> Some are no doubt easier than others, but I have no trouble dividing
> P. moranensis types around March here in the UK, when they form a
> tighter 'Winter rosette' for a short time. I have also grown them
> from leaf cutting of these Winter leaves. The large floppy leaves are
> no use at all.
I can vouch for that. If you want suitable leaves in the growing
season, extra shade will make them revert to Winter-type leaves
(mine do anyway.)
> P. esseriana sometimes seems to eject excess leaves from the
> centre of the rosette and these root and grow with no problems.
I haven't noticed it exactly with esseriana, but I do seem to get
small plantlets alongside the adult ones - I shall have to watch
them a bit more closely. My P. agnata 'ejected' all it's leaves
a while ago when the middle rotted out :( Fortunately these have
produced several buds after laying them on perlite - I find perlite
a lot more reliable than peaty mixes (which seem to rot more often.)
My method is to cut a drainage slit in the side of a 4-5" plant
saucer from the rim to about halfway down, and fill the saucer
with perlite. Lay the leaf cuttings (cut as close to the base as
possible,) on the perlite with the cut edge pressed up against a
piece of perlite or slightly buried. add a little water to the
saucer ensuring that it does not directly reach the leaves (the
slit will help this,) and put the whole thing in a covered propagator
or similar (but with some ventilation,) in a warm place out of
direct sun keeping the water topped up. after 4-8 weeks you should
have several buds per cut face to transport to a growing medium
(with a bit of practice you can cut smaller pieces to increase the
yield, though the lower down the leaf, the more buds you'll get.)
> The 'resting bud' forming species like P. grandiflora and vulgaris
> form lots of gemmae around the main bud which can be planted
> separately.
and don't work for cuttings (for me anyway.)
-----------------
And it's just occurred to me - esseriana ejecting viable leaves which
take root and make new plants. Presumably this is the manner in which
gemmae in temperate and boreal Pings evolved, with gradually more
specialized leaf structures developing from these leaves in the course
of evolution, culminating in the excellently effective gemmae?
Perhaps esseriana faces slightly harder conditions in winter than it's
tropical Ping. counterparts, which have set it on it's evolutionary way?
I don't know the habitats esseriana is found in (except that they're
a damn sight warmer than Wales, :) - any thoughts anyone?
Happy growing,
Peter Cole