Layering is a means of plant propagation in which a portion of an aerial stem grow roots while still attached to the parent plant and then detaches as an independent plant. Plant propagation is the process of artificially or naturally propagating (distributing or spreading Plants Sexual propagation (seed See also A stem is one of two main structural axes of a Vascular plant. ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. Layering has evolved as a common means of vegetative propagation of numerous species in natural environments. Layering is also utilised by horticulturists to propagate desirable plants.

Natural layering typically occurs when a branch touches the ground, whereupon it produces adventitious roots. ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. At a later stage the connection with the parent plant is severed and a new plant is produced as a result.

The horticultural layering process typically involves wounding the target region to expose the inner stem and optionally applying rooting compounds. Auxins are a class of Plant growth substance (often called Phytohormone or Plant hormone) In ground layering, the stem is bent down and the target region buried in the soil. This is done in plant nurseries in imitation of natural layering by many plants such as brambles which bow over and touch the tip on the ground, at which point it grows roots and, when separated, can continue as a separate plant. A nursery is a place where Plants are propagated and grown to usable size Bramble refers to thorny plants of the Genus Rubus, in the Rose family ( Rosaceae) In either case, the rooting process may take from several weeks to a year.

Layering is more complicated than taking cuttings, but has the advantage that the propagated portion can continue to receive water and nutrients from the parent plant while it is forming roots. Plant cutting, also known as striking/cloning is a technique for vegetatively (asexually propagating plants in whicha piece of the source plant containing at least one Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment This is important for plants that form roots slowly, or for propagating large pieces.

Ground layering

Ground layering is the typical propagation technique for the popular Malling-Merton series of clonal apple rootstocks in which the original plants are set in the ground with the stem nearly horizontal, which forces side buds to grow upward. Cloning in Biology is the process of producing populations of genetically-identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as Bacteria, Insects The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. After these are started the original stem is buried up to the tip. At the end of the growing season, the side branches will have rooted, and can be separated while the plant is dormant. Some of these will be used for grafting rootstocks, and some can be reused in the nursery for the next growing season's crop. Grafting is a method of asexual Plant propagation widely used in Agriculture and Horticulture where the tissues of one Plant are encouraged to

Air layering

In air layering (or marcotting), the target region is wounded and then surrounded in a moisture-retaining wrapper such as sphagnum moss, which is further surrounded in a moisture barrier such as polyethylene film. Sphagnum is a Genus of between 151-350 species of Mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in Peat bogs Polyethylene or polythene ( IUPAC name poly(ethene) is a Thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products (notably the Rooting hormone is often applied to encourage the wounded region to grow roots. When sufficient roots have grown from the wound, the stem from the parent plant is removed and planted.

External links

• Information and illustrated step-by-step instructions for air layering