Re: propagation

Peter Cole (carnivor@flytrap.demon.co.uk)
Sat, 07 Dec 1996 23:00:17 GMT

alanreeves@juno.com (Alan D Reeves) writes:

> Does anyone know which propagation techniques are best for which plants?
> I have a Sarr. Flava (i think), a Madagascar Nepenthese (I'm pretty
> sure), a couple of venus fly-traps, a sundew (I'm not sure which one it
> is but it kinda looks like a King Drosera, with flat leaves, but much

A small D.adelae perhaps? just a stab in the dark...

> smaller, no more that 2-3" across), a thread-leaf sundew, a round leaf
> sundew, and a purple pitcher plant. I'm more interested in propagating
> the Nepenthese more than the rest of them, though.

Nepenthes (or at least the 3 or 4 spp. I've tried this on including
N.madagascariensis,) work well from stem cuttings. It seems a bit
drastic, and the sight of all those clippings and pitchers left over
can be a wee bit upsetting to those of a sensitive disposition, but
this is how to do it -

- cut the stem off 3 or 4 leaves up from the base - don't worry, new
growth will sprout

- cut the stem into lengths, each with 3-4 leaves

- cut the end half of each leaf off (to reduce transpiration)

- dip the bottom end of each cutting into rooting powder, and pot
up in a suitable compost (I use 1:1:1:1 coarse bark:perlite:hortag
(clay beads):peat)

- keep the cuttings warm, as humid as possible, in good light and
mist them every day

after 2-3 weeks you'll see little green lumps forming just above
the upper leaf axils on each cutting, and these will proceed to
grow into new stems. If you're lucky you'll get some forming two
lumps and stems, from the top two leaf axils, but the lower one
often seems to abort as all the plants auxins (hormones,) are
diverted to the upper one. The development of roots seems to work
at about the same speed - once you've got a few leaves on the new
growth, it should be well rooted, though it's probably not advisable
to keep digging it up to check while it's still working hard at
getting established.

Drosera are probably easiest from seed, though many spp. will work
via leaf cuttings poked into sphagnum or root cuttings in peat:sand.

Sarracenias work well (but slowly,) from seed, or can be divided
with a sharp knife when the rhizome exhibits more than one growth
point - it's as well to treat with an appropriate fungicide and
keep an eye on them after this for a month or two, as mould can
gain a foothold on the exposed rhizome tissue.

VFTs seem to work well as cuttings from just about any part of the
plant - lay them on sphagnum, keep them warm, damp and bright, and
they'll form any number of little plantlets from the cut edges of
the tissue. Again, fungicide may be useful if there's a risk of
mould.

...
> P.S. Can anyone help me on the care and cultivation( and possible
> propagation) or "air plants" (Tillandsia, i think)?

You're on your own there I'm afraid :)

Happy growing,

Peter

snail:Peter Cole,17 Wimmerfield Cres. :: mailto:carnivor@flytrap.demon.co.uk
Killay, SWANSEA SA27BU,WALES,UK :: http://www.angel.co.uk/flytrap/
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