What is vegetative propagation? Lesson 15 What is vegetative propagation?
Plants are living things, therefore they reproduce. Many plants reproduce from seeds. Others reproduce without seeds. Reproduction with seeds is sexual reproduction. Reproduction without seeds is asexual reproduction.
Asexual reproduction in plants is called vegetative propagation. Roots, stems, and leaves are used to reproduce one or more new plants. Some kinds are natural, happening in nature, and some are artificial.
Bulbs A bulb is a really short stem surrounded by thick colorless leaves. The leaves store food made by the leaves that are above ground. Why can’t these leaves make food?
stem colorless leaves
The stem grows into a new plant The thick, colorless leaves protect and feed the bulb when there are no green leaves to make food.
There are probably two bulbs in your kitchen right now.
After a year or two, a bulb grows at least one bulbet A bulbet will start a new plant. Since there was only one parent bulb, a bulb is a form of asexual reproduction.
Tuber A tuber is a heavy underground stem. It stores food made by the above ground green leaves.
The potato is a tuber. The sweet potato is NOT. Potatoes have “eyes” which will generate a new plant.
The things you find growing from your potatoes that have sat a long time will grow above the ground to make a new plant.
If we cut the potato so that each piece has an eye, and plant them, we get new plants. How many new plants can we get from this potato?
Two kinds of artificial vegetative propagation are cuttings and graftings. A cutting is when you take a stem or a leaf from a plant and make it grow into a new plant.
These stems were cut from a plant and put in a glass of water. What happened???? Now that they have roots, they can be planted, and a new plant has formed.
Grafting is attaching a stem cutting of one plant to another. A stem was grafted onto this tree The stem and trunk will grow together.
Grafting is most often done with fruit trees. It can be done only with related plants.