Propagation of Ornamental Plants for Oklahoma
Most ornamental plants in Oklahoma can be propagated locally by nursery personnel, which allows them to increase the number of plants with specific desirable characteristics. Plants can be propagated by asexual or sexual means. Asexual propagation refers to the multiplications of plants from vegetative plant parts such as shoots, roots, and leaves, while sexual propagation involves the growing of plants from seed. Asexual propagation is the only practical means of reproduction when plants do not produce viable seed, or seeds are difficult to germinate. The most important reason for using asexual reproduction is to grow plants with the same characteristics as the parent plant. This method can produce marketable plants in less growing time and increase profits. Many people have tried to define or describe the ideal rooting medium for asexual propagation. In general, it has been found that one ideal rooting medium does not exist but several combinations of materials are best. A mixture of equal volumes of peat moss and coarse perlite is a suitable rooting mixture for most plants. Combinations of materials such as rockwool, shredded sphagnum, vermiculite, and sand have also proven satisfactory.