It is common to grow plants using seeds. This method is well-known. What about plants that are unable to produce seeds? Alternatively, plants produce seeds but cannot grow into plants. You may be surprised to learn that some plants can be grown into new plants by cutting leaves. Let us first identify the plants that leaf cuttings can propagate.
Identify the type of buds
There are two kinds of buds found on plants: axillary and adventitious.
Axillary buds are the normal ones that grow from which flowers, leaves, and branches can be made. However, adventitious buds can also be found on the trunk, roots, or leaves. Those are adventitious if you notice buds or outgrowths appearing in places other than on the stem apices, tips, or leaf axils.
How do you propagate through leaves?
Materials required:
- A pair of sharp, clean scissors or a blade
- Propagating media
- Container
- Mother plant
- Some fertilizer
- Rooting hormone (Optional)
Propagating plants with petiole
Petioles are slender stems that join stems with leafs and are called petioles. Syngonium, money plants, Syngonium and African violets, episcia, hoya, and sedum, are all examples. Leaf petioles can be used to propagate plants. Use a sterilized knife or scissor to cut the stem above the attachment point. The petiole should be dipped in rooting hormone. Soak the stalk in water or place it directly in potting mix for a few days. Within a few weeks, roots will form, and the cutting will soon be transformed into a new plant.
Planting leaves without the use of petiole
Certain plants can grow directly from stems and have no petiole. These plants can be propagated using leaf blades. This technique can multiply snake plant, aloe vera, and bryophyllum as well as kalanchoe and sedum . Use a sharp knife to cut a leaf that is healthy looking. Dip the cut section in rooting hormone. The leaf can be placed in water or in potting mixture. Multiple incisions can be made to create multiple plants with a single leaf. Place the bottom portion in soil, and the tip should face the sky.
Propagation through leaf buds
A few plants can develop tiny buds on their leaves and stems that can be used to grow new plants. Use a sharp knife to cut the bud and place it in a rooting medium. Then, bury it with a potting mixture. Eg: hydrangeas, poinsettias, geraniums, camellias and bryophyllum , etc.
Suculents that leaves can propagate
It is very simple to grow succulents from leaves. Use sharp blades or scissors to cut the leaf and place it in a tray filled with water or potting mixture. Do not submerge the leaf into soil; place it on top. Lightly sprinkle water over the leaves every other day, and a new plant will grow in a few weeks. Eg- Graptopetalum paraguayense (Ghost Plant), Sedum morganianum (Burrito), Echeveria lilacina (Ghost Echeveria), Sedum nussbaumerianum, Echeveria (Lola).
What are you waiting? Get all the necessary tools and multiply your plants to make beautiful plants. You don’t need to spend so much money on new plants when you can grow your own.
