The Vetiver Network International

How to Propagate

How to Propagate Vetiver

Photo Essay on Propagation

There are many methods of propagation. Plants produced from a nursery whatever the size are generally of better quality. Experienced/traditional small farmers often just split their existing hedgerows using the downhill vetiver part of the hedge as transplants for new hedgerows. This system works under proper management and small numbers. Production of large numbers of quality and uniform slips should come from nurseries.  The cheapest and in most cases the best is production of bare rooted plant material. In Thailand vetiver was successfully propagated (by the millions) in-vitreo, but even these have to go through a nursery phase. Containerized plants are very good, but more expensive, and are recommended for use where the site conditions warrant them. Some of the other methods of propagation can be found in Document Center papers. The following photos show a step-by-step process of producing bare rooted vetiver slips. We thank Evan Millwood of Queensland, Australia for many of the photos.

 

 

 

Photo 1 A photo of an experienced vetiver user teaching new users about the basic planting unit (slip) and explaining how to plant and use it.

 

 

Photo 2 — Original Vetiver mother (C.zizanioides), 4 years old, shovel is for scale. This is what many new propagation units start with.

 

Photo 3. — A newly planted commercial nursery (Graham Dabbs – Zimbabwe)

 

Photo 4.   A well managed nursery. Plants are irrigated and trimmed regularly to encourage tillering. Planting distances vary but a planting density of 60,000 plants/ha should be the target (p.K.Yoon Malaysia)

 

Photo 5. — Most nurseries are small and simple like this one that produces containerized vetiver plants. Their plants if properly grown are just as good as those from large commercial growers. (Thein Maw — Myanmar)

 

Photo 6. — Harvesting (digging clumps), first trim plants to facilitate digging. (Ian Millwood Australia)

 

Photo 7.  — Dig the trimmed clump (Ian Millwood Australia)

 

 

 

 

Photo 8, — Cut the soil away from the clump sides leaving 5 cm of root below the crown. (Ian Millwood Australia)

 

Photo 9. —  The group of tillers (slips) in your hand should be further divided to get groups of at least three tillers that becomes the basic transplanting unit. (Ian Millwood, Australia)
Photo 10. — Ready for final trimming and division into 3 tiller planting slips (Ian Millwood, Australia)
Photo 11 Trimming roots and leaves of slips with a machete. (On the Mekong, Cambodia)

 

Photo 12. — Trimming transplants with pruning shears (Ian Millwood – Australia).

 

Photo 13. —  Transplants units ready for final trimming prior to shipping or planting (Ian Millwood – Australia)
Photo 14. — Final transplant unit that has been cleaned by removing any dead material (Ian Millwood – Australia).

 

Photo 15. — Cleaned transplant units from a single mature clump ready for use or shipping (Ian Millwood – Australia).

 

Photo 16 . — Bundling the slips for transport. (Roley Noffke – Madagascar).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 17. — Transport, slips trimmed and bundled

 

Photo 18. — Bare rooted slips from a small nursery stored under shade ready for bulk shipment (Thien Maw – Myanmar)