SHORT NOTE Air layering as a propagation method in glasshouse cultivation

Abstract

The glasshouse renovation works being undertaken at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) as part of the Edinburgh Biomes Project (2020–2027) pose a number of challenges to the horticulturists managing the plant collections. The grandeur of many of the larger specimens and the limit of available space are the most prominent of these. Air layering is a propagation method that until recently has not been used widely at RBGE. It has however proven to be a successful technique to maintain the genetic diversity of the collection while reducing both the need for space in propagation glasshouses and the level of aftercare required once propagation is complete. This Short Note explains the method used and highlights several successful propagations, illustrated with images, along with suggestions for implementing the method in the future.