My lazy way to propagate

[Joseph Clemens]

I have begun to sort through my plant-room, my first post on this topic was about Dry or Wet/Pinguicula gypsicola.

I plan to use separate topics for many of these posts, to help avoid any confusion between types of plants.

Whenever I pot/repot plants I almost always pull a few leaves, sometimes many leaves, to gain extra plants. I am lazy, so I just drop them into little plastic cups. I stack the cups of leaves to save space. Lots of cups with leaves/plantlets can fit in a very small space.

As I am going through my collection of leaf-pullings, which is on the floor between my plant shelves, I guess that approximately 80% are still viable. Below is a photo of a small plastic cup of Pinguicula agnata (CSUF), leaf-pullings, now plantlets. I feel it is important to share this information, in particular, is because these leaf-pullings were taken, between six to twelve months prior to the time I allowed my entire collection to dry out, and remain dry for these past sixteen months.

Not only are leaf-pullings an easy way to propagate many Pinguicula, quickly, they are also an easy way to "bank" plants for times when spare plants would come in handy.

and don't forget that when you are planting these little leaf-pulling produced plantlets, even their leaves can be used to produce even more plantlets. It truly is very easy to turn one plant into hundreds very quickly.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Joseph Clemens

[jimfoxy]

Thanks for the post, Joseph. Just a couple of questions I'm not clear on:

1) You say you stack the cups to save space. How does light get to the leaves/plantlets? Your photo is of an opaque cup.

2) Have you any media at the bottom of the cups?

Ta, Jim.

[Joseph Clemens]

jimfoxy,

Yes, the cups are opaque, and even though I don't keep them where they receive any direct light, enough seems to reach even the most deeply nested cup, that it prevents most etiolation (though some etiolation does occur). I've found that etiolated plantlets, when planted horizontally, often initiate multiple rosettes.

There is no media of any kind, unless you can consider the air as a media. The only moisture they get is whatever is in the leaf tissues and the humidity in the air. And, of course, without media, nutrients, and moisture -- an entirely hostile environment exists, so without the other environmental factors necessary for a nurturing environment, good light is not necessary either.

My belief, which seems to be supported by my observations, is that, light, especially a source with a high component of UV, is the most important growth factor alongside temperature. Strong light seems to ameliorate the propensity for wet plants to develop rot. Low temperatures seem to provide similar protection, while high temperatures, without light (as long as they aren't high enough to be immediately lethal) can increase the propensity to develop rot.

=======

I have grown small groups of several varieties in small trays of water (without any media). They all grew and bloomed very well. I sometimes added a miniscule amount of soluble plant food to the water and spritzed some onto the leaves, as well. I would let these trays go dry once in awhile.

[Amori]

Joseph, it's good to see you posting again Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[jimscott]

And to think I carefully embed leaves in the media... *scratches head* Seems like no matter what you do - light / no appreciable light; complicated media / air; you have success.

[jimfoxy]

My belief, which seems to be supported by my observations, is that, light, especially a source with a high component of UV, is the most important growth factor alongside temperature. Strong light seems to ameliorate the propensity for wet plants to develop rot. Low temperatures seem to provide similar protection, while high temperatures, without light (as long as they aren't high enough to be immediately lethal) can increase the propensity to develop rot.

That makes perfect sense. Warm, moist, dark conditions generally encourage mould growth. It also goes some way to explain why successful growers go for one of two strategies over the Winter:

1) Wet and strong light (preferred because plants grow more)

2) Dry, cool, poor light

Strategy 1 can be used under artifical lighting conditions or in low latitudes where there is plenty of Sun the year round. Strategy 2 has to be adapted by most people e.g. in the UK who don't have artificial lighting because the sunlight levels are very low.

[wadave]

And to think I carefully embed leaves in the media... *scratches head*

Hi jimscott, I laughed when I read this because it was exactly what I was thinking.

What amazes me Joseph is that you don't use any media. Do they grow roots when in the cups?

Dave.

[Joseph Clemens]

Hi jimscott, I laughed when I read this because it was exactly what I was thinking.

What amazes me Joseph is that you don't use any media. Do they grow roots when in the cups?

Dave.

Yes, almost as soon as the buds start to break their first leaves they usually start some "arial" roots. If I just leave them there, they usually maintain a similar quantity of active roots and leaves, over time the roots and leaves gradually shrink unless I supply moisture, light, and nutrients. Whenever I've watered, fertilized, and lighted them, the roots expand until they reach the walls of the container where they often lightly attach themselves.

[Tommyr]

I have begun to sort through my plant-room, my first post on this topic was about Dry or Wet/Pinguicula gypsicola.

I plan to use separate topics for many of these posts, to help avoid any confusion between types of plants.

Whenever I pot/repot plants I almost always pull a few leaves, sometimes many leaves, to gain extra plants. I am lazy, so I just drop them into little plastic cups. I stack the cups of leaves to save space. Lots of cups with leaves/plantlets can fit in a very small space.

As I am going through my collection of leaf-pullings, which is on the floor between my plant shelves, I guess that approximately 80% are still viable. Below is a photo of a small plastic cup of Pinguicula agnata (CSUF), leaf-pullings, now plantlets. I feel it is important to share this information, in particular, is because these leaf-pullings were taken, between six to twelve months prior to the time I allowed my entire collection to dry out, and remain dry for these past sixteen months.

Where's the photo???!!! I'd like to see how you lay the leaves please as I am just now getting into pings!

[jimscott]

This might help:

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[Joseph Clemens]

Here are some I've laid out on a paper plate:

[Stefan P]

Wow, I have to try this. Seems like you have good success could you tell what sort of success rate you have?

[Joseph Clemens]

I have very close to 100% success getting each leaf-pulling to produce a plantlet, some species, Pinguicula reticulata is one, that often produce multiple plantlets from each leaf-pulling. The sooner I plant them out, the better my chances of getting the plantlets established and grown to maturity, but some plantlets I've kept for as long as two years before I planted them into media. Some plantlets may expire while waiting to be planted out, though if I plant them immediately this rarely happens.

[Tommyr]

Here are some I've laid out on a paper plate:

Thank you for the photo!

[Joseph Clemens]

To be as candid as possible: Back when I first started cultivating Mexican Pinguicula I would take a batch of leaf-pullings from Pinguicula 'Sethos', wait until plantlets formed, carefully remove the plantlets with forceps and scalpel, then I would recycle the original leaf-pullings for a second round of plantlet formation. This did work, but I soon realized I was way too lazy to keep it up, besides only about half of the original leaf-pullings were in good enough shape to repeat the plantlet formation process.

[Tommyr]

To be as candid as possible: Back when I first started cultivating Mexican Pinguicula I would take a batch of leaf-pullings from Pinguicula 'Sethos', wait until plantlets formed, carefully remove the plantlets with forceps and scalpel, then I would recycle the original leaf-pullings for a second round of plantlet formation. This did work, but I soon realized I was way too lazy to keep it up, besides only about half of the original leaf-pullings were in good enough shape to repeat the plantlet formation process.

I appreciate any tips and info you can give! Thanks a TON!

[Joseph Clemens]

Here's another photo of some Pinguicula agnata leaf-pullings that are farther along in the process.

[C.Weinberger]

Hello Joseph!

Thats a fascinating and easy methode for a limited space.

Cheers

Chris

[UtricSeb]

This is just amazing. Seems fertilizing is crucial for growing the plantlets to maturity. What do you all think? I am kind of new with pings.

[Tha_Reaper]

amazing... just pull leaves, and drop those into a plastic cup, and they form plantlets?

I wish nepenthes was that easy