From: Douglas Ewing dewing at u.washington.edu> on 2003.09.18 at 15:35:59(10598)
I too have been cloning titanum from leaf cuttings. We differ from Bill's
procedure slightly:
I use a 12" portion of the leaf with the mid-vein. I have not
experimented with smaller cuttings.
We apply no hormone. ( this is something I have avoided with all
leaf cuttings in the past, as I was under the impression that auxin would
promote root formation, but that it inhibits formation of shoots. Since we
want both to happen with a leaf cutting, we do not apply. Tubers are
shoots, perhaps this explains the difference in the gel vs. powder
results?)
We stick the cutting into a 8cm cube of rockwool, water, and
encapsulate the entire affair in a terrarium made from 2 2liter
pop-bottles. This creates almost total humidity, and cutting do not wilt.
If/when fungus appears on the cutting, we dust with cinnamon. Tuber
formation
takes several months, then we wean from humidity by utilizing a pop-bottle
with the bottom removed and the cap off, this allows a bit of air exchange
for a few days , then the cutting is removed from the structure, potted up
and placed on the open bench. Typically the orig. leaf tissue dies,
followed by new leaf emergence. We also see multiple leaf emergence, which
I am assuming will result in multiple tubers.
I have not tried other sp. of this genus, but the fact that
several species produce tubercles on the leaf naturally,( A. bulbifer)
makes me think that all sp. might respond to this treatment.
Doug
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