Stock Plants Flashcards
What is a stock plant?
A plant grown purely to provide cutting material.
It can be encouraged to grow the best type of cutting material.
What qualities should a stock plant have?
Health
Free from diseases especially viruses as diseases can be passed on to cuttings.
Free from pests as they can damage plants and pass on diseases.
Qualities if stock plant.
Age
Juvenile growth improves capacity to root over older growth.
Qualities of stock plant.
Growth
Should be a good example of its type, flower and fruit well.
Be compact with bushy growth and plenty of young shoots.
Cuttings from such plants root more easily and give better results..
Conditioning stock plants
High potassium levels and correct pH in growing media,
good light and restricted root run - ensures energy reserves for root and shoot development.
Hard pruning - produces basal shoots for cuttings.
Subjecting stock plant to cold, 2c for fortnight then warmth 8-15c induces shoots with enhanced rooting ability. Good if Clematis.
Etilation - keeping stems out to of light to make them white, soft and long, helps some plants root.
Stock plant
How much if top growth should be taken
No more than 60% of stock plant. After taking cutting material the plant should be allowed to grow back.
Traditional stooling of stock plant.
Young strong stock shrub is cut back hard and new shoots are mounded with soil which encourages new shoots to root.
Rooted layers are cut back in autumn.
The base will send up new shoot the next year.
