Transcript chapter 10

Growing Plants
Vegetative Propagation
Propagation
Process of increasing the supply of a type of plant
 Can be done sexually (using seeds)
 - plants developed are non-identical
 Can also be done asexually
 - plants that develop are identical
 - can be done naturally – using natural structures (e.g.
bulbs)
 - or artificially – e.g cuttings
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Natural propagation structures
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Bulbs
- made of many leaf bases attached to a stem
- swollen with stored food
- side buds found in between the leaf bases
- these develop into daughter bulbs
- spring flowering bulbs can be re-planted in autumn
- many bulbs (e.g. daffodil) make daughter bulbs naturally
Tubers
- swollen part of the stem or root – for food storage
- each tuber can grow into a new plant if re-planted
-e.g. potato plants form tubers on underground stems
- ‘eyes’ form new shoots
 - use food stored inside the tuber to help grow
- tubers kept in a cool room (6 weeks) before re-planting
- this is sprouting or chitting
Use of attached offspring
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Plantlet
- tiny plant still attached to parent
- often develop at the leaves
- e.g. Mexican Hat plant, Piggy Back plant
Runner
- plantlets at end of ‘horizontal’ stems
- e.g. spider plant, strawberry plant
Offsets
- plantlet that develops at the base of the
parent
- these can be cut away from parent & replanted
E.g mother-in-laws tongue
Artificial Propagation
Increasing plant supply, using
non-natural methods
 Plant growth takes place at
growth points e.g root tips,
buds
 Also at nodes – part of stem
where side branches grow
 If plant is wounded, it can regrow and replace missing
parts
 Parts of plants can be cut off
and re-planted
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Cuttings
Piece of plant cut, and re-planted
 Roots grow from cut surface
 Cut end needs planting in moist soil or
in water
 Rooting powder can help root growth
 Cuttings can lose water through their
leaves
 Water loss can be reduced by
 - trimming off lower leaves on cutting
 - placing cutting in a propagator/plastic
bag
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Heat during propagation
Heating systems/propagators
keep constant temperatures
 Encourages cuttings to root
 Useful in colder months of the
year, BUT
 - too high a temperature will
cause water loss
 - too moist (humid) an
atmosphere helps spread disease
 - heating costs can be high
 A thermostat controlled system
is best
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Layering
A stem is made to root whilst
attached to parent
 A cut is made into stem, just below
a node
 Rooting powder applied to this
‘wound’
 Rest of plant pegged in place until
new roots grow
 Then new plant is cut away from
parent
 Effective for plants that don’t grow
well with cuttings
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