Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all

I'm about to attempt to propagate a begonia from a leaf by knicking the leaf ribs on the back and pinning it down onto damp compost, then into a plastic bag and wait. Never done it before but remember seeing it in a book years ago.

That makes me wonder if you scientists out there know if this can be done with any vegetables?

Thanks as ever,

David

Dear David, this is certainly something i have never heard of, maybe if you have any luck with your Begonia you could experiment with some veg.

If they are the 'large leaved' variety grown for foliage then OK but if they are the large flowering type then Id advised taking cuttings like you would for geraniums. Ive not heard of any veg that would be reproduced by leaf cuttings probably because you get better results from saving the seeds as that is what generally we eat.

Hi David,
I somehow think you are in a no-win situation.
I feel that it is possible that the leaf will not have any regenerative powers. However give it a good try and I would love to be proved wrong.
JB.

this certainly works for begonia rex the large leaf/ multi patterned variety, in fact you can cut off a leaf altogether and root it in sandy compost in a pot with a plastic bag over it. but cut across the leaf halfway up, not the stalk.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/publicat ... ttings.asp