Plant Propagation

Description

Review of current methods of plant propagation. Propagation of plants from seeds: germination and optimal conditions for growing plants from seeds, seed storage, dormancy and viability. Overview of seed production including flowers, pollination, and elementary genetics. Vegetative propagation of plants: cuttings, media selection, growing conditions, rooting hormones and demonstration of current vegetative plant propagation techniques.

Objectives

• Propagate plants from seed (sexual reproduction)
  • Describe seed germination
  • Describe the benefits and disadvantages the arise from sexual reproduction of plants
  • Describe the requirements for proper seed storage
  • Describe seed dormancy and methods used to remove it
  • Identify deficiencies in the growing conditions when propagating plants from seed
  • Test seed viability
  • Properly treat seeds prior and during germination
  • Select proper seeds for desired plant propagation
  • Set proper growing conditions for germination
  • Prepare proper growing media for germinated seed
• Propagate plants using cutting methods (asexual reproduction)
  • Identify anomalies in the rooting and growing conditions of cuttings
  • Describe the benefits and disadvantages the arise from asexual reproduction of plants
  • Know how to correct the anomalies in the rooting and growing conditions of cuttings
  • Safely produce cuttings from the mother plant with a good survival rate and of high standard of quality
  • Set the environmental conditions for the formation of healthy root systems on the cuttings
  • Use proper rooting hormones and other standard industry practices to maximize rooting success
  • Transplant cuttings without damaging the plantlet
  • Prepare adequate growing media for rooted cuttings
• Propagate plants by layering and by division (asexual reproduction)
  • Describe ground layering and air layering methods
  • Identify some plants that respond well to layering methods
  • Use proper rooting hormones and other standard industry practices to maximize rooting success when using the layering vegetative propagation methods
  • Safely propagate healthy plants by layering
  • Identify some plants that respond well to division methods
  • Safely propagate healthy plants by division

Content Overview

• Advantages and disadvantages of sexual reproduction compared to vegetative propagation
• Vegetative reproduction: cutting, division and grafting
• Sexual reproduction: pollination, crossing, notion of cultivar and hybridisation
• Seed germination techniques
• Seed storage and viability
• Seed dormancy and methods to remove it
• Rooting hormones
• Optimal growing conditions
• Common pests encountered when propagating plants and how to control them
• Cannabis propagation techniques