Layering Method For vinelike roses such as Banksia, climbers and their kin, the preferred method of propagation is "layering." Not a particularly quick method, it's nonetheless well suited to woody varieties. You'll need to start with a good-sized part of the plant that's woody (figure A). It must be woody so that when it's staked to the ground, it won't be crushed so badly tat it would fail to grow, which can happen with a section that's too soft or herbaceous. On the back of a section that doesn't have too much branching (figure B), you'll have to create a wound where the plant will have contact with the surface of the soil.
Layering Step #1: Make a wound on a thick, woody cane with your clippers. Rub the blade along to expose the cambium layer (figure C), the part that has the highest degree of cell reproduction. Layering Step #2: Rooting hormone comes in powder or liquid forms. Add some to the wound by dipping your finger into the hormone and applying it to the cambium layer. It will force the cells to change much more quickly than they would when left alone. Layering Step #3: Use an old coat hanger to ensure that the wound touches the soil. Simply cut the end section off a heavy wire coat hanger to make a "bobby pin" to hold the plant in place (figure D). Once the root is well established, cut the cane to yield a brand-new plant (figure E).
Cutting Method For propagation on a larger scale, use the cutting method. You will need to buy a container of Perlite, a substance that consists of individual particles that absorb a great amount of water without becoming soggy. The Perlite will create a moist environment, but air spaces between the particles will allow a tremendous amount of oxygen to exist in the medium.
Cutting Step #1: Cut a 6" piece of healthy cane and make an angled cut on the bottom (figure F). Be sure you know which end is the bottom -- if you put the wrong end in the Perlite, it won't root! Cutting Step #2: Put the angled end in rooting medium to stimulate root growth (figure G). Bury each cut cane three-quarters of its length in the container of Perlite, about 1" to 2" apart, angled end down (figure H). The more roots that develop, the stronger the cutting will be.
RESOURCES :
Easy, Practical Pruning: Techniques for Training Trees, Shrubs, Vines, and Roses
Model: 0395815916
Author: Barbara Ellis
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
Taylor's Guide to Roses
Model: 0395404509
Author: Steve Schneider
1995
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
Roses for Dummies
Model: 0764552023
Author: Lance Walheim
February 2000
Roses: A Growing Guide for Easy, Colorful Gardens
Model: 0028626362
Author: Mary C. Weaver & George Ball, Jr.
December 1998
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