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Leaf circumcision-get cutting:

© Gary Buckley

Circumcision-get cutting: How to grow extra bulbs from leaf cuttings.

Well, that got your attention.

A lot of the South African bulbs, especially all of the Lachenalias and some of the Haemanthus can be grown by cutting the broad leaf blade and inserting this into a controlled pot of sand.

I know this works for Haemanthus and Scadoxis because when I first read about this I tried it with a few leaves way back in the late eighties; I think.

In 1994 when I bought my copy of Cape Bulbs by Richard L. Doutt I again thought of doing this, but never got round to it.

Today, I read that a Western Australian Reader has grown Lachenalias from cuttings and did a quick google search and found nothing on this topic.

So let us rectify this now.

Propagation via leaf cutting can be a simple way of increasing your number of species grown, you know the ones, the ones which refuse to reproduce readily by setting offsets.

With the genus Lachenalia, although I have never bothered doing this, I know of lots of folks who swear by this as a good means of increasing numbers.

The way is straightforward, all one does is select, while the bulb is in active growth, the healthiest plumpest leaves that you are going to use for your new plants. Please try to ensure that the parent stock is virus free.

The leaf is cut squarely across its base and is then placed in a tray or pot, depending on the number you are doing; of moist sand. A lot of people dust the base of the leaf with a rooting hormone, others don't. You will have to experiment for yourself to see which works best for you.

Once you have placed your cuttings in their containers, they should be rested in a shaded area away from direct sunlight and drying winds. Try and avoid heat fluctuations, keep them on the cool side if you can.

Over the next four to six weeks keep them moist and do not let them dry out or become stressed from overwatering. About the time you think this whole exercise was a waste of time, tiny roots and bulblets will begin forming at the base of your cutting. Now, when your original leaf cutting wanes and withers as eventually it must, this is your signal to withhold water; take a deep breath, you can do this.

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