Secrets of successful propagation of coniferous cuttings. Technology of growing coniferous trees
Junipers, whose branches grow along the ground, are very easy to propagate by bending and pinning such a branch to the ground. Doing so better in spring or early summer. Loosen the soil in the place where you will root the juniper. Dig a small hole and put the branch in there. Pin it to the ground with wire or something suitable. Sprinkle with earth on top. In a dry summer, be sure to water both the juniper itself and the rooted branch.
You can cut off such a branch and transplant it to a new place only after two years. If you do not stand it and do it earlier, you can lose the plant. A signal that the roots of the industry will be the appearance of young needles at the tip, that is, an increase has appeared.
If you want to root thuja, yew, Canadian spruce, cypress, it is more convenient to do this by cuttings. The best time to start rooting is April, but summer and even early autumn are quite possible.
In the first year, the stalk barely has time to grow the root system, or rather, it will only be outlined. Therefore, the cuttings, most likely, will have to be dug in the garden in the fall, insulated from above. Or place it in a house or basement in a bright, cool place. If you took the cutting in the fall, you can try to root it at home, and in the spring you will take the cutting into the garden, placing it in a shady, cool place, for example, under the crown of fruit trees.
GENERAL RULES FOR ROOTING CONFIDERS.
- It is better to take cuttings from young plants, then the probability of success is much higher.
- Carry out cuttings in cloudy weather or in the evening.
- Important! Take fresh cuttings.
- The length of the handle is desirable no more than 10-12 cm.
- For cuttings, young green annual shoots with a lignified biennial part, the so-called "heel", are selected.
- The stalk is not cut off, but with a sharp movement of the hand it breaks off from the branch.
- Remove the needles from the bottom of the cutting.
- Spill the substrate with water, it should be wet during the planting of the cuttings, and then they do not need to be watered.
- Powder the stalk with a root formation stimulator and dig into the ground at an angle of 45-60 * by a third of the length of the stalk. Lightly compact the soil.
- Be sure to cover the cuticle with transparent polyethylene. The air humidity in it should be high - from 90 to 100%. If the soil dries out, moisten it by spraying.
- From time to time, to prevent fungal diseases and decay, air the cuttings.
- Temperature for successful rooting- in the first month 15-18 degrees, further 18-22*C.
- If during the summer months the temperature outside is too high (more than 22-25 * C), move the cutting to the coolest place.
In general, rooting with coniferous cuttings never goes with a 100% guarantee, be prepared for the fact that some of them will not take root. It depends on many reasons and is approximately 60-70%.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE SUBSTRATE FOR ROOTING.
The substrate is laid out in three layers: drainage, nutrient soil, sand or perlite.
Now more about this.
- At the bottom of the cuttings, be sure to fill the drainage with a layer of 2-3 cm. It will not allow water to stagnate, which means it will prevent the appearance of mold and rotting of the cuttings.
- The next layer is nutritious soil, but it must be well-drying, water- and air-permeable.
It is very good if you take the land in a spruce or pine forest. To do this, rake a little upper layer and dig at a depth of 5-10 cm.
From ready mixes you can take a universal substrate, add a little perlite to it, after washing it in a sieve from dust, which will only clog the soil. This mixture is poured onto the drainage with a layer of 3-5 cm.
- Pour washed perlite or coarse-grained sand onto this soil mixture with a layer of 5 to 7 cm. First, pour it with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate.
It is in this upper layer that the cutting is buried. A layer of sand or perlite dries well and the cutting will not rot in it.
And when the roots go, they will reach the bottom layer, from which they will receive food. And, since the cutting will grow for at least another six months, the nutritional value of this layer, of course, is very important.
Important! If you started rooting in the spring, then this year do not touch the plant.
The appearance of growth next year will indicate that root system started to appear. But she is still very weak. Therefore, do not rush to plant a plant. You can gradually temper it by opening the greenhouse. Increase the time every day. At this time, be careful about watering. Do not let the soil dry out, but do not overwater, so as not to ruin the rooted plant. Around May, you can transplant a young conifer from a common container into a separate container.
Important! Try not to destroy the substrate around its roots. This is important at any stage of the transplant!
TRANSFER TO A PERMANENT PLACE.
A modern estate cannot be imagined without coniferous plants. If earlier it was not possible to see a lonely "Christmas tree" in every dacha, today, thanks to the widest range offered by garden centers, conifers have become an indispensable component of a garden mixborder and an invariable decoration of any site. True, many are faced with the fact that the price of coniferous planting material, compared to deciduous shrubs and trees, is slightly higher and is not always affordable for ordinary summer residents. Having mastered the simple methods of propagating coniferous plants, everyone can replenish their collection with new varieties and decorate their site with them.
In this way, you can get a large number of plants to create, coniferous arrays or strengthen the slopes.
In addition to seed (generative) propagation, which, as is known, for varietal plants does not apply, since it does not fully preserve parental properties, conifers are propagated using cuttings and grafting (propagation by grafting is practiced if cutting is difficult and to obtain standard forms). The easiest way that gives a quick result is cuttings with semi-lignified and lignified cuttings.
What types of conifers can be propagated by cuttings?
It's good to know that different types and even varieties of the same species can be propagated with more or less success. Representatives of the Cypress families (Cupressaceae) - thuja, microbiota, cypress, tuevik and Yew (Tahaseae) are most easily cut by cuttings. Representatives of pine (Pináceae) cuttings are very difficult to cut: spruce, hemlock, pseudo-hemlock. It is almost impossible to propagate by cuttings, fir and larch, for them seed propagation and grafting are just used.
How to choose a mother liquor?
For a good result, it is also necessary to take into account a number of factors, since the violation of only one of them can nullify all previous work.
First you need to choose the right mother liquor - mature plant from which you are going to cut the cuttings. Shoots taken from young, actively growing specimens 4-8 years old take root best of all. In plants older than 10 years, the ability to root is reduced.
It is useful to know that the location on the crown of the mother plant of shoots intended for cutting into cuttings matters. In creeping and bush conifers, the place where the cutting is taken does not play a role, you can choose the most developed part, well-lit by the sun (especially in variegated varieties). From and pyramidal plants for cuttings take shoots of the first or third order in the center of the crown. Seedlings from such cuttings will be guaranteed to retain the shape of the crown of the parent variety. On the other hand, knowing this property, one can obtain sprawling or almost creeping specimens of spruce or yew, using lateral, horizontally growing branches for cuttings.
cutting time
It is also important to choose the right time for cutting cuttings. The beginning of spring is considered the most successful. After winter cooling and relative rest at the very beginning of sap flow, it is better in cloudy weather and early in the morning, when it is still not hot and there are no drying winds. Harvested in early spring cuttings will take root this year. During summer cuttings, at the beginning of lignification and hardening of the young, only callus is formed in the first year, and roots - in the next year. It is also possible to carry out cuttings after the end of active growth and the beginning of lignification of shoots in August or with lignified shoots in September-November, then their rooting will occur only next year.
cutting cutting technology
Not all cuttings are suitable for rooting. Since the formation of callus and coniferous roots lasts from several months to a year or more, cuttings that are too thin and weak will be exhausted and die long before rooting. Depending on the type of plant, annuals are taken for cuttings. side shoots about 5-15 cm long. In vigorous forms of thuja and cypress, cuttings can be 20-30 cm, and in junipers, a little more. Shoots with a “heel” (part of the previous year’s wood) are well rooted, which are not cut off from the parent branch, but are torn off with a sharp downward movement, capturing part of last year’s wood (too long “tail” of the bark can then be cut off with a knife).
More often, the cuttings are cut with a knife or a sharp pruner, making a cut 0.5-1 cm below the beginning of the lignification site, which can be seen from the transition from green to brown. From the bottom of the cutting (2.5-4 cm from the base or approximately 2/3), all needles and small lateral branches are removed. The wounds formed on the shoot when they are cut off also stimulate root formation. Try not to damage the apical point of growth at the cutting, otherwise the seedling will grow strongly in the future, especially in golden forms.
prostrate and creeping junipers for reproduction, 2-3 summer shoots can be used, digging them in sand or loose, breathable soil by 2/3 of the length. They take root quite quickly (1.5-2 months) and by the end of the season you can get a small bush.
Pre-landing preparation
Chopped cuttings of conifers should be planted in the ground as soon as possible. They are usually not put into water, so that the vessels do not become clogged with escaping resin. If you need to store the cuttings for some time, it is better to sprinkle them with water, wrap them in a damp cloth and place them in a bag in a cool place.
Harvested cuttings can be dipped for several hours in a solution of a root formation stimulator, it is even better to powder the cut with stimulant powder before planting in the ground. Various preparations containing salts of beta-indolylacetic acid (IAA), heteroauxin, Kornevin (salts of beta-indolyl-butyric acid), salts are used as root formation stimulants. succinic acid(YAK), Root, Ribav + micrassa, etc. There is evidence that prolonged exposure of conifers in aqueous solutions provokes exfoliation of the bark, therefore, the use of powders for dusting is recommended.
There is also one interesting trick: at the end of the cutting, longitudinal incisions are made with the sharp end of the knife or the base is split to a depth of up to 1 cm, so that a large surface of the cambium is exposed, the cells of which form roots more easily.
Where and how does rooting take place?
Rooting cuttings can take from several months to a year, so it is important to choose and carefully prepare a place for planting harvested cuttings. Best results can be achieved by planting cuttings in boxes with loose, air-intensive soil, for example, in a mixture of sand, coniferous soil and high-moor deoxidized peat in a ratio of 1: 1: 1, which are placed in or in a greenhouse. The best conditions air and substrate temperatures are considered to be 21-24°C and relative air humidity 95-100%. The soil temperature for medium and hard-rooted species (thuja, cypress, yew, spruce, hemlock, pseudo-hemlock) should be 3-5 ° C higher than the air temperature. Low temperature and high humidity can cause the cuttings to rot. In warm rack greenhouses with electric heating and fogging installations, the rooting and quality of planting material is 15-25% higher than in cold greenhouses.
In a greenhouse or hotbed, they maintain perfect cleanliness, preventing the formation of moss, ventilate, remove plant debris and dead cuttings. Periodically, plantings are treated with a fungicide solution to prevent decay.
If there are few cuttings, at home you can use a mini-greenhouse or cover containers glass jars, film or plastic bottles cut in half. Also, cuttings are planted in prepared beds in a protected, semi-shady place.
For successful rooting, cuttings need diffused light that is intense enough for photosynthesis and the formation in the needles of a special phytohormone necessary for root formation.
Planting cuttings of conifers
First you need to make a hole with a wooden peg, and then insert the handle vertically or at an angle of 45-50 °, depending on the type mother plant, morphologically, the upper side of the shoot is up, tightly compressing the soil around the cutting. The depth of planting depends on the size of the cutting and the breed. More often planted to a depth of 1-1.5 cm to 2.5-5 cm. The distance between the cuttings in the rows is 4-7 cm, between the rows is 5-10 cm. After planting, the bed is carefully watered through a fine sieve, trying to wet all layers of soil , cover with a frame and shade.
Cutting Care
Planted cuttings require constant care before rooting. Plantings are regularly watered, however, avoiding overflow and stagnation of moisture. The soil should be moderately moist and breathable. The greenhouse or hotbed needs to be ventilated, and in warm weather, plantings are sprayed with water, preventing overheating above 30 ° C. Periodically, the bed is watered with solutions of fungicide and epin.
Some time after planting, callus (from Latin callus - callus) begins to appear in the lower part of the cutting - a tissue neoplasm on wound surfaces (cracks, incisions, at the base of the cuttings, etc.), which promotes wound healing, consisting of parenchymal cells, having the shape influx (sometimes in the form of a thin layer or "curd"). Then roots appear. However, even with a strong callus, the cuttings may not develop roots and eventually die. Rooting begins in 3-4 months, but the timing is different for different breeds. After the rooting of the cuttings and the formation of growths, the greenhouses begin to gradually open slightly for hardening of young plants. In summer, root formation may slow down, and in September it will continue again.
In junipers, roots form before shoots, in pine, both shoots and roots, and in spruce and larch, shoots first, and then only roots. Callus in spruces and pines appears in the first year, and roots only in the second.
Disembarkation to a permanent place
It is clear that the rooting conditions differ from the requirements of adult plants. Therefore, cuttings are rooted and young plants are grown in a special protected place, then, if desired, they can be placed in containers and planted in a permanent place only the next year according to the requirements and habitus of the species and variety. Also, young plants can be left for growing for another 2-3 years, since it is after transplants that the greatest number of attacks often occurs.
We hope our advice will be useful to all novice gardeners and will help make your estates even more beautiful and comfortable.
Victoria Roy
landscape designer
specially for the Internet portal
garden center "Your Garden"
You can cultivate evergreens yourself, using seeds or using cuttings. coniferous trees and bushes. This event requires studying the features of the root system, characteristics, experience in growing and breeding seedlings.
Most plants produce flowers that produce seeds after pollination. To answer what kind of reproduction is typical for coniferous plants, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of each species. The process of seed formation does without flowers and the help of insects.
Pollination is carried out with the help of wind. The role of flowers is performed by cones of both sexes. Seeds are formed in them, which are also carried by the wind and take root in the presence of favorable conditions.
How to cut coniferous plants at home?
Obtaining high-quality planting material is a complex and lengthy process. There are many recommendations on how to properly carry out cuttings of coniferous plants, which accelerate the formation of the root system. For this purpose, various drugs, growth stimulants are used.
Maintenance is required to obtain quality seedlings. temperature regime, air humidity control, compliance with growth conditions. An important step is the choice mother bush from which cuttings are cut. Material is best harvested in the fall. good time is the beginning of spring, as well as the first half of the summer period.
For winter vegetative propagation juniper, cypress, thuja are used. Collected cuttings stacked in a bouquet and soaked in a solution of the drug. At this time, sphagnum moss is soaked in water. A ribbon is cut from a disposable diaper outer part which the impregnated moss is laid, used as a substrate.
The processed cuttings are laid along the tape, rolled up and cleaned in a bright, cool place. In the spring, rooted cuttings are laid in partial shade to form seedlings. After 1-2 years, they can be transferred to a permanent place.
It is important to consider that the propagation of conifers by cuttings requires studying the characteristics of the plant. Each type of coniferous crops has different terms for the formation of the root system. This method is not suitable for pine, fir, larch.
As a mother liquor, you need to choose a well-developed, adult specimen. At pyramid trees cuttings are cut from shoots located in the center. In spherical shrubs, cuttings are cut from a well-formed part.
How to grow a coniferous plant from seeds?
Cultivation of plants to reach the size of planting material is a complex and lengthy process. The main method of propagation by seeds is used for individual coniferous trees and shrubs.
Growing from seeds at home involves harvesting seeds. For this, cones are collected, dried in the wind. To ensure friendly shoots, they are put in a bag and stratified, leaving them under the snow for the whole winter.
Reproduction by seeds requires the preparation of the beds. For sowing, it is better to use a mixture consisting of 3 parts. sod land, 2 parts of sand and 1 - coniferous sawdust. Before laying in the ground, the seeds are recommended to be treated with an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate.
To avoid damage to seedlings by fungal diseases, it is forbidden to use organic matter or humus. Seeds are laid scattered, and mulched on top with a layer of sawdust. You can create the microclimate necessary for germination with the help of a film that covers the crop.
Water daily until sprouts appear. warm water. After 15-20 days, the plants are watered once every 10 days. This event is carried out in order to prevent lodging of plants. When the seedlings get stronger, you can remove the film.
With a sharp change in air temperature, gusts of wind, it is recommended to install it back. IN winter period seedlings cover 15-20 cm with a layer of snow. In the second year of sowing, they develop without shelter, and caring for them consists in regular watering as the surface layer of the soil dries out and top dressing. complex preparations. After 3 years, they are transplanted according to the 90x60 cm scheme, and after 6-7 years, the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place.
Coniferous rooting rules
The quality of seedlings and the process of root formation depend on the harvesting of shoots. For this purpose, 1-year-old shoots 10-15 cm long are chosen. If the type of culture is different rapid growth, then you can cut cuttings up to 3 cm.
Many are interested in how to propagate coniferous plants with cuttings in order to get the best yield of quality seedlings. To do this, you need to follow a simple requirement related to the procurement of planting material.
The best rooting of coniferous plants is observed in the case when the shoots break off with a sharp downward movement with pieces old wood at the base. The standard harvesting process is carried out using a knife or secateurs.
Before rooting, small branches and needles are cut from the bottom of the cutting and placed in the substrate. It is not recommended to use water for this purpose. The cuttings are dipped in a growth stimulator solution and transferred to containers with a substrate.
Coniferous crops take root perfectly in a soil mixture consisting of sand, peat, garden soil. To ensure the formation of the root system planting material contain at a temperature of +21…+24°C and a humidity of 95%.
During the rooting period, it is important that the soil is warm and provides an influx of nutrients. You can use specially equipped greenhouses for seedlings or cover the seedlings with a film in order to create a greenhouse effect.
The cuttings are placed at an angle at a depth of 1-5 cm, keeping a distance between them. After planting, it is recommended to water with warm water using a spray bottle. In order for the seedlings to develop normally, you need to constantly monitor the soil moisture, periodically spraying.
After young needles are formed on the cuttings, hardening can be carried out. Young seedlings are transferred to a permanent place for the next season. But better fit V open ground spend in 2-3 years, when the plants get stronger and can easily adapt to the new environment.
Aftercare
The reproduction of coniferous plants requires compliance with the rules for growing seedlings. Due to the fact that these crops are difficult to take root after planting in the ground, their care is aimed at the formation of the root system. Therefore, planting material, especially large plant species, is grown in 3 schools.
In each of them, the plants are as long as the deciduous species of shrubs and trees need. Before planting coniferous crops, prepare the soil, make complex fertilizers. After laying seedlings and before feeding, watering is carried out.
Plants in 1 school are arranged according to the scheme 100x50 cm, in the second - 100x100 cm, and in the third - 200x200 cm. The described method is used when cultivating seedlings at home.
Probably, many gardeners came up with the idea of reproduction. It's quite real! Cuttings of conifers can be carried out both at the beginning of summer in the ground, and in winter at home.
The best way to propagate coniferous plants with cuttings is cypress, thuja, juniper and yew (larch is easier to propagate by seeds, and spruce is generally poorly amenable to cuttings). Green shoots with a lignified lower part act as cuttings.
Take shoots from young thick and even plants so as not to get crooked and weak as a result. If there is no “youth” on the site, then in an adult coniferous plant, choose cuttings from the upper part of the crown. You should not take shoots from the side branches, since then the plant may bend, not have a beautiful pyramidal shape, and the density gain will be uneven. If by chance you have broken off a branch of a coniferous plant, do not rush to throw it away, pick cuttings with a heel from it and root it.
Cuttings of conifers in the ground
We tear off a stalk with a heel from a branch of a coniferous plant, i.e. with a piece of wood. Cut off the coniferous needles with a secateurs from the lower third of the cutting (if any) and lower it into the rooting stimulator.
Disinfect the sand with a strong (dark pink) solution of potassium permanganate and pour it into a container. Make holes 3 cm deep with a peg at an angle of 45 °. Plant cuttings of conifers for rooting at a distance of 5 cm. Press sand at the base of the cuttings, filling the voids. Cover the landing with a transparent bag or jar. Place in a shady spot and air and water regularly.
In autumn, dig the container in the greenhouse.
If in the spring the container will be illuminated by the sun, then it will need to be shaded.
At the end of spring, the cuttings are transplanted for growing, after checking for the presence of roots (carefully remove the cutting from the sand).
Cuttings of conifers at home
For winter breeding cuttings of thuja, cypress and juniper are suitable:
In the spring, when mass plantings begin (May), rooted cuttings of conifers are planted for growing in a semi-shady place.
After 1-2 years, young coniferous plants can be transplanted to a permanent habitat and immediately think about the future.
This article appeared at the request of the WEBSAD forum participants and does not claim to be a manual on cuttings. I just wanted to present my experience of cutting conifers, thanks to which I managed to achieve a fairly high percentage of rooting of cuttings - for example, in some varieties of thuja (moreover, from old trees) up to 85-95%. I’ll also note right away that my method is practically industrial, therefore it is hardly accessible to an ordinary gardener. Don't be scared, nothing complicated - you just need to spend at least 10-15 thousand rubles on equipment for a greenhouse, plus materials for the frame and covering the greenhouse itself. Agree, not everyone will go to such expenses, but for owners of small private nurseries (or for very enthusiastic people) this is quite affordable. In addition, I hope that some elements of the technology will be of interest to everyone involved in cuttings, especially since I will try to reveal all my "secrets".
A bit on the history of the issue. I have a private nursery at a landscape company, and far enough from Moscow and Europe - on Southern Urals. When the question arose about the cuttings of conifers, he asked the foresters - he received a negative answer: no, they do not take cuttings. However, knowing their methods (plug and wait), I decided to turn to the literature. Read everything that was available this issue, did small greenhouse(2 m x 0.7 m) with appropriate equipment (more on the device below). Since I was very impatient, and it was already autumn, then, having put a greenhouse right in the kitchen in the office, I carried out autumn-winter cuttings (fortunately, in our literature this was recognized as possible, and in English (translated) books - in general, the only recommended one) . To my surprise and delight, the cuttings took root. True, the joy was overshadowed by the fact that most of the cuttings died due to illness. Nevertheless, the experience was gained, and having slightly improved the technology, taking into account the mistakes and building another greenhouse, I carried out spring-summer cuttings. This time it worked out even better than expected. I will tell about this.
If we summarize everything that is known about the cuttings of conifers, then we can draw a simple conclusion: you need to create suitable conditions, and the cuttings will not go anywhere - they will take root. But if these conditions are not created, or partially created, then - how lucky (that's why conifers are considered "difficult" for vegetative propagation). The conditions are quite simple - temperature, moisture, light and air. I'll post them right away.
Temperature: at first (the first two weeks) +16 ... +18 C, then +20 ... +23 C. Moisture - the humidity of the air around the cuttings matters, it should be very high (therefore fogging is necessary); substrate moisture is low. Light - preferably at least 12 hours a day, preferably 16 hours a day, and quite intense (as with lighting in greenhouses), but not direct sunlight. Air is around the cuttings, and in the substrate too (so that the bases of the petioles "breathe"). Everything seems to be simple, then it's a matter of technology.
And this is where the problems begin. Let's start with temperature. For spring cuttings, even in a greenhouse standing on the street (not indoors), such a substrate temperature (+16 ... 18 and + 20 ... 23 C) is achieved very simply - due to the greenhouse effect. But! It needs to be constantly maintained. Those. is not average daily temperature, but constant, even at night (unlike, say, seedling greenhouses). How to achieve this? After all, it is much colder at night, and the greenhouse effect does not work without the sun. In addition, during the day it heats up more than necessary.
I did as recommended in foreign literature - I laid heating wires in the substrate of the greenhouse (device "warm floors"). Actually, this is the most expensive piece of equipment (it costs about 10 thousand rubles), besides, you need to connect electricity. But there is an automatic regulator, and you can forget about frosts and night cooling.
Another problem is how to reduce the temperature (for example, on a sunny day). When my first greenhouse was in a room (in the kitchen at the office), I tried to connect an air conditioner to it. I found an old ad, still Soviet, but cheap and in working condition. But it turned out that he cooled the greenhouse, driving cold dry air into it. At the same time, warm moist air came out of the greenhouse, i.e. the fog effect disappeared (which I will write about later). Therefore, the air conditioner had to be abandoned. Since then it was already late autumn and winter, I did it easier - I opened the window and cooled it with street air (fortunately, no one else used this room). The question arose - what to do in the summer? I solved this issue this way - I moved the greenhouse to the basement, in which even in hot summer days the temperature was kept cool. What about lighting, you ask? That's right - I had to do the backlight.
At the same time, I built an outdoor greenhouse (already bigger), which also had "warm floors", but it did not cool in any way (only partially due to fogging). In this greenhouse, the cuttings also took root (albeit somewhat worse), although in summer the temperature rose to +28 C during the day. From which I concluded that a rise in temperature is not as dangerous as a decrease (probably, it is enough to put the greenhouse in partial shade).
Now moisture. Humidity must be constantly high - otherwise the cuttings will dry out, even semi-lignified. In a greenhouse, it is better to use a fogging system. This is a hose with plastic sprayers that spray irrigation water very finely, practically not even watering, but moisturizing. Such foggers are not expensive, they are sold in companies involved in the installation of automatic watering (on lawns, in greenhouses, etc.), and can be easily found on the Internet. The only problem is that water must be supplied under pressure (2.5-3 atm.). Therefore, I connected one greenhouse (in the basement) to the domestic water supply, and for the outdoor greenhouse I had to install a hydraulic accumulator with a pump (in my opinion, it cost about 5 thousand rubles). In general, if you have a pressurized plumbing system, then this is not a problem for you.
Another one useful thing, sold in irrigation companies - a programmable timer with a valve (it costs about 1.5-2 thousand rubles). It runs on batteries (which last for 2-3 years), and turns on the water supply several times a day (for example, 6 times a day for one minute). This is very convenient, because automates fogging. Naturally, if you are cutting in a pot, then you can probably do it easier - cover it with something transparent and spray it manually daily with a manual sprayer.
Light. Here the situation is twofold - on the one hand, the greenhouse needs to be shaded from straight lines. sun rays, otherwise the cuttings simply "burn out". This can be done with a special green mesh sold in garden stores (of course, if the greenhouse is indoors, then the problem disappears). On the other hand, cuttings still really need light - with its lack, rooting does not go on, the risk of spreading diseases increases (because their own defensive forces cuttings). If the greenhouse is outside, then natural lighting in spring and summer, as my experience has shown, is quite enough (it even needs to be shaded). If the greenhouse is indoors, then you need lighting. For a basement greenhouse (where there was practically no natural light) with an area of 2 m x 0.7 m, I installed two mercury-fluorescent lamps: 400 W (as on a street lamp post) and 250 W. They were turned on daily at 13-14 hours (by the way, you can set an inexpensive timer). At home, probably, any strong lamp can do, just far enough away so that it does not heat up.
Air. The cuttings are alive and need carbon dioxide and oxygen. Therefore, despite fogging, the greenhouse should be regularly ventilated. I ventilated the greenhouse in the basement daily by simply opening the lid for 20-30 seconds. I did it easier with a street greenhouse - I made its walls not from polycarbonate, but from agril (breathable nonwoven fabric). It turned out that he himself was constantly a little ventilated, and the humidity of the air was maintained by a timer that periodically turned on fogging.
But most importantly, you need air access to the bottom of the cuttings (which is placed in the substrate). Therefore, ordinary soil as a substrate is not suitable - it is too dense and impermeable to air. You need a very air and water permeable substrate and very good drainage. As a substrate, I use calcined sand with a layer of 7-10 cm (in the lower part of which the wires of "warm floors" are laid). You can add perlite, vermiculite, peat - it all depends on the possibility of their disinfection. During the first (winter) cuttings, I added vermiculite and peat to the sand, and practically did not disinfect them (I only spilled them with boiling water). As a result, most of the cuttings died due to mold. Maybe the infection was not introduced with peat, but I don’t risk it anymore, especially since everything is perfectly cut by cuttings in simple sand. For disinfection, I not only ignite the sand, but also spill it and, in general, all the internal parts of the greenhouse with a solution of potassium permanganate (an old but very effective remedy).
About drainage. For better air permeability and avoiding stagnation of water in the substrate, in greenhouses I made a raised bottom, which has holes for a water stack. Those. greenhouses are large "boxes" on legs, under the bottoms of which the wind "walks". One greenhouse (which is in the basement) has an iron frame, walls and a cover made of polycarbonate (transparent plastic). At the bottom of it is stretched iron mesh, on top of which agrotex (non-woven fabric) is laid so that the sand does not flow away. All excess moisture drains through the agrotex and mesh into the pallet. Another greenhouse (on the street) is simpler - it is, in fact, a wooden greenhouse, but with a bottom. The bottom is slightly inclined transverse boards, between which there are small gaps (0.5 cm). Agrotex is also placed on the boards.
Is it necessary to arrange a raised bottom in a greenhouse, or is it enough just to pour more sand and gravel from below? I don't know, but it's highly recommended in the scientific literature, so I did it. Perhaps a simple loose substrate will suffice in a pot. By the way, no fertilizers (and even more so humus) do not need to be added to the substrate - rooting is due to the substances accumulated in the wood. Nutrients will be needed later - when transplanting already rooted cuttings.
All this was about creating conditions for the rooting of coniferous cuttings. Most likely, you will be able to find your own ways of regulating these conditions, easier and less expensive. I just needed a result, so I had to invest. :-)
HOW TO CUT?
Now we turn to the cutting technology itself.
First, about the types of cuttings conifers. As you know, arborvitae and junipers are fairly easy to cut. I also cut well different kinds cypress trees. In addition, cuttings decorative forms spruces (ordinary and Canadian), although they took root longer and with a lower percentage.
How to prepare cuttings. In the literature, it is recommended to cut from young plants. I harvested both from young plants of my nursery, and from old ones (25-30 years old) in the arboretum (of course, with the permission and with the assistance of the director of the arboretum). I did not observe a big difference in the percentage of rooting depending on the age of the mother plant. There was a fairly large difference between different forms of one species: for example, in the golden thuja - 90-95%, in the spherical thuja - 20-30% with almost the same age of the queen cells (about 30 years).
As many participants of the WEBSAD forum correctly noted, the location of the branches from which the cuttings are taken matters. There is a simple rule here - if the plant is columnar, cone-shaped, etc. (in general, high), then upward directed shoots or axial shoots of the upper part of the plant are needed. If the shape is spherical or creeping, any shoots will do.
The size of the cuttings. Each form and type is different, but not very small, on average from 7 to 15 cm. According to my observations, bigger size cuttings take root better than small ones. The lower part of the cutting should be cleared of needles to be immersed in the substrate by 1.5-2 cm (it is not necessary deeper, if only the cutting does not fall, anyway, the roots are formed, as a rule, at the very edge of the substrate). By the way, it is better if there is a "heel" of older wood at the end of the handle.
Time for cutting cuttings: in the Southern Urals (not in the mountains, but in the Cis-Urals) - the end of April - the beginning of May, i.e. when the early spring sowing dates, say, cereals. More than early dates(and storage after that in a bag in the refrigerator until disembarkation). It is better to carry out cuttings in spring and summer, but it is possible in winter. At least I have rooted cuttings, cut and planted in a greenhouse at the end of October. True, then I made a mistake - I forgot about photoperiodism. So biologists call the property of plants to feel the length of the day. Simply put, while daylight is decreasing, plants may not take root, so as not to accidentally start growing in the autumn thaw (and then be beaten by winter frosts). You know that there will be no frost in your greenhouse, but the plants do not know and are waiting. Therefore, in my winter, the first roots began to form only in February, when daylight hours began to increase. Solving this problem is very simple - lengthen the short day with backlight (so that the light period in the day is longer than the dark one).
When cutting, the cuttings must be immediately folded into plastic bags(don't forget to include the label). In bags, they can be stored in the refrigerator or in the cellar for several days, but do not tighten too much, because. infections may develop.
After cutting, I arrange the "parsing" of the branches into separate cuttings and immediately place them in a solution of foundationazole, in which the cuttings float for several minutes. Simple dipping is not enough - it is a systemic preparation, and it takes time for it to penetrate into the tissues of the cuttings. Now there are a lot of drugs, but I have been working with foundationazole for a long time (on flower seedlings), so I trust him. If someone has successfully used another drug, share the information.
After the foundation "bath" I tie the cuttings into groups with an elastic band and put them vertically in jars with a growth stimulator solution (heteroauxin) overnight. Here I will make a small digression. In the English (translated) literature, it is recommended to dip the cuttings with their tips into the stimulant powder and plant them. At the same time, it is known that stimulants are absorbed and act better in dissolved form than in dry form. Therefore, I still recommend keeping the cuttings in the solution for 10-12 hours. At the same time, another problem is being solved. Coniferous plants are known to have a lot of resin, which makes rooting difficult. If you soak the cutting for several hours in water (or in solution), the resin will run off. By the way, it is not necessary to completely dip the cuttings into the stimulant solution - it is enough to immerse only their lower part.
During all operations, groups of cuttings must be accompanied by labels (if you are cutting several types or forms, then it is easy to confuse, do not rely on memory). At the beginning, when cutting, a simple piece of paper with an inscription in pencil is enough, but when "wet things" start, something more resistant will be needed. Having tried several options, I realized that the simplest and almost eternal is thick foil labels (not the one that is sold for culinary needs, but "construction"). It is easy to cut with scissors, it is easy to write on it. ballpoint pen, laying under it, for example, a book. Of course, the ink on the foil does not stick, but they are not needed - the inscription is well read thanks to the pressed marks. It will not be possible to erase this inscription (even if you try), it does not fade with time (unlike marker inscriptions on plastic labels) and is not afraid of water, chemical solutions, sun, etc. (only a raven thief).
After keeping in the stimulator, the cuttings are planted in the greenhouse substrate. The substrate itself, as I said, is sand, previously disinfected by calcination and potassium permanganate. Do not forget and do not save on disinfection. The fact is that with high humidity, the infection is guaranteed to begin to develop, and you may lose part or even all of the cuttings. Therefore, periodically monitor the condition of the cuttings, immediately remove the affected ones along with the adjacent substrate. Periodically spray the cuttings with a solution of foundationol.
The cuttings are planted shallow (1.5-2 cm), obliquely, with the front (sunny) side up. The needles are not leaves, they cannot turn in the sun, so be sure to remember (or note) when cutting the cuttings which side of the branch is facing the sun (for thuja, for example, sunny side often more pronounced).
The distance between the cuttings depends on their size (usually about 5 cm in a row and 7-9 cm between rows). Of course, at sufficient availability cuttings, I want to plant them as much as possible (and thicker), but try not to let the cuttings touch each other and block each other's light.
Further, your cuttings will take root for a long time and stubbornly. What conditions should be in this case, I already mentioned. Avoid fluctuations in temperature and humidity. After planting, you can spray the cuttings with foundation. It is probably unnecessary to remind you that during all operations with cuttings, your hands and equipment must be very clean. Therefore, they can be rinsed from time to time with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
After 2-3-4 months, roots form on the cuttings. You can carefully remove individual cuttings to control rooting, but the resulting root may die off (although others will grow in its place). And I really want to see how he's doing. I found interesting solution. Part of the cuttings was planted not just in the substrate, but in small plastic pots (sold for lettuce lines), which I lowered into the same substrate. Such pots have long side slots and do not impede drainage. I could safely take these pots out of the sand and see if there were any roots.
It is desirable (in our area) to transplant rooted cuttings from a greenhouse from mid-August to mid-September. It's generally best term for transplanting conifers. It is desirable that during transplantation, the root ball of the cuttings does not crumble. But in the case of sand, this is almost impossible, only the “potted” cuttings have a lump.
I transplant rooted cuttings into special plastic containers, which I drop in for wintering. Naturally, in these containers there should no longer be sand, but soil (but not just soil, but with the addition of peat and fertilizers). I use Bui "fertilizers for coniferous crops", but you can use any, just not to overdo it.
That, in fact, is all. It seems that a lot has been written, but in fact it is very summary technologies. Anyone interested in any specific question - write in the "Discuss the article" section, I will answer in more detail.
Thanks to everyone who heroically overcame the article.
Text: Kostylev D.A. ()
Photo: Mozzhukhina Tatyana Vladimirovna ()
04.2008
