potting violets with water roots

19 years ago

I managed to root three leaves from a very tired passed-down-through-the-family African violet (the mother plant has expired....)in water (I tried others in soil and they didn't make it). Each leaf now has a beautiful cluster of water roots, and one has a little green shoot starting. Because it's a 'family heirloom' I am eager to plant it properly. Other messages said to not use store made African potting soil - too heavy. Any suggestions (including pot size, etc.) would be enormously appreciated!

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Comments (5)

fred_hill
19 years ago
Hi Martha,
First of all I want you to know I don't root in water so my idea may not hold water. I would put the mother leaf and rooted plantlet into a very light soiless mix of 1 part AV soil, 1 part coarse perlite and 1 part coarse vermiculite. Pot them up in as small a pot that you can. A condiment cup might be just the thing. Make sure the mix is damp and don't press it down. Tap the container on the table to settle the leaf in. If you need to, prop the leaf up with a toothpick or skewer or cut off part of the top of the leaf. Place the entire cup and leaf in a plastic zip lock bag, seal it and check it weekly to make sure it hasn't dried out. Put the bag in a bright but not sunny location. Hopefully the leaf will develop soil mix roots and thrive.
Fred in NJ
bspofford
19 years ago
Gee Fred, I couldn't have said it any better. This is great advice, Martha.

Barbara
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martha_violets
Original Author
19 years ago
Hi, Fred (and Barbara!)

I just wanted to thank you for your quick posting on the forum about my African Violet dilemma. I'm headed out tomorrow to get the soil 'ingredients' - The closet thing I have to a 'condiment cup' is a glass cup for melted butter for lobsters (about 1" in diameter and 2" high), and 2-1/4 x 2-1/2" clay pots w/ no drainage holes! I'm wondering if you thought condiment cup because they're plastic and I could poke drainage holes in them). The feathery roots (as they hang so beautifully in the water) are a good inch long and there are lots of them for each leaf!

The plant is so special to me, I don't want to mess it up!
Thanks, again! I really appreciate your taking time to help me out!

martha_violets
bspofford
19 years ago
Martha,

If you haven't potted it yet, hold on. By condiment cup Fred is referring to a plastic small cup such as you would get condiments in at a fast food place. Wendy's has dressing in great cups, I here. Other sources are the cup on a bottle of Nyquil, and 'dose' cups you should be able to get from yoour local pharmacy. If you can't find anything, send me an email tonite and I'll send you some. bspoffor@maine.rr.com I leave town tomorrow night, so it will be 3 weeks before I am back home, but I'll mail them before I leave.

Barbara
valeriev
19 years ago
Hi Martha,

I root all my leafs in water. Once they root, I pot them in the little platic creamer cups with holes poked in the bottom and a tooth pick to hold up the leaf, then I put the creamer cups into a "lobster butter" cup and put water in that cup and the leaf will suck up the water as needed. Once it starts producing a baby I take it out and repot into a small violet pot.

This is my first baby and she's blooming. I've got 6 leafs down right now awaiting babies. :) Good luck!!!!

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