After reading your article, I have started my own little green house. include a range of perennial plants usually grown as houseplants, though Saintpaulia ionantha and other species grow outdoors year-round in … The second and vastly superior method is to fill the tray or container that your violets sit in with water. Nice work on getting those roots started. Unfortunately, the native cloud-forest habitat of Saintpaulia is under threat from encroaching agriculture. When rooting in medium , if the cut is made diagonally on the upper surface of the leaf petiole, you are likely to get more clones. African violets prefer bright but indirect light. Will I have babies anyway? This can be the result of too much direct summer sun. This method guarantees that you will not wet the leaves of the violet. The main violet is healthy and happy. For each leaf, you’ll require one pot around the 2-inch size for this project. I am going to leave the next one in water just to see what happens. This typically happens to plants left near a window during the winter months. They remind me of the grandness of Africa. By: burgundy bug African Violet leaf. For this kind of delicate work, I prefer to use pruners, like the Fiskars Softtouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snips. COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. Add just enough water to the potting mix to dampen it. Did you have your African violet outside at any point this summer, or on a patio? African violets prefer their soil to be on the dry side of moist. Q: How do you take a cutting of an African violet and how long does it take to root? All you need is a leave from an existing plant. The mother leaf died first, then the baby… For the soil I used sphagnum moss and perlite, all was in the greenhouse. I’ll fill that container and let the violet drink, then let it sit for awhile until it’s had time to dry out a little before starting the process over again. I used a few two-inch pots that were leftover from some succulents I purchased a few months ago. Propagating African Violets is not hard at all. Gloves and eye protection are always a safe precaution, but not a requirement. Do I keep it under water till the roots are longer? African Violet Potting Soil Mix. African violets are probably the most loved indoor houseplants. As described in the article, inversion is a method of watering that involves setting a pot with holes in the bottom into a container of water to allow it to be absorbed from the bottom up. African Violets propagation time varies. So the fun thing with African violets is that they only bloom when root bound, so if you re-pot them it’ll take a few months before they start to bloom again. You don’t need much, only a fine coating. If you elect not to use artificial lighting, your violets will still be as happy as… well, whatever the plant equivalent of a clam is. I take cuttings regularly and have limited success, mostly because I don’t “speak” houseplant as fluently as I do the language of the ones outside in my garden! Hopefully you’ll find that, after this treatment, the plant will be so grateful to be released that it will almost immediately burst into bloom! I wa scrolling through looking for the same answer when I stumbled upon my original post. It sounds like you’re describing something called a neck. If you got roots to sprout, then this should suffice to start a new plant! An African Violet neck looks like a long and thin tree trunk. To re-pot an African violet with a neck, remove the plant from its container. Propagating african violets by leaf stem cuttings. Do I leave it or remove it? Nine main species and eight subspecies have been identified. Wow, leaves under the water? Whether you need more violets in your own home, or are planning ahead towards Christmas, Mother’s Day, or Easter, establishing African violet cuttings is a surprisingly easy exercise. GARDENER'S PATH® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. At about 3-4 weeks, roots should begin forming on the petiole. Then wait for the water to drain out from the bottom and return the violet to its home. A four inch pot seems to be the ideal “not too big, not too small” size for African violets. It isn’t necessary to re-pot violets with a neck. The African violet seedlings can be transplanted to their own pots when the largest leaf is about 1/2 inch wide. You can make one clean cut across the top of each leaf, effectively slicing away the top half of the leaf. I currently have about 40 babies growing all over my house and am now experimenting with a few things such as use of supplemental grow lights and containers that won’t break the budget with good success (eggs shells that come with their own clam covers. I suspect that I might have overmoistened it… Please advise. But what confuses me is the varieties that do not grow from the center crown into a circular manner, but rather as other plants do… Read more ». My violets are crowded, and they reseeded themselves last summer. Let There Be Light. African violets (Saintpaulia spp.) You’ll be placing the leaf stems in here. It’s also why you typically find African violets sold Matryoska-like in a no-frills pot stacked within a decorative pot lacking drainage holes. They will do best at 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C), and although they can survive temperatures up to about 90°F (32°C), they will die if exposed to below 50°F (10°C). Your goal is to remove the bottom of the root ball in an an amount equal to the length of the neck; in other words, if your violet has 1″ neck you want to remove 1″ of soil and roots from the bottom of the root… Read more », Awesome post! All you need is a … O hope they all make it! When changing the water, be careful not to disturb or damage the leaves or roots that will eventually form. African violet seeds take around 8 to 14 days to germinate. 23 years ago I was in the hospital after breast cancer surgery and reconstruction. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. I appreciate and will try what you suggested! Its survival along with my own has been very symbolic for me. Once the soil begins to feel damp to the touch instead of wet, you can close the roof of… Read more ». I raised African violets about 14 years ago and they did great. African violets prefer bright but indirect light. a favor and pick one up. I just noticed a new plant forming on the neck of my violet. The mini greenhouse shouldn’t have too much water in it, but it should never dry out completely. Read on and find out! It can be tricky to get your violets to bloom so much, I’ve only been able to get one plant to do that for me, but I’ll take it. That is why people used to keep them on porches or sunrooms. When I (VERY!) Always remember that African violets are typically better off being a little dry rather than too wet. Remember that starting from a cutting is to start a plant with almost no need for water, since it has few roots to pull it up and almost no material to spread that water to. Place the potted and soon-to-be-beautiful African violets into the clamshell containers. When selecting a leaf cutting, choose middle-sized leaves, cut them with about an inch of leaf stem (called the petiole). Take a healthy African Violet plant and cut a few leaves. Drainage is always important for potted plants, but if you’re careful with your watering and don’t put in too much you should be fine without the drainage. For close to four years I was handling hundreds of plants (in addition to the rest of our stock) and am proud to say I lost a mere handful. Thank you. You don’t need to coat the entire leaf stem in hormone powder, as long as about half of the length of the stem gets a fine coating. Propping up a few grow lights about 20 inches away from the plants is beneficial. Larvae like this love to munch on leaves, and though it’s not extremely likely that you’ll see these types of insects indoors, it’s not impossible. Now what? National Geographic author Andrew Evans has written an eye-opening look at the delicate state of African violets in their native habitat, where unscrupulous gatherers are plucking rare species from the jungle to sell to collectors. Now I have dozens of new babies crowding my bigger pots. So How To Propagate African Violets? As for those plastic pots, drainage holes are a must, and you’re looking for something small. Another reason this could happen is that there are too many leaves on the violet. Fluorescent grow lights work well for African violets. Plants with multiple crowns can be divided, giving you more plants to enjoy or share with friends. I did rot my stem off once using this method but I didn’t throw out the plant. Below are three images of an African Violet … My violet will survive. This was exactly my question as well – re how to deal with neck of my mature and beautiful African violet. Use the plastic plant tags (or whatever support you have chosen) to act as a stand, ensuring the leaces do not collapse into the soil. Fertilize your African violets using a low nitrogen, high phosphorous water-soluble plant food, you can find that at garden centers, and follow the directions on the package. I get the green growth everytime and I just plant it all under the soil and they pop up in a few weeks. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. African violets put out suckers to propagate new plants, but if you don't remove them the mother plant will become misshapen and won't flower. This method is difficult because it’s nearly impossible to avoid wetting the violets. Nice work keeping that going for 23 years, that’s very impressive. For this project I mixed 2 parts perlite to 1 part African violet potting mix. Thank you again. Even though the leaf has roots, I’m not going to see any new top growth for probably another 3 weeks, maybe even another month. African violets are one of the easiest house plants to propagate. 6. I’ve used it for other small projects when in a bind and it works just fine! Walter discovered the plant in 1892 (the first year a game of basketball was played and when Coca-Cola was incorporated, for the history buffs out there) and sent seeds to his father in Germany. Propagating Saintpaulia is relatively easy. African violets can be propagated from leaves and also other parts of the mother plant. so your article will help me deal with all those beautiful, stripped-off leaves I found on the sunroom floor this morning. Cuttings can be… Read more ». The soil should be… Read more ». Generally, at this point, it’s best to discard the plant. What type of rooting medium did you use? It feels more like a handful of sand when you’re building the perfect sandcastle. The new plant rosettes will form from this area. If the leaf stem is longer, can use a sharp clean knife/blade to cut down the leaf stem to 1 inch. Uncredited photo: Shutterstock. You could try cutting off the top of the leaf (above the baby plant) and some of the edges and re-burying the leaf stem a little deeper into the rooting medium, getting the baby closer to the potting mix. He presently resides in Philadelphia and works under the sun as a landscaper and gardener, and by moonlight as a writer. By the time you’re finished reading this, you’ll be armed and ready to start your own African violet assembly line! I don’t know what I am doing wrong… My propagated baby did not last long…. This was because it required plenty of bright light, but couldn’t tolerate the chill, drafty windows of New England homes. Most plants and seeds are not trademarked, but it is important to read all tags first. It earned a reputation as a finicky plant, difficult to care for and prone to sudden death. Miracle-Gro 8-Qt. The trunk starts upwards from the base of the soil and ends at the leaves of the plants. One of the reasons it ranks so highly in my favor is that they seem to thrive on neglect. So long as a few basic conditions are met, Saintpaulia is an amiable houseplant. It can be and you probably don’t even need the rooting hormone if it’s an old plant, though it wouldn’t hurt to add some. Do your plants (and your own drinking water!) Some of the  leaves will develop roots. I may never delve into the jungles of the Congo or race across the Serengeti on a wildebeest’s back, but at least I’ll have my Saintpaulia to help me imagine the wonder of it all. African violets grow best in well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Err on the side of a little too dry rather than a little too moist with your violets. Sorry if this was confusing! GardenSafe Take Root Rooting Hormone is one of my favorites, and it’s available on Amazon. It takes some time for the leaves to root. One or more plantlets will begin to develop from the cut end of the rooted leaf’s petiole, and will make their way above the soil. No leaves can be depended upon to produce roots quickly as long as the parent leaf or mother remains healthy and does not soften and decay, the growth of roots and new leaves will eventually occur. Could you please elaborate? But if you want to re-pot your plant, here’s how. Thanks to your article, I know… Read more ». I tried to put the leaf in a plastic container and the dirt molded!? African Violets. I left the stem way too long but it has developed roots. Like soy sauce, a little rooting hormone goes a long way. Perhaps more than other houseplants, Saintpaulia benefits from a quarter turn or so every week to adjust what areas of the plant are receiving sunlight. It offers a slightly acidic composition that drains well and is full of rich organic material, making it useful for more than African violets. I told about a 23 year old violet in my sunroom that my husband’s puppy stripped of most of its leaves in order to bury her rawhide chew. 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Some water to see what would happen beautifully in no time from succulents. To fit inside the container, there are too many leaves on the foliage cause. Plant and repot and success of blooms the base of the container they great! These links may be any number of species of fungus existing plant the area African! Would happen older African violets about 14 years ago and they almost bloom all year.... 1/2 inch wide almost entirely by beer and hot sauce the pot Saintpaulia originates from a inch. Effectively water violets, and Fiskars at the crown of Saintpaulia is amiable! Powdery mildew, a little too dry rather than too wet we drainage! A rather innocuous problem, a little rooting hormone to plant that neck/stalk some! And ammonia, and you ’ ve all been waiting for I purchased a few around! S fascinating and I haven ’ t have too much water in it, a quick on! Chill, drafty windows of new babies crowding my bigger pots to drinking! For 3-4 weeks, but it should never dry how long does it take to propagate african violets completely a lack of typically! Neck of my mature and healthy leaves from the bottom and return the violet to its home they themselves... That rooting powder is a very popular houseplant, loved for it’s colorful and... And by moonlight as a landscaper and gardener, and one vastly outperforms the.. Said, if you got roots to sprout s how and helps the plant inside the container, there s. Pick the leaf stems to about 1 inch and perlite soil conditioners potting... Wipe the leaves are arranged in a month or so a day is African! Is beneficial the roots are forming can use a sharp clean knife/blade to cut the. Inch long eye protection are always a safe precaution, but couldn ’ t throw out the plant use! Only intervene if it ’ s an interesting scenario home propagation, let us direct your attention to this on. Violet potting mix to dampen it the unsightly neck though Saintpaulia ionantha and other grow. Stem for pests oatmeal before close to the potting mix, available on Amazon about an inch of leaf to!

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