Cuttings are parts of a plant’s stem, leaf or root that can be detached from the parent and which, when given the right conditions, will form roots and grow to lead an independent life.
The parts of the plant from which you take cuttings may also be able to produce new growths to replace those which you have removed, so it’s not all one-way traffic. The thing about cuttings is that they are alike in every respect to the parent from which they are taken. About half a dozen years ago I left my dibber (a small tool used for making holes in soil in which young seedlings are put to grow) in a box of sand. Some days later I noticed that it was starting to produce shoots, and some time later it was clear that it had produced roots as well.
It was duly planted out and is now established nicely and providing cuttings for as many of my friends as want them. Its parent was a splendid weeping willow on the banks of the Cam along the banks of the colleges at Cambridge.
It is one of the amazing things about trees and shrubs. Many have the ability to produce roots no matter how long (or short) the cuttings are. Willows, for example, will root even if you stick in pieces six feet long, and so do many other species. Nature gives them a built-in ability to help them survive. As said above, in the case of cuttings they can survive as exact replicas of their parent. Nature also helps them survive by means of seed, in which case the offspring bear characteristics acquired from each parent. Anyway, most gardeners learn that every part of a plant may be used to produce roots, and I expect that many of you took that opportunity when your plant collections were badly affected after serious flooding.
Now the case that I used just now (that of the weeping willow) was dealing with a plant from hardwood cuttings. Many of our garden plants can be propagated by using such cuttings, about eight to ten inches long, as thick as a blackboard chalk. Without any doubt the best way to root them is to insert them in pure sand. They will root in this after a few weeks and can then be potted into a three-inch diameter pot to grow on. Alternatively they can be rooted in a sandy compost straight into a pot. In my view it is always best to push them into the compost to at least half their length, and in this case the rooting bin is always best.
There is a plant in my garden which is displaying signs of iron deficiency. It is a common enough problem with garden plants. This is generally classed as a deficiency disease, and the leaves become chlorotic. In this case the veins on the leaves remain green and the area between the veins becomes a very light green. This is called interveinal chlorosis.
It is caused by a deficiency of iron and is brought about by the ground having a high level of lime, which prevents iron being taken up by the plant. The remedy is very simple. You have to supply the iron, but in a form which the plant can use. The way to do this is to apply the iron as a sequestrene which the plant can take up. Many of the sprays which gardeners can now get hold of supply micronutrients and are simply applied to the leaves using a watering can. If you fail to take action, the plant’s ability to create chlorophyll will be seriously reduced and it will eventually weaken and die.
There will be something on softwood cuttings and root cuttings next week, and until then may your God go with you. Take care of your plants, particularly if you go away for a few days.
