Geranium's approach to propagation by grafting
Are you curious about the content of geraniums, the grafting propagation method of geraniums? The following editor will explain in detail for you
Geraniums are suitable for indoor and outdoor decoration, and the common propagation methods are sowing and cutting. Here, we introduce a method of grafting propagation. This method not only ensures that the grafted scion of geraniums can survive almost 100%, but also allows a single geranium plant to bloom with colorful flowers, further enhancing the ornamental and practical value of geraniums.
Grafting is one of the methods of stem grafting. When grafting, part of the bark of the stems of two rooted plants that are easy to approach each other is removed, and then they are immediately connected to each other. After healing, the upper part of the rootstock and the lower part of the scion are cut off to become independent new plants. This method is suitable for plants that are not easy to survive after being separated from the mother plant.
Grafting is a type of grafting method. That is, the branch to be used as the scion is not completely cut off from the mother plant, but is planted near the rootstock plant, keeping the roots in their original state, only part of the scion is cut, and part of the rootstock is also cut, then the cut parts of both are tightly connected together. This method of making them stick together is called grafting. After the scion has taken root, the part below the grafted part is cut off. This method is often used when the wood is relatively hard and other grafting methods are not easy to survive, or when the scion is valuable and it is necessary to prevent the grafting from failing. It has been applied to the grafting of fruit trees such as apples, persimmons, and mandarins.
In spring, when the room temperature is around 15-20℃, choose some healthy and disease-free plants of different varieties (with different flower colors), and then select two-year-old branches near the base of the plant that are strong and evenly distributed as experimental materials. Use geraniums with many branches as the rootstock, and use tender branches of other varieties as scions. Place the pot of scion tightly around the pot of rootstock. Also, choose branches of the scion and rootstock that are relatively straight, with almost the same height and thickness, and the top and upper part of the branch are the best. Since this part has a strong growth势, the healing after grafting is fast.
In addition, the scion should be about 5-10 cm long and only retain 2-3 small leaves at the top of the branch to reduce water evaporation. The rootstock should have several large and lush leaves to carry out photosynthesis and provide sufficient nutrients for the scion. Then, carefully cut the branches of the scion and rootstock plants diagonally with a sharp knife, with a 45-degree angle of the cut, one upward and one downward, with a depth of about 1/2 of the diameter, and line up the cambium of the rootstock and scion to嵌 together (as shown in the diagram below).
Be careful not to damage the stem bark of the branch, otherwise the wound is prone to rot. Then, apply草木灰 to the edges of the镶嵌 cut to prevent bacterial invasion and excessive water loss and drying. After the grafting is done, tie the joint with a plastic film strip about 1 cm wide. Be careful not to let the rootstock and scion move against each other when binding. Then, cut off the top branch of the rootstock about 0.5-1 cm above the cut and place the geranium in a semi-shaded area, avoiding direct sunlight, and spray water frequently, but do not spray the grafted joint.
After a week, move it to the sun. About 3 weeks later, the cut has healed, and then the plastic strip can be解开. Cut off the surviving scion 0.5-1 cm below the grafted cut and transfer to normal management. Finally, remove the pot of the scion plant to complete the operation. To further promote the healing of the incision between the rootstock and scion, you can also use a brush dipped in 0.01% indole butyric acid solution (a plant growth hormone that promotes cell division) to paint the cut of the rootstock and scion.
Later, frequently observe the growth of the scion branches. When new leaves grow on the scion, it indicates that the grafting has survived. At this time, if the growth of the scion is weaker than that of the other branches of the rootstock, the other branches should be restricted, such as topping, to promote the growth of the scion. Using this method to graft geraniums results in a higher survival rate of scions compared to direct cutting propagation.
The reason is that before the scion is cut from the mother plant, only 1/2 of the xylem and phloem are destroyed. In this way, after the scion and rootstock are grafted together, the scion can still absorb water, inorganic salts, and minerals from the mother plant, so that the leaves on the scion do not lack water and wilt before the wound heals, which seriously affects the photosynthesis and nutrient production. In addition, the nutrients produced by the scion before the wound heals can be transported downwards to the joint, promoting wound healing.
This article shares the full content of the geranium's grafting propagation method, hoping to be helpful to green plant enthusiasts!