Layering - plant propagation the lazy way
There is more than one way to cook a delicious pot roast. An instant pot cooks quickly, a traditional oven takes longer and a crock pot takes the longest amount of time. No matter which method you chose, the roast can still taste wonderful; it’s just a matter of time and process.
Plant propagation is like cooking a roast; it's a matter of time and process.
You can propagate most plants by rooting cuttings. Softwood cuttings root faster than hardwood cuttings. Once a plant’s stems have become woody, I think it is easier to propagate a new plant through a process called simple layering rather than hardwood cuttings.
Layering works for perennial plants that have stems that are near or at ground level. Evergreen perennial plants, such as shrubs, roses, Autumn Sage, and rosemary, can be rooted through the simple layering process over the fall and winter months. Many other plants can be propagated through the layering process during their active growing months in spring and summer.
Simple layering process
- Pick a stem that either touches the soil or can be easily pulled down to the soil.
- Slightly scrape off an inch area of the outer bark where the stem will touch the soil. We will call this wounded part of the stem the rooting area.
- The wound is best made at a leaf node (leaf removed) or between two nodes.
- Remove any leaves that are near the rooting area and be sure to leave a few leaves near the end of the stem.
- Apply a little amount of rooting hormone to the scraped area.
- Prepare the soil — loosen the soil and mix in a little moistened peat or potting soil to a depth of at least three inches.
- Pin the rooting area of the stem to the ground using landscape staples, a rock, or brick.
- Make sure you put a few inches of additional soil over the rooting area.
- Prop the stem end up out off the ground if possible.
- Gently water the area and add moisture during dry periods.
- Apply patience.
The stem remains attached to the mother plant while it is developing roots. The mother plant provides the nutrients needed to keep the stem alive.
This process can take 3 months to 12 months depending on the plant and time of year. Once you start the process there is very little you must do.
Layering can be started at any time of the year. I like to use it when it is too late in the year to take softwood cuttings. I can start it in the summer or fall and by the next spring the layered stem should have developed enough roots to sustain itself.
Carefully check to see if roots have formed. Once rooted, cut the layered stem off from the mother plant and plant it in quality potting soil. You can plant it in the ground once the root system is strong.
Some plants self-layer without any help from humans. If you have plants that have trailing branches or stems that lay on the soil, gently check them for roots. I have seen roses, trailing and bush type, self-layer. I have a trailing plant that grows out into the street and develops roots where leaves and grass clippings pile up in the street. When I need to prune these overgrown plants; instead of throwing these pruned branches away, I pot them up and have free new plants.
Common self-layering plants include strawberry and spider plants. Propagation of spider plants is a great project for children because it is easy and quick. Take the mother spider plant and put a clear plastic cup full of potting soil under each of the plantlets that grow at the tips of the runners. Secure the plantlets to the soil and soon you will see roots grow. Use of a clear cup allows easier observation of the root growth.
The children can cut their new plant off from the mother once it has developed enough roots to sustain it. The same project can be done with strawberries. Some people consider this method of layering airplane plants and strawberries to be a combination of layering and division.
My next article will be about propagation via division.
Master Gardeners can help: 325-672-6048. Email questions to: firstname.lastname@example.org.
More information about layering can be found at aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/files/2017/08/Propagation-by-Cuttings-Layering-Division.pdf and content.ces.ncsu.edu/plant-propagation-by-layering-instructions-for-the-home-gardener.