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| Photo Credit: Megan Bame |
| If okra is left on the plant through fall, the “fruit” dries out. The pod eventually splits, and the gardener can gather the seed for next year’s crop. |
“Propagation” is a big word to the amateur gardener, but it’s actually a simple concept, and once you understand the basics, experimenting with different propagation techniques can become a hobby in itself!
In simple terms, “propagate” means to take some part of a “parent” plant to produce new “baby” plants. There are two primary forms of propagation: sexual and asexual. (Don’t worry, we’ll keep this G-rated.) Sexual propagation generally refers to generating more plants by seed, which is naturally produced by the “parent” plant. In the case of most fruits and vegetables, the seed is found inside the fleshy fruit – think of watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes and oranges. But you may not have considered that nuts and grains are seeds, too. Peanuts, almonds, oats and wheat are seeds that contain all the genetic information required to become a plant. If you dry the seed and plant it the following year, you should be able to grow a plant similar to the original. Propagating by seed is probably the most familiar form of plant propagation. Asexual propagation is also referred to as “vegetative propagation.” Where the seed is actually part of the plant’s reproductive system, vegetative propagation uses plant parts that aren’t typically part of the reproductive system – like the leaves, stems and roots. Vegetative propagation produces a clone of the parent plant, and it consists of several techniques using the various plant parts. (And different plants respond well to different techniques.)
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