Propagation and Care of Plants 



69 



cuttings. One advan- 

 tage in propagating by 

 cuttings is that growth 

 is generally more rapid 

 than from the seed. 

 Another advantage in 

 their use is that the 

 plants produced will be 

 like the parent plants, 

 whereas seedlings are 

 often very different, es- 

 pecially in fruits and 

 flowers. 



Most trees and shrubs 

 and vines plants of 

 hard and woody fiber 

 grow best from cuttings 

 made of wood that has 



had a year's growth. These are known as " hardwood 

 cuttings " (Fig. 47). On the other hand, herbs such as 

 verbenas, fuchsias, and petunias soft and pulpy plants 

 grow best if the cuttings are made from the soft tips 

 of growing branches. Such slips are called " softwood 

 cuttings " (Fig. 48). 



A hardwood cutting should be long enough to include 

 at least two nodes (the place from which a bud grows) , 

 one to produce roots, and one for branches to grow from. 

 The lower cut should be made just below a node, and the 

 upper cut, if there is to be one, between two nodes. 

 Softwood cuttings should be very short, including only 

 one bud. 



Advantages 

 in the use of 

 cuttings 



Two kinds 

 of cuttings 



W. T. Stilling 

 FIG. 46. A leaf cutting of begonia. / 



The prep- 

 aration of 

 cuttings 



Whereto 

 cut 



