Leaf-vein cuttings

Make new plants from leaf-vein cuttings with Nick Bailey's essential guide

- Nick Bailey

Some of our tropical and sub-tropical house plants, such as streptocarpus, sinningia and smithiantha, can be pretty expensive, so propagating your own is a real money-saver.

Leaf-vein cuttings may initially look challenging and difficult, but they are surprisingly easy to do. And a single leaf of, say, Begonia rex can generate up to 10 new plants using this technique. I've generated hundreds over the years in every glasshouse I've managed or owned.

Summer is the ideal time to do it, so by autumn you'll have rooted plantlets ready to pot up. It's a similar technique to leaf cuttings, but with its own foibles. Go on, give it a try you'll make a whole load of plants for free and wow your friends with your horticultural prowess in the process!

How to propagate by leaf-vein cuttings

1 Gather plant material 

As with most vegetative propagation, it's best to gather material when the source plant is at its fullest turgor; in other words, when it's holding the most water, which is usually in the morning. Cut leaves from the host plant using a sterilised blade and, if you don't intend to propagate them straight away, put them in a sealable freezer bag with a drop of water and keep away from heat and light.

2 Make vein cuts