Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Who else is getting the "gotta dig" bug?, 0 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Happy
First of all---you need a plump, healthy AV leaf to hope to root it.
The one you are describing does not sound all that plump or healthy healthy.
I am sure, somewhere--you can find a broken off, healthy lesaf to practice on.

There are three ways I have rooted AV's. Always successfully.

1--One I do not use a lot is in water.
You get a small container--fill it almost to the top with water--stretch plastic wrap tightly across
the top and poke a small hole through the wrap to slip the AV leaf stem through.
You can rubber-band around the top to keep the plastic wrap in place. That's it! Then-=-WAIT!
The neat thing is you can see the babies start growing under water through the glass.

2--the second way is to to stick the leaves in a vented container--like the kind 3lbs of grapes come in.
Fill the bottom with at least 2" of soil mix--then stick the leaf stems in it (standing up!)
and making sure the leaf does not touch the soil. The babies will grow from the buried stem
and then up through the soil. When they look a decent size to pot up--remove the leaf and the
clinging soil and roots and, gently, separate the baby AV's. Pot up each little plant in its own pot.
Then---replant the mama leaf TO GROW MORE BABIES...It will!

3--Is to get a 2 1/2" pot, fill it with Mix, and stick the stem of one leaf in it. keep the leaf from
touching the soil. Water in slightly. Put a clear, plastic glass over the rim of the pot, fitting tightly.
What you are doing is creating a mini Greenhouse environment.
The little pots and tops that Venus Flytraps are sold in are perfect, but you can buy clear glasses anywhere. .
The glass has to fit tightly over the top of the pot.
You need not do anything else until the babies are growing up through the soil.

Any one of these will do. I usually opt for the leaves in the deep plastic container.
It truly acts as a mini, vented Greenhouse.

Copy this out--you may want to refer back to it.

Gita
Gita