Learn How to Propagate Rex Begonias From Leaf Cuttings and multiply this pretty houseplant at zero cost right at your home or garden.
Rex Begonias has the most unique and intriguing foliage patterns. You can grow them indoors as well, but they are very expensive. But if you know How to Propagate Rex Begonias From Leaf Cuttings, you can make many of them and increase your collection and save money. All you need is one single leaf!
Have a look at the best types of Rex Begonias here
How to Propagate Rex Begonias From Leaf Cuttings
It is one of the very few plants you can grow from a single leaf! Yes! You read that right! The plant’s leaves are fully capable of producing babies on their own.
1. Arrange the Supplies
To propagate rex begonias from leaf cuttings, you need to get all the supplies ready. This includes:
- Sharp nails or pruning shears to cut leaf
- Rooting hormone
- Seed starting mix or succulent soil
- Pot
- Plastic wrap (optional)
- Pebbles
- T-Pins to keep the leaf in place
2. Snip or Cut the Leaf
Select the healthiest and most colorful leaf. Make sure it is not damaged and has plump veins. Snip it off cleanly, with a bit of stem (petiole) attached, using a sanitized knife or a shear.
3. Make Cuts on the Leaf
Now comes the most crucial part. Turn the leaf upside down so that all the veins are visible. Select 5-6 plumpy veins and make clean ½-inch cuts on them using a sanitized knife. These cuts will grow new plantlets.
OR
Another method you can use is to snip away the petiole, which is the stalk that connects the blade with the base of the leaf, along with the lower stem. While cropping, make sure that you cut the bottom few millimeters of the plumpy leaf veins (As shown in the image above).
4. Keep the Leaf on Top of the Growing Medium
Choosing a pot depends a lot on the size of the leaf. Make sure that the container is wide enough to accommodate the leaf fully to cover the growing medium evenly.
Brim the pot with a seed starting mix and press the leaf gently to it, ensuring that the cut veins directly press against the soil. To keep the leaf firmly in place, use T-pins through the leaf. Be careful not to insert the T-pins near or on the veins.
OR
Another method you can follow is to take the leaf with its base cut (Explained in the 3rd point, under the ‘OR’ section) and plant it in the pot with the cut size down. Secure the leaf by pressing the growing medium around it.
5. Use Pebbles to Avoid Leaf from Curling
As the leaf will start to curl up in 3-4 days, keep pebbles on its corners so that they are not above the T-pins. They will help to weigh the leaf down, ensuring that it stays in contact with the growing medium at all times.
OR
If you have secured the leaf cut side down in the pot in an upright position, then it won’t curl.
6. Cover the Pot
Use a plastic wrap to cover the pot in a way that the plastic doesn’t come in contact with the leaf. Keep the container at a location where it gets bright, indirect light.
Mist the wrap daily to keep the humidity levels high, and water the growing medium once in 6-8 days. This step is optional but increases the success rate!
7. Wait for the New Growth!
The leaf will develop new plantlets in about 5-8 weeks.
- When the small plants are 2-4 inches tall, you can lift them gently and transfer them to a small pot (2-4 inches).
- Once you have picked all the plantlets, discard the leaf.
