Streptocarpus is easy to propagate from leaf cuttings. Summer is the best time to do it, as plant cells divide quickly, promoting growth.
You don’t need a lot of kit – just a pot filled with sieved compost, a plastic bag, a piece of string and a good sharp knife.
You Will Need
- Small plastic pots
- Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
- A sharp knife
- Streptocarpus plant
- Pair of scissors
Step 1
Select a young, healthy looking, medium-sized leaf. Remove it from the main crown of the plant using scissors or a sharp knife.
Step 2
Use a clean, sharp knife to cut the leaf into three or four sections. Fill a pot or seed tray with seed and cuttings compost, or mix multi-purpose compost with perlite to aid drainage.
Step 3
Insert the leaf cuttings into the compost. Make sure you keep the leaf sections the right way up or they won’t root.
Step 4
Water the cuttings well, then cover with a plastic bag, securing it with a piece of string or twine.
Step 5
Keep the cuttings in a light, warm place. Baby plants will develop from the base of each leaf after six to eight weeks. After 10 weeks, carefully remove each plantlet and pot it on individually.
Only a few plants can be successfully propagated by leaf cuttings, but those which can include sansevieria, eucomis and begonia.
Other plants that can be propagated by leaf cuttings
