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Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:12 am
by Leigh
Ok, as it's the time of year when some of you maybe re-potting your Alo's for Winter I thought I'd put this up
I had some Alos plunged potted last year and when the time came to bring them in and re-pot for the winter about mid October, they had as most plants do taken root through the bottom of the pot, no surprise there :roll: , now having had good results with Root cuttings with a Trex, For a laugh more than anything I cut some of the thicker roots up and put them in a Chinese nosh container with some wet Perlite clipped the lid on and put them under the bench in the greenhouse and forgot about them like you do. Until earlier this year in April whilst looking for something I came across the tub as follows.

I will say that I know some Alo's produce Stolons/Runners, but this one just knocks out the occasional Pup and the root cuttings where from the bottom. And if anyone can ID it I would be grateful as yet another one brought just as an Alocasia and no Species name :?

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:32 am
by Leigh
I know I re-potted these in slightly bigger pots in July but can't seem to find the Pic's

Now while I don't profess to be an expert and I probably could have made the process regarding potting on a lot quicker (truth is I got no where to put any more Plants :lol: ) I just thought I would share this

By the way my greenhouse did not go below 2c last winter

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 11:59 am
by Yorkshire Kris
icon_salut icon_salut icon_salut icon_salut icon_salut icon_thumleft icon_thumleft icon_thumright icon_thumright

Right I can't wait to pull up my alocasia to try this!

Many many thanks for taking the time to share this super info!!!

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:00 pm
by Yorkshire Kris
The mother looks like portora

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 1:59 pm
by Dave Brown
I'm not convinced they are actually roots, as they look very similar to stolon end shoots. Would be great if they can be propped from root cuttings though. I'll have to try it with a definite root from one of mine. :wink:

It isn't x portora Kris, as the lobes on portora are very wavey. Isn't calidora either as inner edges of lobes are a different shape, not gaganea same reason, and not brisbanensis either. Also not like any macrorrhiza I have. I don't know icon_scratch

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 4:40 pm
by Mr List
quite amazed regardless of wether a little root or stolon :o

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:50 pm
by GREVILLE
....and it obviously works icon_thumleft

Going to try this with my A. mac and when it's bigger, see if the variegated version comes true.

Well done with those, Leigh, you've inspired us...

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:52 pm
by Leigh
Thanks guys, Dave I'm sure they were roots as it was the ones that had snapped off in the ground when I pulled the pot out and as I said it throws the occasional pup up along side the mother so far I've managed to get 4 from her in the 3 yr's I've had it
As to species I've got gaganea (pups like mad) and a macrorrhiza and the leaf shape is totally different :?:

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:04 pm
by Dave Brown
Leigh wrote:Dave I'm sure they were roots as it was the ones that had snapped off in the ground when I pulled the pot out and as I said it throws the occasional pup up along side the mother so far I've managed to get 4 from her in the 3 yr's I've had it
Some like Alocasia wentii can grow pups directly from the main rhizome but also grow many cormlets, they grow down wards, and normally require high soil temperatures to sprout. Some of them are tiny, but are embryo little plants. This is what generally sprout if you dig out a plant. However the soil in the garden is very unlikely to get to sprouting temps.

Perhaps take the mother plant out of the pot to see if you can identify small cormlets. If not perhaps you have discovered a way to prop without hacking the plant to pieces icon_thumright

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:25 pm
by Leigh
Still trying to find the pic's of when i re-potted last year and I know I took pic's of the root's cut up and put into tub, seem to be missing a lot of pic's from that period but I think they maybe on an External Hard drive that now refuses to boot up :x

Will be re-potting up for the winter soon so will get some new Pic's of roots then icon_thumright

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:43 am
by miketropic
I know this is an old topic but this might not have been to far off.. I had a black magic I planted out in the spring maybe april from a dry corm.. after a month or so ( 2 or 3 leaves on it) I decided to move it.. it is now sept. and I was watering some canna from the spot I moved it and there is a tiny black magic growing there now. there is no way it had time to make a runner or anything else and I took the corm with dirt when I moved it. the only thing I can explain is a root was left behind and made a new plant.

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:32 am
by Mr List
i wonder if that is how daves burgundy stem came back from the 2010

Re: Alocasia root cutting (Experiment)

Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 7:45 pm
by miketropic
doesnt seem like a sure fire way to propogate but it workes every now and then I suppose. as you can see the only thing around it is some strutgart canna and some bird of paradise canna.

Image not sure if Im gunna pull it up and bring it in or let it go to the weather.