NURSERY PLANT PROPAGATION

Nursery Propagation Practices  Why use propagation?  More control of production & growth  Improved disease resistance  Sometimes, it’s fun to put multiple varieties on one plant

Nursery Propagation Practices  Selecting Cutting Stock  Propagation Manager looks for woody stems that “snap” Not too woody, not too soft

Nursery Propagation Practices  Cuttings are either taken by hand or with a mower on a boom

Nursery Propagation Practices  Cuttings are sanitized in Physan before being stuck  Sometimes cuttings are purchased & stored in cooler until ready

Nursery Propagation Practices  Cuttings are trimmed and ends are dipped in rooting hormone  Cuttings are then “stuck” into rooting flats

Nursery Propagation Practices  Some cuttings are stuck in soil, but most are stuck into Perlite or pumice

Nursery Propagation Practices  Once cuttings develop roots, they are “upshifted” into the next size container

Nursery Propagation Practices  Trees, like maples are grafted onto rootstock

Nursery Propagation Practices  However, it is often cheaper to graft trees in the field  This unique machine reduces fatigue for grafters

Nursery Propagation Practices  Grafters cut a bud off of the bud wood  Then they cut a notch in the rootstock

Nursery Propagation Practices  Grafters then tape the bud chip onto the rootstock

Nursery Propagation Practices  Eventually, the new bud will graft onto the rootstock and establish itself as a new tree

Nursery Propagation Practices  Whip and Tongue Graft  Used to add weeping species (Willow, Cherry) to rootstock

Nursery Propagation Practices  These are just a few of the various types of propagation practices used in the Willamette Valley