Achimenes are rhizomatous gesneriads that can be used as flowering houseplants or grown in hanging baskets and mixed containers. Achimenes are typically asexually propagated from scaly rhizomes. The potential exists to propagate from leaf cuttings, however, there is limited published information on this propagation method. Thus, a leaf cutting study was initiated to further investigate the effects of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and propagation time on root development, plantlet, and rhizome production. We tested three Achimenes cultivars, ‘Charm’, ‘Apricot Glow’, and ‘Pink Cloud’. A total of 96 leaf-cuttings per cultivar were obtained from pre-flowering plants. Leaves were treated with one of four treatments; control (water), 1,000, 3,000, and 8,000 ppm of powder rooting hormone and were propagated under mist for a period of 3, 6, or 9 weeks. Data collection included root fresh and dry weights, plantlet number (stolons that emerged above the media surface), and rhizome development. In addition, root development was qualitatively evaluated on a scale from 1 = no rooting to 5 = prolific rooting. Propagation time significantly impacted each variable for all cultivars (p < 0.0001). Root ratings showed that all cultivars had ratings of 5 at 6 and 9 weeks, significantly higher than at 3 weeks. Generally, root dry weights significantly increased with increased propagation times. The interaction between rooting hormone and propagation time was significant for ‘Charm’ and ‘Apricot Glow’ for plantlet production. Increased plantlets were observed as both hormone concentration and propagation time increased, although not always significantly. ‘Apricot Glow’ leaf cuttings treated with 1,000 ppm and propagated for 9 weeks produced the most plantlets (1.6), however, plantlet number was not significantly different between hormone concentrations. Rhizome development significantly increased as propagation time increased for all cultivars (p < 0.0001). Rhizome number of all three cultivars significantly increased by double or triple for cuttings grown for 9 weeks compared to the 3 weeks. Our findings suggest that rooting hormones are negligible in enhancing propagation of Achimenes leaf cuttings for the cultivars evaluated. Propagation duration has a greater impact on growth and development than treatment concentrations. In this study, minimal differences in growth and development were observed after 6 weeks. This suggests that the ideal propagation period is within 3 and 6 weeks. Additional leaf cutting research is warranted to evaluate subsequent growth and development of Achimenes plants.
