Hi,

I don't think you'll have good results with with peat moss tablets or regular African violets soil. The chances of you rotting the leaves are quite great. If you want to use African violet soil then mix it with perlite. One part African violet soil to two parts perlite.

A coffee cup is a little too big. If you're going to use a Styrofoam coffee cup then cut it down to half its size. Sometimes African violet leaves like to fill up the container before setting plantlets. Yes, a clear plastic cup would work just fine as long as it is again as big as half a coffee cup would be.

I would put one leaf per pot. That's gonna make it a lot easier for you to separate the babies once it's time to separate.

If you have any more questions ask away.

Good luck,

Larry

Thanks for replying!

In that case what do you suggest as the best growing medium?

What would be the best container then? (And does it need drainage holes? I know, I know, stupid question.)

Hi Newbienew,

In that case what do you suggest as the best growing medium?

Like I said before, a commercial African violet soil mix, mixed with perlite should work fine. I said mix it 1 to 1, but now that I think about it, I would mix it one part African violet soil to two parts perlite. That should work fine. That way you don't have to go out and buy something just for the leaves and then purchase another product for the adult plants.

What would be the best container then? (And does it need drainage holes? I know, I know, stupid question.)

Any of the above. Like I said in Christi's thread, this is not an exact science. Use a coffee cup, a yogurt container; a plastic dixie cup works fine. Preferably the container should be plastic or Styrofoam. Don't use a paper dixie cup. You'll have a mess. And yes, definitely put drain holes in the bottom of the containers.

I hope this helps,

Larry

I use plastic condiment cups. They are the 2 oz size. But I don't think they're easy to find just anywhere. (I believe it's the size they use when they make Jello shots.) I've used those little plastic 3 oz bathroom Solo cups before too. I tend to put two leaves per container, just for space reasons, and put the whole thing into a plastic Ziploc baggie. I actually don't put a drainage hole in, but I make sure not to water too much. It stays damp for a really long time in the baggie, so you really don't want the soil soaking wet. They don't get direct light. I have mine under fluorescent lights, for the most part. I've gotten babies to sprout up in as little as 6 wks, but more often it's at least two months before I see anything. And I've actually waited a whole year before seeing anything. But that is not the norm, so don't worry. You'll probably see results in 2 to 3 months. Good luck!

Oh, by the way, I have also used the little plastic containers leftover from eating applesauce, pudding, etc. They're clear, which is nice when looking for roots and/or when you need to water, and you are reusing something you'd otherwise throw out!

Hi Newbie,
I have a sheet of instructions on starting leaves that I used to pass out when I lectured garden groups. If you are interested, email me and I will send them to you via email. I also have a sheet on general care and rejuvenating violets.
Fred in NJ

Tofu boxes. They have to be in tofu boxes!

Just joking, but like they say, any reasonable-size container would be fine. I have used small drinking cups, tofu boxes and those clear plastic containers for fresh fruits or donuts.

{{gwi:363798}}

I myself use plain vermiculite to start it.

Oh dear, now I'm confused.

davemichigan, you say you use vermiculite. In what mixture? No soil or perlite?

Which is better for a beginner? AV soil/perlite in a 1:2 mixture or straight vermiculite?

Thanks in advance for answering!

Either way is fine. Vermiculite is a little denser, but as long as you don't overwater, it will be fine too. You can mix in some perlite to make it lighter (more air space), but it is not an absolute necessity. I have rooted many with vermiculite alone.

But both vermiculite and perlite are sterile, that is, it doesn't have any nutrient in it, so after you have the babies, you will have to transfer them to AV soil, or use a fertilizer that has micro and macro nutrients. If you are just starting, just use AV soil to simplify things.

Sorry to have confused you, but AV is relatively easy. Just cut a leaf and stick it in something moist. If after a week, the leaf is still green and alive, you pretty much know it has started to root. In a month (or slightly more in my case), you will see a few plantettes coming out.

You can use pure vermiculite or soil mixed with perlite - as long as the soil is barely moist and the air is humid - they will grow babies in no time. That's why covered plastic container works so well.

Good Luck

Irina

newbienew, since I have some cuttings going on right, I thought I would show you my simple setup:

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You can see I am just using two fruit bowls from supermarket for the container and cover. I drilled some holes because I don't like it to be completely air tight. With just a few holes, the atmosphere is still quite humid for the propagation.

Note also that although it is common to stick the petioles of the leaves into the media, that is not the only way you can cut the leaves. You can see in the picture the common one near the back, but you can also cut out the middle vein and use the two sides (the rest of the picture). You can cut the leaves the opposite way too (that is, perpendicular to the middle vein).

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You don't have to do all methods, but knowing this will make you feel at ease, that almost anything you do will work. :-)

Newbie, I've had success using the 3 oz solo cups for standards using 1:1 perlite and coarse horticultural grade vermiculite. I fill the cup a little less than half full. You want the mixture moist, not wet, or your leaves will rot. I dump the mix onto some papertowels to soak up the excess, if I get it too wet. Dome them so that they have humidity and wait. Check to make sure the mix is not dry.
The way that Dave does it works great. It's cheaper, too, than buying solo cups or other containers. Now that you've been bitten by the AV bug, you'll find that you keep grocery containers that you otherwise would have thrown away. :)
I'll come back in a bit and show you my set up (s).

{{gwi:363801}}

Here I'm using a permanest tray with capillary matting and a dome. The leaves are in 3 0z solo cups using 1:1 perlite and coarse vermiculite.

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Here I'm using a lasagna pan with some styrofoam egg cartons with holes punched in the bottoms to propagate some semi-mini leaves. The carton sits on capillary matting and is domed. This is my first time using the egg cartons, so my fingers are crossed!

Ah, I forgot mention that for my setup, since I don't use capillary matting, I have to water the container (from bottom) about once in 7 to 10 days.

In the past I didn't even cover the container, and it still worked in the dry Michigan even during winter. I watered it about once a week. Now that I am covering it, I probably need to water only once in 10 days. Just give enough water to make the media moist but not soaking wet.

Growhappy, I like your setup! You are doing a lot of propagation!

Another question...

I planted six leaf cuttings with petiole in peat pellets (I know, I know - I've since removed them and have put them in water for several days). After a week of being in peat pellets the petioles on three of them had withered away.

Why? Is this normal even if I had planted them in proper medium?

Oddly, the ones that failed were in the 2nd, 4th and 6th slots.

This fellow here reports he did have success with peat pellets

www.projectsandhobbies.com/howtogrowafricanviolets.htm

Now I'm really confused!

Newbienew, without knowing/seeing your exact condition, it is hard to say/suggest more.

But under good condition, no, the leaves should not wilt. The leaves that I showed above were started on 4/11. It has been nearly 2 weeks now, and none of the leaves show any sign of wilting. As mentioned before, I watered the container from the bottom about once a week.

I planted six leaf cuttings with petiole in peat pellets (I know, I know - I've since removed them and have put them in water for several days). After a week of being in peat pellets the petioles on three of them had withered away.

Well that should tell you something. Don't use the peat pellets. lol

If you read everything in the world about starting leaves you will probably go crazy and confused.

I will reiterate what I said before. You need to have a very porous potting medium. I think one part African violets soil mix with two parts perlite will do just fine. If you want to use straight vermiculite, like Dave does, that will work too. You just have to make sure that the medium is not too wet. If you going to error, then error on the dry side. African violet leaves can practically root in dry soil. Now I just said practically. Don't try to root them in dry soil. OK?

Cover the vessels with some kind of covering either by putting them in a box with a plastic lid or in plastic bags. Don't put the containers in direct sunlight. It will cook the leaves. Again after three months are so (maybe sooner) you should start seeing mouse ears appearing. Then you want to wait until each plantlet has four leaves larger than a dime before separating them from the mother leaf.

That should take care of it.

Good luck,

Larry

Thank you larry_b

Your advice is helpful and appreciated. I did "read everything in the world about starting leaves" and I have pretty much gone "crazy and confused."

Your instructions have set me straight. Now I know what to do! :)

Keep us posted on your progress, please.
We *love pictures.

Dora