1. Growing Plants Vegetative Propagation

2. Propagation  Process of increasing the supply of a type of plant  Can be done sexually (using seeds)  - plants developed are non-identical  Can also be done asexually  - plants that develop are identical  - can be done naturally – using natural structures (e.g. bulbs)  - or artificially – e.g cuttings

3. Natural propagation structures  Bulbs  - made of many leaf bases attached to a stem  - swollen with stored food  - side buds found in between the leaf bases  - these develop into daughter bulbs  - spring flowering bulbs can be re-planted in autumn  - many bulbs (e.g. daffodil) make daughter bulbs naturally  Tubers  - swollen part of the stem or root – for food storage  - each tuber can grow into a new plant if re-planted  -e.g. potato plants form tubers on underground stems  - ‘eyes’ form new shoots  - use food stored inside the tuber to help grow  - tubers kept in a cool room (6 weeks) before re-planting  - this is sprouting or chitting

4. Use of attached offspring  Plantlet  - tiny plant still attached to parent  - often develop at the leaves  - e.g. Mexican Hat plant, Piggy Back plant  Runner  - plantlets at end of ‘horizontal’ stems  - e.g. spider plant, strawberry plant  Offsets  - plantlet that develops at the base of the parent  - these can be cut away from parent & re- planted  E.g mother-in-laws tongue

5. Artificial Propagation  Increasing plant supply, using non-natural methods  Plant growth takes place at growth points e.g root tips, buds  Also at nodes – part of stem where side branches grow  If plant is wounded, it can re- grow and replace missing parts  Parts of plants can be cut off and re-planted

6. Cuttings  Piece of plant cut, and re-planted  Roots grow from cut surface  Cut end needs planting in moist soil or in water  Rooting powder can help root growth  Cuttings can lose water through their leaves  Water loss can be reduced by  - trimming off lower leaves on cutting  - placing cutting in a propagator/plastic bag

7. Heat during propagation  Heating systems/propagators keep constant temperatures  Encourages cuttings to root  Useful in colder months of the year, BUT  - too high a temperature will cause water loss  - too moist (humid) an atmosphere helps spread disease  - heating costs can be high  A thermostat controlled system is best

8. Layering  A stem is made to root whilst attached to parent  A cut is made into stem, just below a node  Rooting powder applied to this ‘wound’  Rest of plant pegged in place until new roots grow  Then new plant is cut away from parent  Effective for plants that don’t grow well with cuttings