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Capensis red

On October 2 I cut some roots off my lone capensis "red". I was going to do leaf cuttings but they were in decline, so I decided to uproot it and do a few cuttings. It has been exactly one month, and you can see by the picture I took this morning that the plants are entirely green!
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I might expect this if I grew them from seed, as the variation can change as it was described on a previous thread.

I know for sure that this plant is indeed a red variety. I recieved it from a reliable source in a trade earlier this year. The remaining leaves/stem was bright red when I took the root cuttings.

The young plants are just a few inches from fluorescent lights, with no glass to cut down light levels.

Any ideas?

capensisred.jpg


-Homer
 
Are they getting enough sunlight. Since I have moved my plants from direct sunlight all day to partial sunlight inside they have lost there red.
 
They will eventually turn red.

Cheers,

Joe
 
In January I received a small plant that was called a capensis "red". It looked just like my other non-red capensis plants and I thought "bummer". Later in the spring it started turning red and it now is totally red. So, I think the short answer is that light is required to "activate" the red anthocyanins and the young plantlets need some time in the light. Clearly, with root cuttings, you have plants that are genetically identical to the parent plant so they should eventually look the same if grown under identical conditions.
 
my capensis 'red' is not looking to red, i put out like 2 new leaves, but they are basically green...im guessing i need more light...
 
These plants are within 3" of 2 new flurescent 40w bulbs. No glass is between the plants and light, so I hope this will be enough for them to turn red.

I was hoping the answer would be to "give it some time". Its now November here in western Washington, and that means very little light. I'll have to wait until next spring/summer and see what happens if the fluorescents don't work out.

thanks,

Homer
 
I think the flourescents will do the job. Be aware that there are at least three distinctly different "red" clones in circulation among our circle, some more red, some less. In all cases I have found flourescents to bring out the color over time. You are changing the tubes in a timely manner, right?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]You are changing the tubes in a timely manner, right?

Sure thing. I just installed a new 3050 lumen, 6500K tube for this fixture, along with a 4 month old chroma50. I try to change the tubes every 6 months, on or aound Solstice time.

Yeah, the parent plant was a very nice red, so when these buggers grow up, I'd like you all to see what clone I have.

thanks,

Homer
 
What is wrong with me? I somehow managed to fail doing leaf cuttings with a D. Capensis!
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how should i do it right?
 
  • #10
NM,
Don't feel bad. Though I have never had this problem, I did fail to get one to flower for over 20 years.
I am not sure how you went about it, but take a peaty substrate(or sphagnum), take a whole freash leaf and press it down hard against the medium(cover the base of the leaf). As much contact as possible is best. Some people take meshed material and use that to press it to the soil, and allow the sprouts to grow up through the mesh.
Some also float a leaf on water(like in a petri dish).
Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Joe
 
  • #11
Another trick I have had work for me is to put some water on the leaf when it is sitting on the soil so it kind of sticks to the soil. That ensures there is contact with the soil, and using that method I have not failed yet with a leaf cutting.
 
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