The idea of layering is used in botany and agronomy to name a plant propagation mechanism. Layering, in this case, refers to bending the stem or stem of a plant to insert it under the ground, so that it takes new roots there, but leaving its limb out.
The layering, in the dictionary of Digopaul, allows obtaining new specimens that have the same characteristics as the original plant. By curving the stem and burying it, the sap is directed towards that sector, favoring the emergence of the roots. The ideal time to develop the layer is spring, when the sap begins to move through the plant. It is important that the soil where the layering is carried out has a good level of humidity and is fresh.
Although the ground layering is the most frequent, it is also possible to appeal to the air layering, which consists of layering branches that are high or thick, making ligatures so that the sap stops in one sector.
In other words, layering in botany is a technique used to ensure that plants reproduce asexually, starting from a branch of the mother that has not yet been extracted from it, in which the outbreak of new roots. This branch should only be separated from the mother plant when the roots have emerged. As in other methods of reproduction, the plants resulting from the layering are identical to the original ones from a genetic point of view.
The layering technique is more complex than that of cuttings, and therefore less common among gardening enthusiasts. Cuttings are fragments that we can extract from plants to obtain new specimens, after subjecting it to a certain process so that it generates roots.
One of the advantages of layering over cuttings is that it allows us to take advantage of the nutrients and water of the mother plant for the new roots. It should be noted that the intervention of the human being so that this process takes place in nature is not necessary: on the contrary, it is seen in many cases where the branches of a plant reach the level of the soil and generate so -called adventitious roots.
For its part, adventitious roots are those that do not arise from the radicle of the embryo, but occur in any other part of the plant, such as in the old roots, the underground stems or a part of the stem.
As mentioned above, layering is not a simple technique, and therefore it is worth taking into account certain tips to obtain the best results:
* water with plenty of water, so there is never a lack of moisture in the soil;
* make a bias cut at the bottom of the portion we buried from the branch. This promotes the birth of new roots;
* keep the stem in a dark area, either buried or covered with a mound of dirt. The balance between humidity, light and heat is essential for the success of the layering.
The notion of layering can be used in architecture. The layer of a segment is called a layer (the sector that forms a vault or an arch) that extends in its lower part and the protruding molding to develop the fence of the opening.
