soil layering

horticulture

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

In horticulture, soil layering refers to a method of plant propagation where new roots are encouraged to form on a stem while it is still attached to the parent plant. This process can occur naturally, as seen with trailing stems of plants like raspberries or forsythia, which root when they touch the soil.1

Artificially, soil layering involves bending a lower stem to the ground and covering it with moist, good-quality soil. For air layering, a branch is wounded and the wound is covered with moist earth or moss until roots develop, after which the branch is severed and transplanted.1

Soils themselves are characterized by distinct vertical layers called horizons, formed by water and living organisms. These horizons, such as the O, A, E, B, C, and R horizons, have unique properties based on their composition and the processes they have undergone. The uppermost layer, the A horizon, is rich in humus and minerals, while the B horizon typically accumulates clay. The C horizon consists of parent material, and the R horizon is bedrock.23

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arboriculture
In soil layering, the shoots, or lower branches of the parent plant, are bent to the ground and covered with moist soil of good quality. When roots have developed, which may require a year or more, the branch is severed from the parent and transplanted. In…
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In soil layering, the shoots, or lower branches of the parent plant, are bent to the ground and covered with moist soil of good quality. When roots have developed, which may require a year or more, the branch is severed from the parent and transplanted. In…
Read More

layering
For soil layering, lower stems are bent to the ground and covered with moist soil of good quality. For air layering, a branch is deeply slit and the wound is covered with a ball of earth or moss and kept moist until roots develop; the branch…
Read More
For soil layering, lower stems are bent to the ground and covered with moist soil of good quality. For air layering, a branch is deeply slit and the wound is covered with a ball of earth or moss and kept moist until roots develop; the branch…
Read More