Gloxinia propagation

OK- so the PF says you can do it from leaf cuttings... HOW? Like an Afrian violet or some other way-- has anyone done this? I have started it from seed but BOY does that take forever....

Heather

I did it once years ago. Cut the thick veins on the underside of the leaf and press the leaf to the top of the soil, I pinned it there with toothpicks. It grew a tiny little tuber where one of the cut places were.

Diana

My friend, who grows them for a living, slits out the big vein and then pegs the two sides of the leaf to the soil with tooth picks. He gets lots of little plantlets on the surface of the leaf.

What do you mean by "slits out"?
Jan...

This message was edited Jun 2, 2005 11:06 AM

Does he peg them flat to the soil surface, or sticking up like a little sail with just the cut edge touching?

If you are talking about Sinningia speciosa (aka florist's gloxinia), then it may be faster from seed - many should bloom in 6 months. Because they have to form tubers, even starting from leaf will taking time.

But it might be that you're talking about a different plant because so many are called Gloxinia (but very few are really of that genus).
http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?search_type%5Bcommon%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcommon%5D=gloxinia&search_type%5Bfamily%5D=contains&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&search_type%5Bgenus%5D=contains&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&search_type%5Bspecies%5D=contains&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&search_type%5Bcultivar%5D=contains&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&search_type%5Bhybridizer%5D=contains&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&Search=Search

Removes the center vein, then pegs down the leaves with toothpicks.

Sorry, same question, I must be missing something...

Does he peg them so that the underside of the leaf is pressed flat against the soil surface? Or does he peg them in place so that the leaf half sticks up like a little sail with just the cut edge touching the soil?

I assumed he pegged them down face up, slit out the vein and then left the two sides there, but I will ask and get back to you.

Oh! That's the one way I hadn't considered! It can be hard to describe simple things in words sometimes! LOL