U N I T

9
Separation and Division

OBJ
B J EECT
C T IV E CO M
MPP E TE N CI
C ES
ES T
TOO DE
D EVELOP
VEL O
To propagate one plant by
propagate one plant by After studying this unit, you should be able to:
f d i hi i h ld b bl
separation and one by
describe the processes of separation and division and explain
division. the major difference between the two.
identify five specialized plant structures used in propagation
K EY T E RM S and explain how each is used.
bulb list five plants propagated by separation or division and the
bulblets type of specialized structure used in each case.
contractile roots write a brief definition of bulb, corm, tuber, tuberous root,
corm and rhizome.
cormels
division
double-nose M A TE R I A LS
herbaceous perennials bulbs, corms, tubers, tuberous roots, rhizomes
offset bulbs sharp knife
polarity storage container and packing material
rhizomes
separation
splits or slabs
tuber
tuberous roots

107

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 108
SECTION 3 Plant Propagation
MANY plants are propagated by one of two pro-
cesses usually associated with one anotherthe
process of separation and the process of division. In
both cases, plants are propagated by use of under-
ground plant parts. The primary function of these
plant parts is to act as an organ for food storage.
These plant parts are found on herbaceous
perennials having shoots that die back at the end
of the growing season; the underground part lives
through the winter (dormant season) and sends
forth a new top the following growing season.
The second function of these plant parts is that of
vegetative or asexual reproduction.
Separation is a method of propagation in
which natural structures produced by certain
plants are removed from the parent plant to
become new plants. Bulbs and corms are exam-
ples of removable structures. These parts are
usually removed while the parent plant is in a
dormant or resting stage. Some bulb-producing
plants propagated by separation are the tulip,
amaryllis, lily, narcissus, daffodil, hyacinth, and
grape hyacinth. Examples of corm-producing
plants are the crocus, gladiolus, and colchicum.
Division is a method of propagation in
which parts of the plant are cut into sections,
each capable of developing a new plant. Division
is possible with plants that grow rhizomes, stem
tubers, and tuberous roots. Examples of plants
with rhizomes are the iris, canna, and calla lily.
Those with stem tubers include the caladium,
peony, and Irish potato. Tuberous roots are found
on the dahlia, gloxinia, and bleeding heart.
Propagation by
Separation
As mentioned, plants that are propagated by sep-
aration are those that produce bulbs or corms
as specialized underground plant parts that are
responsible for food storage and propagation of
the plant. Separation is a natural process.
Bulbs
PARTS OF THE BULB A bulb, such as
the tulip bulb, is a plant structure containing
many parts but primarily composed of leaf scales
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80392_09_Unit09_p107-114.indd 108
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C ON T R A C TI L E R O O TS
FIGURE 91 Parts of the tulip bulb.The bulb scales
grow small bulblets at their base.The bulblets
eventually grow larger and may be removed and
grown to flowering size.
(Figure 91). Immediately next to and outside of
the foliage leaves are bulb scales that produce
small bulblets (tiny bulbs) at their base. These
tiny bulblets grow larger and become small bulbs
that may be separated and planted as individual
plants. After several growing seasons, the small
bulbs become large enough to bloom. This pro-
duces offset bulbs. The process of developing
offset bulbs is a simple commercial method for
propagating the tulip, daffodil, bulbous iris, and
hyacinth (Figure 92).
Offset daffodil bulbs are called splits or slabs
when first separated from the mother bulb. After
1 year of growth, the slab or split is called a round
bulb and is capable of flowering the following
season. Within the second year, a second flower
bud forms. At this time, the bulb is known as a
double nose and is capable of producing two
flower stalks. The round and double-nose sizes
are sold commercially. Large mother bulbs are
kept to produce more splits. Splits or slabs are
planted to grow for another year to reach flower-
ing size.
TYPES OF BULBS The tulip bulb is a fairly
solid structure and therefore does not require
special care in handling. The lily, however, is
a loosely scaled bulb that cannot withstand
rough handling or drying. The tulip is a lami-
nate or tunicate bulb; these types of bulbs have
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SEPARATION AND DIVISION UNIT 9

Potted plants, such as the amaryllis, should

be allowed to continue to grow for 6 to 8 months
after blooming before water is withheld to force
them into dormancy. This allows time for the
bulb to grow and store sufficient food reserves to
bloom during the next growing period.
The other plants mentioned earlier such
as narcissus, hyacinth, and grape hyacinth are
propagated in a similar manner.
LILY PROPAGATION The lily (Figure 93)
is also propagated by bulbs, but at a much slower
rate. Mother bulbs are split at the base to force
production of new bulblets. Some lilies natu-
rally grow small bulblets on the stems and even
in leaf axils. Commercially grown lily bulbs are
separated and individual bulb scales are planted
to produce new bulblets (Figure 94). This is a
FIGURE 92 (A) An amaryllis bulb with smaller offset
bulbs attached. (B) The same bulbs, after the offsets
have been separated from the mother, or parent,
bulb. (C) Two daffodil bulbs with smaller offset bulbs
attached. (D) The same bulbs, after the offset bulbs
have been separated from the parent plant. The two
offset daffodils may require another year to grow to
blooming size.

dry membranous outer scales that protect them

against drying and injury. The lily represents a

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nontunicate or scaly bulb, which has no tough
C O N TR A C TI L E R O O TS
outer cover.
PROPAGATION PROCEDURE Bulbs
may be dug and separated after the foliage of
the plant dies back and the plant is in a dormant FIGURE 93 Typical lily bulb.
state. The new bulbs are then stored at 65 to 68F
(18 to 20C) and planted at the proper time. For
tulips, planting time is in the fall. The minimum
size for flowering of tulip bulbs is 10 centimeters.
Separated bulbs that are smaller than this must
be grown for 1 to 3 years before they reach flow-
ering size.
Dry bulbs are stored at 55 to 60F (13 to 16C).
Bulbs should be washed clean of all soil before
storage and treated for rot.
The tops of bulb-producing plants should
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not be cut off until they have turned brown. Early

removal of tops greatly reduces the amount of
food produced and stored and thus reduces bulb
size. This could result in the bulb being too small
to flower the following season. FIGURE 94 Bulb scale propagation of the lily.

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SECTION 3 Plant Propagation

Corms
Another natural plant structure that can be used
in propagation is the corm. A corm is a very
solid, compact stem with nodes and internodes.
Whereas the bulb is composed of leaf scales,
the corm consists of a very short specialized
stem for food storage. Corms have a dry cover-
ing that protects them from injury and drying
(Figure 96). In addition to being an organ for
food storage, the corm is used as a reproductive
structure. Development of small cormels is the
principal means of reproducing (by separation)
plants such as the gladiolus.

PROPAGATION PROCEDURE Cormels

form naturally. If they are of flowering size,
corms are planted shallower than normal, about
2 to 3 inches deep. More cormels will form at this
depth than if corms are planted deeper. When
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the plant top dies back, the plant may be dug and
the small cormels separated and grown to larger
size. The plant top should be allowed to die back
normally by the effects of frost, or grown at least
FIGURE 95 Stem bulblet propagation of the lily. 3 months after blooming so that the food supply
manufactured in the top and stored in the spe-
cialized stem (the corm) is sufficient to develop
good-sized cormels.
After frost or pulling of plants, the corms and
more rapid method of increasing the number of cormels are separated from the rest of the plant
bulbs because the lily bulb contains many loose, and dried for storage. They should be treated
easily separated bulb scales. with a fungicide and stored at 40F (5C) in a
The Easter lily is propagated commercially well-ventilated area with 80 percent humidity to
with underground stem bulblets (Figure 95). prevent too much drying.
The flowering stems are pulled from the ground
in late August through mid-September and
the small bulblets and stems are kept moist
by sprinkling them. In about mid-October, the
small bulblets are placed 4 inches deep and
planted about 1 inch apart to grow the first
season. They are moved again in September
of the following season and planted about
6 inches deep, spaced 6 inches apart. By the
end of the second year, they are dug and sold
as flowering bulbs. At this time, bulb size
should be 7 inches in circumference or larger.
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When dug, bulbs must be handled carefully to

prevent bruising, and must not be allowed to OLD CONTRACTILE
dry out. The best storage is in moist, but not FIBROUS ROOTS

wet, sphagnum moss. A temperature of just

below freezing holds lily bulbs in storage in an FIGURE 96 Gladiolus corm.
inactive state.

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80392_09_Unit09_p107-114.indd 110 2/26/10 10:05:29 PM


A hot-water treatment for disease control
may also be necessary for cormels. Contact a
commercial grower for information concerning
the best treatment.
In the field, new cormels are planted in rows to
grow larger, much as large seeds are. Two years are
usually required for them to reach blooming size.
Propagation by Division
Division differs from separation in that it is not
a natural process; the parts used for propagation
do not separate naturally from the mother plant.
Parts of the plant that are to become new plants
must be cut from the mother plant with pruners
or a knife. Rhizomes, stem tubers, and tuberous
roots are used in propagation by division.
Rhizomes
Rhizomes are underground stems that grow
horizontally and produce roots on the bottom
and stems on the top. A rhizome may be thought
of as a plant lying on its side with the stem cov-
ered with soil. An example of a plant that repro-
duces in this way is the iris.
PROPAGATION PROCEDURE When
plants become crowded, they may be divided for
the purpose of reproducing or increasing num-
bers of plants.
Rhizomes generally grow very near the sur-
face of the soil. They are removed from the soil
by digging underneath the plant with a garden
(spading) fork or shovel and lifting them out of
the ground. All soil is washed from the plant so
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FIGURE 97 Division of the iris (rhizome structure).
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80392_09_Unit09_p107-114.indd 111
111
SEPARATION AND DIVISION UNIT 9
that the parts are clearly visible for division. Divi-
sion is done by cutting the rhizome into sections.
Because a rhizome is an underground stem, the
same care must be taken as with a stem cutting
to make sure that each section has at least one
bud (eye) and preferably several.
The iris is used here to illustrate division of
a rhizome. Iris are divided in late summer after
bloom. Each clump is washed clean and cut
apart (Figure 97). The tops should be cut back
to about one-third of their original height to bal-
ance the root loss. After being cut apart, the new
rhizomes are dusted with a fungicide, especially
on the cut surfaces. They may then be planted in
a new location.
Tubers
A tuber is a swollen end of an underground
side shoot or stem. Tubers are distinguished by
their eyes. Each eye produces a separate plant as
it sprouts, developing a shoot with roots at the
base of the new shoot. The tuber contains stored
food on which the new plant feeds until new
leaves take over the job of food production. One
common tuber is the Irish potato.
GREEN TIP
Plants are lessening the need for
manufactured medicines. For example, the
potato is a rich source of vitamin C, which aids
in reducing cholesterol levels.
PROPAGATION PROCEDURE Propa-
gation of plants by tubers is done by cutting the
tubers into small pieces. Each piece must contain
at least one bud or eye (Figure 98). The pieces are Delmar/Cengage Learning
FIGURE 98 Division of the Irish potato (propagation
by production of tubers).
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SECTION 3 Plant Propagation

reasons. The soil is washed away from the roots

and they are allowed to dry. The roots are stored
in dry sawdust, peat, or other materials at a tem-
perature of 40 to 50F (4 to 10C) to prevent shriv-
eling or complete drying out. Just before planting
in early spring, the clumps or crowns are cut
apart so that each piece has a bud. If sprouts are
present, it is easier to see if a bud is part of the
cut piece. The new pieces are planted in the gar-
den or nursery row after the danger of frost has
passed.
The sweet potato, a tuberous root, sends out
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many shoots from adventitious buds. (Adventi-

FIGURE 99 Tuberous root (dahlia).
planted in the same manner as larger seeds are. No
storage is required; the cut surfaces are allowed to
dry and the pieces are planted immediately.
tious buds are those that occur at sporadic and
unexpected places on the vegetative structure.)
The shoots that grow from these buds root very
quickly if the tuber is placed in a moist rooting
medium. The shoots are pulled off and planted as
rooted shoots without any part of the old tuber-
ous root attached (Figure 910).

Tuberous Roots
Tuberous roots are thickened roots that con-
tain large amounts of stored food. They differ
from tubers in that they are roots and have buds
only at the stem end. Roots are produced at the
opposite end (Figure 99).

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PROPAGATION PROCEDURE Tuber-
ous root crops are propagated by dividing the
crown, or cluster of roots, when the plant is
dormant. The plant is dug in the fall after frost
has killed the top, or it has died back for other FIGURE 910 Tuberous root (sweet potato).

S u m ma ry
Separation and division are asexual methods of propagating some plants, which are easily duplicated by
these two methods. Separation is a natural method developed in nature. Division requires that plants
be cut apart to separate clumps of roots or modified stems. Both methods result in exact duplicates of
the parent. These methods are widely used by the nursery industry and the gardener to propagate many
perennial plants.

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SEPARATION AND DIVISION UNIT 9

S t u den t A c tiv iti es

1. Propagate at least one plant by separation and one plant by division. Plant on the school grounds or at
home if possible.
2. Start a sweet potato in a glass of water or in moist sand. Observe the roots growing from one end of
the tuberous root and the shoots from the other. This is known as polarity. The commercial grower
increases the number of shoots for propagation by giving the sweet potato root a hot-water treatment to
eliminate the polarity.
3. Cut a sweet potato root in half and heat the pieces at 110F for 26 hours. Place in moist sand or water.
Observe the greater number of adventitious shoots that grow when polarity has been eliminated. Cover
the base of the shoots with moist sand as they grow and roots will develop.
4. If time permits, choose other plants that are propagated by separation and division and experiment with
them. Some other plants that propagate by separation or division are day lilies, hostas, orchids, and cala-
diums.
5. Search the Internet using the following terms: plant division; botanical division.

S e l f-E v a lua tion

M u lt i ple C hoi c e
Select the best answer from the choices offered to complete each statement.
1. The main difference between separation and division is that
a) separation is a natural method of propagation; in division, plants must be cut apart.
b) division is a natural method of propagation; in separation, plants must be cut apart.
c) separation is done in the spring of the year; division is done in the fall.
d) there is no real difference.
2. The specialized plant parts used in division and separation have two functions. One is for propagation;
the second is
a) to divide or multiply the plant.
b) to furnish food for human beings and wildlife.
c) to store food.
d) none of the above
3. A corm is a specialized
a) root. c) leaf.
b) stem. d) plant.
4. Daffodil bulbs are stored at
a) 55 to 60F. c) 80F.
b) 60 to 70F. d) 40F.
5. The tops of bulb-producing plants should be allowed to continue growing until they die naturally because
a) they add beauty to the flower garden.
b) they continue to manufacture food for storage in the bulb.
c) they grow larger and provide good mulch for the bulbs.
d) they shade the bulbs and keep them cool.
6. Potted plants such as a potted amaryllis can be forced into dormancy by withholding
a) fertilizer. c) warmth.
b) light. d) water.

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SECTION 3 Plant Propagation

7. Lily bulbs are loosely sealed bulbs and must be stored in moist sand, peat, or sawdust to prevent
a) drying out. c) root growth.
b) forcing new tops. d) none of the above
8. The Easter lily is propagated commercially with underground
a) roots. c) tubers.
b) stem bulblets. d) corms.
9. The gladiolus is propagated through formation of small
a) seeds. c) tubers.
b) roots. d) cormels.
10. In propagation by division, the section of dahlia root that is cut from the mother clump must have a
a) bud. c) number of small rootlets.
b) separation scar. d) all of the above
11. A rhizome is an underground
a) leaf. c) stem.
b) root. d) tuber.
12. An example of a plant propagated with rhizomes is the
a) tulip. c) gladiolus.
b) potato. d) iris.
13. Tuberous roots are thickened
a) roots. c) corms.
b) stems. d) bulbs.
14. Bulbs and corms reproduce by a process known as
a) division. c) offshoots.
b) cuttage. d) separation.

M a t ch i n g
Match each plant in the right-hand column with the structure used in its propagation in the left-hand column.
1. bulb a) iris
2. corm b) tulip
3. tuber c) dahlia
4. tuberous root d) gladiolus
5. rhizome e) Irish potato

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