This is the propagation method of choice for our new Eucomis releases, and
although I'm not sure how many aficionados there are in this forum, allow
me to summarize a few tidbits from personal experience:
Harvest a leaf in mid-summer. If necessary water the plant well the night
before, so the tissue is as well hydrated as possible.
Use a new razor blade so you can cut the sections with very little tissue
damage. Cut the leaf into transverse sections 2-3" long, making the bottom
into a V shape. This is because the leaf is much thicker at the midrib
than at the edges, and it's easier to push into the growing medium without
the thin edges extending all the way down. It also creates more active
area for sprouting.
Stand all the cuttings in a cup of water with Dip-n-Grow at 10:1 dilution
and let them soak for a few minutes. Plant in promix or perlite making
sure the entire cut surface is buried. Keep moist. In promix the pot/flat
can stay on the floor of the greenhouse. In perlite, I put the whole thing
in either a large plastic bag or a clear leftover container.
Note that I prefer the dip solution over Clonex gel, but both can work
OK. Some growers don't use hormone at all and it seems to work. Clonex is
my weapon of choice for woody plant cuttings.
Lately I have tended to use the little leaves at the top of the
inflorescence (the "pineapple" so to speak) rather than slices of the main
leaves, for several reasons:1. If one of the large slices gets rot, you
lose the whole thing, whereas with the top leaves, you have dozens of
individual leaves and if one rots you haven't lost much.2. You can use a
24-cell tray insert and put one leaf in each, saving yourself the first
thinning/transplanting.
The most important things are good hydration of the plant ahead of time,
and a really sharp blade. Then, keeping an eye on humidity and avoiding
rot.
The attachments show leaf cuttings after bulblets have formed, leaf
cuttings in a bag (this one used Clonex - note the purple stain), and top
cuttings ready to treat and plant.
Sorry if this was long-winded but now you know everything I do on the
matter.
BobEucomis Working Group Zone 7
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