One of the leaves on my new mini Rob's Jitterbug fell off, but no there is no stem attached at all. Do I have the same chance of it rooting if it had a stem?
Anyone ever do this before?
Thanks
Maureen
Can a leaf root if there is no stem attached?
Yes ! Many people cut their leaves like this ! You can cut and make a little stem I cut straight across stick in soil and root. I do my Strep leaves like this too ! I posted pictures of this the other day somewhere :))
Here is one link with pictures.
A broken leaf??? No problem!
http://www.rachelsreflections.com/violets3.htm#basket
May have to mouse on page to correct section with broken leaf !
Some where today Key posted how she used same variety or leaves one she cut top off one she did not. All the leaves with top cut off have no babies all the leaves with top on have babies ! Very interesting :))
Allison, thank you very very much. I looked over Rachel's page and it is very clear how to do this, and it says it works just as well. I'm potting up 2 of these leaves tomorrow. Have a good night,
Maureen
I use to set all my leaves up in the clear plastic boxes. I started wikcing but got lazy and stopped in the end but if I got leaves and could not do them Hubby still wicked them ! We used 3 oz. solo cups sometimes 5 if 3 could not be fount. I tired other sizes but likes 3 best .
First winter couple years ago I had so many over 500 new leaves and some already rooting I filled two small greenhouses. Once the babies started coming up they'd get a VF-11 or fish drink what ever I had and they went on light stand close almost touching.
BUT being covered I fount was slow. They mostly sat there, healthy roots but no babies. So After months with some I opened taking tops off and they got air circulation, more light many boxes went on light stands and they needed more VF-11 food ( covered up they hardly ever needed a drink) well when they got oepned up they started growing babies crazy :))
Amytime I felt like potting up babies there were some there for me to play with !
Good NIght me too ! My CNA's are coming 8 Am for bed bath. Too early for Saturday morning hope we will be awake. HEHE :))
Hey Maureen. I have set leaves like this and they seem to produce quicker than the full stem. Maybe it's because they are not set so deep in the soil. Don't worry they will work just fine.
Good morning Allison. Thank you for that pic. It is amazing, so many babies. Now I see where you got all the babies to share over the years. My babies are going to get their vfll soon I hope. I may call Elenoar to ask her if she knows when it will ship to me. What are "CNA's"? I'm not sure what you are referring to. I'll let you know if Jitterbug grows into babies. Wishing you a great 2007 and better health.
Hi Nanna - thank you for letting me know you have quick success with leaves with no stem. I have 2 leaves of Jitterbug so maybe I will get at least 1 baby, maybe 2.
Happy New year
Maureen
I'll just add my two cents as well :) Because I have had trouble with rot while rooting, I've "made" a stem from a leaf. Instead of a straight across cut, I cut out a bit on each side of the bottom, leaving a "stem" in the center. That has worked just as well for me...and less rot.
J.
Thanks Plantimcplanter (love that name!!) I'm going to make the stem too. Thanks for letting me know.
I agree with Nanna many times they do give you babies faster. !
maureen I only really grew from leaf maybe 2 years. I started growing Av's ( though I always had a few and loved plants inside and out always had them but no time with working and kids growing up..) maybe growing for >>>>>>>>>
4 at the most years ago. I first bought three on an auction from a great seller . I wanted to try then I bought many, many from her lot's of times I'd give friends, family blooming plants away and just buy more . I never thought I'd grow by leaf hek 9-12 months for a blooming plant. I was not expected to live that long. lol But then this grower gave me a free leaf and it rooted and grew babies fast ! I've grown babies everyway you could imagine. lol Fun ! I read a lot of books too ! I had an old plant book for house plants and saw Flame violet and they told about it ! I had to have one ! That's when I bought my first one ! Aussie Alice !
Then I joined local group almost three years ago. I was given many bags of names leaves, bag of 150 solo cups 3 oz each already had 5 holes each ! Wow yes 5 holes ! Plastic 6 quart box . I bought soil from the group . ( soon to be taught how to make our own as we used so much )Was told how to do it and wow I never stopped. I put leaves down from every plant( Good Idea to put a leaf or two down from each new plant as lots of new plants don't make it in their new homes, and lots of times the plant you grow by leaf will be nicer ! And most of all to SHARE !! ) I had but I mostly bought leaves. If there was a rare or plant from Vendor that sold only one plant I fount it more worth my money to buy the plant, put down leaves, share leaves , either they'd grow back nice or I'd take just crown and start a nice new plant !
My first large order of 100 leaves or so was from Bloomlovers. I did a lot of trades big ones and many people sharedfree plants with me ! Boxes and boxes of plants, big box of blooming Streps, leaves and more were shared with me when I was new !
Then I grew and shared too ! That's what Av's are for Growing, Show and Sharing :)) I Sponcoered many, many Bingos not just on DG's . So much fun ! It's important to share and keep them growing or we will lose the Vintage and rare.
Those two greenhouses each had three shelves full picture only showed 2 and I had stands full too ! I use to labled solo cups in bed put the leaf plastic bag and all in the cup place in plastic boxes, I had 35 6 quart boxes in no time and then the boxes got larger ! Many times my Hubby filled the cups with soil-less mix he always made and watered them threw and placed under lights ! I'd be so weak sleeping and he's do them without me even asking him !!!!
I use to package plants in bed and he did the boxing up !
It kept my days full of joy even if I worked on them15 minutes.When set up organised they really did not take much time ! We only had a tiny one bedroom trailer ! 12 ft by 48 ft. we paid a whole $1,000. for and Hubby gutted it out and did over ! We had lots of wonderful windows :))
I could never afford to buy all these rare,vintage leaves, Russian plants and more ! But they filled my days with joy ! Sad to say I never thought about spending money from my tiny SSD check as I thought you can't take anything material to Heaven with you. But I should have saved some $$$ or paid off some bills to get rid of payments... When we sold out trailer down the street two years ago we had bought for 45 hundred gutted out and did over that's when I splurged and bought hundreds of leaves. See Blooming Jungle had buy two get one free I got almost 200 leaves from her ! And Faye I bought 200 bags 200 varieites each bag had 2 or more ! Sense we were moving I asked them to send them after New Years !
Well anyways it's easy to grow babies and Av's and Gesneriads ! Their the most easiest plants to progate , have FUN and SHARE !
CNA is a NUrses Aid !!
Happy New Year !
Keep having Fun growing Gesneriads and Sharing :))