Leaf cuttings work just as well for these 11 common flowers
1. Lily scale leaf cuttings
The lily, with its large, beautiful blooms, is a favorite of many gardeners. The lily leaf cutting described here is not actually done with the leaves above the soil, but with the scale leaves on the bulb underground!
Steps for scale leaf cuttings
1. Choose a large, healthy, disease-free bulb, wash off the soil, and remove any damaged, wilted, or shriveled scales.
2. Carefully remove the thicker scales from the bulb one layer at a time. Each scale should carry a small part of the basal plate; discard the smaller, thinner scales in the center. After breaking them off, soak the usable scales in carbendazim for 10 minutes to disinfect, then let them dry in a bright, airy spot out of direct sun.
3. Prepare sterilized vermiculite, or vermiculite, as the cutting medium, and water it thoroughly until moist.
4. Insert 2/3 of each lily scale into the moist vermiculite and keep it moist. Of course, do not water too much, or the scales will easily rot. At a temperature of around 20 degrees, the scales will root in about 15 days, and in one month they will produce bulblets.
2. Geranium leaf cuttings
Ideas and photos: Xiao Nan
Geranium, in the Geraniaceae family, genus Pelargonium, has been introduced before. There are many varieties and diverse flower colors, and its looks are no worse than English roses. More and more people are growing it now, and it is an excellent windowsill ornamental flower.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Take healthy leaves and wrap the base of the petiole with a layer of sponge, then place them in a tray. Pour water into the tray and let the sponge slowly absorb it. Provide proper ventilation, and roots will gradually form.
2. After rooting, prepare a growing medium of peat, vermiculite, and perlite at a 1:1:1 ratio, then plant the leaves in it.
3. Wait for sprouts to appear.
3. ZZ plant leaf cuttings
ZZ plant, in the Araceae family, genus Zamioculcas, is a very common plant in office buildings. Its leaves grow in rows like copper coins, symbolizing bringing in wealth and prosperity.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Cut healthy, mature leaves with petioles and soak them in carbendazim to disinfect.
2. Choose an airy soil and either lay the leaves flat on the soil or insert them upright into the soil.
3. Keep the soil moist. New roots grow in 50-60 days. After rooting, potato-like root clusters will form.
4. After some more time, new shoots will appear. The process is rather long, so be patient!
4. Peperomia leaf cuttings
Peperomia, in the Piperaceae family, genus Peperomia, has fleshy leaves that stay green year-round. Many people now place it beside their computer; when work gets tiring, looking at it helps relieve eye strain.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Choose relatively strong leaves from the middle-lower part of the peperomia stem. Pinch the base of the petiole and wiggle it left and right to slowly separate the leaf with its petiole from the stem.
2. Let the removed leaves dry in a ventilated place for half a day, then insert the petioles at a 45 degree angle into a pot filled with sand.
3. Spray water on the sand to keep it moist.
4. If the temperature is above 20 degrees, roots can grow in about 20 days.
5. The sprouting process is rather long, possibly 1 month, possibly half a year, so wait patiently. Once 3 leaves have grown, it can be potted up for normal care.
5. Snake plant leaf cuttings
Snake plant, in the Liliaceae family, genus Sansevieria, looks very stylish as a home decoration. It is also highly adaptable, drought tolerant, and tolerates both sun and shade, requiring no fuss at all.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Perlite, vermiculite, plain sand, or even garden soil can all be used for cuttings.
2. Take one complete leaf, insert it into the pot, and water thoroughly.
3. Place it in a bright, airy spot out of direct sun and mist daily to maintain humidity. After some time it will root and sprout. As long as the leaf does not go soft, there is hope, so do not rush.
5. If you take leaf cuttings from a golden-edged snake plant, the resulting young plants may be green without the golden edge.
6. Wax begonia and Rieger begonia leaf cuttings
Ideas and photos: Ji Du Hua Kai Guo
Rieger begonia, in the Begoniaceae family, genus Begonia, is fresh and elegant with rich flower colors and is a very popular Lunar New Year flower nowadays. It likes a warm, humid, semi-shaded growing environment.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Prepare a sterilized blade and a mineral water bottle. Cut several holes about 1 cm wide in the body of the bottle, then fill it with water and set it aside.
2. Use the blade to cut near the main stem. Be sure to choose leaves with relatively tender petioles, as the survival rate is higher.
4. Put the cut leaves into the holes in the plastic bottle, then place it in a warm, shady spot.
5. The mother plant needs good ventilation, otherwise it may become infected.
7. African violet
Ideas and photos: Qi Ye Shu
African violet, in the Gesneriaceae family, genus Saintpaulia. African violet is the same plant as Saintpaulia, in the same family as gloxinia. Although the plant is small, it blooms in all four seasons, with brilliant colors and many types.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Choose plump, firm leaves and remove them.
2. Find a bottle, fill it with water, and place the petiole at the mouth of the bottle so that the petiole can be immersed in about 0.5 cm of water.
3. After some time, roots will appear one after another. Be careful not to let the water level get too low; after rooting, it can be lowered below the cut end of the petiole.
4. After some more time, small shoots will appear from the petiole.
5. Once sprouts appear, it can be potted up. Of course, if you are not confident in your skills, you can also wait until the young plant grows a bit larger before potting.
8. Gloxinia leaf cuttings
Ideas and photos: DDD1988a
Gloxinia is a perennial herb in the Gesneriaceae family, genus Sinningia, with a flattened spherical tuber. It is small in size, but its flowers are huge and vividly colorful, with many varieties including red, blue, white, green, bicolor, and double-flowered forms. It blooms twice, in spring and autumn, and is not only a darling of the horticultural world, but also excellent for decorating the atmosphere at home!
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. On the mother gloxinia plant, find an inconspicuous leaf that can be covered without affecting its beauty.
2. Use a sterilized blade to cut off the entire leaf together with its petiole.
3. After cutting it off, suspend the petiole downward in water to induce rooting. In winter it takes about three weeks to root. In summer it can root in about one week.
4. After roots appear, carefully place the petiole into sphagnum moss. Of course, the moss should be soaked in advance. If you do not have sphagnum moss at home, soil will also work, but it must be loose and airy.
5. Mist daily to maintain humidity and wait for sprouts. This is a very long process, so you must be patient.
6. The petiole slowly produces sprouts. In autumn and winter it may take two to three months, while in spring and summer it is faster.
7. Some people say that you do not need a complete leaf, and that even a partial leaf can produce new shoots. The steps are about the same, and you can try it too.
9. Epiphyllum leaf cuttings
Epiphyllum, in the Cactaceae family, genus Epiphyllum, is pure and noble, and its flowers bloom for only 4 hours, so it is known as the beauty under the moon. Epiphyllum actually has no leaves; its true leaves have degenerated into modified stems, but for easier understanding, we will use "leaves" and "stems" to describe its leaf-cutting process.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Choose old leaves that are more than 2 years old; the larger wound area makes rooting easier. If available, you can apply some rooting powder.
2. When taking cuttings, do not insert them too deeply, as this makes it easier for them to sprout.
3. When taking cuttings, you can score a few cuts in the part buried in the soil to encourage rooting.
4. After some time, roots will grow. Of course, do not keep pulling them out to look.
5. After some more time, shoots will appear.
10. Kalanchoe leaf cuttings
Kalanchoe, in the Crassulaceae family, genus Kalanchoe, is actually a succulent plant. The reason it is mentioned again here is that many people grow it, but not everyone knows it can be propagated by leaf cuttings.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Remove the leaves from the kalanchoe, the larger the better, then let them dry in a cool place for several hours.
2. Prepare an airy, nutrient-rich soil, bury the petioles in the soil, and place it in a cool, ventilated spot. Keep the soil moist.
3. Kalanchoe leaf cuttings are really slow; sprouting can take 5-6 months, so you must be patient!
11. Coral bells leaf cutting steps
Ideas and photos: Chang Chang's Garden
Coral bells, in the Saxifragaceae family, genus Heuchera, was introduced to you a couple of days ago. It is the number one beauty in the foliage plant world, with brilliant leaf colors and captivating charm. A favorite of overseas gardeners, it has only been introduced into the country in the past two years.
Steps for leaf cuttings
1. Prepare a cutting soil by mixing peat soil, perlite, and vermiculite at a 1:1:1 ratio. Perlite can increase air permeability, and vermiculite has good water retention.
2. Select relatively large leaves from the base of the plant and remove them slowly. Whether the leaves are healthy affects future survival, so pay attention to the following when choosing leaves:
1. Leaves that are not complete cannot be chosen;
2. Leaves that are complete but have suffered sunburn also cannot be used;
3. If the petiole is basically complete and the leaf is healthy, like 3, 4, and 5, they can all be used for cuttings.
3. Punch holes in the bottom of a transparent plastic cup, and place a mesh screen or cardboard over them.
4. Mix vermiculite and perlite at a 2:1 ratio, then put it into the cup, filling it to about one half of the cup.
5. Put the leaves into the cup; do not put in too many, 3-5 is enough,
6. Continue adding medium until full.
7. Use a spray bottle to moisten it, place the cup in a container with water, and move it to a warm, ventilated place out of the sun. Roots will grow in about one month. Be careful not to pull them out to check from time to time!
8. Once the root system has grown sufficiently, it can be planted out into a pot.