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Drosera Cuttings - How To |
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Drosera Cuttings - How To |
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This Sundew cuttings guide is done with leaf and flower stalk cuttings. 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.
 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. 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.
Allow most of the SuperThriveTM to drain free first. I generally just slide them up on the side of the bowl and let them drain. Or you can give them a quick rinse in water and/or lay them on a papertowel. The goal is to just remove the majority of the SuperThrive or it can mold.
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. Place pinches of media along various points to encourage growth, slow drying and prevent curling. 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. |
| First lay the leaf cutting, dew side up, on the media. Place it in such a way as to provide maximum surface contact. Fluff or shove the media around to help maximize this contact. |  click for bigger pic |
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Cover any cut ends with media. I cover some of the pad on pad sundews. I also place some here and there along the cuttings. This helps keep it from curling up and increases contact with the media. If you use this method you'll thank me later. :-) Just make sure you leave some of the cutting exposed so it can absorb light. |
| 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. |
| This is the Madagascariensis leaves. Mainly pad, very little petiol. For this type of leaf just cover the cut end and keep the back side in good contact with the media. I like placing a bit on the pad too. |  click for bigger pic |
 click for bigger pic You can use your forceps to gently push the cuttings into peaty media. |
 click for bigger pic Cover the cut end and a couple places along the leaf and pad with a pinch of media, same as above. |
| 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.
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. |
We'll keep updating until some of these make it into pots. In the meantime please browse the website and direct any questions to the forum.