Floor division
A method of vegetative propagation of plants is called stick division . This method of propagation is used on plants from whose rhizomes several shoots grow. The stock division consists in dividing the root stock into a maximum of as many pieces as there are shoots or buds on it. The stick division is used outdoors for perennials and small shrubs as well as for some indoor plants. This method of propagation is not suitable for producing large numbers of genetically identical plants. For this, the stock division is considered a very safe method of propagation and in some cases allows the propagation of plants that are very difficult to propagate in other species.
In the field, older plants are dug up for the purpose of dividing the stems so that as many roots as possible remain undamaged. In the case of smaller plants, the rhizome can then be divided with the hands or a knife; in the case of larger plants or woody rhizomes, a spade or a saw must often be used. Each section must have a shoot with roots. Then the individual sections can be replanted separately from each other in the ground.
Houseplants are removed from their planter and the earth is carefully tapped so that as many roots as possible remain undamaged. The division itself is usually done with a knife, as this method can be carried out in a more controlled manner and causes smoother wound edges than tearing the rhizome by hand. Each section must have a shoot with roots. The individual parts are replanted after the wound edges have dried off, which is often only possible after a few days with cacti and succulents.
With many plants, care must be taken that the plants are divided at the right time. In the open field, the month when the hive is divided is usually best, when the seedlings are also exposed to the plant. These planting times are usually in spring or autumn. The propagation of plants from sturdy, older stocks is often easier and more promising than growing from seeds. Houseplants are usually not divided while they are in bloom.
For example, many strawberry varieties form runners that are suitable for vegetative reproduction, but others are not. However, these branch out very strongly in the ground, so that they are well suited for a stick division. Indoor plants, which are often propagated by dividing stems, especially in the non-commercial sector, are z. B. African violets , Maranta leuconeura and ferns .
A similar type of vegetative reproduction of the plant can be observed in nature. For example, in peppermint and other types of mint, the main stem dies in the second year, while the secondary roots ensure that the plant spreads in the vicinity. One speaks of the "wandering" of the plants.
The stick division is occasionally confused with the rhizome division , as both techniques are often referred to with the acronym "division". A rhizome is not a root, but an underground extension of the stem axis . However, these rhizomes are also - actually incorrectly - called “rhizomes”. However, the horticultural technique of dividing the rhizomes is different from that of dividing the cane, as it does not have to take roots into account. The stem axis is divided into several short pieces with a sharp knife, from which whole plants can sprout again. However, the technique is only possible with plants that form a rhizome, e.g. B. Lily of the valley or asparagus .
literature
- M. Neumann and Julius Hartwig: The art of plant reproduction by seeds, cuttings, offshoots and refinement. BF Voight, Berlin 1886, p. 156
- Andreas Niepel and Thomas Pfister: Practice book garden therapy . Schulz-Kirchner Verlag, 2010, p. 237 ISBN 3-824-80651-7
- Fritz Köhlein: Plants multiply made easy , Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1972, ISBN 3-8001-6052-8
Individual evidence
- ↑ Keyword stock division . In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 1888, fourth edition, 15th volume, page 341, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig and Vienna, 1885-1892.
- ↑ M. Zobel, Fritz Wnuck: Modern communal catering: Introduction to modern nutrition and cooking science as well as its practical application in large kitchens. Volume 1, VEB Fachbuchverlag, 1964, page 191.
- ^ Karl Paul Thiele and Andreas Knauth: The strawberry: varieties, culture, description and utilization. Landbuch-Verlag, 1953, page 57.
- ↑ Th. Wagner: Medicinal plant culture and herb trade. J. Springer, 1911, page 20.