Layering
Download in pdfThis propagation technique is to be carried out with Artemisia afra. It is not particularly useful for Artemisia annua which is an annual plant.
Layered shoots are encouraged to form roots white still attached to the parent plant.
Selection of plants for propagation: use the finest and most productive plants; do not use plants that are prone to pests and disease.
How to layer plants :
a flexible young stem that can be bent down to ground level (top stems can be used if long enough).
leaves from the area of the stem to be planted so as to promote root development.
any mulch, make a shallow trench a few centimetres deep, cover the stem with soil and firm in, leaving the shoot tip to point up
the buried part of the stem in place with a small arch or two pieces of wood planted crosswise in the ground
the shoot tip so it grows upwards.
regularly around the buried part of the stem.
Wait one to one and a half months.
Transplanting the layer :
the pieces of wood.
to uncover the buried stem and check for presence of roots.
the buried stem to separate the new plant with its new roots from the parent plant.
the new plant taking as much soil as possible around its roots to promote regrowth
at least 2 m away from the parent plant in watered, compost-enriched soil. (See: Cultivation Manual, transplanting).
every day to keep plants moist. Adjust watering during the rainy season
It is also possible to layer the stem directly in a pot with soil; this is a highly practical and effective technique if you want to have plants to give in pots.
