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[C743]Cloning Plants And Animals

by Nancy Smith, Nan

I chose to write about cloning to be able to teach anyone including beginners and experts exactly what I have learned through my own personal experience along with research as an information backup. My methods are easy and inexpensive. Once you begin cloning plants it will save you from having to purchase more of the same. Everyone loses cuttings and knowing this is normal I want to encourage you to try my techniques so that you will become a plant enthusiast like I am. You will get back the effort you put into properly cloning plants. The rewards are abundant!

You will need to start with a professional starter soil purchased at a nursery or plant store, or you can make your own soil. Next, plastic pots are my favorite, but as long as you properly clean your plant containers and make sure the pots have plenty of drainage, you can use just about anything. A very sharp single-edged razor blade should be cleaned carefully with rubbing alcohol by pouring it over the blade while standing at the sink. I always encourage adults be present when children are active in this project. To have the cuttings retain more moisture I use clean, clear plastic shopping bags secured with a large rubber band to cover over the pot. Make sure your cuttings get plenty of air and that you have plenty of room so the leaves are not touching the pot or the clear plastic. Proper light and heat are also crucial. You also need to mist your clones with water at least 3 to 4 times a day. One of your most important purchases will be rooting hormones. I prefer liquid or gel over powder since the successes are higher. Liquid and gel solutions are easy to use, penetrate stems evenly, and are consistent. You should never put a clone or starter into cold soil.

Before cutting the stem at a 45 degree angle, you will need to get the pots ready. I just fill up the clean pots with the starter soil or soil-less mix to the very top and I use a chop stick, or unsharpened pencil, and poke it down the center of the pot, about 2 or 3 inches depending on the size of the pot and the size of the cutting. You should have at least one inch of soil left on the bottom of the pot to give the roots plenty of room. You want at least a half-inch to one and a half inches of the cutting to be inserted into the hole after dipping the stem into the rooting hormone. For plant cloning, I take a stem, or branch tip (but not from the top of the plant) about 3 to 4 inches long (and it's really best to cut from a mature branch, like those near the bottom), and this stem should have 3 to 4 layers of leaves growing out from it. It is best to cut the part of the plant you want to propagate at a 45 degree angle using the single-edged razor blade. Never use scissors! When cutting, hold the stem carefully in your hands and be careful not to squeeze it. And finally you will need to move your clone into its proper environment. Remember through trial and error, comes wisdom!

To the average consumer, plant propagation might simply mean growing a new plant from a seed. Experienced gardeners and farmers, however, know that they are numerous ways to propagate, both sexual and asexual. The asexual methods usually create an exact genetic duplicate, or clone of the parent plant. This is usually highly desirable when a gardener finds a plant with superior genetic traits. Plant cloning is almost as old as agriculture itself, and some species of trees originated as plants that were cloned on a mass scale. For example, all Bartlett pear trees have their ancestors in a tree that was first cloned in 1770. Here are the most common methods gardeners use for cloning plants.

Layering - Layering is a method of cloning plants where roots are encouraged to actually form on the stem before it is removed from the parent plant. Some plants actually use this technique to propagate themselves in nature. In simple layering, the gardener simply bends a low growing stem into the medium, keeping it in place with a stake if necessary. The stem should form roots and start growing as a new plant. In serpentine layering, a very long stem is buried into the medium at intervals. The buried sections will form roots and create several new plants.

Grafting - Grafting is a method of plant cloning where one plant fuses with another plant. In agriculture, it is usually done with trees. In this technique, the bottom section with the plant roots is referred to as the stock, and the plant that is used for the stems and leaves is called the scion. Many farmers do this when they want to increase the odds of a plant's survival by grafting its top section to another plant with stronger roots. It is also sometimes done to save a tree that may have suffered a damaged trunk or roots.

Cutting - Cutting is the most commonly used technique for cloning plants in hydroponics. The gardener simply cuts off a part of the plant, usually a stem or leaf, and plants it into the growing medium. Since this technique requires one to actually detach a part of the plant from the root, and therefore cut off its primary source of moisture, it is imperative to keep a well humidified grow room while cloning plants through cutting. Many gardeners even choose to operate "mist sprays" on their planted cut stems during the one or two weeks that it takes for them to form roots.

Micropropagation - Micropropigation is a very new, very advanced, and very expensive form of plant cloning. In this technique, lab technicians actually make clones of plants using the actual plant tissue. Since this has to be performed in a sterile laboratory environment, and is therefore very costly, it is only performed on plants that are very difficult to propagate asexually. Many believe that Micropropagation may be a way to the future of propagation, as it may have ability to create disease-free plants, as well as plants with other desirable traits, such as those that bigger yields or tastier vegetables.

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Both Nancy Smith & Michael Straumietis are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Nancy Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gardening, Politics and Debts Loans. . Nancy Smith's top article generates over 480 views. to your Favourites.

Michael Straumietis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gardening, Gardening and Internet Marketing. Michael Straumietis is co-founder of Advanced Nutrients. If you need expert advice on , visit the we. Michael Straumietis's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.