Great tutorial, Ryan...visually & otherwise! =)

One thing, though...I have/have these Haworthias...and used to think they were H. mutica (var. mutica). When Rudolf Shultz' book came out (Haworthia for the Collector), I found it listed as "a compact form of H. retusa var. retusa. The have tiny cilia on leaf edges, whereas mutica does not.

Love your photo-illustrated how-to lessons! As a lurker who is trying to learn before buying and killing C&S plants, can you explain why you put the leaves in dry soil (I root other types of plants in moist mix)?

Love your photo-illustrated how-to lessons! As a lurker who is trying to learn before buying and killing C&S plants, can you explain why you put the leaves in dry soil (I root other types of plants in moist mix)?

Wondrous experiment. Inspired, I did the same thing today, but with a good dozen different Haw leaves. Also was happy to see that a H. pygmaea leaf I accidentally knocked off my one little plant about two weeks ago already has a tiny root developing.

I was wondering about the var. mutica--versus retusa thing, RoRo, because I'm pretty sure I have this same variety (and I removed pup leaves from it today).

Keep me updated with this guys. I need to make sure it 100% works. Id love to experiment, but i dont have an abundance of haworthias, or a very large one.

When it works, the results are so delightful!
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^ Oh, what a great reward alright! I'll be so thrilled if I have success.

Check out this video on Haworthia Propagation

Very nice hansrobo. Also, Very interesting video. One cuts the oposite side of the stem from the main body of leaf. The leaf must make a ring around the stem. I do not know german. Does any one know what "drug zand" is? I gather some kind of sand. It is surprising that one gets multiple babes off of one leaf.

Neat-O info! Thanks for the link to the video, Ken.

Mara, in Dutch...

in droog zand of eerst laten drogen

translates to:

in dry sand or first let dry

Thanks everybody, for the comments! Thanks also for the photo and great video, Ken! That's very helpful. The H. limifolia he uses for the vid, though, has tougher leaf edges... less likely to crack when you pull on them like he's doing.

I only see one question from Donna...
Donna, the reason to keep your soil dry until roots develop is: no amount of moisture can be absorbed until a root appears. Until then, you're just increasing the chance of rot.

Well, Ryan, now the bug has bitten me, too. I just have to wait until some warmer weather happens around here. then I will have the room in the greenhouse and a better chance of something positive happening! I know you'll keep this going with your progress because we all want to see the results....

Here's an update! One leaf survived, I moved it to a shared pot with some other leaves a few months ago. It's the only thing left in the pot.

The leaves from Howard's H. comptoniana are doing very well! Only one pup so far but all the leaves are rooted.

...and while we're at it, H. 'Sizunami' leaves are propping like hotcakes! Mad props!

Looks great... I must really be over the hill, Ryan, because I don't recall sending that one to you.

Thanks, Howard! Yes, it was you who offered it up and I was the lucky recipient. It recently bloomed and I was able to cross it with a maughanii that technically belongs to Jeff. I guess that means you two are parents!

Ahhh to be a grandparent...again! So does it look like you're going to have pods? Sounds like an interesting cross... round windows with great markings.

Oh, and don't ask me to babysit... at my age, I'm having a hard enough time caring for myself!!!!

This post was edited by bikerdoc5968 on Sun, Nov 3, 13 at 16:20

Hey, y'all! I just wanted to share some progress on these puppies. Here are the H. comptoniana from Howard. We have 3 new plants so far! It's nice because I don't think this plant will offset on its own.

Here are the H. 'Sizunami', proving to be very eager.

... and, here are the offspring from Howard's H.comptoniana X Jeff's H. maughanii who's just here on vacation and got knocked up.

Small yet, but full of potential, as with all children of love.

Ryan, the cross is VERY exciting, indeed! I didn't realize you had crossed the plants... So do the grandparents get to have visitors????? LOL

I wonder if the new offsets for the H.comptoniana will be large leafed as the parent plant and how this will impact the cross????

'knocked up on vacation' - I wonder how you know my plans so well.

I never did do the leaf propagation before, so it's great to get a primer on it - wait, how do I get SouCal weather in January.....

Great status report, Ryno, and the crosses are exciting.

A beginner question:
I read that I should lay a succulent leaf on the ground and not to stuck it in.
Here I see that you put the leaf tip into the ground
Is the latter is the preferred method for any succulent plant?

O this is cool. TY for posting it!

Tneomi,

With Gasteria and Haworthia leaves, it's better to insert them slightly into the soil. With leaves of Crassula Family members, you can either lay them on the surface or insert them slightly.

If anyone is interested, this is what Ryan's H.comptoniana looked like prior to removing some leaves. Mine is in a 4" pot.

Ryan, how is your "mother" plant looking?

Thanks a lot cactusmcharris

Thanks guys!

Howard, I doubt any of the offspring will be as big as the colossus, comptoniana. It will take years but it could be very interesting to select the biggest of the offspring and cross that back with a standard maughanii. In a few generations, we might be able to develop a HUGE maughanii! That would be something. I've seen a photo of a really big one in Japan, I think it was called 'Mammoth'.

Jeff, you know things are extra fertile around here. Hide your kids, hide your wife.

Here are both parents. Mine is also in a 4" pot and has beefed up nicely. It's in bloom right now and I'm crossing it with another very nice Haworthia that I've had lots of trouble IDing.

and here's what I'm crossing the comptoniana with now. Any ID suggestions would be helpful.

I can understand how hard it is to ID these, especially when there can be variation from plant to plant.... I have two plants both named H. emeylae that look nothing like one another. So maybe one is mislabeled. Whatever your plant is, the cross should be exciting. Thanks

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Ryan

what a great nursery. So good to see follow-up. You can always be counted on with your great pictorials.
And you are great matchmaker!

Good looking plants Howard, whatever they are.
Congrats to you & Jeff to being multi-grandpaps.

You guys are funny...Rina

This post was edited by rina_ on Tue, Jan 21, 14 at 18:46

Howard, plant in your top pic, I believe is Haworthia pygmaea f. crystallina (I have also found some list as Haworthia pygmaea var. pygmaea).

I'll have a look at ideas for your other --or Ryan's mystery a bit later. Have to run to ranch now. Horse with a torn tendon-ouch!

Nice plants, all! Great pictorial! Yes, you guys are funny! Keep it up!! =)

Just a pic of a possible ID for the unknown?????

H. rubicunda or maybe a clone of a retusa or maybe H. mutica v mutica????????

BTW: This is NOT my picture.

This post was edited by bikerdoc5968 on Wed, Jan 22, 14 at 15:35

Thanks, Howard and Ro. I feel like I'm so close! It's funny because this was an Altman's plant and there had to be a bunch of them that were distributed. I bought it at Lowe's and there were a bunch of them that season... never saw them again. Also, forgot to save the ID. It probably said Haworthia sp. anyway.

Rina,

Thanks for your encouragement. It's really nice to know that people are enjoying this stuff. As for matchmaking, I makes what I can gets!

-Ryan

And he can gets a lot, Rina. Ryan doesn't know it, but he's going to get another Moneyii to Monkey with.

I believe Ryan's that "and here's what I'm crossing the comptoniana with now. Any ID suggestions would be helpful" plant & Howard's (as well as one I have, are all Haworthia emelyae (an old form).

You're having just way too much success, Ryan. It's great. :)

More: I think I may have mentioned this to you before about this plant (Ryan-having same looking plant as mine)...originally tagged as H. mirabilis v. badia. Which, I believe you will find pix online of same looking, because those people bought it tagged as such. But...I believe if that were it...leaves would have distinct lines on clear windows. Still leaning toward H. emelyae. Click for larger view:
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Thanks, Colleen:) Oddly, it's been a great winter for growing.

Ro, thank you for putting so much effort into the ID! I think I remember seeking this ID before so I'm sorry if this is the second time I've put you through this. Your plant does look just like mine, with more sun. I could only find on other image with that title - link below. The TusconGardener person says they bought it at Home Depot. I bought mine at Lowe's and I would guess that yours is an Alman's plant as well, if it was labeled the same way. Every other image I can find of H. mirabilis var. badia looks like a different plant, like the H. badia I'm familiar with - a very distinguishable form. I'm also still leaning towards H. emelyae, but what form??? I really want a proper ID on this because I've already sown some of its seed and now I'm making more.

Here is a link that might be useful: H. mirabilis var. badia

and here's another link to a post by Paul with the same plant! It looks like it was tagged H. emelyae.

Here is a link that might be useful: September, 2010

Ryan, I trust you won't be upset but I happened upon this article and thought it of interest as a side line to your propagation project. There are two articles:

http://www.gerhardmarx.com/2013_02_01_archive.html

Howard, I already have that page bookmarked. Gerhard Marx is considered by many to be the greatest grower of Haworthias in the world. I tend to agree with that.

I figured it out, you guys! I randomly - figured - it - out!

My mystery Haworthia pictured above is H. magnifica var. acuminata, not a doubt in my mind. What a relief, I tell you. Now both parents are accounted for.

I have 2 Haworthia seedlings that are my only successes from my first attempt at Haworthia from seed. One of them is H. magnifica var. acuminata. I looked it up to see what my plant should look like when it's grown up, and presto! There it is.

I believe you meant to say, sir, 'Whoop, there it is'. And so there it was.

Vancouver J

Yay, Ryan! I will just say what I found in my Haw book:

Bayer (2008) suggested the magnifica varieties acuminata, dekenahii & splendens be put into H. pygmaea.

So (I see the flecking better now) yours should be H. pygmaea v. acuminata.

Haha, whoomp indeed!

Ro, thanks for the additional info. I do have to say, not everyone follows Bruce's suggestions. I don't know enough to find myself on either side of the fence but the question is worth further inquiry. Now that I have some names I can ask Señor Martillo next time I see him.

Ryan, I meant to ask you how old the two seedlings are? I know your growing conditions can make a BIG difference as compared to mine.

Howard, these seedlings are 2.5 years. If I knew then what I know now, they'd probably be twice as big. I'm pretty sure I can get the same development in 1 year now. We'll find out in a few months.