Download Marcotting Made Easy (ODREX 1993)

VICARP R & D
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MARCOTTING MADE EASY
Introduction
Marcotting or air-layering is an asexual or vegetative means of perpetuating plants wherein a
branch is induced to develop roots while still attached to the mother plant. This method of plant
propagation is very simple and rapid, such that one can produce many new planting materials from a
single mother plant.
There are many kinds of fruit trees and ornamental plants that can be propagated through
marcotting. These are citrus species (calamansi. pomelo, lime, mandarin, orange, etc. ) avocado, chico
guava, mango, santol , tambis, bougainvillea, cypress, roses, santan and Doña Aurora, etc.
This bulletin aims to provide information about marcotting.
Advantages
In many fruit tree species, marcots have the following advantages over the use of seeds as
planting materials:
Early fruiting
Marcotted calamansi (Citrus madurensis) bears fruit in 1 1/2 - 2 years. Calamansi grown
from seed bears fruit 5-7 years.
Production of true-to-type specie
Marcotting retains the desirable characteristics of the parent plant.
Easy to manage
Marcotted plants do not grow very tall, hence, pruning, spraying and harvesting become
easier.
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Materials Needed
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Procedure
Select a upright or vertically-oriented branch or twig 5-8 mm in diameter from healthy
mother/parent plant.
Using a sharp knife, make a notch or girdle 1-1.5 cm long (or equal to the circumference of the
notched part) around the selected branch or twig 20-30 cm from the tip.
Remove the bark and scrape the cambium layer well.
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Wrap the notched part with the cellophane and tie it as shown in the above illustration.
Fill the cellophane with about 2-3 tablespoonfuls of rooting medium to cover the notched part of
the branch.
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Press the rooting medium and tie the upper end of the cellophane.
Using a pruning shear or saw, cut the marcot after 30-45 days or when fully developed roots
appear.
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Remove the cellophane and transplant the marcot in a polybag or tin can containing fertile garden
soil.
Harden the marcot for 15-30 days under shade and water daily. The new plants are ready for
transplanting when there is a profuse production of shoots and when the leaves turn green.
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Care of the Marcot during hardening
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Cultivate and water the soil regularly.
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Control pests through safe and recommended means.
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Remove flowers and developing fruits to hasten recovery and vegetative growth.
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Apply fertilizer solution at least once a week by dissolving 1 tablespoon of urea (45-0-0) or 2
tablespoons of ammosul (21-0-0) in a gallon of water. apply the solution at the base of the plant.
After the plants shall have been transplanted, remove flowers and developing fruits for 1 1/2- 2
years afterwhich the plant shall have attained full vegetative growth and now be ready to bear fruit.
Source:
Communication and Training Services Division
ODREX, ViSCA, Baybay, Leyte
First printing, 1993
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