What is the fastest method for rooting cutting seedlings?
The web tells everyone about the fastest method for rooting cutting seedlings and the correct method for grapevine cutting in autumn and winter, as well as the introduction of related green plants and flowers. The following is a detailed answer by the editor.
Some friends who are fond of planting flowers and苗木, and some friends who plant fruit trees, often propagate and cultivate new seedlings by cutting by themselves. When we see that the seedlings we cut are slowly growing new roots and surviving, the sense of achievement is much stronger than buying seedlings directly before flowering and transplanting.
However, many people, after flipping through various cutting tutorials and feeling that they have learned the cutting method, often find that the various flowers and苗木 they cut themselves do not grow new roots or the new roots grow slowly, and after a period of time, the cut seedlings gradually die! The small agricultural technology basket summarizes this situation with a humorous saying: when cutting, one confidently says, "I've learned!" but the result of not surviving after cutting directly slaps in the face saying, "NO, you haven't learned!"
Today, in response to a reader's invitation to comment on a friend's love for flowers and苗木, the small agricultural technology basket introduces some cutting techniques for flowers and苗木 to help everyone improve the survival rate after cutting flowers and苗木. In most cases, as long as you master the following key points of cutting, the flowers and苗木 you cut can basically grow new roots quickly and survive rapidly.
I. About the selection, treatment, and cutting skills of cuttings
Firstly, choose the central sunlit branches at the top of the mother tree with strong growth vigor and half-matured annual growth. Any small, thin, weak, old, or declining mother trees and branches, as well as inner branches, growing branches, and thin branches, are not suitable for cutting as cuttings.
Secondly, when cutting cuttings, it is recommended to do so in spring, from April to June, when the temperature is around 20-25 degrees, the branches are most vigorous, and half-matured (the new shoots have stopped growing but the branches have not yet completely lignified). Avoid the period of flower bud differentiation and full bloom, and the branches after flowering can be used. At this time, the internal cells of the cut branches are most active, the growth vigor is the strongest, and the temperature is also suitable for the germination of new roots, allowing us to grow new roots and survive quickly after cutting.
Thirdly, it is best to cut branches in the morning or on cloudy days when there is more water content in the branches, which can avoid excessive dehydration and withering of the cuttings during cutting, making them more likely to survive after cutting.
Fourthly, when choosing cuttings, neither too thick nor too thin branches should be cut. Generally, branches with a diameter of about 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters are the most suitable.
Fifthly, when choosing cuttings, try to use the upper middle part of the branches for cuttings, as the growing tips (the central branches of the mother tree) have stronger growth activity and are easier to survive after cutting.
Sixthly, it is recommended to spray the mother tree with a rooting agent 3-5 days before cutting the branches (especially for flowers and苗木 that are difficult to root), so that the branches can store some rooting substances to enhance the germination and growth ability of the branches, or make a 0.3-0.5 centimeter wide ring stripping cut on the base of the mother branch 20 days before cutting, or bury the branches in the soil 20-30 days before cutting to promote rooting, or use a rooting agent/rooting powder for dipping or smearing treatment before cutting. This way, when we cut the branches for cutting, they can grow new roots and survive faster.
Seventhly, when pruning cuttings, on one hand, the length of the cuttings should be controlled at about 10 centimeters, and on the other hand, it is recommended to cut a 45-degree diagonal at the cutting end (the part inserted into the soil) to allow the cuttings to grow new roots more extensively in the soil.
Eighthly, when pruning cuttings, ensure that each cutting segment has at least one bud and 2-3 leaves. Also, when pruning branches, cut off the bottom leaves of the cuttings, and if there are too many leaves on the upper part of the cuttings, keep only 2-3 leaves. The purpose of leaving buds is to promote germination and growth, and the purpose of leaving only 2-3 leaves is to reduce the evaporation of water from the cuttings to promote faster rooting and survival.
Ninthly, when cutting, the cuttings should be inserted into warm and moist sandy soil or into pre-prepared nutrient pots. However, the nutrient soil or sand used for cutting should always remain moist during the rooting and growth of the cuttings, and there should be no waterlogging. The best condition for the soil of the cutting bed is warm, moist, and without waterlogging.
Tenthly, after cutting, the cuttings should be shaded from direct sunlight. On one hand, the cutting pots can be moved to a warm, semi-shaded place where sunlight does not reach, and on the other hand, a shading shed or shading film can be set up for large-scale cutting propagation to avoid direct sunlight. If the soil temperature is low during cutting, it is best to use a method of covering the ground with a film to raise the soil temperature. The most favorable conditions for rapid rooting and survival of cuttings are: temperature 23-25 degrees, humidity 80-90%, and translucent with relatively low light.