Tip layering is an example of which propagation method?

• A. Layering
• B. Grafting
• C. Division
• D. Seed propagation

Answer: (A)

Tip layering is a form of layering, a vegetative propagation technique where a stem is encouraged to form roots while still attached to the parent plant. In tip layering, the tip of a young shoot is bent down to the soil and partially buried. The buried portion then develops adventitious roots, and once a solid root system forms, the new plant can be separated from the parent. This method keeps the new plant genetically identical to the parent and works well for plants that root more readily when kept attached during rooting.

It’s different from grafting, which requires joining tissues from two plants to fuse vascular systems; division, which splits a plant’s root crown to create two or more plants; and seed propagation, which starts from seeds rather than vegetative parts.