Marcotting or air
layering, an asexual or vegetative method of plant propagation of
orthotropic shoots (stem growing vertically). It can be easily performed by the
induction of root development and usually done by wounding the part of the
plant to be rooted.
How it is
done?
1. First,
select a stem or shoots of a semi-woody plant species that growing vertically. The
orthotropic shoots is an ideal one because the leaves are arrange radially
around the stem.
2. Put a
girdle around the stem by moving the knife in circular motion around the
stem, then remove a strip of bark, the portion of the stem to be
rooted at around 1 inch length.
Girdled Part (1 inch length)
3. Further remove the cambium layer using a sharp knife, a
cambium is slippery coating on the wood. This is to prevent the the
upper and lower barks wound from healing and reconnecting
4. Mold a
slightly wet soil media, preferably clay loam soil, and put the soil around the
portion of the stem that has been girdled. The rooting medium may be as
thick depending on the time of the roots to be developed. The longer is
the time required to induce rooting and the bigger is the stem, the thicker
should be the rooting medium.
5. Then secure the media using a plastic wrapper or coconut coir dust
and tie the upper and bottom portion using a wire or cable keeper. If you're
using a plastic don't forget to put a minute whole around, this is to ensure
the inflows of air and water within the media.
6. Frequently monitored the moisture
content of soil media and watered if necessary. Maintaining the moisture
content of the soil media allows the earliness of the roots to developed and
easy for penetration.
7. Separation of the rooted shoots from
mother plant should be done upon observing the emergence of roots or roots are
quite plenty enough. New
shoots will also have sprouted from the portion of the stem immediately below
the rooting medium.
8.
Potting of rooted shoots, upon separation, promptly transplant the rooted
cuttings in a pot proportion to it’s' size, trimmed the leaves into half part
to lessen transplanting shock, stress and transpiration rate. Put the potted
plants into shaded area, high humidity and avoid direct sunlight.
