Methods for Cutting Propagation and Grafting Techniques for Landscape Garden Flowers
Many landscape garden flowers and nursery stock grow into complete plants from seed, but there are also quite a few flower and ornamental plant species that can regenerate and grow into a complete plant through organs such as roots, stems, and leaves. In production, this regenerative capacity of plants is used for cutting propagation. Combined with production practice, when asexual propagation is carried out on landscape flowers and ornamental plants, discussions were made from the aspects of cutting propagation, division and layering propagation of ornamental plants and flowers, and grafting propagation of ornamental plants and flowers, aiming to provide reference for garden workers.
1 Environmental conditions required for cutting propagation of landscape ornamental plants and flowers
1.1 Temperature
The temperature required for cuttings varies with plant species. The suitable temperature for cutting tropical or subtropical plants is generally 25-30 °C; temperate flowers 20-25 °C; hardy plants slightly lower. Generally, when the soil temperature is 3-6 °C higher than the air temperature, it is most favorable for root formation. If the air temperature is higher than the soil temperature, the cuttings will inevitably sprout first and then take root. The buds use the nutrients of the cutting itself to grow, and after the nutrients are exhausted, they will only wither and die.
1.2 Humidity
After cuttings leave the mother plant, they are still evaporating water all the time, so appropriate moisture must be maintained so that the branches and leaves will not wilt due to evaporation. At the same time, greater humidity is needed around the wound to produce callus tissue, so the soil must be kept moist at all times. However, too much water leads to poor aeration and easy root rot, affecting survival. The relative humidity of the air suitable for cuttings is generally above 90%. Generally, after cutting, water should be sprayed 3-4 times a day to maintain normal relative air humidity.
1.3 Light
The duration and intensity of sunlight have a great influence on the rooting of cuttings. For example, in hardwood cuttings, a long photoperiod gives stronger rooting ability than short daylight on cloudy days. If light is added at night, it is beneficial to the survival of cuttings. However, in leafy cuttings, the purpose is to keep the cuttings continuously carrying out photosynthesis and producing auxin. But under direct strong light, combined with excessively high temperature, the plant's transpiration is large, which will inevitably lead to wilting of the cuttings. Therefore, summer cuttings must be shaded.
1.4 Aeration
When cuttings root, because cell division is vigorous and respiration is enhanced, sufficient oxygen is needed, so cuttings should use a substrate with good aeration. When cutting in the open field, it is necessary to choose loose soil that both has strong water retention and good drainage. Never insert cuttings into heavy clay soil that is wet and waterlogged. In order to maintain air humidity, the air should circulate fully in the early stage of cutting, but when the cuttings begin to root, attention should be paid to ventilation and air exchange to supplement oxygen.
2 Preparation of the cutting bed
The cutting bed is the place where plants take root, and good conditions for plant rooting must be provided. Cutting can be done in the open field, in pots, in greenhouse beds, or in plastic greenhouses. First of all, the medium of the cutting bed must be properly prepared. Generally, cutting bed media can be divided into garden soil, mixed soil, sandy soil, leaf mold, and water.
3 Rooting treatment for cuttings
Soak the cuttings in a 0.1%-1% potassium permanganate aqueous solution for 24 h, which is effective for most woody plants. Soaking in a 2%-10% sucrose solution for 24 h is effective for both herbaceous and woody plants (herbaceous plants can use a slightly lower concentration). After soaking, rinse with clean water before cutting.
4 Types of cuttings and post-cutting management
The cutting methods can be divided into hardwood cuttings, softwood leafy cuttings, leaf cuttings, and root cuttings. Management must be strengthened after cutting, especially for softwood leafy cuttings and leaf cutting propagation. Careful management is required for good rooting. The main management work is watering and shading, and the soil must be kept moist. After rooting, reduce and gradually increase the sunlight duration.
5 Division propagation
When stem tillers are found growing from the roots around the mother plant, the entire mother plant needs to be dug out, then the soil should be shaken off and the stem tillers split apart with a tool while retaining some fibrous roots, and moved to another place for planting to become new plants. Division is generally carried out in spring and autumn.
6 Layering propagation
6.1 Trench layering method
In spring between February and March, at the lower part of the flower plant, select robust annual or 2-3 year old branches, dig a small trench near the mother plant, with a trench width of 5-10 cm and a depth of 10-20 cm. For the part of the branch pressed into it, it is best to notch 2-3 buds, then cover with soil and tread firm. After the layer has rooted, it can be cut from the mother plant and transplanted elsewhere.
6.2 Pot layering method
It is mainly applied to precious flower varieties or flowers that cannot be moved. Press the branch into a prepared flower pot. After rooting, it can be cut off and become a new potted plant.
6.3 Air layering
Generally, for flowers that are tall, whose branches cannot be bent, and whose stem base rarely produces clustered branches, first notch the part to be layered to stimulate rooting. Wrap the outside with plastic film. First tie the bottom firmly, fill the inside with humus soil, press firm, and tie the upper opening firmly as well, keeping the soil moist. After rooting, the film can be removed, and it can be cut off and transplanted.
7 Grafting propagation of landscape ornamental plants and flowers
7.1 Principles of successful grafting
Whether grafting can survive mainly depends on the compatibility between the rootstock and the scion. If compatibility is strong, after the cambium layers of the two sides join each other, callus tissue is produced. When the callus tissue fills the gap between the rootstock and the scion, the callus tissues of the two are promoted to combine into one body, allowing both vessels and sieve tubes to connect, thereby forming a whole. Generally speaking, the closer the kinship, the stronger the compatibility, so it is strongest within the same species, next within the same genus, and weakest within the same family.
7.2 Grafting methods
7.2.1 Branch grafting
Branch grafting includes cut grafting, cleft grafting, side grafting, approach grafting, bark grafting, and whip-and-tongue grafting.
7.2.2 Bud grafting
Bud grafting includes T-shaped budding, bud grafting, square budding, and chip budding. For the above grafting types, no matter which grafting method is adopted, attention must be paid to ensuring that the scion is fresh, free of pests and diseases, and a well-developed current-year branch. During grafting, align the cambium layers of the two, and bind tightly with plastic film. After the nursery stock survives, pay attention to removing buds during the growing period to ensure normal growth of the grafted buds.
That is all for today's content. This article is quite suitable for garden workers and flower and seedling farmer friends to consult and study. If you have better agricultural techniques to share, you are welcome to leave a message below!
Propagation Methods for Osmanthus by Cutting and Grafting
Propagation Methods for Osmanthus by Cutting and Grafting Cutting and grafting. The propagation methods of osmanthus include sowing, cutting, grafting, and layering. In production, cutting and grafting propagation are the most common. Cutting propagation has the advantages of simple technique, large propagation quantity, fast speed, high survival rate, and low cost. It is the most widely adopted and most commonly used propagation method by nursery producers and flower enthusiasts. Cutting time: from early March to mid-April, select 1-year-old spring shoots for cuttings. This is the best cutting time. It can also be done from late June to late August by selecting semi-mature branches of the current year for heel cuttings, but it has high requirements for temperature and humidity control. Cutting of scions and treatment: from young and middle-aged trees, select robust, plump, pest-free branches from the middle and upper parts and the outer periphery of the tree body as cuttings. Cut the branches into 10-12 cm lengths, remove the lower leaves, and keep only 3-4 leaves at the top. If conditions permit, soak the cuttings in 50-100 ppm GGR6 solution for 0.5-1 hour, which is very beneficial to rooting of the cuttings. Preparation of cutting soil: use slightly acidic, loose, well-aerated, and water-retentive soil as the cutting substrate. Before cutting, disinfect and sterilize the cutting soil with drugs such as carbendazim and quintozene. Post-cutting management: mainly control temperature and humidity, which is the key to whether cuttings can root and survive. The optimal rooting soil temperature is 25-28 °C, and the optimal relative humidity should be kept above 85%. Methods such as shading, arching plastic film, sprinkling water, and ventilation can be used for control. Secondly, pay attention to preventing mildew, because high temperature and high humidity easily breed mold. Carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl can be used alternately for spraying and sterilization every week. Grafting propagation has the advantages of fast seedling formation, vigorous growth, early flowering, and small variation, and is also one of the more commonly used methods. Cultivating rootstock: mostly use 1-2 year old nursery stock such as Ligustrum lucidum, Ligustrum quihoui, and Fraxinus bungeana as rootstock. Among them, grafting osmanthus onto Ligustrum lucidum has a high survival rate and fast initial growth, but the wound heals poorly and is prone to breakage when exposed to strong wind or external collision. Grafting is carried out around Qingming Festival. The two most commonly used methods in production are cleft grafting and side grafting. For scions, it is advisable to select fully lignified, robust, disease-free 1-2 year old branches from adult trees, remove the leaves, and retain the petioles. When using the cleft grafting method, the rootstock should be cut off 4-6 cm above the ground before grafting in spring before the nursery stock sprouts. The thickness of the scion should match the thickness of the rootstock. The cut surface of the scion should be smooth. The key to successful cleft grafting lies in aligning the cambium layers of the rootstock and scion and binding tightly. When using the side grafting method, there is no need to cut off the rootstock. Directly insert the grafted bud into the rootstock, and cut off the rootstock after the grafting succeeds. No matter which grafting method is used, take the scion and graft it as soon as possible. If the scion is obtained from another place, be sure to maintain the freshness of the scion. Grafting is best done on a sunny and windless day. After grafting, pay attention to checking the survival rate and do a good job in supplementary grafting, bud removal, rootstock cutting, removing binding strips, water and fertilizer management, and pest and disease control. II. Layering propagation. In addition to cutting and grafting, osmanthus can also be propagated by sowing. However, because some varieties do not bear fruit or bear few fruits, and because seedlings raised by sowing take a long time to flower, requiring more than 10 years to bloom, with great variation, nursery producers and home flower-growing enthusiasts rarely use this method. Osmanthus seeds mature around May. After seed collection, sowing can be carried out in two periods: one is to sow immediately after collection, which can reduce the process of seed storage, and by autumn some seeds will germinate and emerge. Its disadvantage is that overwintering management of seedlings is difficult and they are prone to freezing damage. The second is to store the seeds in sand after collection, then select the seeds from the sand and sow them in the following spring. They germinate and emerge in April. The advantages of this method are: seedlings grow fast and seedling-stage management is less difficult. When using sowing propagation, attention should be paid during the seedling stage to preventing and controlling damping-off of nursery stock, strengthening water and fertilizer management, thinning and filling seedlings in time, cultivating and weeding, and doing a good job in shading, cooling, and cold and freeze protection. Osmanthus layering propagation. The layering time should be selected before buds sprout in spring. Because osmanthus branches are not easy to bend, ground layering is generally not used, only air layering. When using air layering, select vigorous 2-3 year old branches on excellent mother plants, girdle a ring of bark 0.3 cm wide on the branch, then apply 100 ppm GGR6 solution or the same dose of naphthaleneacetic acid to the girdled part, then use plastic film filled with mountain soil, leaf mold, moss, etc. to wrap the notched part, water thoroughly, and tie and fix the bag opening. Observe frequently and replenish water in time so that the wrapping material is always in a moist state. After cultivation through summer and autumn, new roots will grow. In the following spring, cut the rooted branch from the mother plant, open the wrapping material, transplant it with soil into a pot, water thoroughly, and place it in a cool place for care. After a large number of new shoots sprout, expose it to full sunlight. III. Cultivation management. One-year-old osmanthus seedlings raised through sowing, cutting, and other means should not be used immediately as landscaping seedlings because of their poor drought, cold, and barren resistance. They should first be transplanted into the nursery field and continue to be cultivated for 2-5 years. After they grow into medium seedlings, they can be transplanted. The key points of cultivation management are briefly introduced as follows: Land preparation. Select slightly acidic (pH 5.0-6.5) sandy loam with sufficient light, deep soil layer, rich in humus, strong permeability, and convenient drainage and irrigation as the cultivation nursery field. In the autumn and winter of the year before transplanting, first fully plough the nursery field once, and dig holes according to a plant-row spacing of 1 m x 1.5 m (after 2 years, when they grow thicker and taller, remove every other plant so that the row-plant spacing becomes 2 m x 1.5 m), with planting holes of 0.4 m x 0.4 m x 0.4 m. Apply 2-3 kg of decomposed farmyard manure of neutral nature (pig manure, cow dung) and 0.5 kg of phosphate fertilizer as base fertilizer in each hole. Mix the base fertilizer evenly with the surface loam and fill it into the hole. After the fertilizer is eroded and fermented by winter snow and spring rain, it is easily absorbed by the seedlings. Transplanting. It is best to transplant when the tree sap has not yet flowed or has just begun to flow, generally from early February to early March. When taking seedlings, keep as many roots as possible and damage as few roots as possible. After taking the seedlings, plant them as soon as possible. If seedlings need to be transferred from other places, pay attention to moisture retention to prevent dehydration of the seedlings. After planting, compact the soil and water thoroughly once so that the root system of the seedling is in close contact with the soil. Water and fertilizer management. After transplanting, if heavy rain causes water accumulation in the nursery field, dig trenches for drainage. In case of drought, water to resist drought. In addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, apply fertilizer 3 times each year: in late March, apply 0.1-0.3 kg of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer per plant to promote height growth and more tender shoots; in July, apply 0.1-0.3 kg of quick-acting phosphorus and potassium fertilizer per plant to improve drought resistance; in October, apply 2-3 kg of organic fertilizer (such as farmyard manure) per plant to improve cold resistance and prepare for overwintering. Pruning and shaping. Osmanthus has strong sprouting ability and the characteristic of naturally forming shrubs. It flushes shoots twice each year in spring and autumn. If it is not pruned and buds are not removed in time, it is difficult to cultivate tall plants, and it is easy to form a phenomenon of dense upper branches and sparse lower branches, strong at the top and weak at the bottom. When pruning, except for shortening branches with poor tree vigor and branch vigor, generally thinning is the main method, only appropriately thinning overly dense outer branches, and cutting off water sprouts and diseased and insect-infested branches to improve ventilation and light transmission conditions of the plant. Remove sprouting tiller branches from the base of the trunk in time to avoid consuming nutrients in the tree and disturbing the tree shape. Loosening soil and weeding. In spring and autumn, cultivate once respectively in combination with fertilization to improve soil structure. Before overwintering, mound up the base once and whitewash the trunk once, which can enhance cold resistance. Weed 2-3 times each year to prevent weeds from competing with seedlings for water, fertilizer, and light. Pest and disease control. Osmanthus has relatively few pests and diseases, mainly anthracnose, leaf spot, red spider, and oystershell scale. Bordeaux mixture, lime sulfur mixture, thiram, thiophanate-methyl, dichlorvos, dicofol, and other agents can be used for control. IV. Key points for transplanting large osmanthus trees. Transplanting time: preferably from mid-January to early February. At this time the tree is in a dormant state, and soon after transplanting its activity becomes stronger, making survival easier. Avoid transplanting in summer. Branch cutting: it helps reduce nutrient consumption in the tree and water transpiration. The amount of branch cutting depends on tree age and growth vigor. Old trees over a hundred years old should retain few or no branches because of weak growth vigor. Those with strong growth vigor and younger trees can appropriately retain more branches. When cutting branches, first remove diseased and insect-infested branches, water sprouts, and crossing branches. Afterward, apply petroleum jelly or Bordeaux mixture to the wounds to avoid pest and disease damage and rain erosion. Root severing: to improve the survival rate of transplanting large osmanthus trees, sever 1/2 of the roots in spring 1-2 years before transplanting respectively. The distance from the severed point to the tree stump should be 2-3 times the diameter of the stump. Then apply 50-100 ppm GGR6 solution or 0.1% indoleacetic acid solution to the severed roots, cover with soil and water thoroughly, and let them grow new roots. Taking the stump: determine the size of the soil ball to be dug, generally 4-6 times the ground diameter of the stump. If it is indeed too thick to transport because of the ground diameter, it must not be less than 3 times. While digging, bind the soil ball with wet straw curtains and straw ropes to prevent it from loosening. Saw off the large roots of the tree with a saw, and apply rooting powder such as GGR6 to the cut. After digging, wrap and bind it firmly with wet straw curtains and straw ropes, with the straw ropes tied up to 2.5 m high on the trunk. Transportation: during transportation, load, unload, and set down gently. When loading the truck, fix the large tree well and use buffer materials between them to prevent the tree from colliding, so as not to damage the bark or break the soil ball. Pay attention to moisture retention on the way. Planting: one month before planting, first dig the planting hole, with a size 1.5-2 times that of the soil ball, then fill the hole with mycorrhizal soil, and mix in 5-10 kg of decomposed farmyard manure of neutral nature and 2 kg of quick-acting phosphate fertilizer, and irrigate for later use. When planting, use a crane to lower the large tree gently into the planting hole, cut open the packaging straw curtain and straw rope with scissors, then backfill with stable soil, tread firm, and water thoroughly. Management and care: 1. Set up fixed supports: set up tripods around the main trunk of the large tree to prevent the large tree from shaking due to human and animal collision and strong wind. 2. Set up a shade shed: after April, set up a shade shed on three sides of the large tree (except the northwest side) to prevent direct sunlight from scorching the bark and reduce water transpiration. It can be removed in October when the weather turns cool. 3. Watering: newly planted large trees have damaged root systems and weak water absorption, so the amount of watering should not be too much, to avoid root mildew and rot. But it should not be too little either, otherwise the tree body will lose water and die. 4. Infusion: infusion can meet the tree's demand for water and nutrients and can greatly increase the transplanting survival rate. Infusion is generally carried out from April to September. Before infusion, first drill 3-5 infusion holes at the base of the large tree with a woodworking drill from top to bottom at a 45-degree angle, deep to the pith. Then prepare the medicinal liquid by dissolving 0.1 g of ABT6 rooting powder and 0.5 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate per liter of water. Hang the bottle containing the medicinal liquid at a high place, insert the trunk injector into the infusion hole, open the infusion switch, and the liquid can be infused into the tree body. After the medicinal liquid is infused, pull out the needle and plug the infusion hole with a cotton ball. When infusion is needed next time, take out the cotton ball and infusion can be carried out. The number of infusions and the interval time depend on the degree of drought, temperature, and the plant's water demand. After the plant has completely passed the dangerous period, seal the infusion holes with Bordeaux mixture. A rising star in the osmanthus family - Four Seasons Osmanthus. Osmanthus is one of China's ten traditional famous flowers. Common varieties include "Jin Gui" with yellow flowers, "Yin Gui" with orange flowers, and "Dan Gui" with orange flowers, all of which can only bloom once in autumn. In recent years, the newly emerging "Four Seasons Osmanthus" has become a rising star in the osmanthus family. It breaks the conventional rule that ordinary osmanthus varieties bloom only once a year, and can bloom 4 times each year in February, May, August, and November respectively, with each seasonal flowering period usually lasting more than 20 days. The flowers it produces are dense, yellow-white in color, evenly distributed among the branches, and the fragrance is also relatively lasting. The scent is rich and makes people feel good, and it can be used as a spice for making tea and cakes. Four Seasons Osmanthus has a certain resistance to harmful gases such as hydrogen fluoride and sulfur dioxide, and can reduce the degree of environmental pollution. When planted in public places or home courtyards, it can play a good role in greening, beautifying, perfuming, and purifying, so flower and garden experts all advocate promoting its planting. Four Seasons Osmanthus is suitable for growing in warm, humid places with sufficient sunlight. The soil used should be fertile, loose, slightly acidic, and well drained and irrigated. Four Seasons Osmanthus is relatively drought-tolerant and cold-tolerant, and its suitable growth temperature is 20-30 °C. In winter, if there is no particularly severe cold wave, it can generally overwinter in the open field. It can usually be propagated by cutting, layering, or sowing. If used in flower beds or garden landscaping, its plant height can reach 2-3 m. If used for home potted cultivation, it can be dwarfed to below 1 m. Its trunk has many branches, and its leaves are relatively fine. Its seedlings can bloom successively after growing for one year, and after growing for 3 years the flower quantity is even greater, with considerable ornamental value. In cultivation management, attention should be paid to appropriately increasing the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers such as plant ash and bone meal to increase flower quantity and fragrance. Also pay attention to preventing and controlling leaf spot, anthracnose, nettle caterpillar, and wax scale and other pests and diseases to ensure normal growth and development of the plant and timely flowering.(Reporter Anonymous)
Learn Heteropanax fragrans nursery cutting and propagation techniques in one go
Heteropanax fragrans. The two words "Heteropanax" make people think of the large sun umbrellas at cold drink shops or on the beach under the scorching sun. Heteropanax fragrans is a maple-like tree with a large crown. Some superstitious people have also given Heteropanax fragrans the nickname "Great Wealth," probably because the rounded shape of its crown is thought to gather wealth. Nowadays, the increasingly popular Heteropanax fragrans is being sold more and more, so many experts are also studying seedling grafting and propagation techniques. Now let me systematically introduce it to everyone.
Heteropanax fragrans is commonly propagated by sowing, cutting, layering, and other methods. At present, cutting propagation is mostly used. Softwood cuttings are often made from current-year branches in late spring and early autumn, or hardwood cuttings are made from last year's branches in early spring.
Cutting substrate: it refers to materials such as nutrient soil, river sand, or peat soil used for cuttings. For home cuttings, it is difficult to obtain an ideal cutting substrate due to limited conditions. It is recommended to use the already prepared and sterilized cutting substrate provided by this site; medium-coarse river sand can also be used, but it should be rinsed several times with clean water before use. Do not use sea sand or river sand from saline-alkali areas, as they are not suitable for the growth of flowers and plants.
Selection of cutting branches : when making softwood cuttings, from late spring to early autumn when the plant grows vigorously, select robust current-year branches as cuttings. After cutting the branches off, select the sturdy parts and cut them into sections 5-15 cm long, each section having more than 3 leaf nodes. When cutting the cuttings, note that the upper cut should be made flat about 1 cm above the topmost leaf node, and the lower cut should be made at an angle about 0.5 cm below the lowest leaf node. Both the upper and lower cuts should be smooth (the knife should be sharp).
When making hardwood cuttings, after the temperature rises in early spring, select robust branches from last year as cuttings. Each cutting usually retains 3 - 4 nodes, and the cutting method is the same as for softwood cuttings.
Management after cutting
Temperature: the optimal temperature for rooting of cuttings is 20 °C-30 °C. Below 20 °C, rooting of cuttings is difficult and slow; above 30 °C, the upper and lower cuts of the cuttings are easily infected by pathogens and rot , and the higher the temperature, the greater the proportion of rot. When low temperature is encountered after cutting, the main measure for heat preservation is to wrap the flower pot or container used for cuttings with plastic film; when the temperature is too high after cutting, the main cooling measure is to shade the cuttings, blocking 50-80% of sunlight, and at the same time spray the cuttings 3-5 times a day. On sunny days with higher temperatures, spray more times; on cloudy and rainy days with lower temperatures and higher humidity, spray fewer times or do not spray.
Humidity: after cutting, the relative humidity of the air must be maintained at 75-85%. The basic requirement for rooting of cuttings is that before the cuttings root, it must be ensured that the cuttings remain fresh and tender and can carry out photosynthesis to produce rooting substances. However, cuttings that have not rooted cannot absorb enough water to maintain their internal water balance. Therefore, spraying must be used to reduce water evaporation from the cuttings: under shaded conditions, spray the cuttings 3-5 times a day. On sunny days, the higher the temperature, the more times to spray; on cloudy and rainy days, the lower the temperature, the fewer times to spray or do not spray. But excessive spraying makes cuttings easily infected by pathogens and rot, because many kinds of pathogens exist in water.
Light: cutting propagation cannot be separated from sunlight, because the cuttings still need to continue photosynthesis to produce nutrients and rooting substances to supply their rooting needs. However, the stronger the light, the higher the temperature inside the cuttings, the more vigorous the transpiration of the cuttings, and the more water consumed, which is not conducive to the survival of the cuttings. Therefore, after cutting, 50-80% of sunlight must be blocked. After the root system grows out, gradually remove the shading net: on sunny days, remove the shading net at 4:00 p.m. every day, and cover the shading net before 9:00 a.m. the next day.
After reading the systematic methods for Heteropanax fragrans nursery grafting and propagation, have you learned it? Friends with some basic knowledge should find it not difficult, as it is not much different from general tree cultivation methods, but every tree has its own unique features. If they were all the same, they would lose their own charm, right? In fact, Heteropanax fragrans has great medicinal uses. When you accidentally suffer heatstroke or catch a cold in summer, you can use a little of its bark to make a bowl of heat-relieving soup, and the effect is quite good. Although it tastes a bit bitter, it clears heat and relieves summer heat, which is good for the body.