Cactus leaf cutting propagation
Abstract: Knowledge about succulents, cactus leaf cutting propagation. If there are any mistakes, please feel free to correct them!
Cactus leaf cutting propagation is an important method for the propagation of succulents. I've seen many people attempting leaf cutting and sowing, but with low success rates. Many leaves rot or turn black, but in reality, leaf cutting is not as complicated or troublesome as it seems. Today, I'll tell you that leaf cutting is a simple task. As long as you follow my method, it's easy.
1. Timing: Spring, summer, and autumn are all suitable, as long as the temperature is above 15 degrees. Even in summer, when temperatures are high, it's actually not a problem, and the seedling emergence rate is not greatly affected.
2. Leaf selection: Any leaf taken from a healthy plant can be used. Some leaves may look a bit wilted or soft, but with proper treatment, they can still successfully sprout.
3. Soil selection: There's not much requirement for the soil for leaf cutting. My soil mix is humus soil: coal slag in a 6:4 ratio. I use more humus soil because my experience tells me that leaf cutting needs to retain water, warmth, and humidity, and seedlings need a lot of nutrition after they emerge. However, seedlings are delicate and cannot be fertilized. The fertility of humus soil can compensate for this gap.
4. Soil treatment: After mixing my soil, I spread it out in the sun for 2-3 days, then spray it with a 1:1000 solution of carbendazim until it's moist. I cover it with plastic wrap and continue to expose it to the sun for 2-3 days, then uncover the plastic and expose it to the sun for 1-2 more days to ensure the soil has enough time to kill germs.
5. Leaf treatment: Freshly collected leaves should be soaked in a 1:1000 solution of carbendazim for 10 minutes, then dried in the sun for 2-3 hours to allow the wounds to heal sufficiently. Then, place them in a well-lit, ventilated area for 3-4 days, or even longer, but no more than 7 days.
6. Prepare the soil for potting. I use a large box, 20x30cm, without holes at the bottom. The soil thickness is usually 3-5cm. After the soil is filled, level it and then spray it with a 1:1000 solution of carbendazim until it's slightly moist but not waterlogged.
7. Place the leaves on top. Generally, it's not recommended to insert the leaves into the soil because many beginners don't properly treat the leaf wounds, and the soil is not disinfected. This can lead to bacterial infection and the leaves rotting. My method is to simply lay the leaves flat on top.
8. After placing the leaves, spray water every 3 days for a week before the seedlings emerge to maintain soil moisture. Don't water heavily and cover the pot with plastic wrap, puncturing a few holes in it.
9. After about a week, the leaves will root or sprout. During this time, cover the plastic wrap during the day and uncover it at night for ventilation. You can spray water every night after the seedlings emerge.
10. Generally, after the leaves集中 sprout, in about half a month, you can uncover the plastic wrap and spray water every day. The seedlings are very vigorous and resistant, so there's no need to worry about them dying from too much water.
11. Managing the seedlings is much easier after they emerge. Just spray water when the topsoil is dry. Generally, if you leaf cut in spring, you can manage the plants normally in autumn. It's not recommended to repot the seedlings, especially in summer.
12. My leaf cutting environment:
Location: Chengdu
Time: Early April
Environment: A small greenhouse in the yard, similar to a greenhouse environment
Temperature: 25-40 degrees
Light: Full sunlight from 9 am to 2 pm with no shade
A bit of科普: Many people handle leaves carefully, worrying about damaging the growth points. In reality, as long as the leaf wounds are properly treated, the wound area will still produce seedlings, whether or not the leaf falls off the growth point. I'm currently experimenting with the germination of multiple growth points on Crassula leaves, and I'll share the results on the forum as soon as they're available.
Here are the pictures: Taken at 1:00 pm on April 28, 2014
From the pictures, you can see that some leaves are still fine after a month. As long as the environment is suitable, they will still root and sprout. So, don't worry about the leaves rotting if they are left out for a long time. Also, even if the leaves are curled up, the roots will still emerge and grow into the soil, so there's no need to worry about the leaves dying.
In conclusion: Plants have been naturally selected for billions of years and have developed a set of rules to adapt to nature. To care for plants, one must learn to apply these natural laws. If you let plants survive on their own without too much intervention, they will grow well.
The above is a detailed explanation of cactus leaf cutting propagation (with a survival rate of over 90%), and I hope this article can help you with green plant management!