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woodnative

number of pups, species/growing conditions

woodnative
18 years ago

Greeting form a new Sansevieriaphil. Two members of this website helped get me more interested in this Genus and started me with a few very nice species/varieties.

My question has to do with your personal experience on "pup" production. I realize this will vary with species, cultivar, and growing condition. Could you list some of the types you are growing, an average number of new "pups" per year, and what conditions you are growing the plant under. Also, what time of year do you generally get most of your new growth?

This should make for an interesting comparison and discussion.

Comments (8)

  • brandon7 TN_zone7
    18 years ago

    All of my Sansevieria are varieties of trifasciata (Anyone feeling sorry for me and wanting to make me a multi-genus Sansevieria collector, please feel free to do so). The pups seem to come up all times of the year. I have only had the plain trifasciata long enough to have many pups, but it is doing very well (about 3 to 5 pups per year) and getting to be pretty big. It's planted in pretty much plain well drained potting soil and in a southwesterly facing window (only one available).

  • dufflebag2002
    18 years ago

    This is just general information. I always keep three young rosettes/leaves in a gallon container. Each one may offset each year, they will only flower on new growth, but never a second time on the old growth. The old growth is then used for the mother plant. She will not die after flowering, but will put out the offsets for you. Often the flower stem comes up before the leaves, which is always a surprise. Variegated plants are even slower, and water touchy. The like to be crowed into a pot, and will do better for you, and so you will not be disappointed, some only off set every 5 years. Norma

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thank you for the responses! Norma, do you get offsets at any time of the year....I assume your California climate lengthens the growing season quite a bit(?). I have seen S. trifasciatas, especially the green Hahni's, put up a bunch of offsets around them at the same time. Do some of the other species (hallii, fischeri, others) generally only put out one new offset at a time?

  • dufflebag2002
    18 years ago

    I have a plant sitting on my desk right now, the pot is bulging with stolelns, coming up from the bottom right now. It will break the pot very soon, being crowded promotes new pup growth. So when you start a new plant put the whole plant in the smallest pot it will fit in.

    With species, I start by cutting off portions of the leaves, especially the damaged ones. I also find that I am more apt to start new ones from leaves if I use bottom growth of that leaf.
    Species will come true, hybrids most will not, a few exceptions. Sports sometimes. I cut the leaves up into 6- 8" pieces and set them into a rose pot with only about 2" -3"
    of coarse mix. I let them dry out a few days, and then water once a week. With bottom heat you can start them any time of the year. On top of a water heater is great to set the rose pots. Most of these species grow under nurse plants, or under the shade of trees, some do grow out in the open. They only get the water that nature gives them.
    If cold do not water your plants. I can only tell you what works for me and what my training has tught me. Norma

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I am not necessarily interested in maximizing production, just curious what has been most people's general experience. I remember having a small S.t. 'Hahni' (regular green form) produce something like 12 new pups around the parent. I have also see people writing that some species, and particularly variegated of some species, only producing a single pup after 2 years or so.

  • dufflebag2002
    18 years ago

    I also put them in extra small pots, shallow, the smallest that they will fit in to cause pupping. Now I'm going to try and word this correctly. I get offsets, when the pot, 1 gal. size for established plants, becomes crowded. The stolen must reach the bottom then come back up, that is the reason for the shallow pot, or if in a crowded gallon pot, it has no where else to go except up. Often the whole root system will come up to gain more room, it a good way letting me know that it needs re-potting.
    I start the leaf sheaths at the bottom of the rosettes in 3" pots, off sets come up very quickly then. Or a flat 18 x 18 x 2" for starting 50+ of them at one time. Yes some are much slower than other, waiting for three years to get offsets. They are not all equal, so you must use judgement. Some like more humidity than others. Some are very dry growers, so all of this must be taken into consideratiion. And this is where your judgement will come into play. Experience helps, lessons also help, I've being doing this since 1978 and have a natural green thumb. By the way there is no such thing as a foolish questions, but there are no easy responsis either.
    The thinner the leaves the harder it is to start, so use the very bottom of the leaf. Don't be afraid to cut right up the middle to get two cuts to work with, and still but them in the same pot, they need and like to be crowded.
    They like to be warm, and please wait two weeks before you begin to water. You may want to use Cinnamon to seal the fresh cuts and keep out any bacteria. Please don't hesitate to ask questions, if I don't know, I will admit it and the rest of the forum should help us out. Pups forming from a mother plant is the easiet way of reproduction, and the surest. If they are started in the smallest pot they will fit into. During the summer it should take only a few months or less. Norma

  • dufflebag2002
    18 years ago

    Brandonm, ok, in April I'll send along some leaf cuttings, and see what you can do. Please remind me, send me your address and what I am supposed to send, I send ouit 200 boxes at least a year, so often geet mixed up what I'm doing. At 74 yrs young I'm earned the right to get mixed up. Norma

  • dufflebag2002
    17 years ago

    Branden, Lets put off send you some leaf cuttings until May.
    They will only offset from the rhizone (sorry not stolen, they are on the top of the soil). YOu can also cut up pieces (5")of rhyzones and plant them at the bottom of the pot, and with any luck you may get new offsets from them, again use a very shallow container, 2-3" only. I will not be sending out 200 boxes this next year, will not be able to afford doing it. Norma

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