Grafting

Grafting is the method of transferring a branch of one plant to another plant and connecting them together in such a manner that they will unite and subsequently grow and develop as one plant.

Cleft Grafting

This method of grafting is adopted to the situation that the stock is several times thicker than the scion. One stock may be used for one to four scions but mostly one to two scions are used. If one scion is used, the split is made down the radius, if two scions are connected, the split is made for a distance of 2 to 3cm down the centre of the stock to be grafted.

Some Purposes for Grafting:

• To obtain the benefits of certain root stocks and scions
• To bear flowers and fruits earlier to increase yields and quality
• To increase ornamental value of the plant
• To regulate the growth of the fruit trees.
• To propagate plants that do not grow from seeds
• To assist the adaptation of foreign plants to existing conditions
• To assist plants with withstanding certain diseases

How to do a Cleft Graft?

1. Select and prepare your budstick. From the ends of branches on an excellent mother tree, choose budsticks that are not yet sprouting but with fat buds. Cut them about 15cm long. Remove all the leaves carefully. The cut budstick should be the same thickness as the rootstock stem.

2. With a very sharp knife cut the bottom of the budstick with two sloping cuts 3 ½ cm long (A).

3. Cut off the top of the rootstock about 30cm above the soil. Make one straight cut about 3cm deep in the top of the rootstock (B).

4. Push the budstick firmly into the rootstock cut. Leave ½ cm of the cut budstick outside the rootstock as shown.

5. Use clear plastic tape (or cut up plastic bags) to wrap firmly around the graft. Do not remove the tape until the budstick begins to grow – showing the graft has been successful. Remove any buds which grow below the graft.

Things that you’ll need:  Mango Scion wood cutting

Mango Sapling from root stock

Sharp Grafting Knife

Grafting tape

Here is a group of plants that live life on the edge…Which edge? One foot on land and the other in the sea! Mangroves are trees and shrubs that strive in saline coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics. Collectively, they form a distinctive woodland or shrubland habitat, called mangrove swamp, forest or mangal. Mangroves inhabit estuaries and marine shorelines and are capable of living in a zone of intense heat, choking mud, and salt levels which normally would kill any ordinary plant within hours. None-the-less they are among the most productive and biologically complex ecosystems on Earth.

Mangroves are very important in the coastal zone. They help protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves, and floods. With their tangled root systems they filter pollutants and trap sediments originating from land. In this way they maintain water quality and clarity at the same time preventing erosion. This ecosystem is also valuable as an important nursery area for shrimp and other crustaceans, mollusks, and fishes. In addition to providing a rich source of food, they also offer refuge from predators. Birds make homes in their canopy, shellfish attach themselves to the roots and crabs use the area as a hunting ground.

There are four species of mangroves found in Antigua, namely; red, black, white and buttonwood. The red mangrove is the species found closest to the seawater. It is the most tolerant of the saline conditions and is very easily identified by the large prop roots that stick out of the water. Next is the black mangrove that is found directly landward of the Red mangrove. This species is easily identified by the presence of many specialized roots (pneumatophores). These structures resemble thin straws stuck in the soil. The white mangrove is found landward of the black mangrove. There are two salt glands at the base of every leaf which excrete large amounts of salt. The fourth is the buttonwood. It is not very tolerant of salt and lacks specialized roots. However, this tree is tolerant of the low nutrient soils near the shoreline.

People in different parts of the world use mangrove trees for a variety of purposes. For example, they take advantage of the durable, water-resistant properties of the wood to build houses, boats, pilings and furniture. The black mangrove and buttonwood trees are frequently utilized in the production of charcoal. Tannins and dyes are extracted from the bark while the leaves are used in tea, medicine, a substitute for tobacco and as livestock feed. Beekeepers are also known to set up their hives close to the mangrove forests in order to use their nectar in honey production.

More interestingly, there is a very important link between mangroves and global warming. People are becoming increasingly interested in climate change and its effect on the world’s population. Some scientists believe that mangroves are our saviors. We all know that most of the coastal areas throughout the world are going to be affected by sea level rise. This in turn will deplete our freshwater reserves and cause more land areas to be submerged by sea waters. Mangroves can possibly provide a gene bank for cultivating salt tolerant species of crops which could be our future resource.

We can all agree that mangroves are very important to our society. They should NOT under any circumstance be cleared by cutting or backfilling. We should manage our natural resources in a sustainable manner so that future generations can also benefit from them.

The Clueless Environmentalist

Have you ever felt like you really wanted to do something for the environment but you didn’t know what? Or, like everything that people were saying about the environment was interesting but you didn’t know exactly how it related to you or even what it really meant? Or maybe you just feel frustrated that the world is changing and you have no idea how to make a difference.

That’s how I feel. I hear what the environmentalists are saying, but quite honestly, I don’t quite get it! And I really want to do something about it! I do! I just don’t know what or how.

And that’s when I realised that there are probably hundreds, maybe thousands, of people out there who want to help our small island through proper environmental practices, but the truth is that they are just as clueless as I am.

So I decided to take action. Each time I hear something about the environment I am going to tell you about it in a way that you can understand it. And together we’ll start our journey towards making a real difference.

What’s my name? You can call me Clueless. Clueless Environmentalist, that is.

Lesson 1 – Wetlands

I was chatting away the other day with someone who is, what I would call, an Environmentalist. I was really trying to impress him with my ‘knowhow’, so I mentioned that the Body Ponds area is SUCH an important wetland in Antigua and went on and on about how he could incorporate that wetland into one of his projects.

Then there was silence. I think I heard crickets.

He then looked at me and informed me that the Body Ponds area is not a wetland, it’s a part of a watershed. Apparently a watershed is an area that allows water to drain into a larger body of water, like the sea

And that’s when I got confused. If it’s land and it’s wet, isn’t it a wetland?? Obviously it was time to do some research!

I went online and found that a wetland is land or areas that are often covered with shallow water or have soil that is saturated with moisture. One of the unique features of a wetland is the plants that live there. The plants are called hydrophytes, which is really a big word for saying that it can live in water and adapt to it. Examples of wetlands are marshes, bogs, and mangrove swamps.

And that got me thinking! Mangrove eh?  But, what does a mangrove swamp REALLY do? All I can imagine when I think of a mangrove swamp is stinky smells and insects! What’s so great about that?

So again, I did some research. I soon discovered that mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow in saline (brackish) coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics, and are important as a habitat for many animals and assist with coastal land building.

So it would appear that the wetland type called a mangrove swamp serves an important function. But I was not quite sure if that was the only function, so I called up the professionals… I spoke with the Fisheries Division.

There I found out that mangrove systems protect the island from disaster. When there are storm surges the mangroves act as a barrier and therefore reduce the impact of possibly harmful waves. When it rains, soil flows down towards the water and the mangrove acts as the first filter.  These mangrove systems also assist with the process of purifying the water so that only clear water goes out to the coral reefs. This is important because if the coral reefs were covered by silt they would suffocate and eventually die

Mangroves also serve an important function for the Fisheries of Antigua since fish go there to have their babies, or to spawn. The fish that eventually mature in the mangroves eventually leave that safe haven and swim in the open seas where our fishermen catch them. Without the mangroves our fishermen would be unable to provide us with the fish that we enjoy.

Antigua and Barbuda has four species of mangroves: Red, Black, White and Button Mangroves.

Mangroves can be found all around Antigua’s inlets, however some mangrove woodlands can be found in Parham Harbour, Fitches Creek and Guiana Island. Barbuda’s most significant mangrove can be found surrounding the Codrington Lagoon, and is the Frigate bird Sanctuary

So, that mosquito infested area is important! Without it, our lives and livelihoods would be in serious danger.

Ok! So now we have an idea of what a wetland is as well as an example of a wetland, the mangrove swamp.  Now, the question is, what can we do to protect them.

1. Practice proper solid waste disposal. If we use the swamps as a dumping site it can eventually affect the health of the fish that live there. Consider that these are the same fishes that we eat; if they are unhealthy then so are we.
2. Do not cut down mangroves not even to make fishing nets.
3. Respect the wetland and its functions the next time that you pass near to one.
4. If you live next to a mangrove, or in the general area, you can start a campaign against its destruction

That’s it! Being environmentally friendly and conscious is easy! You’d be surprised how you can help that land that is wet.