Types of Propagation
SEED Growing plants from seed can be very easy and very cheap. You’re likely to have two types of seeds: dry and fleshy. Dry seeds tend to float through the air to reach their final destination and may be surrounded by a thin papery layer to help them fly. Before planting, remove the paper coating. Fleshy seeds are surrounded by fruit, designed to entice an animal to move them to their final destination by eating it and removing the fleshy covering. Remove this covering before planting. (This is especially rewarding if you’re planting a mango seed.) Sow seeds in well-draining, sterile soil very near the surface.
CUTTINGS Like air-layers and grafting, this results in a clone of the parent plant. Each type of propagation doesn’t always work for every type of plant, so you may need to experiment with different techniques to see which one works best. Simply take a piece of the parent plant and put it into soil to make it grow roots. You can also use a rooting hormone at the base of the cutting to help promote root growth. Dragon fruit (pitaya) grows easily from cuttings.
AIR-LAYERING This technique is similar to cuttings, but you don’t actually remove the cutting from the parent plant. Remove about an inch and a half of bark on an upright branch of the parent tree and cover that area with moist sphagnum moss, then wrap with aluminum foil or plastic to help retain the moisture. This area will eventually produce roots in about six weeks or so. The new plant can then be cut from the parent tree just below where the roots end and planted into a small container of well-drained soil. Guavas, caimitos, Spanish limes, lychees and longans are typically propagated by air-layering.
GRAFTING There are several different types of grafting (see link below for detailed instructions). In each technique, you take a piece of the parent plant, called the budwood or scion, and attach it to a healthy seedling of the same species, called the rootstock. Mangos must be grafted onto mangos, carambolas to carambolas, and so on. When grafting, the thin layer between the bark and the wood, called the cambium, must connect on the budwood and the rootstock. This will allow the two separate plants to join and become one. The budwood of the parent plant you wish to clone will become the top of the plant, and the young, healthy rootstock will become the bottom of the plant. When joining the budwood and the rootstock, tie them together to keep them from drying out. This is generally done with thin plastic tape. Grafting is preferred for mango, jackfruit and avocado.
Whatever technique you use, only use healthy plants to when you propagate. Choose cuttings and budwood that are clean and free of disease. For air-layers, choose a spot on a tree that is upright and healthy. Usually the width of a pencil is the ideal size for cuttings, air-layers, budwood and rootstocks.
Aftercare is crucial. Don’t allow the propagated plant to dry out, get too wet, or bake in the sun. A semi-shaded area for your plants to begin to grow is best. Only water when the soil is dry. Use your finger to see if the soil is wet or dry. For a more detailed explanation of subtropical and tropical fruit propagation, visit edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1349
Questions about your tropical fruit trees? Call a UF/IFAS extension agent at 305-248-3311. Homeowners: Adrian Hunsberger (ext. 236); commercial tropical fruit growers: Jeff Wasielewski (ext. 227); commercial vegetable growers: Qingren Wang (ext. 234).
