Stock Plant Production and Management Basics for Small Greenhouse Businesses

Abstract

Vegetative propagation is an important component of ornamental plant production, because noteworthy characteristics such as flower color or leaf variegation remain true to type from the stock plant, unlike the varied results achieved through seedling propagation. Therefore, maintaining good stock or “mother plants” is critical for success down the road. Poor stock plant management leads to poor quality cuttings. This document contains information that provides some basic guidelines for successful stock plant management and stem cutting production. This document is ENH1021, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date December 7, 2005.

Increasing Stock Production of Two Herbaceous Perennials with the Application of Plant Growth Regulators

“…Although harvesting cuttings before bloom time is not preferred (Walters, 1982), taking cuttings year-round is a challenging task because perennials flower at different times during the year. Studies have shown that the reproductive tissue on cuttings can inhibit root and vegetative development (Gibson and Cerveny, 2005); therefore, it is highly desirable to keep stock plants in a juvenile or vegetative state of development. Because the success of propagating vegetative cuttings will depend on the propagator's judgment (Wells, 1971), producing stock plants with more available vegetative material during the growing season would certainly increase the propagator's options.…”