VegetativePropagationbyStemCuttings

Supplies:Rosepots,trays,cottongloveliners,nitrilegloves,featherblades,smalltub(1ftin
length)ofwater(tosubmergecutendofsteminasyoumakethecuttings),largetub(1min
length)ofwaterforperlitetrays,inchdiameterstick,disposablepotlabels,pencil,dustmask.

Soilmediaforcuttings:perlite,wetthoroughlywithwater.

Procedure:
1.Prepareperlitepots:Place21green,reusablerosepots
intoatray,fillpotswithperlite,placethetrayofpotsinatub
(approx.1minlength)containingabout1inch(3cm)water,
andwaterthepotsfromasprinklercan.

2.Preparestemcuttings:
Putonacottonliner,andoverthat,anitrileglove.Snapafeatherbladeintotwohalves,
eachwithonebladeedge(consultwithothersifyoudonotknowwhatthisis).Feather
bladesareSHARPbeextremelycareful!
Cuttings(internodes~1.52in.long)aremadefromvigorously
growingshoots(seeTipsbelow).Useaprunertocutoffthetop
3040internodesoftheparentplant.Immediatelysubmergecut
endintoa5galbucketfilled1/3fullwithwater,cutthesubmerged
endbelowthewatersurfacewiththeprunerandmovequicklyinto
theheadhousepreparea.
Removetheapicalmeristemandtrimeach
leafto~1/4oftheoriginalsize.Internodes
LPI5toLPI20(consultwithexperienced
personnel)areusableforcuttings,aslongas
leavesareingoodshape.
Useapreparedfeatherblade,cutthrougheachinternodejust
abovethetiny(nonemerged)budwhiletheendofthestemthat
youareexcisingthecuttingsfromissubmergedinthesmallertub
filledtothetopwithwater.Leavecuttingsintubuntilyouare
readytostickthemintotheperlite.Dooneplantatatime!
Optional:soakcuttingsin5%bleachfor1015min,rinseandplaceinawatertubuntiluse.

Tip1.Useparentplantsthatare46tall,andhavevigorousgrowthattheshootapex.
Tip2.Carefullyexamineplantsforevidenceofmitesandthripsabout1weekbeforeyouplan
tomakecuttings.Ifyouseepests,letthegreenhousemanagerknowthatyouwillsegregate
thoseplantsforsprayingespeciallyformakingcuttings.
Tip3.Onyourown,fertilizetheplants(1galpots)withbluefertilizer(MiracleGro,onesmall
teaspoon/literofwater)twodaysbeforeyouplantomakeyourcuttings.
Tip4.Besttimetomakecuttingsisearlymorningorlateafternoon.Avoidworkingintheheat
ofahotsunnyday,butifthiscannotbeavoided,cutofftheshoottip,andtrimtheleaveson
theparentplant,BEFOREusingtheprunertocuttheplantoff.Mistthecuttingsfrequently.
3.Optional:Removecuttingsfromwaterbath,lightlydipbottomofeachcuttingontothevery
surfaceofrootinducinghormonepowder(HORMEXRootingPowderNO.1[0.1%IBA],
Hummert).The717clonerootseasily.Wehaveneveradoptedthepracticeofdippingfor717.
Ifyouevertryitout,youwillhavetooptimize.Thebigdangeriscallusinginsteadofrooting,
whichleadstononviablecuttings.Sohormonedipisnotgenerallyrecommendedfor717.

4.Planting:Withasmallstick,inchindiameter,makeahole
diagonallythroughtheperliteallthewaytothebottom.Gentlypush
cuttingsintotheperlitebedsothattheremainingpartoftheleaf
bladeispointingup.Presstheperlitegentlyaroundthecuttingsand
makesurethecuttingsareanchored.Keepcuttingsmoistduringthe
processbyfrequentlymisting(DONTwaittilltheend).Insert
aplasticlabelwithgenotypeanddate,inpencil,intoeachand
everypot.Whenthetrayisfull,placeitontothemistbench.

Cleanupthecuttingareathoroughly.Sweepawayallperlite
frombenchandfloor,rinsetubsandmakesurethereisno
perlitesittinginthesink.Flushwellwithwater.Disposeof
usedbladesinthesharpscontainerwhichisnearthebench.
Thisisveryimportantsincebladescanbeeasilymissedandifoneblademakesittothe
garbageorintosomebodiesshoeorsomething,anyresultinginjurycouldresultinserious
consequencesforeverybody.

5.Mistbench:Rootsusuallydevelopwithin~1month.Ensurethattheareaofthebenchyou
areusingisreceivinggoodmisting.Avoidends,andedgesofthebenches.Reporttothe
greenhousemanagerifitappearsthatmistingisweak,ornotfunctioningasexpected.Check
onyourcuttingsonceadaytobesuretheyaresufficientlymistedandtheperlitesoaked
(randomlyliftafewpotstofeeltheweight).Rootingcanbegaugedbypeekingfromthe
bottomofthetray/pot,orbygentlypullingthecuttingupward.Cuttingswithoutrootscanbe
pulledeasily,whilerootedoneswillresistthemotion.Thiscanbetrickyifthecuttings
developacallus.Theywillseemasthoughtheyareanchored,butwilldieoncetakenoutof
thechamber.Dontworryaboutthose,justbeawarethatitcanhappen.Goodtonotcount
yourchickensuntiltheyarehatched.

6.Acclimation:Oncerooted,withnewshootgrowthof>45cminheight,movethecuttingsto
amistbenchthathasareducedmistingfrequencyandobserveforacoupleofdays(consult
withgreenhousemanagerforthemistingsettingofdifferentbenches).Ifplantsareholdingup,
movethecuttingsoutofthemist,butkeeppartiallyshaded.WatermanuallywithMiracleGro
(1tsp/liter)onceperdayandmanagethiswayforoneweektohardentheplants(checkwith
greenhousemanagertoavoidduplicatefertilization).Plantsthatarefullyacclimatedtonormal
greenhouseconditionsshouldbetransplantedtosoilpotsassoonaspossible(andnopotting
shouldbeattemptedbeforefullacclimation).Rootedcuttingsleftinthemistchamberforlong
willbegintorot.Fullyacclimatedcuttingsinperlitepotswilldryoutanddieifpottingis
delayed.PlacingrootedcuttingsintotubsisNOTrecommended,asitslowstheacclimation.

Soilmediaforrootedcuttings:Fafard3B+Osmocote(15912NPK,8gm/1galpot)
Cuttingsuccessdependsgreatlyonpersonalcareandattentiontodetail.Therearetipsfor
difficult/unusualcircumstancesconsultwithexperiencedpersonnelforadviceandguidance.

Whentotakecuttings

Theplanttotheleftisready
forcuttings.Generallyplants
areaboutametertallwhen
theyreachtheperfectstage
ofsemiwoodiness.Thestem
shouldbe<inch.

Theplantontherightisno
goodforcuttings;itwas
allowedtogrowto3meters
tallwithastemdiameterof
>inch.Theplanttotheleft
haslushgreenpetiolesand
buds.Theplanttotheright
haspinkpetiolesandbuds.
Theplanttothelefthaslushgreen
stemsandbuds.Thebudsaresoft
andgreen.Thestemissmalland
coveredinwaxywhitematerial
(probablytrichomes).

Theplanttotherighthashardwoody
stemsandpinkishpetiolesandbuds.
Thebudsarehardandsmall.No
whitematerial.

Theplantontheleftisprobably
cleanerwithlessfungalsporesonit.

Oldplantscanmakedecentcuttingsiftheyare
cutbackandfertilizedandallowedtosprout.

Theseshouldbeusedwhentheplantreaches
~1mtall.

However,theseplantswillhavemoreinsect
andfungalpestsduetotheirage.

Mitesandthripscanresideinsoilaslarvae.
Olderplantswillbemorestressedaswell.
 Whentostartacclimation

Cuttingsshouldbe
utilizedatthisstage.As
soonasacuttinghasa

rootandbeginstogrow,


itshouldbeginthe
transitiontoalowmist
benchforacclimation.

Themistingfrequency
shouldbereducedwhen
morethan50%ofthe
cuttingshavebroken
dormancy.



Ascuttingsgrowat

differentrates,thebest
wayistoseparatethe
sproutingplantsonto
anothertable(NOT
movingthewholetray).

Acclimationshouldtake
nomorethanaweek.
Cuttingsfullyacclimated
tonormalgreenhouse
conditionsshouldbe
pottedASAP.

Theseplantstotherightshouldhave
beenremovedfromthemistdaysago.
TheplantontheleftisstillOKwhile
theplantontherightisbeginningto
rot.ThefungusresponsibleisBotrytis
Blight(thesamegrayfungusthatrots
strawberriesinyourrefrigerator).It
cannotbesprayedforbecausethemist
willsimplywashitoff.