 ratio with peatmoss. The media should
be sterile to help the cutting avoid disease
infections. It should also be low in fertility,
drain well enough to provide oxygen, yet retain
enough moisture to prevent water stress. Spoon
for measuring rooting hormone Permanent Marker
for marking labels Rooting Hormone such as
RooTone or Dip n Grow Cup to place rooting
hormone in Pruning Shears for making cuttings
and wounding Labels to mark name and date of
cuttings Slide 17 Flowers and berries consume
much of the food stored in and produced by the
cutting nutrients which would otherwise be used
to produce a new root system. Slide 24 The
purpose of wounding cutting is to remove a
portion of the bark layer to expose the cambium.
New roots will be formed in this area. Wounding
is generally done on harder to root woody plants.
One method of wounding is to remove a thin layer
of the bark from the base of the cutting one half
inch to one inch long with a knife or the blade
of a shear. This may be done on one or more
sides of the cutting.
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Slide 25 Explain the meaning of Polarity to
the students. Polarity is a common phenomenon in
most organisms. The word Polar implies to things
which are at the opposite ends of an axis. The
North Pole and the South Pole are at the opposite
ends of an Axis drawn through the center of the
Earth. Most plants are polar. The root and
shoot are typically the "poles" we visualize when
we think about plants. We can also visualize the
Shoot tip and the Shoot base as opposite ends of
the shoot axis. The same applies to roots, and
other organs which are polar. Slide 31 It is
important to tap off the excess powder because a
thick coating of rooting hormone will burn the
tissue of the cutting. Slide 34 A hole or
furrow must be made in the growing media in order
to insert the cutting. This is necessary so the
rooting hormone previously applied to the cutting
will not be knocked off when placed in the
medium. Slide 4o Propagation space is
expensive. Cuttings must be placed close enough
together in the media to make efficient use of
the space but spaced far enough apart to allow
good air circulation and drying of the foliage
and stems to prevent disease. Slide 46 Care
must be taken when watering-in to make sure the
cuttings are not dislodged. Slide 50 Tools
can be sterilized by soaking is a disinfectant
such as rubbing alcohol, a diluted bleach
solution (dilute 1 part bleach to 10 parts water)
or boiling water. Disease picked up from one
cutting can easily be spread to the cut area of
all other cuttings. Slide 52 Propagation
areas, especially the floor, of nurseries are a
great place for plant diseases to thrive. The
area should be kept clean and disinfected often.
Dropped cuttings placed in the propagation flat
may infect the entire crop.
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Ms. Holli Bowman is a masters graduate of the
Agricultural Education Program at the University
of Georgia. She will begin teaching Horticulture
at North Hall High School in the Fall of 2002.
Dr. Frank Flanders is the Curriculum Coordinator
for Georgia Agriculture Education. He and his
staff produce the Georgia Agricultural Education
Curriculum Resource and Reference CD annually.
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