Propagation of Succulent Plants
By: Andrew Aipperspach
Growing plants for aesthetic purposes is not only a very enjoyable experience for an individual to take part, but it is also a rapidly expanding and exciting industry. To increase a person’s ability to capture and duplicate desirable traits which make it such a rewarding and exciting pastime, propagation is used. There are several techniques which can be employed to propagate succulent species, these include, cuttings, division, offsets, grafts, and cross-pollination and raising from seed. After beginning the process of propagation is becomes evident that propagation is limited not by experience, but instead by the basics, space, materials, and time.
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Cuttings:
The fastest way to produce genetically identical plants is through cuttings. With this technique there is no genetic recombination or diversity allowing the propagator to preserve all desirable traits, but any faults such as susceptibility to disease are also reproduced.
Many species of succulent plants can be propagated from pieces of stem cut from the parent plant with a sharp knife. While this is a very easy and time effective way to propagate, be sure your knife or other tools have been sterilized by dipping in a methylated spirit.
When obtaining a cutting the best place to cut is just below a stem joint or where a leaf or bud joints the stem. It is usually best if the cutting contains at least one more stem joint higher up. While some cuttings work well if taken with pairs of leaves still attached, any leaves should be removed from the bottom of the stem joint. The cutting should be potted in a heat-sterilized gritty potting medium, pure sharp sand, fine grit or vermiculite. In some cases cuttings can be immediately potted but to increase the success rate it is better to allow the cut end to dry for a day or two giving the damaged tissue time to heal reducing the chance of fungal attack. Another way to help reduce fugal contamination and increase rooting is the application of rooting hormone which aids in rooting and contains a fungicide.
Cuttings are best when taken at the beginning of the growing season, usually in Spring except for those plants that grow during Autumn and Winter. The cuttings should be kept in a well ventilated bright place at about 20 degrees Celsius. It is a good idea to keep cuttings in a propagator with a top to retain humidity until they have become established. The cuttings should be watered sparingly until new growth appears which is generally an indication new roots have developed.
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Division:
Many species of succulent plants form mats or clumps that may be propagated by division. To accomplish this, the plant is removed from it’s pot and the soil is removed. Some varieties may fall into separate sections which can each be separately propagated, others will reveal tuberous branching roots that can be divided by cutting, with a clean knife, into two or more pieces. Each piece should have a growing point from which roots will develop. Division of tubers is best if carried out when the plant is dormant and dry, if the plant is not dormant growth may be delayed due to weakening from the loss of sap. Cut surfaces may also be dusted with a fungicide such as Benlate and allowed to dry to decrease the possibility of fungal infection. Each piece can then be potted separately in gritty potting compost and watered sparingly until new growth indicates new roots.
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Offsets :
Many species of succulent plant and cacti produce small plants at the base of the parent plant. These offsets can usually be easily pulled or cut off the main plant, allowed to dry for a few days, and potted individually. The main plant often benefits from the removal of offsets which divert energy from the main stem, and can hinder the plant's ability to produce one large solitary stem.
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Grafting :
Grafting is a method of providing a delicate, cristate, or monstrous cultivar with a hardy rootstock. A variety of brightly colored, but photosynthetically incompetent cactus cultivars, propagated by grafting, are widely available in the horticultural trade. To obtain these interesting and unique cacti several grafting configurations are used. Grafting is one practice in which strict attention to hygiene is essential, all aspects of the process need to be sterilized by dipping in methylated sprits.
Grafting stock: In all cases the stock must be compatible with the graft to prevent rejection, which usually means the same genus or at least family.
Flat Grafts: This graft is probably the simplest for a beginner to attempt, and suitable for plants with fleshy stems such as cacti. The first step is to cut the stock flat with a single clean cut with a sterile blade, razor blade, or sharp knife at a height usually above the soil level. Scion material, the piece to be grafted, is then cut cleanly across and placed on the cut surface of the rootstock in a way that at least part of the vascular elements on both pieces is in contact. The graft is held together by one or more rubber bands stretching under the pot at their other ends.
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Propagation has come a long way and has given the industry and individuals the ability to isolate specific traits they find attractive and reproduce them with complete accuracy. It has also encouraged the creation of various forms of formally unimaginable combinations which have revolutionized the industry. But even with all the work that has been done, there are many areas that can still be improved upon. Possibly the most difficult and exciting would be the combination of species through grafting. This can not be achieved due to rejection, but in the future there may be a rejection inhibitor allowing the combination of our planet’s most desirable characteristics into one plant. The future will definitely be exciting.
References:
http://hcs.osu.edu/mg/manual/prop2.htm
http://www.cactus-mall.com/propagation.html
http://dmoz.org/Home/Gardening/Plants/Cacti_and_Succulents/
By: Terry Hewitt