Cutting Type Affects Rooting Percentage of Vegetatively Propagated Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)

Abstract

Commercial blueberries, particularly Vaccinium corymbosum, have very specific needs for optimum growth; hence, growing sites are limited. Plants require acidic soil (pH 4.0–5.5), good drainage, thorough aeration, and a constant moderate amount of moisture. To overcome these restrictions, cultivars could be grafted onto a plant adapted to less desirable growing conditions. One potential rootstock is V. arboreum (sparkleberry), which has the ability to grow in many areas that could not be used for commercial blueberries. In the past, propagation of V. arboreum has been difficult, but there has not been much research on the subject. Currently, V. arboreum plants are commercially propagated from seeds. Asexual propagation techniques will be necessary for rapid clonal propagation of selected cultivars of V. arboreum. The current study evaluated the rooting percentage and growth characteristics of juvenile V. arboreum softwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood cuttings subjected to a 10-second basal quick-dip in 0, 1000, 2500, 5000, or 7500 ppm IBA. Rooting percentage was not affected by IBA concentration. The factors that influenced rooting were the source of the cutting and the cutting type (softwood, semi-hardwood, or hardwood). Greatest rooting percentages were observed when softwood cuttings were used. There was also success using semi-hardwood cuttings from plants that had been cut back and allowed to sprout new shoots. The results of this experiment can be used to determine the feasibility of using stem cuttings to commercially propagate selected varieties of V. arboreum.