Free shipping for Keiki Paste in the US
Free shipping for Keiki Paste in the US
April 14, 2021 6 min read
This article goes through the science of leaf propagation. Find five different leaf propagation methods to try below.
Once severed from the main plant, and given the right conditions, certain parts of plants will grow a new root system so that it eventually becomes an independent organism. New root tissues put out by plant cuttings are called adventitious roots. The term refers to any new root tissues that emerge from the stems or leaves of a mature plant, rather than from an existing root system or within a plant embryo.
Putting out adventitious roots is a process of regeneration. By forming its own root system, the cutting attempts to independently acquire the nutrients and moisture that it no longer receives from the mother plant. Mature, woody cuttings put out adventitious roots less readily than young, supple green cuttings.
Plant growth hormones auxin and cytokinin are responsible for the formation of adventitious roots. Root tissue formation occurs when there is proportionately more auxin to cytokinin in the part of the plant where it has been severed. Rooting powders encourage root formation because they contain auxin. Although the major naturally occurring auxin is indole 3-acetic acid, many different synthetic auxins have been developed. Plants vary in their capacity to put out new roots because auxin to cytokinin levels are influenced by day length and season.
Interestingly, plant cuttings ‘know’ which end was closest to the roots while it grew on the mother plant. When cuttings are taken from the mother plant, auxin will move towards the end of the cutting that was growing closest to the ground, accumulating there to form new roots.
Leaf cuttings take one of two forms, depending on the plant species. You can take just the leaf or the petiole and the leaf.
Most succulents can be propagated from just the leaf.
For succulents, simply detach a single leaf from the plant using your hands. Leave the leaves out to dry for a few days before inserting them into a rooting medium.
With the Snake Plant (San Seviera), cut the main leaf into length-ways portions and insert the end nearest to the roots on the original plant into the rooting medium.
Plants that propagate from leaf cuttings:
Cheveria
Hens and Chicks Sempervivum
Snake Plant Sansevieria
Plants that propagate from petiole-and-leaf cuttings:
Other plant species will root from a petiole with a leaf attached. Petioles are small stems that support a leaf. To take a petiole-with-leaf cutting, snip the bottom of the petiole just where it emerges from the main stem. Make the cut at an angle so the tip of the petiole makes a sharp point. Then, split the very tip of the petiole.
African Violet Saintpaulia spRooting powders or Keiki paste contains growth hormones that make the rooting process quicker and more reliable. These substances are applied to the ends of cuttings, where the roots will grow. You can also try honey or cinnamon powder to boost rooting.
Rooting hormones are not strictly necessary - with the right conditions, plants can put out new roots without them.
The rooting medium is any material into which leaf or stem cuttings are inserted.
Most propagation guides advise you to insert cuttings into sandy soil. This is actually a less reliable rooting medium than sphagnum moss, water, or perlite. Sphagnum moss and perlite retain moisture but also hold a lot of air pockets that prevent cuttings from rotting.
Different species will root better in different mediums. Experiment with several mediums at the same time for comparison.
For propagation methods where the plant cuttings are actually in contact with water (methods 2 and 3 below), you can add a miniscule amount of fertilizer to the water.
Once severed from the mother plant, cuttings still seek out nutrients. Providing them with too much fertilizer will discourage the plant from putting out adventitious roots since it can absorb all the nutrients needs via the cut on the stem or leaf.
One drop of balanced fertilizer per 500 ml is enough. Never add fertilizer in the concentrations advised on manufacturer packaging - they will be too much for propagation purposes.
People often underestimate how long it takes plant cuttings to form new roots. You might begin to see roots as early as seven days after insertion into the medium, but it will likely take longer. The speed at which roots appear will depend on whether it is the plant’s growing season and how much humidity and sunlight the cuttings receive.
You should wait until roots are two to four inches long before transferring the cuttings into their own pots with a potting medium. Many succulents and cacti do very well in just perlite, so you may not need to change the medium at all for these.
Method 1. Humidity propagation
A very effective method for both petiole-and-leaf or just-leaf cuttings
Method 4. Sphagnum moss propagation
Works for leaf or petiole cuttings, especially for San Seviera leaf cuttings
Method 5. Perlite propagation
Works for leaf or petiole cuttings
After you’ve prepared your cuttings using one of the above methods, give your cuttings as much indirect sunlight as possible, for example, next to a south-facing window with net curtains. Adding growth hormones like rooting powder or Keiki Paste will also help. Increase humidity around cuttings by placing their container inside a tray full of pebbles with water coming up to half the depth of the pebbles.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
September 20, 2023 3 min read
September 15, 2023 3 min read
September 12, 2023 1 min read
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …