by Christopher Hammond

Created on: March 12, 2008

Plant propagation is the deliberate reproduction of plants by humans, or more simply, turning one or a few plants into many plants. All plants can be propagated, and there are many reasons to propagate plants. Farmers propagate plants so that they have a crop the following year, nurseries propagate plants so that they have more products to sell, botanical gardens propagate plants for their displays, and home hobbyists might propagate their most cherished and beautiful garden residents.

The goal of propagation is to transfer as many desirable characteristics as possible from the parent plant on to the offspring. Most of the agricultural and ornamental plants that are grown today are the products of hundreds or even thousands of years of selective propagation. In order to achieve this goal of superior offspring, the appropriate propagation method must be selected. There are many ways to reproduce plants, all of which fit into two categories: sexual propagation or vegetative propagation.

Sexual propagation is reproducing plants from seeds. It is the way most plants naturally spread themselves around, and is the way most agricultural plants are propagated. Plants in nature will cross pollinate, flower, and go to seed. This process, when harnessed by humans, is essentially the same, only more tightly controlled and on a massive scale. Farmers and plant producers control the parent plants so that their progeny turn out almost exactly the same as the parents.

Vegetative or asexual propagation happens when a portion is taken from a particular plant and grown into a new plant, identical to the first. This method is common in the ornamental plant industry because it ensures uniformity. If a Maple tree, for instance, is discovered that has a brilliantly unique autumn color, vegetative propagation can be used to produce thousands of clones exactly the same as the original, thus allowing many more people to enjoy this unique tree. Many methods of vegetative propagation are used, such as:

Cuttings- This is when a the stem, leaf, or root of a plant is cut off and placed in an environment where it is able to regenerate the missing parts and develop into a self sustaining plant. I once worked at a botanical garden and would take hundreds of stem cuttings from our ornamental plants. I would stick the stems in sand that was kept constantly moist and within a week or two; the stems would start to grow roots.

Layering-This method is similar to cuttings, but instead of removing part of the plant, it is left attached until roots are formed. An example of layering would be burying the long cane of a raspberry bush in the soil and when that cane grows its own roots, severing it from the mother plant.

Micropropagation- A fairly recent advance in propagation, this technique involves taking tiny portions of plant tissue (sometimes only a couple cells) and growing them into new plants. This is a complex process and is done in sterile conditions. The benefits, though, are that massive quantities of plants can be produced in a short amount of time.

Whether you realize it or not, plant propagation affects you on a daily basis. Every time you buy a bushel of sweet corn or enjoy the landscaping at your local park, you are benefiting from someone's hard work propagating plants. It is easy to do in your own backyard and tremendously rewarding. Try taking a few cuttings off your favorite plant and watch as your garden grows.

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