Weldenia candida - propagation

[Rodger Whitlock]

Last fall (2012) while I was cleaning up a big pot of Weldenia candida before putting it into storage for the winter, I noticed that there were a number of small offsets around the main crown. I pulled these off and put them in their own pot for storage, in clean, dry sand. They were short lengths of slightly fleshy root, with a growing point at one end.

This spring, when the pot came out of storage, I kept it under cover and watered it very cautiously for a while, just a few ml of water at a time, finally putting it outside in early May to enjoy the spring rain. To my surprise three of these offsets are now growing as I write, though of course they're very small. I suspect that had I kept the storage pot slightly moist, more of them would have survived and sprouted.

I can't say whether these offsets came from a plant originally given to me by a local alpine enthusiast, traceable back to Ingwersen's, or from one sent to me by a generous member in NZ. Both may be the same clone, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that they aren't, in the hope of getting some seed off the plants.

[Lesley Cox]

Well done Rodger, and welcome back to the Forum. I haven't seen you here for some time but I may have been looking in the wrong places of course.

I've found too that the autumn offsets make new plants but I usually don't take them off until early spring when I repot or dig the garden ones. At this stage (Aug/Sept here) the plants literally fall apart into their different pieces and every one grows on. You may well find that your little ones flower this summer, albeit later in the season than the main plant.

The new autumn stems which form after some late summer rain or a good watering, can also be taken as ordinary cuttings, there being a slightly darker line around the stem which is akin to a node area. These usually callus before the winter then come up in latish spring as little plants with a small tuberous root. They too will mostly flower late in the summer.