Daddy, where do basals come from?

[chibae]

Okay guys, I have had plenty of neps with basals. I have cut them, traded them, rooted them etc. but I never wondered how they formed. Well a few weeks ago I was having an issue with a N. mirabilis and decided to unpot it to check the roots. I counted five small green sprouts (for lack of a better term) in various spots along the roots. I gently repotted the nep trying as much as possible to keep the roots undisturbed. BTW, they were fine and the plant has completly recovered. I had assumed that these little green sprouts were basals in the making.

Well now one of the little green critters has popped to the surface of the pot and is growing a short distance from the main plant. Once it has some size to it, rather than cut it and attempt to get it to root could I just gently expose the root it is growing from and cut that part of the root away from the main plant. This way I already have a rooted basal and with rooting hormone I would think the piece of root would continue to grow.

I have done this with ludisa orchids as they spread by popping up new plantlets along their roots.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[mylesG]

there are inactive growthpoints on the stem of the nep. When conditions are right and the hormonal planets aline, the growthpoint begins to recieve nutrients from the plant and produce its own meristematic tissue from which new cellls are formed. You can see similar things with giant pine trees that will form lil itty bitty growth off the big knarly trunk. Some growthpoints activate when, after years of being shaded, recieve light like with the pines.


i only took one botany course so i cant tell you which hormones but thats the dealio

 

[Peatmoss]

That is where basals come from...

 

[richjam1986]

I have tried this. The trouble I have had is that the basal is often just attached to the main stem below the soil level, and still doesn't have any of its own roots. This hasen't always been the case though...just most of the time. I'm sure it differs for different species. There's no doubt it's best to get some roots with it if you can. So just do it when you can, and do without when you can't.

Another thought on it though... Digging the basal out with any roots it has can often set back the main plant quite a bit. Cutting the basal closer to the surface is much less invasive. So it just depends on the size and quality of cutting you want verses how much you are willing to set back the main plant.

 

[chibae]

responding to Myles G..forgot to quote

What you are describing sound more like what in some orchids are referred to as dormant eyes. Parts of the stem that contain growth nodes which for some reason don't produce new pseudobulbs. What I have are growths coming off the ROOTS, five of which I counted when the nep in question was unpotted. One of which has now started to grow above ground.

 

[mylesG]

is that the stork's 2nd leg or is he urinating?

 

[chibae]

I have tried this. The trouble I have had is that the basal is often just attached to the main stem below the soil level, and still doesn't have any of its own roots. This hasen't always been the case though...just most of the time. I'm sure it differs for different species. There's no doubt it's best to get some roots with it if you can. So just do it when you can, and do without when you can't.

Another thought on it though... Digging the basal out with any roots it has can often set back the main plant quite a bit. Cutting the basal closer to the surface is much less invasive. So it just depends on the size and quality of cutting you want verses how much you are willing to set back the main plant.

Thank you, some of the ones I saw while it was unpotted were a fair distance from the main stem. in fact none were attached to the stem. I'm in no hurry to do anything. Just never saw the growing points on a neps roots before when potting.

 

[mylesG]

it sounds like a root cutting without the removal of the root from parent plant. it isnt something i learned about on the cellular level though, ill sit back n see what people have to say. drosera obviously do this regularly as well as many non carnivorous plants. just dont have the true explaination of the how

 

[mcmcnair]

What you are describing are what is known horticulturally as root suckers, not basals. Basals come off of the main stem, much like the dormant eyes of some orchids. As for where they come from... Usually in horticulture the root suckers form from excess moisture around the roots and sometimes damage to the roots will cause a rise in hormone levels and boom a shoot will start. Hope that was informative

 

[chibae]

What you are describing are what is known horticulturally as root suckers, not basals. Basals come off of the main stem, much like the dormant eyes of some orchids. As for where they come from... Usually in horticulture the root suckers form from excess moisture around the roots and sometimes damage to the roots will cause a rise in hormone levels and boom a shoot will start. Hope that was informative

Very interesting, thank you. I had originally unpotted the nep to check for root rot. Once these suckers surface and start growing will they actually be mini-neps or just random weird green vegetative growth

 

[mcmcnair]

Should be exact clones of the mother plant. They may not surface though ive found many a dying sucker under my soil when I repot. If I were u I would try and put them close to the surface when you repot.