Airlay Propagation of Bell Peppers

Definition

• Air layering reproduces a plant by rooting a piece of stem while it’s still attached to the parent plant. It's done by making a slice in a semiwoody stem and surrounding or layering it with damp sphagnum moss protected by plastic. New roots grow inside the damp medium in a few weeks and the new plant is separated from its parent once it has enough roots to survive on its own. Air layering is a type of vegetative propagation and produces a new plant identical to its parent.

Benefits

• Air-layered stems receive nutrients and moisture from parent plants while rooting and growing strong enough for separation. Air layering helps avoid mildew problems associated with plant and stem contact with wet soils and potting media. Damping off is a common mildew that kills seedlings and tender stem cuttings. It eliminates the need for a separate workspace for the task. New plants develop in the same kind of environment where they are planted, eliminating the need for site acclimation after separation.

Tips

• All that is needed for air layering is a sharp knife, long-fibered sheet sphagnum moss, rooting hormone, plastic sandwich bags and twist ties. Soak the sphagnum ahead of time so it is damp but not dripping when needed. Wiping the blade with rubbing alcohol ensures that fresh cuts remain disease-free. Dusting the cut with powdered rooting hormone facilitates rooting. Early summer when the stems are semiwoody is a good time for layering pepper plants.

Alternatives

• Pepper plants are also propagated by soil layering and stem cuttings. Soil layering differs from air layering in that the cut stem is placed into the soil beneath the plant, where it grows the roots that support the mature plant later. Stem cuttings, also dusted with rooting hormone, are an easy way of propagating many plants at a time. Many gardeners grow bell peppers from seeds they save from one year to the next.