Originally posted by BigMackCam So... how do plants like these propagate, I wonder?? (apologies for the break from thread purpose - I think we're used to it here by now, though
)...
Vegetatively, as in cutting off a chunk and sticking it in moist soil so the chunk grows into a new plant. Some plants can be propagated by taking cuttings of roots, some you can have success by chopping off an above ground growing tip and convincing it to grow roots and eventually become a stand alone plant of its own. Next willow you see, cut off a handful of ~10" tips from the ends of the branches. Stick the cut off end in a glass of ~5" of water and watch the roots grow (it will take a few weeks, so have a good book on standby
).
Mass propagation can be done via tissue cultures where, in labs, they can grow new plants efficiently from very small parts of the mother plant. It can be a problem when your entire crop is genetically identical though, the wrong disease could potentially wipe out all your bananas. We're trading genetic diversity for a fruit that's a sure thing.
I don't know much about apples, but I don't think any apple varieties come true to their parents via seed. In other words, if you want a tree to produce Crispins, you'll have to propagate it from another Crispin vegetatively. You can make more apple trees via seeds, but they might end up even more horrid tasting than the apple you started with (or possibly better).