Questions growers and collectors ask us most.

Three things. First, it is genetically identical to the mother — no variation. Second, it has never been exposed to soil pathogens, so it carries no surface or systemic disease at the point of dispatch. Third, the process scales — one mother plant can produce hundreds or thousands of identical plants in a year, far more than cuttings could ever deliver.

Yes. Tissue culture produces clonal plants — exact genetic copies of the mother plant you provided. The cultured plants will carry the same traits: leaf shape, flower colour, yield characteristics, growth habit. If you have selected a winner, the field will be full of winners.

Most plants, but not all — and some are much harder than others. Plants with reliable, documented protocols (most carnivorous plants, most berries, many ornamentals, indigenous species, potatoes, bananas) are routine. Plants without established protocols need a development phase first. We will tell you honestly whether your species is straightforward, challenging, or beyond our current capability.

We propagate only open varieties or material for which you hold a valid licence or written authorisation from the breeder. Many of the best-known blueberry, strawberry, protea and ornamental cultivars are protected under Plant Breeders' Rights. If you are unsure of the status of a variety, ask — we will help you check before any work begins.

For species already in our active rotation: 6 to 10 weeks from order to dispatch. For new species with a known protocol: 10 to 16 weeks. For fully custom protocol development on a species we have not worked with before: 3 to 6 months before the first commercial batch can ship. After that, repeat batches follow at 4 to 6 week intervals.

For collector plants, we sell individual plantlets and flasks. For commercial propagation, we ask for a minimum of 100 plantlets per species per order, and prefer 500+ for the most efficient pricing.

Yes. We ship plantlets across South Africa via courier in protective packaging. Lead times depend on the destination; allow 1 to 3 working days within Gauteng and longer for outlying provinces. We do not currently ship internationally.

Tissue-cultured plants have been raised in 100% humidity inside a sterile vessel — they need to be gradually weaned to ambient conditions. We provide acclimatisation guidance with every order, and recommend a sheltered, high-humidity period of two to six weeks (depending on the species) before plants enter the open field or tunnel. Hardening is the most common reason TC plants are lost; doing it properly costs nothing and changes outcomes completely.

Yes. This is one of our core services. We establish a culture from your mother stock and hold it in slow-growth conditions in the lab as a living backup. We do not propagate or sell from preserved stock without your written instruction. This is appropriate for rare cultivars, family heirlooms, breeding lines, and irreplaceable genetic material.

Pricing depends on the species, batch size, and whether protocol development is required. Per-plant prices come down sharply with volume. The best way to get a real number is to WhatsApp us with your species and target volume; we will reply with a quote within one working day.

Not at this time. The regulatory landscape in South Africa is still evolving, and we have chosen to focus our capacity on species where the operating environment is clear. This may change in the future.

Workshops are not yet scheduled, but we welcome serious enquiries from prospective lab operators or research groups. If you are interested in learning the technique, send a message — we will let you know when sessions become available.