What are the propagation methods for plants by layering?

Layering:

Burying a branch or stem of the parent plant in the soil, and once it has rooted, severing it from the parent plant to form a new plant. Depending on the burying method and the part used, layering can be divided into four types: tip layering, simple layering, stool layering and air layering. The main difference between tip layering and simple layering is that the former buries the end of a long vine underground, while the latter presses the branch into the soil with the tip left above ground. Stool layering involves mounding soil up to where the branch forks, and after the buried branch has rooted, cutting it off and transplanting. Air layering involves wrapping part of an aerial branch with soil or another medium to keep it at a certain humidity, and once the wrapped part has grown roots, cutting it off and transplanting. Plants such as Indian three-leaf rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), lychee, longan, citrus, osmanthus and magnolia are commonly propagated by this method.

How to propagate Boston ivy: cutting and layering propagation methods for Boston ivy

Boston ivy is a common plant, and many people grow it at home. Because of its unique form, it is loved by many people, especially when a few plants are grown in a corner of the house, and within a few years the whole wall is covered in the footprints of Boston ivy. Growing and propagating Boston ivy is actually not difficult. Below we focus on the propagation methods of Boston ivy. Boston ivy generally adopts two propagation methods: cutting and layering.

Cuttings can produce larger seedlings in a short period of time.

For softwood cuttings, collect semi-lignified young shoots in June to July each year, cut them into 10-15 cm long cuttings, with the upper cut made flat about 1 cm above a bud, and the lower cut made at an angle about 0.5 cm below a bud; for hardwood cuttings, after leaf fall each year and before the soil freezes, select dormant branches about 0.5 cm in diameter and 10-15 cm long, and cut the cuttings in the same way as for softwood cuttings.

Before cutting, pretreat the cuttings with ABT No. 1 rooting powder solution. For softwood cuttings, the treatment concentration is 50×10-6 and the soaking time is 0.5-1 hour; for hardwood cuttings, the treatment concentration is 100×10-6 and the soaking time is 1-2 hours. The soaking depth is 3-4 cm from the lower cut of the cutting.

Use river sand or a mixture of river sand and soil (soil/sand = 1:1) as the cutting medium, and level it thoroughly. Insert the treated cuttings straight into the medium 3-4 cm deep, press firm, and spray and irrigate promptly to keep the medium and cuttings moist. Roots can form 20-25 days after cutting, and once rooted they can be transplanted.

The layering propagation method is a propagation method in which the stem vine of Boston ivy, while still attached to the parent plant, is pressed into the soil so that the buried stem nodes develop roots, and then it is cut to form several new plants independent of the parent plant. Before the layers root, all the water and nutrients needed by the stem vine are provided by the parent plant. The advantages of this method are a high survival rate, simple management and vigorous seedling growth. The disadvantage is that the propagation rate is relatively low.

It can be done at all growth stages. Generally, layering is more effective in the two periods of March to April, when the sap in Boston ivy begins to flow, and July to August, after the branches have matured. Although layering at other times can also survive, rooting is slower.

For stem vines creeping along the ground, apart from keeping 40-60 cm of exposed growing section from the base, all the remaining parts can be buried in a prepared medium. Medium composition: quality barnyard manure : sawdust : topsoil at 1:1:1 or 2:1:1. The covering thickness of the medium is generally 15-20 cm. After covering, water frequently to keep it moist so as to promote rooting and sprouting.

After 15-20 days of layering, new shoots can emerge from the buried nodes. When the new shoots grow to 40-50 cm, the new roots have grown well. At this point, dig away a small section of the soil ridge 10-15 cm below the new shoot, and cut at the internode to obtain a new seedling. After cutting, immediately cover the cut so that it heals as quickly as possible. After 3-4 days, the new seedling can be moved out of the nursery, planted out or left in place to continue growing.

Transplanting or field planting is carried out during the leaf-fall period. Before planting, apply organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer, cut off overly long stem vines, and water thoroughly; survival is easy.

Layering propagation techniques for the vine plant clematis