1. Cutting Propagation
Plant Propagation

2. Advantages of Cutting Propagation
#1 Integrity of characteristics (cloning).
#2 Economics: it’s cheaper to root a cutting than to graft or bud a plant.
#3 Avoidance of graft incompatibility problems.

3. Types of Cuttings
Leaf cuttings; of little value in woody, ornamental plant propagation.
Leaf-bud cuttings
Stem cuttings
Softwood/Herbaceous
Semi-hardwood
Hardwood
Deciduous
Evergreen
Root cuttings
Making root cuttings

4. Basic Principles of Cutting Propagation

5. Proper Selection/Care of Cutting Wood
Select current season’s growth from young plants or rejuvenated plants. Avoid stems with flowers.
Use healthy, disease-free stock plants.
Softwood Cutting

6. Keep cuttings cool and moist until they are stuck.
Plastic bags, wet burlap, ice chests
Plan your propagation so you can stick all the cuttings the same day they were taken.
Leftovers should be placed in the cooler overnight.

7. Sanitation
Harmful pathogens and other pests can enter the system in the following ways:
Propagation facilities: greenhouse, flats, pots, knives, working surfaces, water system, etc.
Propagation medium: the medium you stick the cuttings in.
Stock plant material: the plants that the cuttings are taken from and the cuttings themselves.

8. Propagation Facilities
10% solution of Clorox bleach in water (1:9 dilution).
Pots and flats should be soaked for 30 minutes, then rinsed.
Physan 20
Greenshield

9. Label for Physan 20

10. Propagation Medium
Generally speaking, bagged propagation media and media components are pretty clean and do not require pasteurization.

11. Stock Plant Material
Stock plants that have insect and disease problems should be treated with the proper pesticides before cuttings are taken.
Cuttings should be disinfested prior to sticking.
5% solution of Clorox bleach in water with liquid detergent.
Rinse
Fungicide drench with a broad-spectrum fungicide.

12. The Propagation Medium
Since most cuttings are propagated under intermittent mist drainage is critical.
A general, all-purpose medium for cutting propagation:
2 parts coarse perlite : 1 part sphagnum peat moss

13. Softwood cutting propagation in flats at Spring Meadow Nursery

14. Propagating in Sand
Many large nurseries propagate softwood and hardwood cuttings in sand.
Use a coarse, sharp sand.
Disinfest the sand between cutting cycles.
Methyl bromide
Vapam
Basamid

15. Propagating in sand

16. Sticking Methods Ground level beds. Flats filled with medium.
Small pots filled with medium (direct sticking).
After rooting, cuttings can be shifted up to larger pots or transplanted directly to the field.

17. The Propagation Environment
Light
Proper temperatures
Air temperature
Medium temperature
High humidity
Since cuttings do not have roots, but may have leaves, transpiration must be minimized or the cuttings may wilt.
Ability to lower humidity after the cuttings have rooted.

18. Air Temperatures
Air temperatures in the propagation facility will vary depending upon the type of cutting you stick.
Softwood cuttings: around 70 degrees F.
Hardwood cuttings: around 40 degrees F. with bottom heat.

19. Maintaining Air Temperatures
Shade
Whitewash
Saran
Ventilation
Fog Cooling

20. Saran
Shading Compound

21. Greenhouse with “open ventilation”

22. High pressure fog nozzle
Fog Cooling
1,000 pounds of water pressure.
0.006 inch orifice diameter.
Droplets 10 microns in diameter (less than one tenth the diameter of a single strand of hair).
As the fog evaporates the air is cooled.
High pressure fog nozzle

23. Medium Temperatures
Optimal medium (basal) temperatures in the range of 70 – 80 degrees F. for softwood and hardwood cuttings.
Reasons:
Faster rooting
More uniform rooting
Bottom heat
Electric propagation mats
Hot water system

24. Electric propagation mat

25. Biotherm bottom heating

26. Intermittent Mist
Water forced through a small opening under pressure hits a deflector and sprays out in a circular pattern.
Large, coarse water droplets immediately fall onto the cuttings.
Regulated by a misting controller.
Minutes between “on time”.
Seconds of burst duration..

27. Misting Nozzle
Deflector Pin

28. Reasons for Misting
#1 Maintain humidity.
#2 Evaporative cooling.

29. Phytotronics Misting Controller
DGT mist nozzle
Phytotronics Misting Controller

30. Hardening-off
After cuttings have rooted they need to be “hardened-off”.
Lower humidity (reduce mist frequency and duration).
Lower temperatures (softwood cuttings).
Brighter light.

31. The End