Eucomis leaf cuttings

Eucomis leaf cuttings

Posted on 30 Jun, 2009 20 comments

I thought I would try this last year after finding out that you can propagate Eucomis (Pineapple Flower) from leaf cuttings. Though there are several species and an ever increasing number of man made hybrids and selections of this fascinating group of plants, I thought I would try the “bog standard” type, Eucomis bicolor if for no other reason than it was the only one I had to hand!

I selected two large leaves and cut them into chevrons like this:

(Hope my line drawings are clear enough?..... I know, hard to believe I didn’t go to art school eh?)



The reason for cutting them into chevrons rather than straight across is supposed to increase the number of bulbils/plantlets across their lower cut surface. I didn’t compare either way so can’t really comment.

These were then placed half their depth (the right way up) into a very gritty mix of straight peat mixed 50/50 with horticultural sharp sand to open up the rooting medium into a 6 inch diameter clay pot.



A short green split can was put in the centre to keep the polythene off the cuttings.



In hindsight, I wish I had used seed compost mixed with grit for the small amount of food in it plus I think the peat may have been slightly acidic? A translucent polythene bag (the type you get as freezer bags) was placed over the pot and elastic band round to keep in position.

The moisture already in the peat and the course sand I though was enough, at least initially for them. I didn’t want them to rot before the cut surfaces had time to callous over. I could have left them in the open air for a day or two I suppose but I was living dangerously! The pot was placed in good light, but not in full sun in the greenhouse to keep the temperature warm for them. This would help speed up the rooting….hopefully.

After three weeks (I couldn’t resist having a peek) I needed to water them anyway. Incidentally, a quick plunge in water was better than watering from above, at least it would have been if I had used seed compost instead of peat as this has a wetting agent in it. Oh well!

I gently pulled one out and GORDON BENNETT, there were roots!



Well, you have to pull them ALL out and have a look at them don’t you?!!!

I carefully re-planted them (not all had started) and sealed them up again.

A few weeks went by and I thought I would check them again, they must have made some progress since I last looked. They had! Little bulbils were indeed forming on most. Hoorah!



I found that most of the bulbils separated easily from the parent leaf, especially as I had left them too dry for the last week or so and the parent leaf had all but shrivelled up leaving the bulbils still quite unharmed and plump.

They were duly potted up (just below the surface with their tops just sticking out) and placed on my kitchen windowsill in full sun for a while until I realised this was just maybe a bit to much for them and I put them in good light but out of full sun.



This is a close up of one of the little bulbils coming through.


Here they are now anyway in June, each with at least one big leaf, most with two.



They seem to be doing really well now and I will have to try with some of the more choice types now that I have got my hand in, he he!!! :-)

More blog posts by fractal