Leaf
Cuttings, Rooting
Leaf Clump,
Dividing
Cross Breeding
Rooting African
violet leaf cuttings
1.) Choose a leaf that is
fresh and fairly young but full size. Healthy vigorous leaves will root quickly
rather than rotting off as older leaves are prone to do.
2.) Cut the stem at an
angle, leaving a stem below the leaves that is 1 - 2 inches long.
3.) Fill a small pot (that
has drainage holes) with a very light potting mix. A mix of half vermiculite
and half potting mix will work well.
4.) Set the leaf into the
prepared pot at an angle. Do not set it into the soil very deeply. Water and
allow the excess moisture to drain away.
5.) Place the potted leaf
into a clear plastic bag (zip-loc bags work well) and seal it tightly closed.
You may wish to blow into the bag as it is sealed to puff it up with air.
6.) Set the leaf in a
bright location out of direct sunlight. It normally takes about one month for
the leaf to root and another month for the plantlets to appear. The clump of
plants that develop will need to be divided when the leaves are about the size
of a dime.
1.) Remove the leaf clump
from the pot, and lay on a work area.
2.) Gently work the soil away
from the roots until the small plants can be separated. Usually they will fall
away from one another as the soil is removed. Look for each plant to have a
small rosette of leaves, often attached to a main stem, with some roots at the
bottom. Leaves often produce 5 or more plantlets.
3.) Prepare a small pot
(2" diameter, such as a Solo plastic bathroom cup with a hole poked in the
bottom) for each small plant. Fill the pot with very light potting mix that has
been pre-moistened. If you mix your own (recommended), use one part peat moss,
one part vermiculite, and one part perlite. Do not pack the soil down!
4.) Make a small
indentation in the surface of the potting mix using a pencil or a finger. Set
the plant into the indentation and gently move the potting mix to stabilize the
plant.
5.) Water and allow the
excess to drain away. Set the young plants inside a clear plastic bag or
plastic container and seal tightly closed once again. Set in a bright location
away from direct sunlight.
6.) In about a month, the plants will be well rooted and beginning to show
mature growth. Open the container gradually over a period of two days to allow
the plant to adapt to lower humidity. After this transitional period, your
violet may be set in any bright location and watered on a regular schedule.
Cross breeding African
Violets
1). Move pollen from the
anthers (the yellow pollen sac) onto the stigma (the tube-like tip that extends
down into the base of the flower) when the pollen is ripe and the stigma is
slightly moist.
2.) If the cross is
successful, the blossom will dry up in several days and the base of the flower will begin to
swell. Maintain very even growing conditions for the next four months
while the seed ripens.
3.) Harvest the seed when
the flower stem becomes crispy dry and store in an envelope until ready to sow.
4.) To sow the seed, sprinkle it on a prepared bed of damp vermiculite. Mist
the surface to press seed against the medium. Cover with a clear material
such as plastic and wait for germination, which should occur within two weeks.
5.) Carefully separate seedlings into their own pot as the plants become
crowded.