Funny, I just posted something similar on the thread below. It must be summer, extra light. J

Mine weren't quite as fast coming up, but I checked them one day, there was nothing, then a couple days later I had 1/4" plantlets!

My little sport leaves are coming up too, with interesting results. I'll have to post pictures...

Karin

I have 3 leaves that are doing fine, seem to be rooted but 12 weeks and no mouse ears.
Is that a long time?

Also, rooting in water, do you trim the petiole? I have stems that I pulled off a plant, breaking away clean at the plant stem. The petioles have a knob on the end and haven't rooted.
Should I cut the leaves at a 45 degree angle as if I were potting in soil?

When rooting a leaf, cut it to the 1 1/2 inch length and cut it at an angle if you think of it. It is not that big a deal if you forget to cut it at an angle.
Keep it in water just temporarily. A few days at most. Water roots are
not the same as soil roots. They are longer and bloated because they can't get as much nutrition from water as from being in soil, which is more natural to them. When you plant it in soil, the water roots die off and soil roots grow. So it is almost a waste of time to put a leaf in water. I read that on an old post from Fred Hill. I did not realize that until I read it. You had asked if the Russian leaves grow bigger roots, I had answered that I was not sure because I don't repot that often. However, I accidentally left two Russian leaves in water too long, they grew massively long roots. I promptly planted them. For the few more minutes that it takes to plant
a leaf in soil, I am trying to train myself to do that. But when a leaf accidentally snaps off, I am usually in a hurry and have to stick it in water. Then when I get home at night, I make some excuse, such as, it is the plant's resting time, so i should wait until morning to pot it up!

By the way, do not remove the water roots when you plant the leaf in soil. The roots will temporarily sustain the plant.
For myself, I tamper with the plants as little as possible. I do look at them every day and check them, but I just let them be. I never pull them up to see how the roots are doing as many on this forum do, so I don't really study them too closely. When I repot, I usually pluck up the whole root ball and plop it into a pot and spoon soil mix all around it. Again,
I am not looking too closely, because usually in a hurry. When the roots are in a root ball, they are thin. So I am fearful of damaging them. Some get damaged, anyway,
and they always need a few days to perk up.

Even transplanting a fully grown plant can put it into shock
for a while. It has to settle in. My plants seem fine with being moved around, but they need a few days to adjust to being repotted or having too many leaves removed at one time.
If a dead leaf or a choking sucker is removed, the plant is happy. But to remove too many leaves or suckers all at once is not good for the plant's life. I know you weren't asking about that but it does come up often.

Joanne

Joanne
THANKS!
Now
WHINE..12 weeks and no mouse ears??

I have good luck in baggies rather than covered cups. Not certain if that is humidity or blowing in the bag while I seal it.
The extra carbon dioxide may be a secret ingredient.

I have some leaves from the same plant that I put down at the same time, all with petioles. They have rooted, but i am still waiting on plantlets.

Every other leaf I have put down in the past took months, not weeks, to grow plantlets.

Occasionally you just get an overachiever.

Then you get the underachievers.

But mostly they run about 2-3 mos.

Diana

Uh, huh. I look sometimes to see if they're growing roots. If they have started to rot, I can recut them then. It doesn't happen often.

I just pulled apart a clump that turned out to be three seedlings all with roots as long as the plants themselves,
about two inches, so there is no telling. The roots were thin
and dark. Water roots are white and fatter.
The plants themselves are tiny, they might be minis or trailers. Because I am too casual about labeling, they will have to grow before I recall what they are. Trying to stick to my regimen of repotting five a day, but that five can quickly become ten if they need to be divided.

Sounds like you got a nice haul at Lowe's, it is so convenient for you to have them so well stocked at this time of year.

My club just ordered about 30 Optimara's for their sale in Sept. They want everyone to grow out a few. I was not able to get to their last meeting, but I am growing out about
20 from leaves for them, mostly from Lyon's, so they will have a balanced offering.

I repotted a couple of Russians that insist on growing as a double header, too tight to separate until bigger. Guess the suckers
must have slipped by me in a too-busy spring when my plants barely got a glance.

Joanne