More and more people choose to have their own garden and thus enjoy a bit of nature and prepare delicious dishes with their own vegetables. There are also the famous capers, delicious edible buds very common in the Mediterranean regions. If you already have one of these plants, you can reproduce it in a very simple way. if you want to know how to plant capers by cuttings, I recommend that you continue reading this article.
This type of plant propagation is widely used in garden centres. It is a fast, simple and effective method that we can apply with various plant species. In addition to explaining how this is done, we will also discuss the best time to plant caper cuttings. I hope this information is useful for you!
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When to plant caper cuttings?
The caper, known scientifically as Thorny Capparisis a shrub native to Southeast Asia and widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin. It is grown mainly for its flower buds, called capers, very popular in the world of gastronomy.
The stems of the caper are much branched, have many thorns and They can reach a length of up to 150 centimeters. As for the leaves, they are supported by short petioles and are alternate and reniform. The peduncles are also quite long and end in a pretty flower whose corolla is made up of a total of four large indented white petals.
Related article:
Capers: characteristics and culture
Before explaining how to plant capers from cuttings, we must first know when to do it. This plant can be reproduced by seed, by layering, by shoots or suckers and by stakes or cuttings. While the sowing of the seeds of this vegetable is done in autumn, the final transplanting or reproduction by cuttings is carried out normally. In early spring.
The latter is the most common for capers. we just have to choose the most fertile and leafy stems and plant them in the ground. Although it is true that it is not a complicated task, we are going to explain it in more detail and step by step so that there are no unresolved doubts.
How to make a caper plant?
Now that we know when to perform this task, let’s see how to plant capers by cuttings. While it is true that they can also be grown from seed, propagating them by cuttings is a quick and easy option if you already have one of these vegetables. To carry out this work, We will need the following tools:
- Disinfected garden shears
- organic substrate
- Large pot or large area in the garden or orchard
It is very important that the plant has a sufficiently large space, because it spreads very easily. In fact, if left unchecked, it can become creepy. That is why it is essential that the pot is very large or that we have enough space in our orchard or garden.
It should be noted that capers prefer sandy, light and stony soils for their cultivation. In addition, the soil should be rich in organic matter so that they can grow and develop properly. It is also necessary to avoid clay and wet soils, they do not like anything and cannot grow there.
Another aspect to take into account is that they are bushes native to hot regions. For this reason, they can be grown mainly in temperate, tropical or subtropical regions. The location of these vegetables should be in partial shade or full sun. Capers do not tolerate low temperatures well. They survive with great difficulty in temperatures below five degrees below zero.
How to plant capers by cuttings: step by step
Once we have all the necessary items, it’s time to get to work. Let’s see how to plant capers by cuttings step by step:
- Disinfect and clean scissors: Whatever tool we are going to use to cut the cuttings, it must be clean and disinfected to avoid the spread of certain diseases and fungi between the plants.
- Prepare the ground: Let’s plant the caper plant in a pot or directly in the ground, you must first prepare the soil. To do this we will open a hole for each of the cuttings we want to plant. The holes must have the same thickness as the rods that we are going to introduce. As for the depth, it should be at least ten centimeters.
- Cut the stems: Each stem should be between 20 and 25 centimeters long. It is best to take them from a vigorous and healthy plant. You can get more information on how to take cuttings here.
- Plant the cuttings: Once we have the stems, we will insert them into the holes and add a little soil to finish filling them. Then we need to lightly tamp the soil to give firmness to the cuttings. In this way we will prevent them from falling with the wind.
- Water: Watering after planting should be abundant and gentle. It is important to keep the soil moist, especially in the beginning, until the plant eventually takes root.
Note that this procedure can be applied for any plant reproducible by cuttings. Of course, it is advisable to cut several stems, as some may not end up growing as expected.
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Plants that reproduce by cuttings
After planting the caper cuttings, these They will take about three weeks to root. Regarding the outbreaks, the first will appear after about two months. The stems can be harvested in April, it is at this time that they acquire a tender texture, for the capers, which are the flower buds, it will be necessary to wait until July to be able to harvest them and prepare them for cooking.
Now that we know how to plant capers from cuttings, we can grow several of them and enjoy their delicious buds. They are very common in salads, pasta dishes, sauces, pizzas and even as an appetizer. If we like them, of course it is worth having them in our orchard or garden. Of course, remember that in general, capers are eaten marinated. That is to say: you must first marinate them a little in a diluted mixture of salt and vinegar.