VOA慢速英语2020--Try Growing Plants From Cuttings

People who are good at growing plants know that it is possible to plant what seems to be a lifeless stick and produce a tree or other kind of plant.

The stick is a really what is called a hardwood cutting. From these cuttings, trees, vines and shrubs² can grow. They are called "hardwood" because the pieces are woody rather than leafy.

Not every woody plant will take root and start to grow from hardwood cuttings. Gardeners can expect close to 100 percent success with plants such as grape, currant, gooseberry, privet, spiraea and honeysuckle. However, this method does not work with apple, maple³ or oak trees, for example.

Because they lack leaves, hardwood cuttings are less perishable⁴ than "softwood cuttings." They have leaves that can dry out rooting stems before roots can form.

If you want to develop a "green thumb" – or get really good at growing plants -- start your effort with hardwood cuttings of willow⁵. Willow trees often spread from branches that take root on top of the ground through the winter. Most other plants demand a little more attention.

How to make cuttings

The autumn is a good time to start hardwood cuttings. Step back and look at the plant. Choose some shoots that grew during the most recent growing season -- the youngest shoots. Choose ones that are not too fat or too thin.

Cut the shoots to a length of about 15 centimeters. The cut at the top should be just above a node where a leaf was attached. The cut at the bottom should be just below a swollen⁶ node. Make sure you remember which end was up – the end that is farther from the root. Experts do this by cutting the bottoms off squarely and the tops at an angle so they avoid mistakes during planting.

Then, place the bottom of each cutting into some well-drained soil. It should be deep enough so that only the top node still shows. If you plant cuttings in autumn, cover the area with mulch to keep the soil warmer and to prevent the freezing and warming of the ground from harming the cuttings during the winter. If you plant the cuttings in a temporary planting bed, the rooted plants should be ready to move to their permanent homes by the next autumn.

Storing cuttings

It is possible to plant the cuttings in the ground in spring, too. Experts like fall planting more because the cuttings have a chance to take root before the tops start growing leaves in spring. New shoots cannot grow until after they have experienced winter cold.

Spring planted cuttings often begin new top growth before root growth begins. The shoots soon find there are no roots to sustain them. Then, they fail to survive.

If you have to plant in the spring, the cuttings need to be kept cool and wet through the winter. The traditional storage method is to place the cuttings together and bury them upside down in the soil. This lets the bottoms of the cuttings be first to feel the warming effects of spring sun on the ground. This method also prevents untimely shoot growth because they are buried deeper in cold ground.

A refrigerator also works. Put the cuttings in a closed plastic bag, put a wet paper towel around the bag, and then put the whole thing in another plastic bag. And, plant the cuttings as early as possible in spring, as soon as winter's extra wetness has dried from the ground.

Words in This Story

vine –n. a plant with very long stems that grows along the ground or around something

shrub¹ –n. a plant with stems and wood but is smaller than a tree

perishable –adj. likely to spoil or decay quickly

stem –n. a long thin part of a plant that rises above the ground and supports leaves or flowers

vigor⁷ –n. strength, energy or the ability to grow and move

node –n. a small round growth on a plant stem where a leaf grows

mulch –n. usually an organic plant material that is used to spread over the ground in a garden to prevent weeds and protect plant roots

drain – v. to remove liquid from something

refrigerator – n. a household device used to keep food cold

towel – n. a cloth used to dry things

1 shrub   

n.灌木，灌木丛

参考例句：

• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。
• Moving a shrub is best done in early spring.移植灌木最好是在初春的时候。

2 shrubs   

灌木( shrub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。
• These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。

3 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

4 perishable   

adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的

参考例句：

• Many fresh foods are highly perishable.许多新鲜食物都极易腐败。
• Fruits are perishable in transit.水果在运送时容易腐烂。

5 willow   

n.柳树

参考例句：

• The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。
• The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。

6 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

7 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。