Do you want to start propagating Burle Marx from cuttings? It’s not as complicated as you might think! Before you know it, you can have hundreds of these mesmerizing vine plants.
Burle Marx grows in clumps and makes beautiful indoor or outdoor plants. You can grow it in containers or let it run free! In this article, I share how to propagate Burle Marx cuttings. You’ll also read about the interesting methods you can use to variegate this plant.
How To Propagate Burle Marx Cuttings
Propagating Burle Marx from cuttings is easy using one of two growing mediums: moss or water. Here’s how!
Cutting Your Burle Marx
You need to look for root growth when making a cutting from your parent Burle Marx. Select a stem with at least one node and two leaves. This will ensure your cutting has a better chance of establishing itself and growing.
Wait a few hours after you cut the stem for the wounds to heal before placing it in soil or water. If you don’t, your branch could develop propagation rot.
Propagating Burle Marx In Moss Soil
You can transplant your Burle Marx to its potting soil once the wounds have dried. Prepare your sphagnum moss by watering it and letting the excess water drain. It’s important that your pot has drainage holes!
Next, push your finger a few inches into the moss and place the stem of your cutting inside the holes. Fill the gap around the stem to ensure it stays in place. You should place the cutting in a sunny spot.
Over the next few days, ensure to water and fertilize your Burle Marx cutting. This will help the roots establish and mature. Regular watering is vital in the first weeks after transplanting, so keep a close eye on the moisture levels.
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Propagating Burle Marx In Water
Propagating a Burle Marx cutting in water is pretty straightforward. After the wounds have dried, place your stem in a long see-through vase. This will help you monitor the water levels better. Next, fill the vase with clean water and put it in a sunny spot.
You should replace the water every other day to ensure it stays clean. New roots will start forming within weeks! Once your cutting has a healthy root system and more leaves, you can transplant it to soil or leave it as is.
Is The philodendron Burle Marx Rare?
The Burle Marx philodendron is a rare flowering plant native to the Brazilian rainforest. It can reach unimaginable sizes and make any area it’s planted in look like something from a fantasy world!
Does Philodendron Burle Marx Need A Moss Pole?
Your Burle Marx philodendron doesn’t need a moss pole, but it will appreciate one. This climbing plant can grow up to two feet tall! Since it’s in Burle Marx’s nature to climb trees, it will easily attach to a moss pole.
Is Variegated Burle Marx Stable?
A variegated Burle Marx can look stunning with stripes, blotches, and multicolored leaves. Unfortunately, it’s not stable. Your variegated Burle Marx can revert to green at any time. Many factors, like the growing conditions, light, and nutrient balance, can cause this.
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How Do You Grow Variegated Burle Marx?
Variegating a Burle Marx takes time, effort, and experimentation. There are many ways to do this. However, you might not have success with all. It’s not easy to variegate a plant at home. If you get it right, you’re one of the lucky few!
A plant can have leaf color variations due to cell mutation or genetics. If the variation is genetic, the variegation is stable. If not, the plant can revert to green due to extreme temperatures or low-light levels.
Here are 5 ways to grow variegated Burle Marx philodendrons:
Method 1: Selecting Genetics
Variegation is genetic for some Burle Marx plants. If you happen to get a hold of one, the best way to grow variegated plants is by creating offspring. You can propagate variegated cuttings from the parent plants to ensure that offspring have this gene. This is referred to as selective breeding. The cutting will produce a plant similar to the parent.
Method 2: Radiation – Propagating Burle Marx
If you expose Burle Marx cuttings to Gamma – or X-rays, they can develop a mutation. While this mutation rarely relates to their leaf color, it happens sometimes. You’ll need a lot of patience to make this method work. Experimenting with the amount of radiation and stage of exposure might keep you busy for a few months!
Method 3: Chemicals
You can induce variegation in your Burle Marx plants with chemicals. These can alter the plant DNA and lead to multicolored leaves. Some chemicals worth trying are Ethylene gas and Ethyl methanesulfonate. If you use high concentrations of these, your plant leaves could change completely!
Unfortunately, most plants revert back to green after about 6 months. The change induced isn’t permanent, and offspring won’t be variegated.
Method 4: Viruses – Propagating Burle Marx
Viral infections could be harmful to your Burle Marx, but if they’re not, it could lead to permanent variegated leaves. The right virus won’t kill your plant but only discolor its leaves. This virus will also be transmitted to new plants.
Method 5: Forcing Variegation
One way to try and force variegation is by looking for leaves with even the tiniest amount of blotchiness. If you spot one, make offspring to see if the gene passes to them. You should continue to do this until you have a leaf with your desired amount of variegation. This will take a lot of time, but the results will be permanent!
Last Words – Propagating Burle Marx
Burle Marx might be rare, but you can produce multiples once you have a cutting in hand! The plant in its most common form is a sight to see, but variegated leaves make it even more stunning.
I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. Let me know in the comments once you’ve successfully propagated or variegated your Burle Marx cuttings!
Natasha is an avid gardener and lover of nature. She grew up in a rural area surrounded by flowers, trees, and birds. She was inspired by this environment to grow her own garden. Natasha spends her weekends tending to her garden and taking care of her plants. She also enjoys hiking and exploring different areas to find new and interesting plants to add to her collection. Natasha‘s love of gardening has also inspired her to take classes and study horticulture. Her knowledge of plants, flowers, and trees is extensive and her garden is a testament to her hard work. Natasha loves to share her passion of gardening with others and often hosts gardening events in her community. Her enthusiasm for the outdoors and gardening is infectious and she is always eager to help others learn about gardening.