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The Forest Service National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources (RNGR) is a leading source of technical information for nurseries and land managers regarding production and planting of trees and other native plants for reforestation, restoration, and conservation.

 
NPN Protocol Details Image

Populus (tremuloides)

David Dreesen
USDA NRCS - Los Lunas Plant Materials Center
1036 Miller St. SW
Los Lunas, New Mexico 87031
http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/nmpmc
Family Scientific Name: Salicaceae
Family Common Name: Willow family
Scientific Name: Populus tremuloides (Michx.)
Common Name: Quaking aspen
Species Code: POPTRE
Ecotype: Taos County (north-central), NM, 8000 ft. to 9500 ft. elevation.
General Distribution: P. tremuloides is found from Alaska to Labrador, south to California, northern Mexico,Tennessee and New Jersery.
Propagation Goal: plants
Propagation Method: vegetative
ProductType: Container (plug)
Time To Grow: 0
Target Specifications: Height: 30 cm. Caliper: 3 mm. Root System: Firm plug.
Propagule Collection: VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION: Root Cuttings. Rationale for Vegetative Propagation from Nursery Stock Plants: Seed of local ecotypes is not available. The propagation of clones native to the mine site is preferred. Stock plants have to be grown in a nursery because wild stands can not provide sufficient root cuttings and these stands are inaccessible during the winter months. Nursery Stock Plant Establishment: Root cuttings were collected in October from wild stands by wrenching suckers out of very rocky soils.
Propagule Processing: Cuttings were stored at 4§ C for at least 2 months and then planted horizontally in flats in the greenhouse. Individual plants were transplanted to tree bands (81 cubic inch) and finally to 5 gallon egg cans after one year. Stock plants were grown for an additional growing season in a pot-in-pot nursery system to moderate media temperature and facilitate root cutting harvest. Stock plants were fertilized with controlled release (17-6-12 plus minors, 3 to 4 month) fertilizer and top dressed with sulfur to counteract alkaline irrigation water. Stock plants were watered daily with micro-spray emitters. Large variability in survival and growth of ramets from different stock plants of the same clone can be expected because of a substantial stock plant effect. Superior clones had less variation in survival and growth due to stock plant effect than inferior clones.
Pre-Planting Treatments: Root Cutting Collection from Stock Plants: Root cuttings were collected from stock plants during March. When cuttings were harvested within 2 cm of the periphery of the root ball, individual stock plants yielded from 22 to 36 cuttings per pot. Average caliper ranged from 4 to 6 mm, the average length ranged from 8 to 9 cm. Cuttings were harvested with a slant cut on the distal end and a perpendicular cut on the proximal end. Root cuttings were soaked in a Captan suspension (1:125 volumetric ratio, i.e., 2 tbs./gal) immediately after harvesting for 15 to 30 minutes, placed in polyethylene bags containing moist Spaghnum peat moss, and stored at 4§ C for 6 to 12 weeks before planting. The growth of all tested aspen clones showed an overall trend with small caliper-long cuttings having the best growth and large caliper-short cuttings having the poorest growth. The overall survival trend for all clones indicates that the longer cuttings were superior. Long cuttings averaging 10 cm in length are preferable. Cutting caliper as small as 3 to 4 mm is not detrimental and in some cases may be beneficial.
Growing Area Preparation/
Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:		 Greenhouse Propagation: Cuttings were stuck vertically in 164 ml Super Cell Cone-tainers. Media was 2 parts Sunshiner #1 mix to 1 part perlite with controlled release fertilizer 17-6-12 plus minors (3-4 months) added at a rate of 2 kg/cubic meter. Root cuttings were inserted into dibbled holes until the proximal end was just below the media surface. Ramets were fertilized once a week with 100 mg/l N from soluble fertilizer (20-10-20 plus minors).
Establishment Phase: Eight weeks after sticking, 45 to 55 % of the ramets of the better growing clones had total stem lengths greater than 22 cm (9 inch).
References: Dreesen, D.R.; Harrington, J.T. 1998. Vegetative propagation of aspen, narrowleaf cottonwood, and riparian trees and shrubs. In: Landis, T.D., tech. coord. National Proceedings, Forest and Conservation Nursery Associations. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-25. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 129-137.

Citation:

Dreesen, David. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Populus tremuloides (Michx.) plants USDA NRCS - Los Lunas Plant Materials Center Los Lunas, New Mexico. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.