Propagation under lights

The most popular plants for propagating under lights are the gesneriads. Leaf cuttings or plant divisions can be rooted by inserting them in your favorite rooting media vermiculite, peatmoss, sand, sphagnum moss, or a mixture of these. You can speed rooting by putting a transparent plastic “tent” over the pots or flats and placing them about 6 to 8 inches from the lights. Transplant the small plants as they appear, which sometimes is but a matter of 3 or 4 weeks.

Tubers and rhizomes can be rooted by placing them on peatmoss, sphagnum moss, or vermiculite. Keep the medium moist and place the planting about 4 to 6 inches from the lights. As soon as sprouts show, transplant the tubers to individual pots.

24. In the big greenhouse of Edna Roberts, York, Maine, supplementary

fluorescent lighting puts the lowest bench on a profit-making par with

the topmost. Waterproof installation is essential for under-bench units.

(Photograph by Genereux)

Start any of the gesneriads from seed by sprinkling the seed over sterilized, milled sphagnum moss, sand, or vermiculite. Cover the planting with a pane of glass or slip it into a transparent plastic bag. Seeds will sprout in a dark, warm area (70 to 75 degrees). As soon as you see the green flecks of new plants, place the planting as close as 3 inches from the light tubes. Here the seedlings will grow with amazing rapidity. By careful timing as to fertilizing and transplanting, you can have flowering gloxinias in 3 to 5 months and African violets in 4 to 6 months. (For additional information, see my book on Growing Plants Under Artificial Light.)

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