Grow a Free Tree in a Tree, Organically
There are many ways besides planting seeds to propagate plants, including
hardwood and softwood cuttings, mounding and several layering methods, all of
which can be found in any complete gardening encyclopedia. But a method rarely
described and too little used is air layering, which is an excellent, easy way
to obtain large plants in a short time. While the standard equipment for air
layering (offered in kits at garden supply stores) includes a sharp knife,
rooting stimulant, sphagnum moss, polyethylene plastic sheeting, and plastic
electrical tape, we have found that only the sharp knife was absolutely
essential if we used only materials that we had on hand. For sphagnum moss, we
substituted acid peat moss in one case, black peat in another, and rich organic
garden soil in the last. The special plastic sheeting was dispensed with in
favor of plastic freezer bags for two layerings and burlap for the other. No
rooting stimulant was needed and instead of plastic electrical tape, we used
black friction tape or string.
Since we were breaking "laws" already, we decided not to use year old branches,
either, but selected older limbs on three 8 year old Jersey blueberry plants -
older limbs usually take longer to root if they root at all. What's more,
layering was done late in July, not in cool weather when rooting is most
vigorous and air layering is usually practiced.
The layers were made the proper 18 inches from the tip of each branch, all
leaves within six inches being removed. Instead of wounding the wood by slitting
or notching, we ringed or girdled the branches half an inch, scraping lightly to
remove the slippery cambium, and squeezing the moist peat or soil around each
wound to remove excess water. Then the bags and burlap were fixed securely in
place with tape or string.
The whole operation took about 15 minutes, and we had little hope for its
success, but knew there was nothing to lose except three branches that would
have been pruned off anyway. We did watch the wrappings to see that no water
seeped in, and made sure that the burlap didn't dry out, but otherwise forgot
about the whole matter until fall. Air layers started in spring frequently do
not root until the next spring, but we discovered in mid autumn, to our
surprise, that all three had succeeded. Roots had formed on each of the injured
branches and the rooting medium in both plastic bags was filled with fibrous
roots, while the growth under the burlap wrap was just as thick.
There are two schools of thought about transplanting air layers. One claims that
the new roots will be injured by freezing if left on the plant over the winter,
advising quick transplanting before cold weather. The other holds that the air
layer should be left unsevered from the parent plant for a full year. To test
both theories, we transplanted the burlap wrapped layer and one from a plastic
bag to the nursery bed that fall, and left the third on the shrub until the next
spring. Both methods worked - all three new blueberries are thriving today.
When air layering more conventionally - that is, not using our method - notch
any young branch 18 inches from its top, sprinkle the wound with rooting
hormone, removing all excess powder by shaking the branch, and wrap the wound
with moist (but not wet) sphagnum moss. Next fix polyethylene plastic in place
with electrical tape. When roots form, the layered growth is removed and given
tender care in the nursery bed until ready for transplanting.
Free Strawberry Plants: Easy Propagation Methods
Unlike wild strawberries, domesticated hybrid strawberries do not come true from
seed; that is, strawberry seed will yield plants unlike the plant it came from,
plants with characteristics of the hybrid plant's ancestors. But it isn't
necessary to grow strawberries from seed. As noted previously, all strawberries
except everbearers take care of propagating themselves admirably by sending out
runners or daughter plants that root nearby. These can be used to renew the
strawberry patch by holding them in place with a stone, hairpin, clothespin, or
small handful of dirt until they root. Or they can be allowed to root and then
be transplanted to a new strawberry bed. The best way to do this is to fill peat
pots, cut down milk containers, or small flowerpots with good strawberry soil,
sink them in the earth near the runners, and let the runners root once in a pot.
Hold each runner in place with a hairpin, clothespin or stone. When the runners
are firmly rooted, sever them from the mother plants and transplant elsewhere.
Peat pots can, of course, then be transplanted without lifting the plants from
them.