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New Plants from Leaf Cuttings
Successfully starting plants from leaf cuttings is an easy way to experience
one of nature's miracles, totipotency. Totipotency is the ability of each and
every plant cell to regenerate an entirely new plant. Leaf cuttings can be made
from the leaf blade and petiole, leaf blade alone, or sections of the leaf. Many
houseplants such as rex and rhizomatous begonias, African violets, streptocarpus,
gloxinias and sansevierias are willing candidates.
To start a plant from leaf sections, select a shallow pan to hold the
cuttings. A sweater box with a transparent lid works well. Wash it thoroughly
with diluted bleach and allow it to dry. Fill the box with 3 to 4 inches of
moist, gritty builder's sand.
Water the donor plant well the day before removing the leaf. Using a sharp
knife or razor, cut off a mature, healthy leaf from the plant. Young leaves wilt
too easily and old leaves do not root well. Lay the leaf on a flat cutting
surface. Cut the petiole (leaf stalk) from the base of the leaf and slice the
leaf into wedges. Each wedge should have a vein in the center and a piece of
sinus (the place where the leaf and leaf stalk meet) at its tip. A rex begonia
leaf usually produces 5 wedges. Dip the sinus end of the leaf into rooting
hormone and tap off the excess. Sink the wedge into the sand so that a third of
the leaf is buried. The remainder of the leaf should stand upright. Line the
wedges up so there is at least an inch between them from all directions. An
alternative to slicing the leaf into wedges is make a cut in the leaf across
each vein and then pin the leaf to the sand using thin wire or bobby pins. You
may also use an entire leaf if it is small enough to place in your cutting box
Water lightly and cover the box. Place the box in an area that receives bright
indirect light or about a foot away from grow lights. Maintain temperatures of
about 65 degrees. Check the box regularly and water when the surface of the sand
becomes dry. New plants will emerge from the cut areas in a few weeks. (The
usual practice among African violet collectors is to use the entire leaf with
stem attached and inserting the stem into a container of water or in a rooting
medium of the growers choice.)
For several weeks little progress will be evident. Roots will begin to grow
from the wedge's tip. In about 2 months, small leaves will begin to emerge from
the sand if the leaf cutting was successful. If unsuccessful, the wedge will rot
after only a few weeks. Remove the new plants from the sand when the leaves are
about the size of your thumbnail. Gently shake the sand from the roots and
remove the original leaf fragment if it hasn't already rotted away. If leaves
have been pinned, carefully cut away the old leaf portions from the new plant.
Pot each plant in a 2 1/2 inch container using a well-drained potting medium.
Keep the new plants out of direct sun for a few days to acclimate, then move
them to a sunny east or west window. Keep the humidity high around the plants by
placing the pots on a tray of pebbles and water or running a humidifier (or by
putting the plants in a clear plastic bag.). Water plants thoroughly when the
surface of the soil begins to dry. As the roots fill their current containers,
repot into the next larger pot size. Before long you'll have a normal sized
plant to enjoy.
Leaf cuttings can be taken at any time of the year. The process is a slow
one, but very rewarding.
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