Stem Cuttings Flashcards
New tissue arising spontaneously in areas where it normally wouldn’t
Adventitious growth
Wrapping the base of a shoot in a dark material to prepare the shoot for rooting as a cutting
Banding
Growing a plant in full light exposure, then banding the base of new shoots to prepare them for rooting as cuttings
Blanching
A somewhat hardened, irregular mass of parenchyma cells that forms as a result of wounding
Callus
Ability of cells, even in mature tissues, to return to meristematic condition and produce a new root, shoot, or both
Dedifferentiation
A developmental process by which a relatively unspecialized cell undergoes a progressive change to a more specialized cell
Differentiation
End of organ furthest from the crown of plant
Distal end
Growing an entire plant or part of a plant in the dark before gradually exposing it to light again
Etiolation
Removing one inch of bark on a shoot at the base of what will eventually be a cutting to enhance rooting of species that are difficult to root
Girdling
Hardened woody cutting taken during the dormant season for deciduous plants and during the winter for evergreen plants
Hardwood cutting
Characteristics:
- not flexible at all;
- taken during late winter or early spring;
- don’t dry out as quickly as other woody cuttings b/c in dormant stage (not transpiring as much as other times of year);
- don’t need to propagate them inside (they can go in a cold frame or cloche)
- recommended that you bury them up to 2/3 of their length to keep them warmer
A type of cutting with a small piece of two-year old wood at the base
Heeled cutting (or mallet cutting)
Succulent, non-woody cutting that roots quickly and can be used to propagate many annuals and perennials
Herbaceous cutting
Characteristics:
- soft;
- dries out quickly (so place in media as quickly as possible);
- takes rooting hormones well
Oriented in a vertical position
Orthotropic
Oriented in a horizontal position
Plagiotropic
The quality inherent in a cutting such that different responses are exhibited in different parts of the cutting based on original orientation on the parent plant
Polarity
End of organ nearest the crown of plant
Proximal end
Partially hardened cutting taken from a woody plant in mid to late summer
Semi-hardwood cutting
Characteristics:
- has produced a resting bud(!!) which is a terminal bud (if - no resting bud, it’s still a softwood);
takes us rooting hormones moderately well;
- somewhat flexible but will snap cleanly
Soft, succulent cutting from the new growth of a woody plant that is flexible and roots quickly
Softwood cutting
Characteristics: taken during late spring-early summer; require lots of attention to moisture and temperature; respond well to rooting hormone
A plant used as a source of cuttings
Stock plant
Severely cutting back a plant to its base to eliminate reproductive shoots on a stock plant before taking cuttings
Stooling
Effect of the position of the cutting on the stock plant on subsequent growth orientation following rooting
Topophysis
Firm and swollen due to water uptake
Turgid
How many nodes are needed for a stem cutting?
Depends on plant but typically 2-3
Type of stem cutting where the terminal bud is included
Terminal cutting
Type of stem cutting where the terminal bud is not included
Axillary cutting (a.k.a. sub-terminal cutting)
When taking a stem cutting from a hardwood, how old should the cutting be? Why is the age important?
Depends on the plant, but generally it is recommended that you don’t take a cutting that is more than 1 year old.
The age is important because it is harder for an older stem to dedifferentiate and form adventitious roots.
Why would you take a heeled or mallet cutting?
Some types of hardwood have pre-formed root initials - you would keep a portion of 2-year old wood to keep the root initials intact.
How can you tell the age of hardwood?
The color; newer growth will typically be a lighter color than older wood
Why is it recommended to not root cuttings in water?
The plant will experience water stress once transferred to a soil-like media b/c water suddenly becomes harder to take up through the roots
Why is it so important to remember correct polarity when taking cuttings?
The plant will retain polarity regardless of how you plant it. If the plant is stuck upside down, it will try to produce shoots in the media and rot.
What is the recommended length of a stem cutting?
3-6 inches
What are the reasons for removing flowers/fruits from a cutting?
Flowers/fruits tend to rot in the high humidity; want cutting to focus on producing new roots and not on forming the fruit/flower
Why do you cut large leaves on a cutting in half?
Helps avoid overcrowding in the potting space (helps airflow and reduces fungal problems); helps reduce amount of stomata and therefore transpiration (important so the cutting doesn’t dry out)
Why is rooting hormone used?
Increases the percentage of successful cuttings; speeds up rooting; improves the quality of roots
What are the types of Auxin?
IAA - naturally produced in abundance but highly unstable so it is not used commercially
IBA - naturally produced in low quantities but typically synthetic
NAA- synthetic
