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Layering
Garden Tips Newsletter - October 1, 2001

FREE PLANTS! No, the local nursery isn't giving away free plants - its propagation, the easiest way to get free plants from yourself and even from a few of your good friends.

Fall is a good time to think about propagating shrubs by a technique called layering. Layering allows for the formation of new roots on a young plant before it is removed from the mother plant (allowing the new plant to receive nutrients from the mother plant while forming roots). While there are several layering techniques, the easiest is simple layering (hence the name). The technique involves selecting a branch that can easily be bent to the ground, wounding the branch on the side closest to the ground, and burying it in the ground.

To layer a branch, start by selecting a low-lying branch on the shrub you wish to propagate. Make sure this branch is easily worked, bendable (without breaking), and low to the ground. Dig a hole about 3-4 inches deep and enrich the soil with organic matter where the branch will be buried. Wound the branch by making a slanted 2-inch cut on the underside of the branch. This wound should be about 8-12 inches from the branch tip and lay in the center of the burying hole. Next, secure the branch in the hole with a peg or bent wire so that the branch stays in the hole. Cover the branch with soil, firmly pack, and water to moisten the soil. Water frequently so that the soil stays moist (but not wet). Check the branch in 3 to 4 weeks to see if roots have formed. Some species may take up to a year to root, so check regularly. Once roots have formed, cut the branch BEHIND the roots, transplant into a container or another location and enjoy your free plant.

These archived newsletters were written by Dr. Lelia Scott Kelly. Kelly is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.