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Drosera Cuttings - Page 1 |
This Sundew cuttings guide is done with leaf and flower stalk cuttings. It is meant to be used after you are familiar with the main Drosera Propagation page. For root cuttings, do everything the same except cover them with a thin layer of media (1/4" or less). Otherwise treat exactly the same as leaf cuttings. This is a very simple process, most drosera are very easy to do.
First, collect the cuttings.
To take a cutting just snip off a leaf or two per plant your wanting to use. You don't want to stress the mother plant anymore than you have too. Remove the cuttings with good sharp scissors as close to the mother plant as you comfortably can. If your collecting root cuttings, you can generally take half of a root or two without harming the mother plant. Hair like roots generally don't work so well. If your collecting flower stalks it doesn't mater where you cut them at, but remove the top with the flowers. Treat flower stalks exactly as leaf cuttings.
![]() D. Alicia |
![]() D. Intermedia Leaves |
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Dichitoma Leaf Madagascariensis Leaves |
| Long leaves, like the forked sundews, and flower stalks can be cut into smaller pieces. Pieces in the two inch range do fine, longer is OK. Here you can see how I cut up the dichitoma leaf (forked sundew family). All of the leaf can be used, not just the dewy part. You can do the same with flower stalks. DO NOT cut up padded sundew leaves or they won't work. | ![]() |
| Second, soak the cuttings in SuperThriveTM. This is optional but the results are better with it. I just put a little RO water in a bowl and add 4 - 8 drops of SuperThriveTM to it, let soak for 10 - 15 minutes. I use a standard soup bowl, about anything will work. Allow to drain well afterword, or rinse. Again, this is optional. If you don't have SuperThrive then simply skip using it. |
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Finally, place the cuttings in the propagation chamber.
You always want to lay leaf cuttings dew side up. This is very important. If you have something like filiformis where the leaf has dew all around then it doesn't mater. You always want to cover the cut end(s) with a pinch of media. The more contact with media the better, it helps prevent them from drying out and aids rooting. Place pinches of media along various points to encourage growth, slow drying and prevent curling. The vast majority of the time plantlets will start in the covered areas. Keep humid, 60% - 75%. Lower and your success rate will go down, higher and mold/fungus/rot becomes an issue. If you use the chinese food container with four 1/4" holes in the lid it will do perfect, just keep the media moist. Apply the same principle to whatever media your using. I find my forceps extremely handy for moving cuttings and media around. |
| Two short intermedia leaf cuttings. The cut ends are covered well and the pad end is secured. | ![]() click for bigger pic |
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Dichitoma leaf cuttings in place, covered and ready to go. |
| OPTIONAL: You can use a rooting hormone on the back of leaves or pads. I generally place some in a small lid, then simply place the leaf cutting on it. You only want the powder to be in contact with the BACK side of the dew areas. Place on media and treat normally afterwords. This generally helps stubborn or slow cuttings get started. Most rooting powders from local lawn and garden shops will work fine. Also optional, mist the cuttings with a fungicide just before the lid goes on. |
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All thats left is putting the lid on the propagation chamber and waiting. In three to 12 weeks you should see plantlets starting to form. Make sure the media stays moist at all times, never let it dry out. Moist, not wet is crucial here. Overly wet and you get rot.
Several weeks later your plantlets will develop a few tiny leaves and roots will start to form. After each plantlet has its own roots it can be cut free from the leaf cutting and potted up. Be very careful of the tiny roots. And don't forget they have to be acclimated out of the propagation chambers and into your normal growing area. I do another SuperThriveTM soak before potting the plantlets up, it helps prevent shock.
As the cuttings pictured above start to grow I'll update this page and continue on with the instructions. It is 5/30/08 so it will probably be the later part of next month.
Here we are 30 days later (6/28):
![]() click for bigger pic Madagascariensis is just getting started. See the small hump in the center of the pad? |
![]() click for bigger pic Dichitoma is moving right along. |
| And this is what it looks like a week later, 7/6/08. Madagascarienses is really takin off. Probably about two weeks away from being able to pot em up. Once the plantlets start to form it generally doesn't take long. The Dichitoma cuttings are starting to form their "forks". Some people like to pot the cuttings up at this point, I don't recommend it. | ![]() ![]() |
Intermedia plantlet started 7/12/08
It's now 9/14/08, the pictures were taken today. For the most part the plants have been ignored since our last posting. :-( The only exception is pouring a little water in with them once a week, about a half tablespoon or so. We forgot about them entirely for just over a week at one point. But, for the most part we have good results. The nidiformis took the worse hit, it almost dried out during our week of forgetfulness, tis why you must watch the sand mixes. All of the cuttings could be potted up now, and we'll work on doing that soon.
Heres the results so far, roughly 14 weeks into it.
Most could have been potted up a few weeks ago though.
All thats left is getting them acclimated to grow in the open and to pot them up. We hope the pictures display two basic concepts here: First, it takes time to make plants from cuttings. No where near the time it takes from seeds but it will take several weeks. If you pay attention, mainly don't forget about them, you can go from cuttings to pottable plantlets in about six - eight weeks with most sundews. Most sundews will produce mature plants from cuttings in about six months.
Second, don't give up. This is really important. Just keep the media moist at all times, treat with a fungicide to start and again if needed, cover leaf/stalk cuttings with pinches of media and you will succeed most of the time.
| Click here for the second part of the drosera cuttings guide, Removing Plantlets from Propagation Chambers |