Some perennials, especially evergreen species such as knapweed or whiskers, but also perennial foliage plants such as rue and chamomile, are propagated with head cuttings.
Unlignified head cuttings
From the tips of strong, leafy sprouts, take cuttings about three to four inches long with at least three each in late summer or early fall Leaf knot Use a sharp knife or razor blade to cut this straight underneath the lowest leaf knot and remove the two lowest leaves. The cuttings are then placed in a flower pot filled with potting soil or a mixture of one part peat and one part coarse sand; a four-inch pot holds about six cuttings.
Small planting holes are now drilled into the substrate with a pencil. Insert the cuttings so that the leaves stay above the soil, then press firmly with your fingers. Then the substrate is well watered from above, the cuttings are marked and a transparent film is placed over the pot, which is attached with a rubber. So that the cuttings do not come into contact with the foil, it is best to make a frame from bent floral wire before you put the foil on. The cuttings are rooted in a shady location in the cold frame or in a propagation bed at a constant temperature of 16 ° C.
After 4-6 weeks in the cold frame or 3 weeks in the propagation bed, the cuttings should have developed roots. this you can check by pulling the plants very lightly. When roots have formed, you can remove the film or take the pot out of the propagation bed. Finally, very carefully pull the rooted cuttings out of the ground and plant them in 7.5 cm pots with suitable potting soil.
The young plants are pressed down firmly, placed in a shady cold frame and abundantly watered; the irrigation water should be able to drain off easily. You snap off the growing tips of these young plants after about 1 week in order to encourage vigorous root growth.
The plants are kept in a closed cold frame over the winter and only planted outdoors in spring, as soon as the danger of frost has passed.
Unwooded partial cuttings
Most perennials with bulbous roots, such as B. Ox tongue, delphinium, sunbeam, carnation, lupins and scabioses can not only be propagated by division but also by young shoots.
To do this, some of the basal, young shoots are cut off about 7.5-10 cm below the leaf base. You place these cuttings directly in the cold frame or in 7.5 cm pots filled with a mixture of peat and sand.
Spray the cuttings with water from above and keep the cold frame closed at all times. As soon as the cuttings sprout, begin to ventilate for longer and longer periods of time. After about 6 weeks, the cuttings are placed individually in 9 cm pots and outdoors in autumn
Semi-lignified shoot cuttings
Many shrubs and trees such as ray pen, orange flower, beard flower or lavender can also be propagated by cuttings in summer. Half-lignified cuttings are taken from annual shoots that are already slightly lignified at the bottom, but are still in the growth phase at the top and are therefore green and not lignified. Such cuttings are taken in mid to late summer. This type of propagation requires little maintenance up to the point of rooting, as you need a suitable propagation bed and carefully control the water supply and shade. Only after 1-2 years can the plants be set in their intended location in the field.
The approximately 15-20 cm long side shoots of the same year are suitable as cuttings. The cutting is cut off close to the main shoot with a knife or secateurs. Then remove the lower part of the shoot and cut the shoot below the first leaf node. The large tip of the shoot is removed above a leaf so that the cutting is 5-10 cm long.
Armpit cuttings
Semi-lignified cuttings will often take root better if you leave a piece of the main shoot on them. Some species, such as firethorn, do not develop roots without this "appendage". The armpit tissue promotes root formation because it contains cells that are capable of dividing.
First, the main shoot with several side shoots and, if possible, without flowers is cut off and then cut diagonally below one side shoot with a sharp knife. With the same cut from top to bottom, the side shoot and axillary tissue are separated from the main shoot. These cuttings should be about 5-7.5 cm long, longer shoots should be shortened from the tip.
For plants that are difficult to propagate, several cuttings should be taken.
All cuttings, with or without axillary tissue, are best rooted in a suitable growing medium, e.g. B. a mixture of peat and sand. A 7.5 cm pot can hold approximately five, a 12 cm pot approx. ten cuttings are planted.
The cuttings are placed up to a third of their length in the substrate, pressed firmly and watered well with a fine spray attachment. You need a constantly moist environment, so this is where the construction of a
For most winter-hardy plant species, the growing medium should be kept at a constant temperature of 16-18 ° C. A large part of the cuttings also take root in unheated substrate, which, however, takes longer.
As soon as roots have formed, the cuttings must be slowly accustomed to the drier or colder environment in the field and hardened. The foil is either lifted slightly or perforated to let air into the plants; If possible, excessive incidence of light should be avoided. The plants should never dry out.
Leaf cuttings
If you want to grow several new shrubs from just a few mother plants, propagation is over Leaf cuttings are a recommended alternative, because leaf cuttings often thrive better than others Cuttings.
Leaf cuttings are taken in late summer or at the beginning of autumn from semi-woody side shoots that were formed in spring. Each shoot should have multiple leaves and a bud in each leaf axil.
Separate the shoots with secateurs and then cut them with a sharp knife about 2 at a time cm above and below a leaf knot, the upper cut being straight and the lower inclined should. In this way you get three or four leaf cuttings from one shoot. The bark of the cuttings is slightly scratched with a knife and the ends and the wound site are dipped in a rooting agent.
Then place the cuttings in substrate-filled pots. The buds should be just above the substrate surface. An 18 cm pot holds about twelve cuttings.
In the case of camellias, the leaf cuttings should consist of only one leaf node with one leaf and one shoot. Plant these cuttings in the substrate so that only the top leaf can be seen.
All leaf cuttings are only lightly sprayed with water after planting and then placed in the cold frame.
