What is Vegetative Propagation?
New plants can be produced from vegetative structures such as the roots, stems, and leaves of some plants. The process
can be natural or artificial. Natural vegetative propagation involves the development of a new plant from parts of a
single mature plant. Vegetative propagation can be achieved in the following storage organs: Corms, Bulbs, Rhizomes,
Stem tubers and Root tubers
Corms in vegetative propagation
Corms are storage structures of some plants. They are swollen underground stems with dry scale
leaves covering them. In favorable conditions, they grow in size and can remain dormant in
adverse conditions. Corms can be cut into pieces and each piece planted to produce a new plant.
The daughter corms that grow on mature corms are called cormels. Cormels can also be separated
and planted.
Corms are different from bulbs in, when cut open, they are solid and not layered like
that of bulbs. Dasheen and eddoes are great examples of plants with corms.
Bulbs in vegetative propagation
Bulbs are shortened underground storage structures. They are stems that are enclosed with fleshy,
concentric layered leaves. Bulbs produce smaller buds (lateral buds) which appear between the
layers of the parent bulb. As the mature plants gets to the end of its life, the lateral bud develops
into a smaller bulb that attaches to the base of the parent bulb. The new bulb can be separated
and planted.
Examples include Tulips, daffodils, garlic and onions.
Rhizomes in vegetative propagation
Rhizomes are segmented, fleshy underground stems. They serve as storage and
reproductive structures. Great examples include turmeric, ginger and bamboo.
Stem tubers in vegetative propagation
Before we look at tubers, it is important to note that there are two categories of tubers:
stem tubers and root tubers. As their names suggest stem tubers are the swollen parts of the
stem buried in the soil. Root tubers are the swollen roots. Both are storage systems of the plant.
Stem tubers have eyes or nodes on them that can produce new shoots. A great example is the
potato tuber. The eyes often begin to sprout into new shoots when left for some time.
Each shoot that appears on the tuber can be cut and planted to produce a new plant.
Root tubers:
Some roots, such as those of sweet potato, have swollen roots that serve as storage structures. Tubers can develop into
new plants that have identical genetic makeup as the parents. Tubers with buds at the base of the stems can also be
separated and new plants produced from them.
Types of vegetative propagation that don’t use storage organs
Stolons or runners are horizontal stems that grow above the ground, for example, strawberries. Tiny plantlets form
along the stolon, and roots form where they touch the ground. When the connection with the parent plant breaks, the
new plant becomes independent.
What is Artificial Vegetative Propagation?
Artificial propagation of plants includes these four main processes:
1. Grafting:
This process involves joining the shoot system of a plant (known as scion) to the root system of another plant
(known as the stock). The two are joined where the sizes (diameter) of the scion and stock are very close. They
are both cut diagonally and placed facing each other. They are then taped and left to heal with time.
2. Budding:
Often called bud grafting, is an artificial method of asexual or vegetative propagation in plants. Like grafting,
this method is employed to convert one plant (the rootstock) into another plant type with desirable
characteristics.
3. Cutting:
Plants such as roses and sugarcane can be cut at the points of nodes and internodes. These points are then
placed in moist soils. After some time, adventitious roots develop at the points and new plants begin to grow.
Three are many types of cutting techniques, grouped into three categories: Stem, leaf and root cutting. Stem
cuttings include hardwood, semi-hardwood, and softwood cutting. Leaf-cutting include leaf blade cutting, leaf
vein cutting, leaf bud cutting and leaf edge cutting. The third category is root cutting.
4. Tissue Culture:
In this modern technique, tissue scraped from the parent plant is placed in a special growing medium and under
certain conditions. The tissue is nourished from the nutrients in the medium until new plants are produced.
Orchids, Chrysanthemum and Asparagus are examples of plants cultivated with tissue culture.
INSERT VIDEO ON TISSUE CULTURE HERE.