Seven methods for flower cuttings that can effectively increase the survival rate
Flowers are mostly propagated by cuttings. Practice shows that treating them with the following methods can promote rooting of the cuttings and markedly raise the survival rate of cuttings.
1. The water-soaking method.
Larch, Chinese arborvitae, five-needle pine, spruce, rubber plant and other species whose branches contain resin or latex: before propagating by cuttings, place the mother plant in a dark place, cut the cuttings 10 days later, soak them in water for several days, and then insert them.
2. The floating-on-water rooting method.
Fix the cutting in a slit sawn into a plastic foam board with a small saw blade, with 3-4 cm of its base exposed, and let it float on the water surface. Shade it appropriately for the first 7-10 days, after that it can receive sunlight, with shading only during the hot midday. Depending on the size of the water container, change the water once every 5-7 days. Generally, about half a month after cuttings are taken, callus tissue forms, and in about one month adventitious roots appear; once the roots are 2-3 cm long, they can be transplanted.
3. The ring-barking cutting method.
During the vigorous growth season of woody flowers, choose the base of a vigorous branch and ring-bark it down to the xylem, about 5 mm wide. After two months, callus tissue forms outside the cut, and nutrients are stored in the callus tissue. At this point, cut the branch off below the callus tissue, without injuring the tissue, and insert it in a sand bed, where it needs appropriate shading.
4. The fire-scalding method.
When taking cuttings of rubber plant, sacred fig, common fig and the like, hold the base of the cut cutting near a stove fire so that the high temperature seals the latex, and then insert it.
5. The air-drying method.
When taking cuttings of cactus, three-ribbed euphorbia, lily, aloe and the like, let the cut cuttings dry in a shaded, ventilated place for a few days, and insert them after they have dried.
6. The chemical-soaking method.
Soaking cuttings in a medicinal solution can greatly raise the survival rate of cuttings.
Commonly used solutions include:
1. Soak the base of the cutting in willow-branch infusion for 1-2 days, then insert it.
2. Soak the base of the cutting in a white sugar solution of 8-15% concentration for about 40 minutes, rinse the cut with clean water, cut off part of the cut end, and then insert it; even for camellias and azaleas, which are difficult to root, the survival rate reaches over 90%.
3. Dilute vitamin B12 injection with an equal amount of water, soak the base of the cutting for 10-15 minutes, then insert it.
4. Use a 0.2-0.4% potassium permanganate solution to soak the base of the cutting for 10-15 minutes, then insert it.
5. Dilute indolebutyric acid with 200 times water (first dissolve the indolebutyric acid in a very small amount of alcohol), dip the lower end of the cutting in it for 5 seconds, then insert it. 6. Use a solution of ABT rooting powder at a concentration of 50-100 parts per million, soak the base of lignified woody flower cuttings in it for 2-4 hours; for softwood or herbaceous cuttings, the concentration should be appropriately lowered or the soaking time shortened.
7. The etiolated-cutting method.
Cover the woody flower from which cuttings are to be taken with a black plastic tent. When the etiolated shoot tips grow to 10-20 cm, gradually open the plastic tent and let the plant receive light. When the etiolated shoot tips gradually turn green about one month after the tent is opened, they can be used for cuttings. For etiolated treatment of small-leaved lime, the rooting rate of cuttings taken from the base of the shoots and from the middle reached 52-70%, while the rooting rate without etiolated treatment was only 40-46%. For cuttings taken from the base of branches of sessile oak, the rooting rates with and without etiolated treatment were 50% and 20% respectively, a marked increase in rooting rate.