Leaf Cuttings

This method of propagation is suitable for plants that have broad veins on their undersides. These include plants such as:

Begonia Rex

Streptocarpus

African Violets

Select a young healthy leaf to propagate from.

Turn the leaf over so that you can see the prominent veins on the underside of the plant. Using a sharp, clean knife, (preferably dipped in sterilising solution) make a cut across each of the strongest veins.

Place the leaf, cut side side, onto a tray of moist compost ensuring that the leaf surface is in contact with the compost. Pin the leaf down with hoops of soft wire if necessary.

Cover the tray with a polythene bag ensuring that the polythene does not touch the leaf. Preferably place it in a heated propagator with lid.

Keep in a light place but out of direct sunlight at a temperature of 70F (21C).

In a few weeks the leaf will develop young plantlets where the leaf surface has been cut. When these plantlets have developed 2 - 3 leaves, they can then be carefully lifted and potted on into 3 inch (7.5cm) pots.

An alternative method is to cut small square sections out of the leaf, each about the size of a postage stamp and containing a section of the main vein. Peg each one down onto compost and treat the same way as above.