Does a propagated annual plant restart it\'s life cycle?

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Gardenman317 Smithfield, VA(Zone 8a) Feb 17, 2018

When propagating an annual lets take for instance a basil plant, When you root a cutting from a nearly mature plant (Close to flowering) does the rooted cutting restart the life cycle or does it take on the mature cycle of the mother plant? In other words will the cutting begin the flowering cycle immediately after being re established as a cloned plant or can you depend on getting a full year life cycle from the clone?

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Handroanthus Lynnwood, WA Feb 18, 2018

Hello there Well technically or in actuality the cutting is as old as the parent plant. The plant will typically bloom because of light and temperature values. In the event it starts blooming, keep the flowers cut or pinched off to insure more vegetative growth. You may consider providing some nitrogen to encourage more vegetative growth

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Zen_Man Ottawa, KS(Zone 5b) Feb 18, 2018

I grew zinnias from cuttings and then later took cuttings from those cutting plants for extended indoor culture. The cuttings-from-cuttings zinnias growing indoors were well over a year older than the original zinnia seedling, but they seemed to be young zinnias.

Fancy varieties of coleus are propagated vegetatively from cuttings, year after year. They will not even "come true" from seed. They are classified as annuals or short lived perennials.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectranthus_scutellarioides

"When you root a cutting from a nearly mature plant (Close to flowering) does the rooted cutting restart the life cycle or does it take on the mature cycle of the mother plant?"

That is a good question. It may have different answers for different species or generas of plants. Some plants flower based on day length (or night length). In my experiment with zinnias the cuttings acted like seedlings, even though they were more than a year removed from the original's planting.

In the case of your Basil, if Basil begins flowering based on day length, which I think it might, then the cutting would see the same day length and be under the same pressure to flower. But, once again, good question, worthy of being asked in a university level botany class.

ZM


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Gardenman317 Smithfield, VA(Zone 8a) Mar 05, 2018

Thank you friends for your answers. The sun light hours does make a lot of sense and that probably is so. Thanks again.

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atown Allentown, PA Apr 13, 2018

I do it all the time with coleus

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