| Cloning Techniques
There are several cloning techniques, including air and soil
layering, and tissue culture, that are used commercially to
mass-produce some nursery stock. But the easiest and most familiar
method of cloning is taking slips or cuttings.
Cuttings can be taken at any time in a plant's life-cycle, but
those taken before the plant is flowering will root more easily.
Larger branches sometimes exhibit white protuberances near the
base of the stem. These are called adventitious roots. They appear
under humid conditions, and grow readily into roots when placed in
water or in various mediums. Cuttings from the lower branches,
which contain less nitrogen and have a higher ratio of sugars,
root somewhat faster than slips from the top of the plant, so it's
wisest to take your cuttings from the bottom branches.
To take a cutting, make a clean cut with a razor, knife, or
clippers. Place the cut end in water. Remove the large fan leaves
so that the cuttings' water uptake capabilities won't be
overtaxed. The cutting can be propagated in water, pasteurized
prepackaged soil, or vermiculite-perlite mixtures. Before being
placed in the medium, cuttings should be treated with a
fungicidal-B1 mix that promotes root growth, such as
Rootone F.
Place your cutting in four-to-six-inch individual pots with the
stems between two and four inches deep - quart and half gallon
milk containers will work fine - and be sure to keep them in an
area that gets only a moderate amount of light or they will wilt.
After five days they should be fertilized with vermiculite-perlite
mixture, diluted to one-quarter normal strength, once a week.
Covering the cuttings with clear plastic will increase the
humidity and the success rate.
Plant rooting is inhibited by lack of oxygen. To prevent this
from occurring, aerate the water before use by shaking it
vigorously. Cuttings that are propagated in water will do best if
the water is either changed regularly, or aerated using an
aquarium pump and air stone. Make sure the bubbles rise away from
the stems and do not create too much turbulence, which may inhibit
root growth.
Cuttings root in three to five weeks, after which time you
should transplant them to larger pots. If they are growing under
artificial light, introduce them to sunlight gradually so that the
leaves do not burn when placed in full sunlight. |
