LABORATORY EXERCISE #4

NAME: COURSE/YEAR & SECTION:

TOPIC: Asexual Propagation: Cuttage SUBJECT: Principles and Practices of Plant
Breeding, Propagation and Nursery
Management
TITLE: Cuttings
OBJECTIVES:
1. To acquaint the student with some of the basic techniques used in propagating plants using
cuttings,
2. To select cuttings properly, to insure uniform and vigorous growth.
3. To distinguish between the different types of stem cuttings
MATERIALS:
1. Pruning shear
2. Sharp knife
PROCEDURES:
A. Stem Cuttings: softwood, hardwood, semi-hardwood
1. Soft wood - use the tender, soft tip growth with leaves attached from annuals which complete
their life cycle in one growing season and herbaceous perennials which have roots that live
from year to year but whose tops change.
2. Hard wood - use section of stem of mature wood usually ranging in size from 3/8 inch to one
inch in diameter. Cutting should be 6 to 10 inches long having at least 3 nodes or buds but no
leaves.
B. Root cutting
1. Cut pieces of wood (breadfruit, guava, horseradish) from 2 to 4 inches while the plant is in the
most dormant stage.
2. Cut root (camellia, breadfruit), set small stake, pull end of root level with top of soil, and tie to
stake. After new shoots appear, cut the root about I foot back from growing point and let plant
grow in place for 6 months to I year until finer root developed in the soil near the growing tip.
C. Leaf Cutting
1. Take cuttings from any of the plants provided then plant in a previously prepared pots
Iron Cross Begonia (Begonia masoniana) - leaf cutting
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii) - leaf sections
African Violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) - leaf cutting
D. Make the cuttings as uniform as
E. possible.
F. Thoroughly water each media 24 hours prior to the time the cuttings are to be stuck.
G. Plant soft wood cuttings at a slant so as to allow the leaves to rest on or near the medium
H. Plant hard wood cuttings at least 2/3 of the stem below the soil level at a 30-degree
I. Plant leaf cuttings in a previously prepared rooting media or media mix
J. You can use phytohormones such as aloevera, honey, moringa extract to aide in the formation of
adventitious roots
K. The cuttings should be stuck immediately after being severed from the parent plant.
 L. Label each pot. Include date, name of cutting, and rooting media
M. Document your performed activity to support your lab report
N. Check progress of plants after 7 and 14 days. Hand in your handwritten laboratory report with
your recommendation of the best treatment for propagating the plant you worked with. The
additional cuttings are for your information only and may take longer to root.
DISCUSSION:
1. What are the advantages of growing plants from cuttings rather than from seeds?
2. Why should soft wood cuttings have some leaves attached and hard wood cutting, not have any
leaves when first taken from the mother plant?
3. Can cuttings be taken from all plants?
4. Why should cuttings include nodes?
5. Can you use hormones to aide you in making cuttings? Explain
6. What are growth regulators?
7. Try other types of cuttings using other plants -ie- leaf bud cutting.
8. Define: dormant stage, annual, perennial, and herbaceous?