ROOTS FROM CUTTINGS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 March 1940, Page 8

ROOTS FROM CUTTINGS

PROROGATION IS SIMPLE. It is seldom advisable for home gardeners with limited facilities to make a start with dahlia propagation too early in the year. Where, however, the intention is to propagate from cuttings, the tubers should certainly be started into growth in August. Not a great deal of heat is required, the cooler they are kept, within reason, the better. In a temperature of 45 to 50 degrees far sturdier growth will be made than in a temperature of 65 degrees, although the latter temperature is the better for rooting the cuttings. Inspection of the old stools is the first step. Go over them carefully, cutting away any portions showing signs of rot. Some may prove too far gone to be worth retaining, but it is actually possible to cut away a goodly portion of the roots without in any way spoiling the stools for propagation purposes. All cuts should be smeared with a little quicklime to dry the surface. If space is a consideration, boxes will be found most suitable. Arrange the roots as thickly as they will go, on an inch or two of sandy compost, filling in the crevices between with the same material. It is also permissable to cut down some of the large roots in order to economise space. At least half an inch of the shoulders of the tubers should stand clear of the soil. If the roots are buried too deeply it may be impossible to take off the cuttings sufficiently close to the base. Very little water is required at the outset. A gentle spray over will be sufficient to keep the compost from drying out. Growth will soon be evident, and in a short time the first crop of shoots will be of a size to be utilised. It is. however, rarely advisable to make use of the first cuttings developed. Instead, they should be taken off as close to the stems as possible without injuring the eyes, and then discarded. Seldom, indeed, do these first cuttings develop into satisfactory plants. Their removal will of course accelerate the growth of the next batch of cuttings, which may be taken as soon as they reach three inches in length. Not all the shoots developed are ideal cutting material, and while all must be removed to encourage further growth, careful selection should be made. Thick, gross shoots with hollow stems are useless. So too, are thin and spindly specimens. The' ideal is a shortjointed growth, without the slightest trace of hollowness, and about pencil thickness. There is no doubt that where exhibition or specimen blooms are the aim, cuttings are the ideal means of propagation. The finest quality plants and flowers are invariably so obtained, but division of the tubers is a perfectly practicable proposition where the plants are intended only for a garden display. It is never advisable to plant large old roots in their entirety. Instead, the roots should be started as for cuttings, then divided with a sharp knife, taking care to have a growing shoot and a piece of the old stem with each division.