
STARTING A NEW PLANT
New plants can be started by
putting down leaves. New varieties are available from mail order as leaf
cuttings.
Try the following method:
Cut
a fresh new end with a sharp knife. Angle the cut to increase the surface area.
Place
the leaf in a small pot with wet coarse vermiculite or soil-less potting mix.
Use a label or stake to identify the variety name. To keep it wet during the
first week of rooting, the pot could sit in 1/4 inch of water.
After
the leaf is rooted, a gentle tug will tell, keep the rooting material damp. New
baby plantlets may be seen sprouting from the base of the leaf as soon as one
month. This varies with the variety, be patient.
Divide
the babies, and pot them up as soon as you feel you can safely handle them. Do
not separate variegated varieties from the mother leaf while they are still all
white. They need the green chlorophyl to survive.
Pot the new baby plants in your regular potting mix. Use your regular feeding
for the leaves and plantlets during these stages. You could have a flowering
plant, six months from the time you put the leaf down. Remember growing them is
half the fun!
