This is the time to prepare plants
By Satish Narula

MONSOON is the most busy and rewarding time for any gardening enthusiast. This is the time when he has to save his plants from dying, in case of water-logging. He has to get rid of unwanted growth. Planting, controlling insects and pests, especially the leaf- eating beetles and above all multiplying plants, are some of the important steps that have to be taken during the season.

No time could be more appropriate than this for the gardener to apply his skill. There is a lot of humidity in the air and this is one of the most important factors for attempting propagation. The newly developed plants or those in the process of propagation usually die. This is the time when almost all plants sans the deciduous ones like peach, plum, pear, mulberry etc could be multiplied.

The easiest method in propagation is by cutting, provided you do it correctly. The success rate could even be cent percent. The reasons of failure could be that you had not taken the appropriate portion of the plant, or the cutting had not properly been inserted in the medium, or the medium used was not correct.

Making plants by taking cuttings from dieffenbachia, philodendron, chrysanthemum, dahlia, polkadot, pilea, arelia, geranium, schefflera etc is easy, and they take root almost within a few days time. But when it comes to multiplying mussaenda, poinsettia etc, the general belief is that these do not multiply by cuttings. Whereas in case of mussaenda, you have to give plenty of water to prevent drying of wood, you will have to hold your hand, while watering poinsettia cuttings. There is instant rotting, otherwise. A cutting given a slant at the base and inserted two-third in the media gives a better success rate.

Why cuttings fail even after sprouting is the question that usually haunts the gardeners. In fact it is important to know that the sprouting in any cutting is primarily due to the presence of stored food in it.

It does not mean that it has struck roots. It is only after some time, depending upon the plant species and appearance of a few matured leaves, that one can get success. Do not in any case pull it out of the medium in which it is growing to see whether it has rooted or not. In case you have done that, then put it back gently by making a hole in the sand or the medium that you have used, and give water to exclude air. Never push it back by force. You will injure the developing roots.

Experimenting with the plants is always rewarding and if you accomplish something, nothing could give you more joy. For example, multiply begonia from leaf cutting. For this make one-inch square leaf cutting and place it naturally (face up) on pure sand. Keep it moist. After a few days you will find tiny roots emerging from the places of the cut ends of the leaf ribs. Make sure that the moist sand keeps in touch with these tiny roots or else these will dry out fast. In a small dish I prepared more than 12 plants from a single leaf with this technique.

Making plants by the division of roots is another easy and fast method of propagation. Looking at the base of the plant you will find there are several stems coming out of the pot. Just take the plant out by simply inverting the pot and tapping it gently. Throw the earth hard on the ground. The plant will automatically start dividing at the roots. You can prepare many plants this way. Asparagus mayeri, maranta, aglaonema, caladium, ferns, anthurium, aspidistra etc are some of the plants that multiply by this technique easily.

So, gardeners, this is the time for you to prepare plants and to oblige, exchange or gift them to your friends.

This feature was published on August 1, 1999