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hanzrobo

Gasteria Leaf Propagation

hanzrobo
10 years ago

Hello, friends! Señor Cactus recently and generously sent me these two beautiful leaves, deftly removed from his glorious new G. excelsa. I'm sure we'll get to see it soon.

Anyhow, he asked me to show how I go about rooting Gasteria leaves and I'm honored by the request. I'll do my best... here goes.

Step 1: Jeff sends you two humungous leaves. Rock n' Roll!
{{gwi:557559}}

Step 2: Dump Rooting Hormone into a bowl and dip the base of your leaf, coating the cut end. If it's really dry you can spray it first so the powder will stick. You DO NOT have to wait for the cut to callus. In fact, if the cut is very dried and shriveled, make a fresh cut and dip it straight in the powder.
{{gwi:557560}}
{{gwi:557561}}

looks something like this
{{gwi:557562}}

Step 3: Find appropriate sized container and set up your leaf/leaves so the cut end is buried about 1 inch or less.
{{gwi:557563}}

Step 4: Put it in a shady spot and wait. Wake up tomorrow and wait some more. Keep doing that for a few weeks and then check for roots... or don't. Give it a splash now and then in between long bouts of waiting. Eventually, something will happen. The rocks are just to hold it down for now. When roots develop, I'll remove the rocks.
{{gwi:557564}}

Step 5: Look at this picture of my G. excelsa with my size 13 shoe for scale. Yes, I wear Dr. Scholl's velcro shoes!.. and yes, they are very comfortable, thanks:)
{{gwi:557566}}

Comments (78)

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well, that works for me. I do trust Geoff. I was calling my croucheri an excelsa and calling my acinacifolia a croucheri. Now, only to locate a true excelsa!

  • ChasingCenturies (Arizona 9b)
    10 years ago

    Yes it's a wonderful plant, and always best to know it by its proper ID. Three cheers for Geoff! :-)

  • reggie
    9 years ago

    May 2014 Update:

    Outside watering, getting ready for a scorching hot week and low and behold, looky what caught my eye.

    SHE LIVES!!!

    {{gwi:557579}}

    Can you see those 2 pups?
    {{gwi:557580}}

    Pretty excited. I was shocked. :-)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Flickr shots

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    9 years ago

    Reggie,

    I'm stoked for you - you've been a patient mother. I watered Mother the other day and she's got pups tight against the pot. She should be going out this weekend.

  • chicagardens
    9 years ago

    Great detailed steps! I am clipping this one for future reference. Thx so much for sharing.

  • reggie
    9 years ago

    Cactusmcharris - Boy, you're not kidding. Patience, patience, patience. Do you have a recent picture of the mama?

    Gives me a greater appreciation for plants in habitat and the time it takes to see the beauty that I do.

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hey, hey, hello ...it's time for an update!
    14 months

  • Colleen E
    9 years ago

    Crazymaking. Those look awesome. Mine are younger, but I know I need to photograph...

  • bikerdoc5968 Z6 SE MI
    9 years ago

    Looking very good... They do take time and patients!

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    9 years ago

    Ryan, that is awesome! Whole village of them.
    You have magic touch with all of your plants.

    Rina

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    If anyone has lots of patients, it's you, bikerdoc.

    Colleen, gets ta' snappin'!

    Rina, thanks. I got my training at Hogwart's.

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    9 years ago

    RIna, Ryan practices just everyday wizardry.

    I owe y'all some pics. I'm still figuring out this new camera.

  • reggie
    9 years ago

    Very very nice Mr. Robo.

    Here are the efforts of time at my house.

    {{gwi:557581}}

    {{gwi:557582}}

    And the other one that I had to search all over the garden for. Found it at the bottom of a shelf.

    {{gwi:557583}}

    {{gwi:557585}}

    Here is a link that might be useful: Flickr photostream

  • bikerdoc5968 Z6 SE MI
    9 years ago

    Ryan, this is a leaf from a Gasteria glomerata that you sent me in may of 2013. It happened to fall off, so I put in my community rooting pot and this is what I have a year and a half later... not much but neat anyway. Thanks for the plant.

    Howard

  • hanzrobo
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Dr. Vaughner, your patients look very healthy! Looking forward to mesemb day.

    Jeff, do you see what you have done? ...Sr. Proliferatio?

    Howard, that's very nice. It does take a long time but like any practice, it does require patients. How did you do on the last list from Mr. H?

  • bikerdoc5968 Z6 SE MI
    9 years ago

    I must say, Ryan, Mr H. is an unbelievable gentleman! Since you've asked and this is unrelated to this thread, I received the following:
    Haworthia emelyae, Haworthia hammeri Die Kop, Haworthia maraisii var. meiringii Bonnievale, Haworthia truteriorum, Haworthia variegata petrophila, Haworthia atrofusca x 'Kegani' x bayeri, Haworthia (crassa x comptoniana) x splendens and the best of all, Haworthia maughanii Kobayashi's Clone.

    I'm sure you received some wonderful plants, too. Personally, the excitement looking forward to his spring offerings is euphoric!

    And I may have him sold on printing mailable labels from the post office.... and then again probably not.

    This post was edited by bikerdoc5968 on Sat, Sep 13, 14 at 10:12

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    9 years ago

    More like Senor Profiterole here, hoss.

    So, I've heard the phreaks come out at night, a dark, semi-stormy, rainy night.

    {{gwi:557587}}

    It definitely needs repotting, but when I had stripped it for y'all and my luggage requirements I was worried about rot and so potted it up fairly tightly, without its usual lots-of-room-to-grow strategy followed. What followed, aside from some laziness, was hardy pupping, if you can call these robust reproductions that, and I think you can. But less than 2 weeks left before they go inside, so I had better be finding a new pot to put it in.

  • kuroc
    9 years ago

    I ordered some Gasteria excelsa seeds from ebay today. :)

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    W-O-W!
    What a nursery. Congratulation (maybe you broke world record?) I see 32 babies (pots) - all from just one leaf?
    Now i really want to try that.

    Definitely from a good, strong rootstock, Jeff!
    Rina

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Floored and stunned is what I am by the nearly-immeasurable puppiferousness displayed here. Good job, Reg!!!!!

  • andy_e
    8 years ago

    Almost two years. That's an exercise in patience!

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    8 years ago

    OH my!

  • reggie
    8 years ago

    Yes, rina, all of those pups are from one leaf! I think you are right..about 32. I even repotted the mother leaf as she still looked good and had nice roots. I have 6 others from another similar leaf. Woohoo. Give it a go to see if you get results.

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    8 years ago

    Reggie
    thanks for the encouragement...and for all the photos you posted links to-really great pictorial.
    Rina


  • Sans2014
    8 years ago

    Yes, thank you! Wonderful plants!


  • hanzrobo
    8 years ago

    Wow! Very nice. Mine have stopped growing, should've transplanted them last Fall. These leaves look like they'll produce another round of pups.



  • hanzrobo
    8 years ago



  • stewart_cann
    8 years ago

    Hi! Can anyone help me? I have a plant that's about 7 years old and this summer it's started to look really ill. The lower leaves are drooping and the base is turning brown. I overwatered it last year but it recovered but now it's just getting worse. It hasn't flowered thus year either.. thanks!

  • nomen_nudum
    8 years ago

    Try a real pot with drainage maybe ?

  • Sans2014
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Stewart,

    I would repot it and check the root health at the same time.

  • stewart_cann
    8 years ago

    Thanks for the advice. I've had it in that pot since it was a baby and it's always seemed ok. But when I just repotted it the soil was pretty much mud and the roots have rotted half away. I've put it in a large pot with plenty of drainage and used the correct succulent soil. Hopefully it will recover! Thanks again

  • Sans2014
    8 years ago

    good luck!

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    8 years ago

    Stewart

    hope it will recover and grow for you.

    This is a good example why NOT to use glass bowls without drainage holes to grow plants, especially succulents. While it lived, it wasn't healthy and the roots were sitting in mud - this isn't a lecture, but I hope all who want to use these kind of containers will see your post. I am glad you posted.

  • james_ca_z9
    8 years ago

    Hello all, I've been interested in succulents for some time. I recently saw this and couldn't resist. I've been told it's a Gasteria Croucheri. When I google, I get many different types of succulents that pop up. Is it Gasteria Croucheri? If so, is it rare? I was told by the nursery that it was.


    Thanks for any help, James

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    8 years ago

    I don't know. It is best to start your own thread to ask for an ID. You will get more people checking it.

  • james_ca_z9
    8 years ago

    Thank you. I will do that. I'm new to the site.

  • peter_out
    7 years ago

    James, did you get a definitive answer? it looks very like "Green Lizard" a hybrid sold by Lois Burks in the later years of her nursery. I have it here but only have an old picture taken in the 1990s with what may have been the first digital camera available!


    It may be another hybrid but is pretty close to Green Lizard. I have hardly seen or heard of this hybrid other than the one I bought from Burks long ago. What yours is it's a fine plant!

    Peter.....South Australia

  • hablu
    7 years ago

    I've tried after an accident with a Gasteria this method. 3 leaves did not work, but one did!! This is about a year (or so) after planting. It's very nice to learn.

    Thanks hanzrobo

    Harry




  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    7 years ago

    Harry

    Good growing. Is the leave sideways?

  • hablu
    7 years ago

    Yes, now it is. When I started it was a bit more upright, but not much.

    It's fun that this happens. Never thougt that of Gasteria.

    H.

  • breton2
    7 years ago

    I've done this with leaves of a NOID Gasteria that appears in store around here. They make a LOT of babies... Rina this is the plant you now have..

  • akbar aulia
    7 years ago

    Hello guys..

    Can you help me, what is this succulent species?

    Regard and thx

  • mesembs
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I would guess Agave parryi. It is a bit young.

  • laticauda
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    The original photos are gone. Do you need the part that comes in contact with the stem or can it be a broken off leaf? I've broken a few good leaves off my batesiana by bumping into it. I'd like to be able to root them if it's possible.

  • mesembs
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I believe there is a rib of meristematic tissue that runs the length of each leaf, so you can use a broken leaf or cut a leaf into multiple sections.

    PS- Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

  • Pagan
    6 years ago

    Nah. I've rooted G. croucheri ssp croucheri twice from a single leaf--the first time had a nice amount of meristem, then the second time when I cut the original leaf out (it was too long and in the way) and stuck it back in pumice. Both times it rooted. Somewhere in this thread, hanzrobo mentioned he suspected the meristem ran along the entire length of the leaf. That is, they are actively-dividing cells that you can take advantage of.

    It takes months and months though. G. batesiana, specifically, is a mind-numbingly slow species, if you have the original one and not a hybrid.

  • laticauda
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    It is painfully slow. I'll probably end up sending the leaves to people better at....patience with propagation. It takes so long for the leaves to form, it's really disappointing when they snap off. It's finally starting to grow in the rosette instead of the fan form.

  • reggie
    6 years ago

    Laticauda, you can use any broken leaf for this. Yes, it takes time but fun. Just put it in some soil and forget about it. It will surprise you in the future.

    Here’s a set of pictures to check out about one of my experiences with this.

    https://flickr.com/photos/28689180@N00/sets/72157653995130675

  • reggie
    6 years ago

    My G. batesiana is also constantly being knocked into where the leaves break off. I have a special bowl just for them. This is what it looks like.

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