For a while now, I've been wanting to do a bit of tissue culture. I'm still organizing information and supplies, but I realized I had no idea what to TC. I don't want to buy some expensive material and fail, and I don't have a very extensive plant collection. I am wondering, you jelly people, what did you first use to clone? I think my best option would to work with an African violet, and get into, say, drosera, as I become better. Thoughts? (horrible way to end).
Sweet! Another TC guy around here.
I've yet to do much explant work this time around, but I've been having good results with all kinds of seeds. I just haven't had much live tissue to work with, until recently, now that my seedlings are finally putting on some size. I also want to pick up an African Violet to practice on, just because of their status as the "starting point" for explant work. The fuzzy leaves aren't necessarily ideal for cleanliness, though, unless you grow it in a bag of under a dome for long enough for a complete new leaf to be produced and removed before it gets a chance to collect dust.
I recommend you start with seeds, as they can generally handle harsher sterilization than explants, which should lead to more initial success while you get your sterile protocol down, and cost less money than buying live rare plants to chop up. Don't expect to get it perfect in the beginning. If you do, it's a miracle, but don't be discouraged if you get lots of contamination early on.
I'd start with fast germinating seeds, and thick tissue for explants, such as...
(in rough order of ease with the top being the easiest)
-Basil seeds/stems (the seeds actually have a gell coating that forms when they are wet. I've had success with them, even without removing it.)
-Dionaea seed
-D. capensis seed
-Pygmy Drosera gemmae (super fast sprouting + explant sterilization practice)
-Dionaea flower stalks
-Dionaea leaves
Pinguicula leaves are super sensitive and fragile. It's extremely easy to kill them. Drosera leaves are good, but I recommend you grow one bagged, or under a dome until you get a new leaf, like with the African Violets. Otherwise the dew will collect up all kinds of contaminants.
Basil seed:
Dionaea seed:
Drosophyllum lusitanicum seedling: