Starting New Begonia Plants from a Leaf

Expand your houseplant collection with leaf cuttings of Rex, angel wing and other large leafed begonias.

Fill a container with a moist well-drained potting mix.  It should be wide enough to accommodate a flattened leaf. Remove a healthy leaf and place it so the underside of the leaf is lying flat on the potting mix surface.  Use a sharp knife to slice through several large veins. Anchor the leaf against the soil surface with hairpins or small stones.

Set it in a bright location out of direct sunlight. Loosely cover with an open plastic bag to increase the humidity. Water the soil thoroughly with tepid water and often enough to keep the soil moist.

New plants will eventually form where the veins were sliced and often by the leaf stem.  Once the plantlets develop several true leaves, you can carefully dig, divide and replant them into their own containers.

A bit more information: You can also propagate these begonias with a leaf-petiole cutting.  Remove the leaf from the plant, leaving the leaf stem (petiole) intact.  Bury just the petiole in the potting mix. Leave the flattened portion of the leaf (blade) attached and above the soil surface. Roots and a new plant will start to grow in a month or two.

Tags

flowers-ornamental-grasses indoor-holiday-plants planting-starting-new-plants cuttings wax-begonia

Related

Video

Planting Small Seeds Made Easy

Video

Creative Uses of Containers in the Landscape

Audio

Vote for Your Favorite Flower

Audio

Shade Combinations for Attracting Hummingbirds

Audio

Vote for Your Favorite Flower (American Garden Awards)

Audio

Dealing with Small Seeds

Audio

Plants for Both Your Indoor and Outdoor Gardens

Audio

Take Cutting Now to Overwinter Annuals

Audio

2012 American Garden Award

Audio

Plant a Patriotic Red, White, and Blue Garden or Container

• ← Previous
• 1
• 2 (current)
• 3
• Next →