2018-11-01_The_Simple_Things

Leaf blade cuttings are the solution for

plants that don’t have obvious petioles

(stalks) or stems, and no central vein. It’s

also good to employ this technique when

you would like to produce multiple

plantlets from one leaf.

Because you only need a single leaf to

experiment with, leaf blade cuttings are

ideal if you have a favourite plant that you

want to propagate, but would like to avoid

altering its appearance too much; you can

take a single leaf discreetly from the back

and turn it into lots of healthy babies. For

example, with just one slender leaf from

a snake plant or a eucomis, you can easily

produce five or ten viable cuttings. The key

is that these leaves are particularly fleshy,

so each slice has a reserve of moisture to

keep it alive while it tries to take root. Even

so, using a rooting chamber (see opposite)

is essential to prevent cuttings drying out.

You will need:

A rooting chamber or propagation unit

Compost

Sharp, sterile knife and chopping board,

or scissors

Marker pen

Spray mister

How to take leaf

blade cuttings

This medium is suitable for all succulent

repotting and propagation purposes

1 part coir

1 part horticultural sharp sand or perlite

Combine the ingredients and mix well.

When repotting, remember the

importance of drainage – make sure you

have drainage holes, or add a base layer

of stones and a teaspoon of activated

charcoal. (A sprinkle of activated

charcoal in among the drainage stones

will help to filter out harmful bacteria; you

can buy it online or from Robert Dyas.)

Cacti&other

succulents compost

This is an extract from

Root, Nurture, Grow

(Quadrille) by Caro

Langton and Rose Ray

of Ro Co; ro-co.uk.

Photography:

Erika Raxworthy

Grower’s note:For the best results,

propagate leaf blade cuttings from spring

to early summer, and remember to water

the plant a few days beforehand. The

example pictured here uses the snake

plant, which is an ideal leaf blade candidate.

But do note that the sap of the plant can be

moderately toxic to humans and animals if

eaten, so make sure to wash your hands

after handling and keep plants safely out of

reach of any curious hands or paws.

1 Start by setting up your rooting chamber.

Once the compost is in place, moisten it

before moving on to the next step – it

should be moist throughout, but not soggy.

2 With one clean cut, remove a whole leaf,

slicing as close to the base as you can. Lay

the leaf down on the chopping board. The

next step is to cut the leaf into horizontal

sections, each portion should measure

around 7–10cm in length. Only the lower

cut of each leaf cutting can root, so during

this step you might find it handy to mark

the end with your pen, to avoid confusion.

3 Use your knife to carve channels in the

compost, 3–5cm deep. This will reduce

tissue damage to your cuttings when you

position them. Push each cut end into the

compost, pressing them in to secure them.

4 Partially cover your rooting chamber, and

allow space for ventilation, which will

prevent a build-up of moisture. Monitor the

moisture level of the compost over the next

few months, spraying the surface only

when it feels dry to the touch. A build-up of

moisture can cause mould, so make sure to

open the lid (or bag) fully every couple of

days to ventilate the cuttings. If you notice

any mould, remove any affected areas as

soon as possible to prevent it spreading.

5 After two to three months, you should

notice little trumpet-shaped shoots

sprouting next to each successful cutting.

Once these shoots are around 10cm tall, it’s

time to repot your plantlets.

“The results are really

satisfying. It’s magical to

watch how these part-leaf

cuttings regenerate”

NEST (^) | GROWING
Leaf blade cuttings
work well when there’s
no obvious stem, as with
this snake plant, which
will root from the base