The more, the merrier
There are many ways to propagate African violets, but the best known and easiest method is to take leaf cuttings.
Choose a full-sized leaf and snap it off at the base. Don't use one of the lower leaves: they're older and can be slow to sprout. Use a sharp knife to recut the leaf petiole (stem) at a 45-degree angle; then insert the base of the petiole into a pre-moistened, sterilized potting mix or vermiculite. If your home is dry, you may prefer to cover the leaf with a clear plastic bag to maintain high humidity. Place in a brightly lit spot out of direct sun, keeping the potting mix slightly moist. New plants can appear as soon as three weeks or as late as six months.
Once plantlets have reached about one-third of the height of the leaf, separate them. Carefully dig up the mother leaf and plantlets and rinse them off. Then pull the mass of baby plants apart until they're individually separated, each with one stem and a root system. Now pot these up into small containers-often you'll start seeing flowers within a year.
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Where African violets look best isn't always where they bloom best-but that doesn't mean you can't have beautiful, flowering Saintpaulia throughout your home. Find a spot in your house with ideal growing conditions and declare it your own “violet nursery.” When a plant bursts into bud, move it to a preferred location; when it stops blooming, put it back in the nursery and replace it with another. By continuously recycling the plants, you'll always have blooming African violets on display.
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5 Comments
I placed an African Violet leaf in a small four inch pot and kept watering for about four months. Now I notice small growth near the leaf. Can anyone advise me how to help it grew into a plant and get it to flower? Thanks.
Just continue as you are. What you see is a new plant beginning.
Last year I bought several African violets in blue, white, pink and purple. Now they are blooming beautifully again but all of them only in purple. how can I get the coulors they had before again?
I am new to the African violet world although my mother had windows full of them. I have been told that they prefer clay pots to plastic ones and would like to move my one plant that is in a plastic pot. Is there a method short of rinsing the roots and putting it into the clay pot with new soil? Any hints would be appreciated. Thanks.
Thank you for your reply. Sorry about the delay in answering you. The African Violet has many leaves now, maybe 25, but no flowers yet. I feed it with high P fertilizer (NPK) high P in order to produce flowers but nothing yet. Thanks, again.