Download Seed Germination #3 From: How To Propagate. John Cushnie. Kyle

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Seed Germination #3
From: How To Propagate. John Cushnie. Kyle Cathy Ltd., 2006.
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Seed Germination #4
From: Biology. Sylvia S. Mader. 9th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2007.
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Seed Germination #5
From: Riley, P. (1999) Plant Life: Straightforward Science. Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts.
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Leaf Cutting #2
From: How To Propagate. John Cushnie. Kyle Cathy Ltd., 2006.
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Leaf Cutting #3
From: Riley, P. (1999) Plant Life: Straightforward Science. Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts.
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Leaf Cutting #4
http://www.canadiangardening.com/how-to/techniques/propagate-houseplants-using-leafcuttings/a/29398
Propagate houseplants using leaf cuttings
By Stephen Westcott-Gratton
Simple steps to filling your home with the houseplants you love
One of the easiest ways to produce new plants that are genetically identical to their parent is by taking leaf cuttings.
This ensures the offspring will exhibit the same growth and flowering traits as their progenitor. The simplest method is
to use a complete leaf with its stalk (or petiole) still attached. Cuttings may be taken at any time of the year, provided
the parent plant is in active growth and a selection of fresh, new, fully expanded leaves are available.
Here's how to propagate houseplants using leaf cuttings:
1. Fill a clean seed tray or container (at least 20 centimetres wide) with a sterile, soilless mixture specifically
formulated for propagating seeds and cuttings (available at most garden centres) to one centimetre below the rim.
Tamp down evenly so the soil surface is firm but not hard-packed.
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2. Slice suitable leaves cleanly from the parent plant, leaving about four
centimetres of the petiole attached to each cutting; use a sterile knife or a
single-sided razor blade to ensure the least possible damage.
3. With a clean dibble or
knitting needle held at a 45degree angle, make several
small holes in the soilless
mixture. Insert the leaf
cuttings so the petiole is
below the surface and the
bottom of the leaf blade is
resting on top. When all the
cuttings are in place, firm the
mixture around their bases
and water in lightly.
Illustrations by Cybèle Young
4. Place tray in an area with bright indirect light or under grow lights at a temperature between 18 and 21°C. Mist
plants lightly several times a day to maintain a high humidity level while new growth is being initiated. Keep the
mixture moist, but not wet.
5. In five to six weeks, new plantlets (typically one to three) will appear at the soil surface, having developed from the
surface of the cut petiole; leave them attached for a further four to five weeks until they can be handled easily and
have generated their own roots.
6. Snap off plantlets from the leaf cutting (or remove them with a sharp knife or one-sided razor blade) and pot them
up in individual seven- to 10-centimetre pots; feed them with an all-purpose liquid plant fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, at
one-quarter strength. These may be moved to a full-sun location if required by the specimen. Plants that have grown
four to six new leaves are ready to transplant.
Easy houseplants to propagate
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Flame violets (Episcia cupreata cvs.)
Wax plants (Hoya carnosa cvs.)
Peperomias (Peperomia caperata cvs.)
African violets (Saintpaulia cvs.)
Begonias (Begonia spp. and cvs., except B. rex)
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Leaf Cutting #5
From: Horticulture: Principles and Practices. George Acquaah. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall, 2002.