What is Cloning Plants and How Does It Work?

For thousands of years, people have been cloning plants in various ways. One common method is taking a cutting from a plant and growing it into a new one, a process known as vegetative propagation. In this process, the new plant is a clone of the original, sharing the same genetic makeup. This works because the cutting forms a callus, a group of non-specialized cells, at its end. With time and the right conditions, this callus can divide and develop specialized cells, like roots, eventually becoming a new plant.

Cloning also happens naturally and has been occurring for billions of years. For example, when a strawberry plant sends out a runner, a new plant forms where the runner takes root, creating a clone. This natural cloning process is also seen in plants like grass, potatoes, and onions.

Another technique, called tissue culture propagation, involves taking parts of specialized roots, breaking them into individual cells, and placing them in a nutrient-rich culture. In the culture, these cells dedifferentiate, forming calluses. By applying specific plant hormones, these calluses can be coaxed into growing new plants identical to the original. Tissue culture propagation, often used to grow prized orchids and rare flowers, is more complex and requires significant expertise to master.

Grafting and budding are horticultural techniques used to join parts from two or more plants so that they appear to grow as a single plant. In grafting, the upper part (scion) of one plant grows on the root system (rootstock) of another plant. In the budding process, a bud is taken from one plant and grown on another.

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