Plant Propagation for Master Gardeners

1
Plant Propagation for Master Gardeners

• Mike Maddox
• Horticulture Educator
• Rock County UW-Extension

2
Plant Propagation

• The process of increasing the numbers of a
  species, maintaining a species, or preserving the
  vigor of a plant.

increasing numbers
maintaining
preserving vigor
3
Successful Plant Propagation

• Knowledge of technical skills
• The art of plant propagation
• Knowledge of plant biology
• Morphology, anatomy, physiology, etc.
• Knowledge of plants
• Selected method related to conditions and
  techniques to propagate an individual plant

4
Plant Propagation

• Sexual Propagation
• Recombination of genetic materials to form
  uniquely genetic individual
• Asexual Propagation
• Use of vegetative organs to create plantlets
  genetically identical to parent plant

5
Sexual Propagation
6
Propagation by Seed

• Biology
• Pollination
• Anatomy
• Germination

• Applied
• Purchasing
• Starting
• Transplanting
• Collecting
• Storing

7
Pollination

• Pollination transfer of pollen from anther (male
  part) to stigma (female part) in a flower.
• Exchange of genetic material

8
(No Transcript)
9
Pollination

• Self pollination
• Transfer on same flower
• From different flowers on the same plant o
• From flowers on different plants of the same
  cultivar
• Examples Beans, peas, lettuce, eggplant,
  peppers, and tomatoes

10
Pollination

• Cross pollination
• Transfer of pollen on plants of different
  cultivars of the same species
• Examples Onions, cucumbers, corn, pumpkins,
  squash, broccoli, beets, carrots, cabbage,
  cauliflower, melons, radishes, spinach, Swiss
  chard and turnips

11
Pollination

• Fertilization
• the union of a male reproductive cell and a
  female reproductive cell that is capable of
  developing into an new individual

12
Hybrid cultivars

• Hybrids
• More vigorous growth
• Higher productivity
• Greater uniformity
• Increased disease resistance
• Usually more expensive

13
Hybrid cultivars

• The first generation (F1) offspring of two
  distant and distinct parental lines of the same
  species
• Seeds taken from a hybrid may either be sterile
  or more commonly fail to breed true

14
Open Pollinated

• A plant that will grow true to type each year
• Offspring exactly like the parents

15
Heirloom cultivars

• Heirlooms
• Traditional varieties from the past
• Breeding for taste
• Not bred for shipping, uniformity, or disease
  resistance
• Save money (seed saving)
• Preserve genetic pool

16
Anatomy

• Embryo miniature plant in arrested development
• Endosperm (Cotyledons) built-in food storage
• Seed Coat hard out covering for protection,
  prevents water from entering and initiating
  germination before proper time.

17
Anatomy
18
Endosperm
19
Germination

• The process of seed growth and development

20
Germination

• Dormancy
• Viable seed that will not germinate when in
  proper environment
• Due to internal or external cause

21
Germination

• Quiescent
• Ripened seed, ready to germinate, waiting for the
  proper environmental conditions for germinations
• Allows seed to survive over periods of time

22
Germination

• Scarification
• Physically altering the seed coat to allow
  moisture penetration
• Natural scarification processes passing seed
  through GI tract of animals, weathering of coat
• Artificial scarification processes hot water
  bath, sandpaper, etc.
• Breaks seed coat allowing moisture to enter!

23
Read the Instructions

• Read between the lines
• Scarification

24
Germination

• Stratification
• Exposing a seed to moisture and specific
  temperatures (cold) in order to encourage
  germination
• Degrades chemical inhibitors causing dormancy

25
Read the Instructions

• Read between the lines
• Stratification

26
Germination

• Factors affecting germination
• Water (moisture)
• Light (or dark)
• Oxygen
• Heat

27
Germination

• Water (moisture)
• Penetrates seed coat
• Endosperm to swell- seed coat splits
• Dissolves nutrients to initiate germination

28
Germination

• Light (or dark)
• Can stimulate or inhibit germination
• Check seed package for planting instructions

29
Read the Instructions

• Read between the lines
• Requires light

30
Germination

• Oxygen
• Required for respiration
• Facilitated with loose, well aerated planting
  medium

31
Germination

• Heat
• Optimum range for germination
• Many seeds have wide range
• Check catalog or seed package for instructions
• Drives metabolic process

32
Read the Instructions

• Read between the lines
• Warm season

33
Read the Instructions

• Read between the lines
• Cool Season

34
Propagation by Seed

• Biology
• Pollination
• Anatomy
• Germination

• Applied
• Purchasing
• Starting
• Transplanting
• Collecting
• Storing

35
Purchasing Seed

• Choose superior cultivars
• High quality seed
• Disease resistant cultivars when available

• Garden centers
• Mail order
• Obtain by mid-February

36
Purchasing Seed

• Germination rates
• Expected percentage of seed to germinate
• Generally, 65-80 will germinate
• 60-75 will grow into useful seedlings
• May affect density of planting

37
Starting

• Indoors
• Small seeds
• Long season plants
• Supplies needed
• Grow lights
• Clean containers (with drainage)
• Sterile seed starting medium
• Location with proper ventilation and temperature

38
Starting

• Growing media
• Loose, uniform, fine texture
• Mixes labeled for seed starting
• Pasteurized (sterile)
• May be low in fertility

39
(No Transcript)
40
Starting

• Containers
• Any container will do
• Disinfested
• Good drainage
• Adequate root space

41
Starting

• Containers
• Compressed peat pellets
• Peat pots
• Paper pots
• Plastic cell packs
• Flats

42
(No Transcript)
43
(No Transcript)
44
(No Transcript)
45
Starting

• Sowing
• Account for seed germination in timing factor and
  growing time
• 2 weeks to germinate, 6 weeks to transplant date
  - 8 weeks for full development time.
• Sow in mid-March or April depending on plant
  species and growing conditions

46
Starting

• Fill container to within ¼ inch of the top of the
  rim with moistened seed-starting medium

47
Starting

• Large seeds directly in pots or cell packs
• Squash, cucumber, watermelon 2 per pot
• Use pencil or dibble to make hole for seeds
• Cover with media related to seed size

48
Starting

• Small seeds scatter on surface of large cell
  packs or other containers for later transplant
• Sprinkle more potting media over seeds or
  sphagnum moss (sphagnum moss helps prevent
  damping off)
• Mix small seeds with sugar or extremely fine sand
  to help with equal distribution

49
Starting

• Watering
• Water from below in tray before seeds germinate
  and when seedlings are very small
• Allow drying between waterings
• Helps prevent damping-off
• Standing water in flats leads to disease problems
• Dont allow seedlings to wilt
• Cell damage can occur that is permanent

50
Starting

• Moisture
• Plastic covers are useful to trap moisture
• Retains moisture
• Remove to promote hardening of tissues

51
Starting

• Supplemental lighting
• 3 4 from light source
• Cool white and warm white fluorescent lights
• Move lights as plants grow or move plants
• 14 16 hours a day
• Timers are inexpensive and very useful
• High intensity and quality light less leggy plants

52
(No Transcript)
53
Starting

• Temperature
• Nights 60 68 F and 75 F
• Good rule of thumb-day temperatures 10 degrees
  warmer than night.
• Cool season crops cooler day/night temps
• 55 degrees night 65 degrees day
• Warm season crops higher day/night temps
• 65 degrees night 75 degrees day
• Heating mats

54
Starting

• Fertilization
• After germination
• Go ½ rate, avoid burn
• Two week intervals

55
Starting

• Transplanting
• Move to larger container when first set of true
  leaves form
• Lift seedlings from containers with small flat
  tool
• Tease apart tangled plants/roots
• Handle by true leaves

56
Starting

• Acclimation

57
Starting

• Acclimation
• Plants must develop cuticle
• Gradual exposure to harsh climates
• Dry conditions, wind, light intensity, etc.

58
(No Transcript)
59
Starting

• Direct sowing
• Avoids transplant shock
• Less work
• More risk with weather, pests, disease, erosion

60
Starting

• Direct sowing
• Know conditions and requirements for seeds
• Warm- or cool-season crop
• Average last frost date

61
Starting

• Direct sowing
• Sow or broadcast into a well-raked bed
• Free of stones or large debris
• Cover with a fine layer of soil
• Gently water to avoid erosion

62
(No Transcript)
63
Storing / Collecting

• Storing
• Keep dry
• Place in airtight container
• Label and date
• Store in 40º F, low humidity

64
(No Transcript)
65
Asexual Propagation
66
(No Transcript)
67
Totipotency

• Totipotent each plant cell possess the necessary
  genetic information to produce a new plant organ.

68
Types of Asexual Propagation

• Divisions
• Cuttings
• Layers
• Grafting
• Tissue Culture

69

• Dividing Plants
• Division of a mass of plants
• Spring blooming plants, divide in fall
• Late summer blooming plants, divide in spring

70
Separation

• Remove loose soil
• Remove dead leaves and stems
• Note root system of plant
• Spreading
• Clumping
• Rhizome
• Tuber

71
Separation

• Spreading root systems
• Many slender roots from center of plant
• Plants can be invasive
• Cut with shears or pulled apart by hand
• Asters, bee balm, lambs ear, purple coneflower,
  many common perennials

72
(No Transcript)
73
Separation

• Clumping root systems
• Many fleshy roots from crown of plant
• Can crowd own centers
• Keep one bud/eye with each division
• Astilbes, hostas, daylilies, orn. Grasses

74
(No Transcript)
75
(No Transcript)
76
Separation

• Rhizome division
• Horizontal stems, Primarily bearded iris
• Divide after flowering through fall
• Cut and discard rhizome sections gt 1 year
• Inspect for disease and insect damage
• Cut back leaves to fans
• Replant with top of rhizome above soil level

77
(No Transcript)
78
(No Transcript)
79
Separation

• Tuberous roots
• Enlarged roots for storage
• Divide with sharp knife
• Each root must contain stem tissue and bud
• Can be replanted or stored
• Dahlias

80
(No Transcript)
81
Cuttings

• Vegetative plant part which is severed from the
  parent plant in order to regenerate itself,
  thereby forming a whole new plant
• Leaves, stems, roots

82
(No Transcript)
83
Plant Growth Regulators

• Hormone Auxin
• Source in plant embryo of seed, young leaves,
  meristems of apical bud
• Major Functions stimulates cell elongation,
  involved in phototropism, apical dominance
  induces adventitous roots on cuttings
• Movement Polar, from distal to proximal

84
Plant Growth Regulators

• Hormone Cytokinin
• Source in plant synthesized in roots
• Major Functions stimulates cell division,
  involved in shoot growth, delay leaf senescence

85
Plant Growth Regulators

• Hormone Ethylene
• Source in plant tissues of ripening fruits,
  nodes of stems, senescent leaves and flowers.
• Major Functions stimulates abscission,
  senescence
• Movement GAS!

86
Plant Growth Regulators

• Hormone Abscisic Acid (ABA)
• Source in plant leaves, stems, green fruit
• Major Functions stimulates stomatal closure,
  dormancy

87
Plant Growth Regulators

• Hormone Gibberillin (GA)
• Source in plant meristems of apical buds and
  roots, young leaves, embryo
• Major Functions stimulates shoot elongation,
  stimulates bolting

88
Plant Growth Regulators

• Hormone Rooting Cofactors
• An assortment of known (mostly unknown) compounds
  that interact with PGRs to promote adventitous
  growth.
• The lack of a rooting cofactor may prevent the
  successful propagation of a specimen.
• Presence of rooting cofactors may change with
  juvenility/maturity of plant

89
Cuttings

• Herbaceous succulent, soft materials (green)
• Softwood soft, succulent growth of woody plants
• Semi-Hardwood partially mature wood of the
  current seasons growth
• Hardwood dormant, mature stems

90
Cuttings Shoot
Terminal Bud
Axillary Bud
Stem
Leaf
91
Cuttings
92

• Cane/Shoot Cutting
• Leaves
• Stems
• Buds

93
Cuttings Leaf
Terminal Bud
Axillary Bud
Stem
Leaf
94

• Leaf Cutting
• Leaf only

95
Cuttings Leaf
96
(No Transcript)
97
(No Transcript)
98
Cuttings Hardwood
99
(No Transcript)
100
Cuttings Hardwood
Cut end of branch
Cambium exposed
101
Layering

• Stems still attached to their parent plant may
  form roots where they touch a rooting medium
• Severed from the parent plant, the rooted plant
  becomes a new plant

102
Layering Methods
Tip Layer
Simple Layer
Compound Layer
Stolons
Stooling
Air Layer
103
Air Layer

• Useful procedure on leggy plants
• Wound stem and cover with moist medium to induce
  rooting

104
(No Transcript)
105
Grafting/Budding

• Method that joins plant parts so they will grow
  as one plant
• Used to propagate cultivars that will not root
  well as cuttings or whose own root systems are
  inadequate
• Induce growth form (dwarfing)

106
Scion
Bud/Graft Union
Rootstock
107
Grafting Techniques
Whip Tongue
Bark
Cleft
108
Budding Techniques
T-Bud
Shield
Patch
109
Tissue Culture

• Utilizing our knowledge of plant biology in order
  to propagate plant in vitro
• Able to produce large numbers of plants in small
  amount of space
• Use plant growth regulators to manipulate growth
• Sugar-rich semi-solid agar medium in sterilized
  container

110
(No Transcript)
111
(No Transcript)
112
(No Transcript)
113
Amelenchier sp. 15 shoots per culture jar 1524
culture jars 4 week rotation 1 round 22,860
shoots 1 year 297,180 shoots
114
Whitespire Senior Birch
115
Resources

• Online tutorials
• http//www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/mg/manual/prop.htm
• http//ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/propagation/i
  ndex.html
• Download publications
• http//extension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/
  g06560.htm
• http//extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/hor
  t/g06970.htm

116
Plant Propagation for Master Gardeners

• March 21, 2008
• 830am to 400pm
• DC Smith Greenhouse, UW-Madison

117
(No Transcript)