PROPAGATING BY LEAF AND STEM CUTTINGS

Increasing your houseplant collection by propagation is immensely rewarding. Different plants are suited to different propagation methods: soft-stemmed plants give great results from stem cuttings, while some plants with fleshy leaves respond well to leaf cuttings. For best results, take cuttings in spring or early summer from healthy plants and expect to see new growth in six to eight weeks.

Propagating your own plants is a lot of fun and also saves money.

BEGONIA LEAF CUTTINGS

Begonias have generous leaves, so more than one plant can be created out of just one leaf using the method below.

YOU WILL NEED

Penknife • Clean pot or seed tray • Finely sifted potting mix with perlite • Watering can with a fine rose • Clear plastic bag

Growing And Maintaining | PROPAGATING BY LEAF AND STEM CUTTINGS

HOW TO REPOT

1 Water the plant an hour before taking cuttings. Remove a healthy leaf by using a penknife to make a clean cut at the base of a stem.

Growing And Maintaining | PROPAGATING BY LEAF AND STEM CUTTINGS

2 Cut out the stem and center of the leaf. Divide the leaf into three or four sections measuring about 1in (2.5cm) in length and width. All sections must have a vein running through them.

Growing And Maintaining | PROPAGATING BY LEAF AND STEM CUTTINGS

3 Fill a seed tray or pot with the potting mix. Tamp down, then push each leaf section into the potting mix just enough so they can stand up. The veins that were cut through must have contact with the potting mix.

Growing And Maintaining | PROPAGATING BY LEAF AND STEM CUTTINGS

4 Water using a fine rose. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag and keep in a warm room away from direct sunlight. When two to three new leaves appear, the cuttings can be repotted.

OTHER LEAF-CUTTING TECHNIQUES

The leaves of the Cape primrose are long with a strong central vein. Cut the leaf into three to six sections. Insert the leaf pieces into sifted potting mix with perlite just enough so they stand up, making sure that the lower part of the leaf is in the potting mix. Cover with a clear plastic bag until new leaves form.

The variegated snake plant can be treated in a similar way. Cut a healthy leaf horizontally into chunks of 2in (5cm). Then position the sections so that the lower part of each is pushed into the potting mix.

When taking leaf cuttings of succulents, remove the leaf as a whole. Let it dry for 24 hours. Fill a pot using cactus potting mix with added sand, then insert the bottom of the leaf into the potting mix so that it stands up. Place in a sunny spot. Don’t cover the pot with a plastic bag.

Plant Cape primrose leaf sections with the lower part in the compost.

ROOTING CUTTINGS IN WATER

The cuttings of many houseplants respond well to being rooted in water rather than potting mix. The benefit of this technique is that you can enjoy watching the roots gradually forming and keep a close eye on progress. Children in particular love propagating plants this way.

Take cuttings four to six inches long and drop them into jars of water. Replace the water every few days and, when the cutting has a healthy root system, move it to a container of potting mix to grow.

Drop your cuttings into a glass container of water and watch the roots growing.

STEM CUTTINGS

Young, healthy growth produced in spring or summer (from Tradescantia, for example, see image) is ideal for stem cuttings. Select a stem that’s not flowering and remove a length of about 5in (12cm) by cutting just above a leaf joint on the parent plant. Remove the lower leaves and trim each cutting to just below a node. Some gardeners dip the end of the stem cutting into hormone rooting powder to speed up root growth, but it isn’t essential.

Place the cuttings into a pot of sifted potting mix, water lightly, and cover with a clear plastic bag. Leave in a position of filtered sunlight.

Remove the lower leaves of each cutting to leave a length of clean stem.

Once cuttings have been inserted in the container, water using a rose on the can.