Pot Design Affects Rooting Response of Cuttings

Abstract

Cutting propagation plays a vital role in producing high-quality seedlings from superior genotypes for establishing intensive plantations, as this method preserves the genetic characteristics of selected mother trees while enabling rapid, large-scale multiplication. Among the various factors influencing rooting success, the choice of rooting medium is particularly critical, and sand has consistently proved to be one of the most effective rooting media across a wide range of plant species due to its favourable aeration and drainage properties. In this study, a newly designed propagation pot was developed and evaluated, featuring a sand core positioned at the centre of the pot and surrounded by an outer layer of soil. This innovative design was applied to Camellia impressinervis, a golden camellia species of significant conservation and economic value, and its performance was compared with that of a conventional pot design consisting entirely of soil. After four months of growth, cuttings grown in the newly designed pot achieved a rooting rate of 98.9%, which was significantly higher than the 73.4% recorded in the traditionally designed pot. In terms of root development, the mean root length in the newly designed pot (4.7 cm) did not differ significantly from that in the traditional pot (4.5 cm). Based on these findings, the newly designed pot incorporating a central sand core is recommended for practical application, particularly for plant species that exhibit better rooting performance in sand than in soil.