Plant Propagation by Leaf, Cane and Root Cuttings
Some, but not all, plants can be propagated from just a leaf, or a section of a leaf. Leaf cuttings of most plants will not generate a new plant; they usually produce only a few roots or just decay. Because leaf cuttings do not include an axillary bud, they can be used only for plants that are capable of forming adventitious buds. Leaf cuttings are used almost, exclusively for propagating some indoor plants. There are several types of leaf cuttings.
These techniques also apply to herbs, vegetables and fruits. Herbs are some of the oldest of garden plants. They can be traced back to the times of the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Chinese. There extensive references to herbs, in the Bible (some of them in parts written several centuries before the birth of Christ) and many medieval documents reveal herbs, were in frequent use by both rich and poor families.
Herbs have an extensive record of popularity, because they are beneficial and adaptable. They can be used to flavor food, to make a room smell better (potpourri), to make invigorating and healthy drinks and even to control pests in the garden. You can start growing herbs at home using something as simple as a plastic ice-cream box, as a container for your herb plants. Alternatively, if you have a patio or balcony area, with a bit of imagination and the right choice of herbs, you can create a herb garden that’s as beautiful, as it is useful. Most herbs prefer a sunny location, although a few prefer full shade or afternoon shade. If your herb garden is going to be on your patio, observe how the sun and shade vary throughout the day, to make sure you choose an ideal spot. Amazingly, few diseases or insects attack herbs.
To grow herbs from seed you should plant your herbs seeds in a shallow pot, or box in the late winter or early spring using a light, well-drained soil. Be careful not to cover the seeds with too much soil. Follow the gardeners rule "the finer the seed, the shallower it should be sown." By the spring, your herb seedlings will have grown strong and healthy and can be planted outdoors, in a deep window box or in containers. There are some herbs (dill, fennel, anise, coriander) that do not transplant well and so if you decide to grow these herbs from seed, sow them directly into your garden, or into a pot or container.
Today, the most popular use of herbs are in cooking, known as culinary herbs, but they are also grown for their aromatic foliage and in some cases, for the beauty of their flowers. In the early 1900’s, they were used extensively, to heal ailments and improve health. This is not a common practice in the 21st Century, but even today, herbs are grown commercially for use in a wide variety of medicines, toothpastes and creams.
HOW TO:
Leaf-petiole - Remove a leaf and include up to 11/2 inches of the petiole. Insert the lower end of the petiole into the medium. One or more new plants will form at the base of the petiole. The new plants are then severed from the original leaf-petiole cutting and the cutting may be used once again to produce more plants. Examples of plants that can be propagated by leaf-petiole cuttings include African violet, peperomia, episcia, hoya and sedum.
Leaf without a petiole – This method is used for plants with thick, fleshy leaves. The snake plant (Sansevieria), a monocot, can be propagated by cutting the long leaves into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Insert the cuttings vertically into the medium. African violet, a dicot, can also be propagated from the leaf blade itself. Cut a leaf from a plant and remove the petiole. Insert the leaf vertically into the medium making sure that the midvein is buried in the rooting medium. New plant(s) will form from the midvein.
Split-vein – Detach a leaf from a rex begonia and remove the petiole. Make cuts on several prominent veins on the underside of the leaf. Lay the cutting, lower side down, on the medium. If the leaf curls up, hold it in place by covering the margins with rooting medium. New plants will form at each cut. A variation of this method is to cut the leaf into wedges, so that each piece has a main vein. The leaf wedge should be inserted into the media with the main vein partially covered.
Leaf-bud cuttings are used for many trailing vines and when space, or cutting material is limited. Each node on a stem can be treated as a cutting. This type of cutting consists of a leaf blade, petiole and a short piece of stem with an attached axillary bud. Place cuttings in the medium with the bud covered (1/2 to 1 inch) and the leaf exposed. Examples of plants that can be propagated in this manner include clematis, rhododendron, camellia, jade plant, rubber plant, devil’s ivy, grape ivy, dracaena, blackberry, mahonia, and heart-leaf philodendron.
Cane Cuttings
Cane cuttings provide an easy way to propagate some overgrown, leggy house plants such as dumbcane, corn plant, Chinese evergreen and other plants with thick stems. Leafless stem sections (2 to 3 inches long) are cut from older stems. Each cane should have one or two nodes. Lay the cutting horizontally on the medium, or insert it vertically with about half of the cutting below the surface of the medium, and leave a bud facing upward. Cane cuttings are usually potted when roots and new shoots appear.
Root Cutting
Some plants can be propagated from a section of a root. Root cuttings of woody plants are usually taken from plants during the dormant season, when carbohydrate levels are high. Root cuttings of some species produce new shoots, which then form their own root system, whereas root cuttings of other plants develop root systems before producing new shoots. Examples of plants that can be propagated from root cuttings include raspberry, blackberry, rose, trumpet vine, phlox, crabapple, fig, lilac, and sumac.
Plants with large roots are normally propagated outdoors. The root cuttings should be 2 to 6 inches long. Make a straight cut on the proximal end, nearest the crown of the parent plant and a slanted cut on the distal end, furthest from the crown of each root cutting. Tie the cuttings in bundles with all the same type ends together. It is important to maintain the correct polarity of the cuttings. Store for 3 weeks in moist sawdust, peat moss, or sand at 40 °F. Remove from storage. Space the cuttings about 2 to 3 inches apart in well-prepared garden soil. The tops of the cuttings proximal ends, should be 2 to 3 inches below the soil surface.
For plants with small roots, cut the roots into 1 to 2 inch sections. Lay the cuttings horizontally on the medium surface in a flat and cover with about 1/2 inch of soil or sand. Place the flat inside a plastic bag or cover with a pane of glass. Place the flat in the shade and remove the protective cover after new shoots appear.
Resource
Department of Horticultural Science
These techniques also apply to herbs, vegetables and fruits. Herbs are some of the oldest of garden plants. They can be traced back to the times of the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Chinese. There extensive references to herbs, in the Bible (some of them in parts written several centuries before the birth of Christ) and many medieval documents reveal herbs, were in frequent use by both rich and poor families.
Herbs have an extensive record of popularity, because they are beneficial and adaptable. They can be used to flavor food, to make a room smell better (potpourri), to make invigorating and healthy drinks and even to control pests in the garden. You can start growing herbs at home using something as simple as a plastic ice-cream box, as a container for your herb plants. Alternatively, if you have a patio or balcony area, with a bit of imagination and the right choice of herbs, you can create a herb garden that’s as beautiful, as it is useful. Most herbs prefer a sunny location, although a few prefer full shade or afternoon shade. If your herb garden is going to be on your patio, observe how the sun and shade vary throughout the day, to make sure you choose an ideal spot. Amazingly, few diseases or insects attack herbs.
To grow herbs from seed you should plant your herbs seeds in a shallow pot, or box in the late winter or early spring using a light, well-drained soil. Be careful not to cover the seeds with too much soil. Follow the gardeners rule "the finer the seed, the shallower it should be sown." By the spring, your herb seedlings will have grown strong and healthy and can be planted outdoors, in a deep window box or in containers. There are some herbs (dill, fennel, anise, coriander) that do not transplant well and so if you decide to grow these herbs from seed, sow them directly into your garden, or into a pot or container.
Today, the most popular use of herbs are in cooking, known as culinary herbs, but they are also grown for their aromatic foliage and in some cases, for the beauty of their flowers. In the early 1900’s, they were used extensively, to heal ailments and improve health. This is not a common practice in the 21st Century, but even today, herbs are grown commercially for use in a wide variety of medicines, toothpastes and creams.
HOW TO:
Leaf-petiole - Remove a leaf and include up to 11/2 inches of the petiole. Insert the lower end of the petiole into the medium. One or more new plants will form at the base of the petiole. The new plants are then severed from the original leaf-petiole cutting and the cutting may be used once again to produce more plants. Examples of plants that can be propagated by leaf-petiole cuttings include African violet, peperomia, episcia, hoya and sedum.
Leaf without a petiole – This method is used for plants with thick, fleshy leaves. The snake plant (Sansevieria), a monocot, can be propagated by cutting the long leaves into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Insert the cuttings vertically into the medium. African violet, a dicot, can also be propagated from the leaf blade itself. Cut a leaf from a plant and remove the petiole. Insert the leaf vertically into the medium making sure that the midvein is buried in the rooting medium. New plant(s) will form from the midvein.
Split-vein – Detach a leaf from a rex begonia and remove the petiole. Make cuts on several prominent veins on the underside of the leaf. Lay the cutting, lower side down, on the medium. If the leaf curls up, hold it in place by covering the margins with rooting medium. New plants will form at each cut. A variation of this method is to cut the leaf into wedges, so that each piece has a main vein. The leaf wedge should be inserted into the media with the main vein partially covered.
Leaf-bud cuttings are used for many trailing vines and when space, or cutting material is limited. Each node on a stem can be treated as a cutting. This type of cutting consists of a leaf blade, petiole and a short piece of stem with an attached axillary bud. Place cuttings in the medium with the bud covered (1/2 to 1 inch) and the leaf exposed. Examples of plants that can be propagated in this manner include clematis, rhododendron, camellia, jade plant, rubber plant, devil’s ivy, grape ivy, dracaena, blackberry, mahonia, and heart-leaf philodendron.
Cane Cuttings
Cane cuttings provide an easy way to propagate some overgrown, leggy house plants such as dumbcane, corn plant, Chinese evergreen and other plants with thick stems. Leafless stem sections (2 to 3 inches long) are cut from older stems. Each cane should have one or two nodes. Lay the cutting horizontally on the medium, or insert it vertically with about half of the cutting below the surface of the medium, and leave a bud facing upward. Cane cuttings are usually potted when roots and new shoots appear.
Root Cutting
Some plants can be propagated from a section of a root. Root cuttings of woody plants are usually taken from plants during the dormant season, when carbohydrate levels are high. Root cuttings of some species produce new shoots, which then form their own root system, whereas root cuttings of other plants develop root systems before producing new shoots. Examples of plants that can be propagated from root cuttings include raspberry, blackberry, rose, trumpet vine, phlox, crabapple, fig, lilac, and sumac.
Plants with large roots are normally propagated outdoors. The root cuttings should be 2 to 6 inches long. Make a straight cut on the proximal end, nearest the crown of the parent plant and a slanted cut on the distal end, furthest from the crown of each root cutting. Tie the cuttings in bundles with all the same type ends together. It is important to maintain the correct polarity of the cuttings. Store for 3 weeks in moist sawdust, peat moss, or sand at 40 °F. Remove from storage. Space the cuttings about 2 to 3 inches apart in well-prepared garden soil. The tops of the cuttings proximal ends, should be 2 to 3 inches below the soil surface.
For plants with small roots, cut the roots into 1 to 2 inch sections. Lay the cuttings horizontally on the medium surface in a flat and cover with about 1/2 inch of soil or sand. Place the flat inside a plastic bag or cover with a pane of glass. Place the flat in the shade and remove the protective cover after new shoots appear.
Resource
Department of Horticultural Science
