Layering: what is this gardening technique?
Layering refers to a natural multiplication plants or vegetative propagation. We also talk about asexual reproduction. This is a gardening technique that will allow you to obtain seedlings from a single plant.
Layering aims to encourage a plant to produce roots from an aerial stem, which is quite similar to cutting work but is not exactly the same thing.
We can thus layer a strawberry or a lime tree.
There are several layering techniques. We will choose the one that best suits the plant to be layered. The choice of technique can be made according to its cultivation method (in a pot or in the ground), the flexibility of its stems or even according to the number of layers to create.
Concretely, to layer, we will choose a stem of the plant and remove its leaves but without separating it from the plant. It is then placed on the ground to cover it with a substrate that is sufficiently well drained. The rod can be held in place using a small hoop. It is the buried part which will then attract the gardener’s full attention because it will be necessary to check that the selected stem is new rootswait until they are well developed before cutting the stem to replant it.
The layering technique is suitable for almost all types of plants, whether it is an outdoor or indoor plant. The only criterion to check is that the plant to be layered must still have a fairly flexible stem that can be placed on the ground without risk of breakage.
Finally, layering can be practiced all year round, particularly for your indoor plants, but the ideal period for layering outdoor plants is between spring and autumn.
What is the difference between cuttings and layering?
Cuttings and layering are two fairly similar techniques in gardening.
THE cuttings like layering aim to multiply the plants by causing roots to grow on a stem after putting it in contact with the earth.
But the difference in layering lies in the technique, which does not detach the stem from the mother plant. We wait for the layered stem to produce its own roots so that we can detach it – we then speak of weaning – from the base of the mother plant. We then put it in a pot or in the ground in the place of our choice.
Layering also makes it possible to obtain a more advanced plant and a best recovery compared to cuttings.
Conversely, if we can easily multiply the specimens with cuttings or seedlings, it is difficult to do so with layering where we can only obtain a few plants each time.
The different types of layering
There is no one way to layer plants. The technique will be adapted depending on the type of plant to be layered.
Layering by hilling
We will encourage the mother plant to make new plants from its own base.
For this, the technique of layering by hilling consists of first cutting the branches then covering the base (foot of the plant) using potting soil and compost. We then wait to see branches appear on the ends of the cut branches. We then check if we see new roots appearing where we put the mixture of potting soil and compost.
This layering technique makes it possible to obtain young plants. You have to keep as many roots as possible.
Layering by hilling is more appropriate at the end of winter so that the young plants can then be cut out in the fall.
We particularly reserve this layering technique for clump growing plants (example: lavender, sage or thyme).
Air layering
This is a slightly more complex technique to implement.
We start by removing the leaves on the branch affected by air layering. It is desirable that the branch be at least 1 cm thick. Then, we make a slight oblique incision without exceeding half the width of the branch. We then use a rooting hormone on this part before applying a layer of potting soil. To keep everything in place, we use a bag and thread or raffia to hold everything together.
All that remains is to wait until new roots appear. When these roots are strong enough, it is then possible to cut this new plant and detach it from the mother plant.
Air layering can only produce one plant each time, but you can always do it on several stems if you want to obtain several plants.
Even if the layering doesn’t work and you have to start all over again, the plant does not suffer from the incision because it heals easily.
Air layering is recommended over a period ranging from May to July but it is a technique that can be carried out throughout the year when it comes to potted plants placed under cover.
Layering using long wood
Longwood layering, as its name suggests, is practiced on a very long portion of a branch. Apart from that, the technique is quite close to that of layering by coating.
Simply dig a hole the length of the branch, thenuse U-shaped hooks to hold the branch to the ground before covering your branch with potting soil and compost. It is also a layering technique which will allow the production of several new plants.
For layering using long wood on a mature branch, we should favor the end of summer period, while for a dormant branch, we can do it from the beginning of spring.
The longwood layering technique is recommended for certain types of plants, such as, for example, hazel where the honeysuckle.
Layering by layering
It is, of all the layering techniques, the simplest method to implement.
Find a flowerless branch on your favorite plant. You should choose a vigorous branch not too far from the ground to be sure that it can come into contact with the ground without risking breaking it during the operation.
You must then remove the leaves from the chosen branch.
Then make a hole with a depth of approximately 5 cm to place the branch which will be fixed with a U-shaped hook.
You must then cut the underside of the branch by the equivalent of half, no more. You need to make an oblique cut under a leaf node. You can place a grain of wheat to keep the opening well and help the roots grow. Using a stake, raise and secure the end of the branch, then cover with potting soil and water sufficiently.
You will have to wait a few months to detach the new plant.
This method is well suited for honeysuckle For example.
We can layer at the beginning of spring if it is a dormant branch, but for a mature branch, we will wait until the end of summer.
Snake layering
Quite close to layering, coil layering begins in the same way.
We first select a branch from the mother plant which we place on the ground. Then we will dig holes 5 cm deep one after the other, their number varying according to the length of the branch. This technique allows you to create several plants simultaneously.
This snake layering technique can be practiced from the beginning of spring on a dormant branch. However, if you only have mature branches, it will be better to layer one until the end of summer. Care must be taken to choose large branches. For example, this technique works very well for layering a raspberry bush, a wisteria or a clematis.
What is the benefit of layering for your plants?
Layering is possible for almost all plants.
It is a technique for propagating plants which does not damage the mother plant and which allows the layered branch to be nourished throughout the process by the mother plant. This ensures successful development of strong, healthy roots.
This makes the new plant viable and even those that often have difficulty rooting can propagate more simply with the layering technique.
Layering is a gardening technique that allows you to multiply the plants of your favorite plants, whether indoor or outdoor plants. It is simple to implement if you respect the different stages of the technique used and you choose the right period for gardening.