Hepaticas from root cuttings

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Greetings from KK-Ann Arbor, who is visiting Japan now.  I left snow-covered Michigan on the 24 th, the temperature in teens F, and here I am in a spring like Tokyo, in 60s F!

Just love all recent photos of Hepaticas shared on the forum recently!! My hepatics are still getting ready to go in action in Michigan in April.  They are currently covered under the snow, as we have had a few big snow storms within the past couple of weeks.

I am here in Japan to check out the annual Hepatica show in Tokyo sponsored by the Hepatica Association of Japan.  This is a 2-day event and over a dozen vendors and breeders are showing their plants including new creations, vying for awards.  I understand that some have been or will be introduced as registered new flowers for 2011.  The show is just very nice with lovely plants.  I am drooling over each and every plant, but I can only bring 12 of them back home with me.  Decisions, decisions...

I wanted to share rooting information I found in the back issues of wild flower magazines I bought at the show.  Sorry it is not from my own experience, but thought these tips supports postings by Chris and Natalia. 

Root cutting:
When dividing a mature plant, break off the main root of the mother plant leaving the top 1-2 cm with the new divided plant.
Apply benomyl solution to the part of the root broken off and pot the root in upright position, covering all parts with compost.

Making a new plant from a leaf – tips from a Hepatica enthusiast experimenting propagation using hormones and accelerating growth with gibberellin:
In August-September, break off one of the newly developed leaf of the season from the base of the plant.  Pot the leaf after dipping the base of the leaf in a solution of rooting hormone for 20+ hrs.
Photos showing this process started with leaves looking just like the ones shown in the first photo posted by Natalia.

I am looking forward to try these methods this year with my fingers crossed for success.

[Maggi Young]

KK, firstly congratulations for being able to visit this hepatica show , while escaping from your winter weather in Maine.... sems like a great move!

secondly many thanks for sharing these tips with us.... extremely useful info  to help us in our experiments. Thanks!

Good luck with  narrowing down your choice to twelve..... not an easy task. 

[Diane Whitehead]

The 12 plant limit is set by the U.S. authorities.

Now, we have no such limit in Canada.   I am sure you could
find foster parents for your plants just over the border, and you could pop north
to visit.

[annew]

Nice try, Diane!

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Diane,

Only if I had known, I would have looked up for a Canadian foster parent.
As it stands now, I will have to leave about 10 plants at my son’s condo here until the next time I get over here.  My husband was supposed to follow me a day late.  However, because of the weather in Detroit area and additional happenings, he could not make it.  Bad news is, I already placed my order for 22 plants out of 24 allowances for myself and my husband.  Alas, now I am forced to pick 12 out of 22 I have.  Only 10 of them are hepatics.  Epimediums, Jeffersonia and anemonella thalictroides make up the rest.  Not only I missed out on selecting my 2 remaining Hepatics at the show to come home with me, I have to leave some with my unfortunately ‘not very interested in plants’ son.
I am a beginning Hepatica enthusiast with a long list of failures spanning years.  I only buy inexpensive Hepatics for beginners around Y800 in strong colors.  I splurged on a lovely yellow one for Y3,500, this time, though.

[annew]

That much for a yellow  , we pay that for fairly ordinary hepaticas in the UK. You must post a picture of your treasure.

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Anne

What I paid for the basic yellow seemed to be the base price for yellows at that show.  Since I could not add any more plants, I did not really investigate retail tables and I might have missed those on sale prices. 
I am not very good at taking photos, and posting, I am not sure.  But I will try, once I get home without problem through Narita and Detroit inspection processes.  My husband had the connection cable to load photos to the computer

[Peter Maguire]

I only buy inexpensive Hepatics for beginners around Y800 in strong colors.  I splurged on a lovely yellow one for Y3,500, this time, though.
Wow, at that price, it's almost worth the air fare to Japan! Maybe we ought to orgainse an SRGC trip for next year - we would soon clear their sales tables.  

[Natalia]

KK, thanks for the information on reproduction by sheet - I will try!
Some years ago heard a mention of such method, but did not know about use gibberellin. Now there are more exact data, will experiment!

 Good luck in a choice 12...

Waiting for photo.

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Natalia,

The example referenced in my earlier posting regarding gibberellin, also mentioned the use of gibberellin starting on the seeds before germination to encourage a stronger growth, not just accelerating the process.  In one extreme example, he observed 10 growing nodes (?) in one seed just 1 year after germination.  He uses cyctokinin as well in his experiment.  I am not familiar with this and no details are given related to its use. He notes that when using growth hormones, you need good light to promote photosynthesis.  However, he also cautions that when under this accelerated process, everything gets accelerated including attacks from red spider mites! 

I made the decision and bringing 10 hepatics and 2 Japanese Jeffersonias (Lavendar Twin Leaves) home with me. 

[Natalia]

KK, I understand that the leaf is used for breeding solution cyctokinin, and gibberellin - at sowing seeds.

Thanks for the illumination and red spider mites.

 Good luck with the chosen hepatics and Japanese Jeffersonias!

[Mavers]

KK you just gotta show us your plants!!!!!

Any pictures of the show itself?

Mike

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Sorry, I was busy clearing the stacked up work while I was having a great time in Japan.
I have some photos, quality of which are questionable.

Will anyone be kind enough to direct me to where I can find the direction on how to post a photo?  Certainly be quicker than for me to go looking.

kk

[Maggi Young]

Hi KK, try these links and I'll email you a set of tips, too....
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=65.0
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2.0

The HELP button at the top of every page will lead to some info, too, of course!

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Maggi,
Thank you for the information.

Photos from the Hepatica show in Tokyo.
Some names might not be correctly shown as I am not 100% sure how they shold be pronouced.
Awards are given by flower types.

1-Kokkai - black sea
2-Beni homare (gold medal winner)
3-Hinagiku (bronze medal winner)
4-Kahou
5-Kirameki (gold medal winner)
6-Kuro shinju - black pearl
7-Momo sango - peach coral