Plant propagation

[Michael J Campbell]

For those of you who were fortunate or unfortunate enough to acquire some of my Lewisia hybs,here is a useful tip on propagating them.
As you will have discovered they are slow enough to produce offsets,but if you follow the pictures below they will show you another method. The flowers are produced on a scape between two and four inches long with leaves on the lower part. remove this as close to the plant as possible and leave to dry overnight. Then insert them in sand and they will root in five or six weeks. they will not all root and make plants, but enough will root to make it worth the effort.

 Plant showing flowers
 Cuttings
 Cuttings detail
 cutting detail
 Cuttings
 Cuttings in sand bed.
 Rooted cuttings
 Rooted cuttings detail


Cheers Michael.

[David Nicholson]

Great info. Michael, should this method work with species as well please?

[Carlo]

I'd start nipping, David. It's likely to work--at least to some degree. AND what do you have to lose?

Let us know how it goes...

[Michael J Campbell]

David,the species grow easily from seed so I did not  try it . I only use this method because the hybs do not produce seed and were slow to make offsets, so had to find another way.  I find some of the species take a long time to root from offsets.

cheers, Michael.

[Maggi Young]

Michael, thanks for this clear and very useful demonstration.

[ChrisB]

Most interesting propagation information.  I love propagating plants!!

[Paul T]

Michael,

So you leaves the flowers on your cuttings?  What do the resultant plants look like?  I'm assuming a multi-crowned plant, as the dormant buds around the shoot activate?  Absolutely fascinating, particularly with such clear and concise pictures to show what you're doing.  Great stuff!!!!!

[Lesley Cox]

Is there a good reason to leave the flower stems on the cuttings? My first reaction would normally be to trim those off, as much because of their weight as anything else, pulling the cutting over, in the sand but as well, maybe a higher proportion could root, if they weren't putting energy into keeping the flowers going? Any thoughts?

[Michael J Campbell]

The reason for leaving the flower on the scape is because it is only a flower scape and not a normal stem (branch or offset) of a plant that one would normally use. If you remove the flower the scape whithers, its job has finished. leaving the flower on gives it reason to stay alive  until the roots have formed. I have tried removing the flowers but it was unsuccessful.
Hope this answers your question.

[Lesley Cox]

It certainly does and explained like that it's entirely logical. Thanks Michael.

[ChrisB]

How very interesting.... never thought of that