Hi,
Does anyone know the science behind why cuttings from young plants are more
likely to root sucessfully? RHS exam looming large...................

TIA

--
Flash Gorman.
http://www.flashgorman.com

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 10:29:57 -0000, "flashgorman"
wrote:

Hi,
Does anyone know the science behind why cuttings from young plants are more
likely to root sucessfully? RHS exam looming large...................

TIA

Off the top of my head (my biology studies were a long time ago), I
would have thought that more of the 'grow roots' auxins were being
produced in the plant. I shall be interested to find out if that is
broadly the answer the RHS want.

Regards, VivienB

The message
from "flashgorman" contains these words:

Hi,
Does anyone know the science behind why cuttings from young plants are more
likely to root sucessfully? RHS exam looming large...................

I'd have thought the age of the cutting is more significant than the
age of the plant it grew on.

Janet

".............Does anyone know the science behind why cuttings from young
plants are more likely to root sucessfully? ........."

I would have thought that the question should be why in general cuttings
taken from soft or semi ripe stems roots better than those taken from
ripe/mature stems.

The "Skin" is thinner and the cell activity is greater with young growth
than more mature cuttings with a "Dead" laver on the outside, this is one
reason why we score down the stem of cuttings, to expose the cambium layer
and to promote the formation of calluses and so the root formation.
If the growth is to soft and you have a slow rooting species then the stems
are liable to rot before rooting has taken place.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"VivienB" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 10:29:57 -0000, "flashgorman"
wrote:

Hi,
Does anyone know the science behind why cuttings from young plants are
more
likely to root sucessfully? RHS exam looming large...................

TIA

Off the top of my head (my biology studies were a long time ago), I
would have thought that more of the 'grow roots' auxins were being
produced in the plant. I shall be interested to find out if that is
broadly the answer the RHS want.

Regards, VivienB
Auxins is the answer. In easy to root plants the stock plants can be cut
back hard each year to produce a rush of new growth which roots more easily
but with hard to root stuff the actual age of the stock plant comes into the
equation, and with some subjects the cuttings are taken from the previous
cuttings.
Auxins also effect the shape of the plant you get, eg the cuttings from the
top of a conifer will be more upright in habit than those from the base!
choosing where on a plant you take a cutting can make a big difference to
the resulting plants.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

The message
from "Charlie Pridham" contains these words:

Auxins also effect the shape of the plant you get, eg the cuttings from the
top of a conifer will be more upright in habit than those from the base!
choosing where on a plant you take a cutting can make a big difference to
the resulting plants.

That's very interesting and useful.Can you advise on other examples ?
Does this affect fuchsia cuttings, for example, if you want to make a
standard; and how about clematis?

Janet.

The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words:

That's very interesting and useful.Can you advise on other examples ?
Does this affect fuchsia cuttings, for example, if you want to make a
standard; and how about clematis?

Clematis is easy. Just cut it between nodes before the main vine has
developed a lot of growth and bury each length horizontally about an
inch deep and keep well watered.

You should get 100% success. I did, and that was in seed trays.

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words:

That's very interesting and useful.Can you advise on other examples ?
Does this affect fuchsia cuttings, for example, if you want to make a
standard; and how about clematis?

Clematis is easy. Just cut it between nodes before the main vine has
developed a lot of growth and bury each length horizontally about an
inch deep and keep well watered.

You should get 100% success. I did, and that was in seed trays.

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 13:05:22 +0000, Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from "Charlie Pridham" contains these words:

Auxins also effect the shape of the plant you get, eg the cuttings from the
top of a conifer will be more upright in habit than those from the base!
choosing where on a plant you take a cutting can make a big difference to
the resulting plants.

That's very interesting and useful.Can you advise on other examples ?
Does this affect fuchsia cuttings, for example, if you want to make a
standard; and how about clematis?

Janet.

I only know it from plants that have separate juvenile and mature phases
either on different parts of the plant - like holly -fewer prickles on
higher parts, various Chamaecyparis already mentioned - you'll see they
only flower and seed on the mature upper part of the plant, Ivy different
leaves and only flowers/fruits on the mature phase. Sometimes cuttings
from different phases stay that way for ever, sometimes you can't get
cuttings to root easily or at all from the mature phase. No fuchsias
don't have phases like that, you get standards by training vigorous young
plants. Preparing stock plants and selecting cutting material for some
'difficult' plants is sometimes almost as much art as science, though
mostly when I was propagating most of the cutting material came from young
growing stock that had to be trimmed anyway. With some things itr's worth
trying cuttings from different parts of an established plant - like from
the shady side or using smaller side shoots rather than the big strong one
on the end that might seem like the obvious choice.

Rod

The message
from Rod contains these words:

(snip great post)

With some things itr's worth
trying cuttings from different parts of an established plant - like from
the shady side or using smaller side shoots rather than the big strong one
on the end that might seem like the obvious choice.

Many thanks for that tip, will try it next year.

Janet

I must say that the one exception I have found to this thread was Cornus
alternifolia "Argentea" .
I obtained 2 branches of this shrub/tree and took around 200 cuttings from
all over, the only ones that rooted were those heel cuttings taken of 2 yr
old stems, nothing else rooted for me.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
***2004 catalogue now available***

I must say that the one exception I have found to this thread was Cornus
alternifolia "Argentea" .
I obtained 2 branches of this shrub/tree and took around 200 cuttings from
all over, the only ones that rooted were those heel cuttings taken of 2 yr
old stems, nothing else rooted for me.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
***2004 catalogue now available***

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Charlie Pridham" contains these words:

Auxins also effect the shape of the plant you get, eg the cuttings from
the
top of a conifer will be more upright in habit than those from the base!
choosing where on a plant you take a cutting can make a big difference
to
the resulting plants.

That's very interesting and useful.Can you advise on other examples ?
Does this affect fuchsia cuttings, for example, if you want to make a
standard; and how about clematis?

Janet.

The effect in fuchsias is not so strong but it is there and if the variety
you are propagating is supposed to be trailing then avoid strong upright
growth for your cuttings. and of course you need 3 bud cuttings not 2 for
standards.
Clematis are strongly predisposed to climb (well the climbing sorts anyway!)
and there is no noticible difference between the sections of stem nearest
the roots to those nearest the tips. but there is a marked difference in the
capacity to root between old plants (like the ones in the garden) and new
plants like last years cuttings.
--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "flashgorman" contains these words:

Hi,
Does anyone know the science behind why cuttings from young plants are
more
likely to root sucessfully? RHS exam looming large...................

Thank for the replies on this. I'll let you know what the rhs says.