Title: Proper ways of planting/propagating trees and fruit bearing trees

Content: plant propagation

Proper ways of propagating (Cutting, Budding, Marcotting, grafting)

Proper steps and tools (Cutting, Budding, Marcotting, grafting)

Purpose of propagating

Introduction:

Most of us want to plant and grow fruit trees at our home garden or in an orchard for their tasty fruits.
There are many ways a fruit tree can be propagated - from seeds, from a nursery-bought seedling or by
means of Air-layering.

The problem with growing fruit trees from seeds is that it may take very long to bear fruits - some times
more than ten years - and there is no guarantee that the fruits will taste same as the one from which
you got the seeds.

What is plant propagation?

Plant propagation is a method or reproducing, increasing, or multiplying plant species. It is being

practiced because of the following reasons:

–To increase the number of plant species

–To produce plant varieties that are resistant to some insect pests and diseases

–To evolve new and better varieties of plants suited to different conditions of soil and climate

–To accelerate and at the same time lessen the bearing age of plants

–To avert the extinction of some plant species

PROPER WAY OF PROPAGATING FRUIT-BEARING TREES

1. Budding

- Budding is an asexual mode of producing new organisms. In this process, a new organism is
developed from a small part of the parent’s body. A bud which is formed detaches to
develop into a new organism. The newly developed organism remains attached as it grows
further. It is separated from the parent organism when it gets matured by leaving scar
tissues behind. As this is asexual reproduction, the newly developed organism is a replica of
the parent and is genetically identical.
-
- For reproduction, Hydra uses regenerative cells where a bud expands as an outgrowth
because of repeated cell division at one specific location. These buds then developed into
new small individuals which when completely matured, detach from the parent body.
-
- For example- Both hydra and yeast reproduce by the process of Budding.

2. Marcotting

- Air-layering, also known as marcotting, is a way of getting clones of woody plants that are often
difficult to root from cuttings. This method involves propagating a new plant from a branch still
attached to the parent plant, by getting roots to form on the branch.

How To Do It: Here are the steps for Marcotting:

1. Choose a suitable branch that is not too big and old or too young and green. Older branches may not
be able to generate roots vigorously and, when rooted, may be too large to be able to survive on the
new small root system. Tender young growth may not be able to recover from the bruising during the
air-layering process and may be more liable to snapping while recovering and rooting.

2. Prepare the branch by removing ‘extra’ leaves and shoots near the section for air-layering / rooting.
Then remove the bark cleanly using the ringing method, which is preferred.

Ringing method

Alternative preparation method 1: Slit the branch at an angle, keeping the slit open with a splinter. This
is a less preferred method as it weakens the branch, making it prone to snapping. A splint is often
included when wrapping with the rooting medium to strengthen the branch.

Alternative method 1: Slitting the branch at an angle

Alternative preparation method 2: Make a cut along the middle of the branch and wedge the slit open
with a splinter or other materials. This method results in a stronger air-layering than the first alternative
method.

Alternative method 2: Cutting along the middle of the branch and

wedging the cut open

3. Prepare rooting hormone which is commonly available in two forms – as a gel or powder. The gel is
generally easier to apply as it would stay on the cut more easily. Before applying the powder, make a
paste by wetting the required amount of the powder.  

(From left) A bottle with the active artificial auxin

analogue, indole-3-butyric acid (a rooting hormone) in
powder form, and the bottle with the same rooting
hormone in gel form

4. Apply the rooting hormone to the cut nearer the shoot tip, in the case of the ringing method. For
the other two alternative methods, just ensure that the cut surfaces are in contact with the rooting
hormone. When the gel is used, allow it to air for a while before proceeding with the following steps.

Applying rooting hormone to the cut on the shoot-ward side of

the prepared branch (left), or on the slit (right)

5. Choose a medium to be wrapped around the air-layered section. A range of media can be used for
rooting the branch. Commonly used media include garden soil, potting mix, peat moss and sphagnum
moss. Different plant species may show different propensity for different media. Hydrate the chosen
medium before use. When using soil, be wary of adding too much water which may make it harder to
work with. Soil hydrated a few days before is best. To hold the medium in place, it is best to use a clear
or translucent plastic sheet with cable ties fasteners, as this set-up retains moisture while allowing easy
examination of the air-layered section. Remember to label it on the distal end (towards the shoot tips)
with the date of when the air-layering was done and/or what treatments was given.

6. Check the air-layered section regularly for damage, drying or rooting. Should the medium dry out,
simply water it using a syringe. As the air-layered section may be damaged by  animals such as
squirrels, redo it quickly or the cut may heal over instead of rooting. Checking regularly also helps you
decide when to cut off the branch from the parent plant, by seeing if sufficient roots have formed to
allow for the new plant’s survival. As a rule of thumb, more than 50% of the rooting medium should be
covered by the roots.

7. When sufficient roots have formed within and around the medium, the branch can be cut from the
parent plant. Remove most of the leaves and smaller twigs from this branch to ensure that the newly
formed roots are able to cope with the transpiration needs of the foliage.

8. Place the rooted branch in a pot filled up to the same level as the top of the newly formed root ball.
Ensure that no part of the root ball is above the potting mix level as it would dry out. Also ensure that
the top of the root ball is not too deep below the level of the potting mix as some plants have stems
prone to rotting if buried.

9. Water the new plant well and cover it with a transparent plastic bag to retain humidity. Put it under
reduced light and keep it well-watered for its recovery. The plastic cover can be removed once the plant
has hardened and does not show any sign of water-stress. When the plant starts to show more vigour
and growth, return it to the light conditions that it normally grows under and gradually resume with
fertilising.
 3. Grafting
- Plant grafting is a vegetative propagation technique that connects two severed plant segments
together. The chimera, consisting of the scion and rootstock, survives as a new individual after
wound healing.

Purpose/importance of proper propagating plants?

References:

Marcotting - https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparksbuzz/oct-issue-2021/gardening/air-layering---a-viable-
way-of-propagating-woody plants#:~:text=Air%2Dlayering%2C%20also%20known%20as,to%20form
%20on%20the%20branch.