By the statement a haworthia flower stem is the same as an orchid keiki. If by natural adaptiaon and evolution both would be related. Sounds like it would be worth the try for experement.

Seed I dont find them nor allow to flower long enough to even look, in turn off sets can happen more frequently for some
I find removing off sets and/or root cuttings to be a more reliable way
Nice subject the statement is right some plants have a strong will to survive and reproduce by any means they can . All we do is help them along in our cultivating world

Thanks. Does it matter how many flowers open before cutting the spike? Love to see your pic

Thanks Howard, I hadn't heard about this! I'll test it out right away. Of course, I love making seed and would never sacrifice an inflorescence if I had plans for the seed. I have lots of Haws that I can try this with, though.

For those interested, I found the article at this website:

http://www.haworthia.info/en/gallery/01.html

Ryan, I feel the same and will try it on something that has two inflorescence. What I'm wondering is: Does it matter how many flowers have opened? And do the number of new plants relate to the open flowers? I know doing it with orchids requires proper timing or all you get is another flower spike, because I used to produce keiki all the time.

I don't have answers for the specifics, but I will add that I too have had this happen accidentally.

If this is true with Haworthia, should also be true with Aloes? Or Gasteria. Some thing to think about.
Stush

Okay. So this is what I was talking about. This "flower stalk" basically turned into a giant caudex root and grew offsets.
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This post was edited by Sundewd on Fri, Mar 21, 14 at 15:29

On topic with haworthia spkie cutting while flowering.

In general it takes alot of plant energy to hold a flower The same energy that comes from the host plant has me thinking the flower count wouldn't matter if rooting a keiki with one or more flowers they too may be able to seed.

Experment the flowering spikes at varied stages one or more flower to no flowers. IMO I wouldnt wait for max flowers as energy would be nearly depleted in a sence
I guess best odds for a clone Haw from flower spike would be to cut befor the peek opening of any flowering.

The energy that was going to used for flowering and seedling would be used for root establishiing.

If from single leaf sounds time consuming for a haw or aloe, perhaps a bigger risk of unfavorable results

**Then again (who knows) the flower spike has potentual to clone on the same plant with out having to be cut at all.

** see left rear /right rear in pic

I've very seldom had offsets come out of flower stalks, but I've been able to get plantlets off new flower stalks using tissue culture techniques.

Yes, tissue culture was the first thing I thought of when I read "flower spike". So you've done it, eh? Very nice. I hope to give it a shot one of these days.

I had an offset grow from the base of the flower stalk on a Haworthia magnifica v. acuminata. I've seen it on H. pumila and a few others, all randomly though. The idea that you can induce an aerial offset with dependable results is exciting if it works. It could be a really good way to produce clones of a desirable plant that doesn't offset much, or at all.

I also have it happening on a few Adromischus.

Sounds like the 'keikis' are a fun but unreliable way to propagate, mine don't bloom enough to experiment yet, but I have a Gasterworthia 'Royal Highness' that produces 'keikis' every time it flowers. It came with two when I bought it, last year the stalk died off before they were big enough but I have two growing from this years flowers. They always show up as the last flowers drop. I think it's more common in gasteria as I've heard of gasteraloe doing this too. Maybe a hybrid quirk.

I did get desperate last year and topped two H. truncata 'Lime Green', the stumps have produced 11 offsets and the tops are rooted and bigger than when I started so I may use that technique again if something refuses to offset.

Charlie, I believe pictures are in order. Please share your technique with us in detail. So far the cutting the flower spike has done nothing for me. About the only way I have been able to produce more plants is with leaf cuttings or the occasional pup division.

Question. What Haworthia is that? (Sundewd's post)

Very rarely this happens. Only twice here in -say about the last 25 years. Both times on a limifolia.

Harry

I have this guy Three Cornered Hat

It's in spike. If I'm gonna try this better not wait too long......
:]

I've been cutting flower stalks off my haworthias and gasterias for about three years now, because I prefer that they spend energy on leaf production. I just stick them into the same pot thinking it will take time before the stalk notices that services have been discontinued. The existing mature buds do open even when severed from the plant but the stalk will not produce new buds. The fleshier the flower stalk, the longer it lasts. An H. parksiana stalk, for instance, will last only a couple of days, not long enough for existing buds to open. So far no offset yet.

25 years! Sheesh, Harry. Couldn't you have emailed me 25 years ago to start experimenting with these?

Pagan

:) did I say 25?

Must be more than 45 now. :)

...hmm... must be aging, but feel like a young god....:)

Fantastic, Harry. I would've been three.

So I've been doing this just for kicks and giggles but with this info, I'll start sticking these things into the pot on purpose

Pagan