2. Plant Propagation The creation of new life!
Propagation means to multiply or make new
Propagation methods require:
Knowledge
Skill
Practice
Propagation is an ART!!

3. Propagation Methods
Sexual propagation: Reproduction involving a female (egg) and male (pollen) sex cells to produce a seed
Some plants can only be reproduced by seeds
Cross-pollination is when one flower is pollinated by another flower with different characteristics
Self-pollination is when pollen of the same plant is used

4. Propagation Methods
Asexual propagation: Reproduction using cuttings from leaves, stems, or roots to make new plants
Based on the principle of totipotency
Allows the production of a CONSISTENT crop
Totipotency is the ability of a single cell to divide and recreate another type of cell
Creates a monoculture
Only one plant variety is present in a particular environment

5. Seed germination
As a seed germinates, or begins to grow, it will start to absorb water
After the seed coat cracks, two things happen:
The radicle, the plant’s first root emerges into the soil to serve as an anchor
The plumule, also known as the shoot or seed bud, emerges from the soil
Cotyledons, or seed leaves, emerge
Dicotyledons: plants with two cotyledons – Example: Beans
Monocotyledons: plants with one codyledon – Example: Corn

7. Germination conditions
The seedbed is the soil or medium in which seeds are sown
The seed has requirements for:
Temperature
Wind tolerance
Insects and pests
Moisture
Exposure to light
Air circulation
Planting depth
Placing between seeds

8. dormancy Two methods of breaking seed dormancy:
Scarification: The process of slightly damaging or breaking the tough seed coat which allows water penetration into the seed
Example: Rubbing seed against sand paper, a file, or a rough surface
Stratification: A cold treatment process given to some seeds to complete ripening and overcome dormancy
Seeds are place in a plastic bag inside a refrigerator around 36-38° F

9. Methods of Seeding
When propagating by seed, you must think of the appropriate method:
Indirect seeding: Seeds are first planted in pots or containers
Direct seeding: Seeds are planted directly into the garden
When seeds planted indirectly, they must be transplanted
Transplanting: To move a plant from one location and plant it in another

10. Methods of direct seeding
Furrow method: narrow grooves are made into the soil
Broadcasting: sprinkling the seeds across a given area
Individual method: placing the seeds in the soil or media by hand
Can be done by hand or automated equipment
Large commercial operations
Specialized growing

11. After sowing seeds Make sure to place an identification marker!!
Name of seed and date sown
Lightly mist the media until damp
In order to retain moisture, plastic wrap can be applied over the top of the flat
Make sure to harden-off plants grown indoors before moving them outside
Hardening-off: process where young plants receive less care and a greater range in temperatures in order to acclimate them to living outside

12. Types of available seeds
Seed selection is VERY important
Seeds are labeled with:
Name of the plant
Expiration date
Germination percentage
Plant seed percentage
Inert material percentage
The germination rate is the amount of seeds that are expected to germinate
Inert material may be weed seeds or plant material

13. Root promotion in asexual propagation
Asexual propagation is like cloning plants
Having an appropriate rooting medium is important
A sterile mix, free of diseases or pests
Horitcultural sand
Moss – Peat and sphagnum
Vermiculite
Perlite
Often cuttings are grown in a mixture of these

14. Asexual propagation Temperature is important
Some plants prefer bottom heat which is artificial heat that keeps the soil or media warm
Moisture and light exposure are also significant
Cuttings can be taken from different plant growth
Softwood: New plant growth
Hardwood: Older growth on a woody plant

15. Stock plant
To give cuttings the best start, the stock plant, or main plant the cuttings are taken from should be:
Healthy specimen
Free of insects and disease
Take cuttings from the top of the plant which is often younger, cleaner, and healthier
Auxin is sometimes required in asexual propagation for root development

16. Methods of asexual propagation
Cutting: a process where part of the stock is cut off in order to reproduce a new plant
Stem cutting: Requires at least 3 nodes per cutting
Tip cutting: Cutting from the tip of the stem
Leaf cutting: a leaf, a leaf and petiole, or a portion of a leaf is taken from the stock plant
Polarity: Tendency of a cutting to develop roots from the bottom and sprouts from the top
Leaf-bud cutting: Cutting of a bud and node
Root cutting: Cuttings from roots

17. layering

18. Methods of asexual propagation
Division: Process of dividing plant that spread underground
Example: Iris, daylily, ferns
Separation: Process of propagating plants that spread by aboveground stems or bulblets
Example: Spider plant
Tissue Culture: Cloning plants from genetic material

19. The two plants must be closely related for the plants to fuse
grafting
Grafting: Attaching twigs, buds, or roots onto other stems or roots
The two plants must be closely related for the plants to fuse
Scion: Portion of the plant attached during grafting
Rootstock: The lower portion of the plant that receives the graft or bud
Interstock: A twig that is grafted between the scion and rootstock

21. Budding methods
Budding: A form of grafting where a bud is attached to stock plant by various means to produce a more desirable plant
A budstick twig is used as a source of buds
Patch method
Chip bud
T-bud

22. Other types of grafting
Whip and tongue
Bark graft
Slipping bark: When the cambium is actively growing and can be pulled back easily
Approach
Four-flap grafting