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The process of propagation of plants by cuttings is known as cuttage. A cutting is a part of a plant that will produce roots when put in soil media and eventually produce a new plant quite true to the parent plant.
A cutting may be a piece of stem, a leaf or part of a leaf, a piece of root, or root stock, or even a scale of bulb.Classification of cuttings:Cuttings are usually classified in to 3 groups according to the particular part of the plant used as cutting.
1) Stem cuttings
2) Root cuttings
3) Leaf cuttings
1. Stem cutting: Stem cuttings can be divided in to 4 types based on the degree of maturity and lignification of wood used in making cuttings.
Hard wood stem cuttings
Semi hard wood stems cuttings
Soft wood stem cuttings
Herbaceous stem cuttings
Hard wood stem cuttings: These cuttings are made from the past seasons growth or wood that has matured and lignified are known as hardwood cuttings.
Preparation and planting: Select a fully matured shoot with normal internodes from a healthy, vigorous plant growing in full sun light. Remove all the leaves with out damaging the axillary buds. Give a slant cut just below the basal node of the selected shoot. Measure the required length (about 15 to 25cm and containing 3 to 4 buds) from the base of the shoot and give a horizontal cut 1 to 2.5cm above the top node. Repeat the procedure and prepare as many cuttings as possible from the shoot. In case of difficult to root species treat the prepared cuttings with recommended growth regulators to induce rooting. Make holes in the prepared bed or pot with the help of a stick or dibbler. Insert the cuttings in the hole such that at least two nodes are inside the soil. Take care of polarity while planting cuttings. After planting press the medium firmly around the cutting and water immediately. Eg: Grape, Fig, Pomegranate, Bougainvillea, Acalypha,Rose etc.
Soft wood cuttings: Cuttings are prepared from the soft succulent new spring growth of species which are 4 to 6 months old.
Leaf blade/Leaf section cutting:
Hard wood stem cuttings
Semi hard wood stems cuttings
Soft wood stem cuttings
Herbaceous stem cuttings
Hard wood stem cuttings: These cuttings are made from the past seasons growth or wood that has matured and lignified are known as hardwood cuttings.
Preparation and planting: Select a fully matured shoot with normal internodes from a healthy, vigorous plant growing in full sun light. Remove all the leaves with out damaging the axillary buds. Give a slant cut just below the basal node of the selected shoot. Measure the required length (about 15 to 25cm and containing 3 to 4 buds) from the base of the shoot and give a horizontal cut 1 to 2.5cm above the top node. Repeat the procedure and prepare as many cuttings as possible from the shoot. In case of difficult to root species treat the prepared cuttings with recommended growth regulators to induce rooting. Make holes in the prepared bed or pot with the help of a stick or dibbler. Insert the cuttings in the hole such that at least two nodes are inside the soil. Take care of polarity while planting cuttings. After planting press the medium firmly around the cutting and water immediately. Eg: Grape, Fig, Pomegranate, Bougainvillea, Acalypha,Rose etc.
Hard wood cuttings may be of three types: Straight or simple cutting, heel cutting and mallet cutting.
Types of Hard wood cuttings
Straight or simple cutting: It consists of only the current year‘s wood and doesn‘t bear any older wood. Eg. Hibiscus, nerium.
Straight or simple cutting: It consists of only the current year‘s wood and doesn‘t bear any older wood. Eg. Hibiscus, nerium.
Heel cutting: A small piece of older wood is retained at the base of each cutting Eg. Rose Mallet cutting: An entire section of the older wood is retained. Eg.Thuja.
Semi-hard wood stem cuttings: Semi hard wood cuttings are prepared from new shoots just after a flush of growth which is partially matured.
Preparation and planting: Select partially matured shoots from a healthy and vigorous growing plant and take out the terminal 7 to 15cm portion by giving a horizontal cut just below a basal node. Remove all the leaves towards the base of the shoot and retain only the terminal leaves. If the retained leaves are very large, reduce their size by cutting the top half portion. This facilitates planting the cuttings closer and also minimizes the loss of water from cutting. Plant the cuttings in the same way as hard wood cuttings are planted .Eg. Camellia, Citrus, Eranthemum, Acalypha, Geranium, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Lemon, olive etc.
Soft wood cuttings: Cuttings are prepared from the soft succulent new spring growth of species which are 4 to 6 months old.
Preparation and planting: Select the soft succulent shoots from a healthy and vigorous growing plant, growing in full sun light and take out the terminal 7 to 15cm portion by giving a horizontal cut just below a basal node. Don‘t remove the leaves except for the part to be buried inside the rooting media. Soft wood cuttings should be kept in green house or in moist chamber where a high humidity can be maintained which keeps the tissues in turgid condition.Plant the cuttings in the same way as hard wood cuttings are planted. Eg. Nerium, crotons, Eranthemum, Graftophyllum etc.
Herbaceous stem cuttings: This type of cuttings is taken from succulent herbaceous green house plants.
Preparation and planting: Select the succulent herbaceous shoots from a healthy and vigorous green house growing plant. Retain all the leaves. Give a basal cut below a basal node. Plant the cuttings in the same way as hard wood cuttings are planted. Eg. Chrysanthemum, Coleus, Carnations, Geraniums, Cactus etc.
Leaf Cuttings: Certain plants with thick and fleshy leaves have the capacity to produce plantlets on their leaves. In leaf cuttings, the leaf blade with or without petiole and axillary bud is used for starting new plants. Adventious roots and shoots form at the base of the leaf and form in to a new plant. However, the original leaf does not become a part of the new plant. Frequent watering and high humidity and bottom heating are desirable for better and rapid rooting of leaf cuttings. Sand or sand and peat moss (1:1) are satisfactory rooting media for leaf cuttings. For leaf cuttings, depending on the species the whole leaf blade, leaf blade sections or the leaf with petiole is used.
So, leaf cuttings can be classified in to:
1.Leaf blade cutting
2.Leaf vein cutting / Leaf slashing
3.Leaf margin cutting
4.Leaf bud cutting Leaf Section cutting-- Sansevieria.
1.Leaf blade cutting
2.Leaf vein cutting / Leaf slashing
3.Leaf margin cutting
4.Leaf bud cutting Leaf Section cutting-- Sansevieria.
Leaf blade/Leaf section cutting:
Preparation and planting: Select a healthy leaf and Give a slanting cut towards the base of the leaf. Measure a length of about 7 to 10-cm and give a horizontal cut towards the terminal end. Prepare as many cuttings as possible from the selected leaf. Insert up to ¾ of the prepared leaf cuttings in to the medium. Take care of polarity while planting the cuttings. Compress the soil around the leaf cuttings and water immediately. Eg. Sansevieria.
Leaf vein cutting / Leaf slashing:
Preparation and planting: Select a healthy and full mature leaf and detach it from the mother plant. Give cuts to alternate veins closer to the petiole on the lower surface of the leaf. Keep the leaf flat on the medium in such a way that the lower portion comes in contact with the medium. Pin or hold down the leaf in some manner so as to expose the upper surface and to maintain the contact between the cuts on the vein and the rooting medium. Water the cuttings carefully Eg. Begonia rex. Leaf vein Cutting Leaf bud cuttings: This cutting consists of a leaf blade, petiole and a short piece of the stem with attached axillary bud. This is practiced in species that are able to initiate roots but not shoots from the detached leaves. In such case the axillary bud at the base of the petiole provides for the essential shoot formation.
Leaf bud cutting
Preparation and planting: Select a healthy and mature shoot with well developed buds and healthy active growing leaves. Separate each leaf along with the axillary bud 39 and a small portion of the stem. Repeat the process until possible number of leaf bud cuttings are made.Treat if necessary the cut surface of the prepared cuttings with the recommended root promoting substance to stimulate rapid root formation. Insert the prepared cutting in the rooting medium so that the bud is1.5 to 2.5 cm below the surface. Compress the medium around the cutting and water immediately. Eg. Black berry, Camellia, Lemon ,Rhododendron and raspberry etc. Leaf Margin Cutting of Bryophyllum
Preparation and planting: Select a healthy and mature shoot with well developed buds and healthy active growing leaves. Separate each leaf along with the axillary bud 39 and a small portion of the stem. Repeat the process until possible number of leaf bud cuttings are made.Treat if necessary the cut surface of the prepared cuttings with the recommended root promoting substance to stimulate rapid root formation. Insert the prepared cutting in the rooting medium so that the bud is1.5 to 2.5 cm below the surface. Compress the medium around the cutting and water immediately. Eg. Black berry, Camellia, Lemon ,Rhododendron and raspberry etc. Leaf Margin Cutting of Bryophyllum
Leaf margin cutting:
Preparation and planting: Select a mature and healthy leaf with the foliar embryos intact. Keep the leaf flat on the rooting medium. If the leaf is folded, just cut along the mid rib, so that the leaf can be kept flat on the medium. Keep some weight on the leaf or partially cover it with soil, so that the margin comes in contact with the medium. Water the cuttings carefully Eg. Bryophyllum.
Root cuttings: Plants which give rise root suckers freely are propagated by root cuttings.