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How do cuttings grow?
Quite often, the speed of the roots exceeds that of top growth and
that is true in seedlings as well as cuttings. The reason for the sudden appearance or roots after a period of apparent non-activity is because the cut end is forming a callus from which the roots can develop. The callus seals the stem ends preventing bacterial and/or fungal infection and in the very first instance, is merely a mass of rapidly dividing, undifferentiated cells. Auxins (hormones) produced by the cutting trigger these cells into forming roots when sufficient callousing has taken place. The cutting's survival depends upon root formation and once the 'root buds' have formed within the callous, rapid root growth ensues. There are exceptions and callousing with subsequent root formation can be a very protracted affair taking several to many months, especially with certain evergreens. Hardwood cuttings taken in early winter, will also develop a basal callous relatively slowly and roots may not emerge until after spring growth has commenced. Some plants develop adventitious roots (roots along the stems or at the leaf nodes) and the 'root buds' for these are already present. In such plants, stem-end callousing may or may not take place and serves mainly to prevent infection at the cut stem ends. Roots develop along the stem length or at the nodes if the cutting is given the correct treatment. Roots may also form subsequently at the calloused end, but adventitious roots commence growth almost immediately and are not reliant upon stem end callousing. |
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