METHOD FOR SUBSTRATE-FREE COMMON ROOTING OF A PLURALITY OF UNROOTED CUTTINGS

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the substrate-free rooting of a plurality of unrooted cuttings, comprising the steps: providing a carrier strip having a plurality of cavities which are open at the top for receiving in each case an unrooted cutting in each cavity, wherein each cavity is provided with openings at least in a region associated with a cutting base, inserting an unrooted cutting into each cavity, applying a water-persistant, water- and air-permeable climate membrane to the carrier strip provided with the cuttings in such a manner that at least the region of each cavity of the carrier strip that is associated with the cutting base is surrounded by the climate membrane, arranging the carrier strip provided with the climate membrane in a rooting station and leaving the cuttings to root for a predetermined period of time, with regular misting, and at the end of the predetermined rooting period, dispatching the carrier strip with the rooted cuttings for further processing, or separating the carrier strip into sections each having at least one rooted cutting and dispatching the sections for further processing.

Claims

1. A method for the substrate-free rooting of a plurality of unrooted cuttings, the method comprising the steps: providing a carrier strip having a plurality of cavities which are open at the top for receiving in each case a rootless cutting in each cavity, wherein each cavity is provided with openings at least in a region associated with a cutting base, inserting an unrooted cutting into each cavity, applying a water-persistant, water- and air-permeable climate membrane to the carrier strip provided with the cuttings in such a manner that at least the region of each cavity of the carrier strip that is associated with the cutting base is enclosed by the climate membrane, arranging the carrier strip provided with the climate membrane in a rooting station and leaving the cuttings to root for a predetermined period of time, with regular misting, and at the end of the predetermined rooting period, dispatching the carrier strip with the rooted cuttings for further processing, or separating the carrier strip into sections each having at least one rooted cutting and despatching the sections for further processing.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after the step of inserting an unrooted cutting into each cavity, the carrier strip provided with the cuttings is immersed for a predetermined period of time in a hormone solution in such a manner that the cutting base of each cutting is in the hormone solution, and in that, during the predetermined period of time, regular misting takes place.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined period of time is between 3 and 8 hours and is preferably approximately 6 hours.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein regular misting in the rooting station contains a fertiliser.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, at the end of the rooting process in the rooting station, the rooted cuttings are washed with a solution containing mycorrhiza.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, before the dispatch step, the climate membrane is removed and roots protruding from the bottom of the carrier strip are cut off.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, after the roots protruding from the bottom of the carrier strip have been cut off, a new climate membrane is applied in the same manner as before.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, before the new climate membrane is applied, the roots of the cuttings are treated with a plant strengthener.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the new climate membrane is impregnated with a fertiliser solution.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate membrane has a tensile strength of from 13.0 N to 16.0 N/15 mm in the machine direction and from 7.0 N to 9.5 N/15 mm transversely to the machine direction.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate membrane has an air permeability in the range of from 1100 to 1200 l/m.sup.2s.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate membrane has a liquid-absorbing capacity of at least 100 g of liquid, preferably of at least 200 g of liquid and particularly preferably of at least 300 g of liquid, per 100 g of dry weight of the climate membrane.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the climate membrane is in strip form.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the climate membrane is folded into a V-shape before being applied to the carrier strip and is then pushed onto the carrier strip from beneath.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein there is used as the carrier strip an AutoStix™ carrier strip.

Description

[0029] An exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention will be described in greater detail hereinbelow. Cuttings of the variety Gaura Lindheimerii Belleza® Dark Pink are to be rooted. For this purpose, unrooted cuttings were first inserted into carrier strips of the Visser AutoStix™ type, whereby it was ensured that the unrooted cuttings were uniform in terms of size and maturity.

[0030] The carrier strips filled with unrooted cuttings in such a manner were then immersed for six hours in a 30 ppm IBA hormone solution in such a manner that the cutting bases were submerged. In order to prevent the cuttings from drying out, regular misting was carried out during the treatment with the hormone solution.

[0031] Immediately after completion of the hormone treatment, a climate membrane designated 20-70-1400-VP Brown FSC® from the Danish company Ellepot was placed around the region of each carrier strip in which the cutting bases are located. The climate membrane used had a liquid-absorbing capacity of approximately 340 g per 100 g of dry climate membrane. For that purpose, the climate membrane in strip form was folded into a V-shape and then pushed onto the carrier strip from beneath and finally fastened to the carrier strip by stapling the two longitudinal ends of the strip-shaped climate membrane together. Hormone solution at the cutting bases is absorbed by the climate membrane and thereby intermediately stored close to the cutting bases. The climate membrane used ensures that the microclimate around the cutting bases is maintained in an optimal range for uniform callusing and root development.

[0032] The carrier strips provided with the climate membrane were then kept in rooting containers in a rooting station for a period of three weeks in order to allow the rooting process to take place. The rooting station is a region with a regulated temperature and controlled supply of light and humidity. Humidity was supplied by means of misting, whereby a fertiliser (fertiliser with an EC of 1.8) was added to the mist. Misting took place initially at intervals of ten seconds every ten minutes. During the first two weeks, the intervals were increased stepwise until the cuttings were sufficiently hardy and misting could be stopped. One week before the end of the rooting period, the cuttings were pinched out manually by means of scissors. At the end of the rooting period, that is to say a few days before dispatch, the cuttings were subjected to washing with mycorrhiza, in order to promote root branching and durability of the cuttings. On the day before they were dispatched, the cuttings were further preventively treated with a broad-spectrum fungicide.

[0033] At the end of the rooting period, the now rooted cuttings in the carrier strips were prepared for dispatch. For this purpose, the climate membrane was first removed and the roots protruding from the bottom of the carrier strip were cut off. Such cutting back is necessary in order that the carrier strips filled with the cuttings can be further processed by machine by the customer (frequently a producer of finished products). However, cutting back the roots also has the result that new and rapid root branching and root hair formation take place at the cutting bases during transport. In order to further support this new root branching and root hair formation, a new climate membrane was applied to each carrier strip in the same manner as described hereinbefore after the roots had been cut back. This new climate membrane was immersed beforehand in a fertiliser solution and a plant strengthener solution. The microclimate which is thus established around the cutting bases during the transport period is extremely conducive to renewed root branching and root hair development in the region of the root bases.

[0034] The carrier strips so provided with a new climate membrane can then be surrounded with damp paper and placed in designated transport containers. At the customer, the climate membrane is removed before the carrier strips provided with the rooted cuttings are further processed by machine.