I think you got it right. It takes a long time. I never got one in 3 months. I did get some started in 6 months.
Cork

I am here with Cork. It depends on the variety, quality of the leaf, time of the year - everything is faster in spring - and how perfect your conditions are. I think in everything perfect 5 months would be pushing...

I still didn't get the flowers from one leaf I got last April...but this is unusual.

Irina

I picked up a leaf from the floor of a garden center about a year ago and decided to try to root it for the heck of it. I put some roottone on it and potted it. It took about two months before it started growing new little leaves, and about four total before flower buds came up. After the flower buds came up it started growing really fast, and I ended up with about six new crowns. I separated them and repotted a few crowns, but couldn't keep them all. I'm not sure what violet it is exactly, but the blooms are a nice burgundy red, single, and standard form. I do give my baby violets ideal conditions though, on a heat mat under a grow light. When they are mature and strong I then put them in larger pots in indirect, natural light. Feed them every time I water, but only water when they are completely dry.

I've had them flower after 9 months and I have one that is 15 months out and it still hasn't bloomed. I think it depends a lot on the specific variety and conditions. In my experience any time after 9 months is fair game.

Hi,
I have found that semis and minis bloom faster than standards.

Fred in NJ

so the other thing I noticed is that it takes a different amount of time till the baby plantlets are out and transplanted. So if we take out this period of time and talk only from baby plant (since transplanted) to flower, are we talking about 3 months minimum? do I have this right?

Is there a difference when leaves are started in soil compared to leaves in water?.
About the timing from transplanted to flower...I would say that differs. Some of mine bloom at 3 months, whereas I have some that bloom after 6mnths-1yr.

I am thinking that plants started in water will go slower.

In my experience - since I put the transplanted babies under the lights and keep them under the dome for a week to alleviate the transplant shock - - usually if they are good size - they put buds in a month or 2.

I.

I have set up plants in both soil and water at the moment and the leaves in water are crisp/green and stem still seems fresh. However the leaves in soil are a completely different story, some are still crisp/green. However some are brown/mushy, weak, soft, moldy and some are dry/brown.

However when I lift these leaves out, they do have some root formation, so for now I have left them in the soil. The area where I have kept the leaves does not get direct sunlight, but its a bright area and in an enclosed portable greenhouse, it is pretty humid in there, but the soil is not dried out.
I was going to place the leaves under lights, but that area in my house is around 60-70F, so I thought maybe not warm enough for plantlet formation.

If your home temperature is 70 in a day time and in 60s in the night time - it is good.

Brown mushy...trash the dead ones and do not let them stay under enclosure - dead tissue attracts botrytis fungus - and it can jump on the live tissue. If part of the leaf is brown - cut it off to the healthy tissue - and apply ground cinnamon. It will stop the infection.

A good friend of mine starts hers in water - and as soon as the roots start showing - she repots them to the soil - and waters with the water they were in - because it is full of growth hormones.

I have a question - what kind of soil did you use for your leaves?

Irina

I planted several leaves last June. A good portion of them have bloomed in the last 2 months. Some of them haven't bloomed at all. My trailers ...(which produced a ton of babies) were the first to bloom.

{{gwi:369238}}

My 2 Sky Divers have bloomed
One Irish Flirt has bloomed.
The rest are all Allegro Appalachian Trailers.
None of my Emerald Lace have bloomed.
Or Sterling Trinket or Rainbow's Quiet Riot, though all the plants are doing quiet well and have all received the same treatment. All have been repotted now twice in the last year.

I also has a leaf I put down in July of last year bloom. Ma's Flammable Water. It bloomed in the last 3 weeks.

{{gwi:369239}}

I kept my house at 70F during the winter, and 74F during the summer, though in the late evenings, it gets close to 80F in the room that my AVs are located.

Well, the soil I used was a mixture of 3 parts perlite (miracle gro) and 1 part african violet soil (miracle gro). I mixed it and then moistened it and placed in trays. Then placed leaves in them. Maybe its too hot in the covered greenhouse....I will open it up a little for air and remove the dead leaves.

The mix is good. Do not keep them in a greenhouse, take your trays home and keep them sometwhere near the window but not on the direct light. Cover the trais with the dome - or fix the cover out of several sticks and a plastic bag from dry cleaners. I wouldn't be comfortable in a covered greenhouse - it would be too hot for me - and violets are happy when the grower is happy.

Irina

Hmm...I see. Thank you so much for this advice. Its going to be a busy weekend for me. But I really enjoy working with violets so it will be a lovely weekend :)

What beautiful violets! Thanks for sharing the pictures. I've only seen the trailing ones in books. Love the blue flowers. I also picked up a leaf in the store that was on the floor. I am on round 2 of babies from the big leaf. I have 6 older babies and 2 just sprouting. I mist the leaf daily instead of watering. I know everybody tells you not to get the leaf wet, but hey, they grown on the ground in Africa and get wet there! Anyway, They didn't have alot of roots when I transplanted them about 1 month ago. I haven't fertilized yet. I'm thinking they will push more leaves and not roots if I fertilize too soon.

Zackey -

You have a good "horse sense" regarding plants. Seems you are doing everything right - and not believing in old wives tales.

you can start fertilizing - weak solution 1/8 teaspoon per gallon - use no urea fertilizers - or you can use some fish emulsion for now - also weak.

We all need to learn basics first - and off the floor AV leaves is a good training material - because these big box store violets are pretty close to cast iron plant in a world of violets.

But after you master it - the whole universe of growing fancy African Violets will open to you - not the ones that look like clones. You can grow minis, you can grow trailers - you can do green - and coral and yellow - very double - and star and wasp shaped - and you can grow all the species out of Africa - these are the blues you like - and you can grow oldies - and I really think that Blue Boy - one of the first hybrids - has the best vivid blue color...

Happy Violet Journey to you!

irina

So far I find 6 to 9 months depending on variety.

My African violets leaves are wilting and I tried to cut away the root and stem affected by fungi and the leaves are going grey and still rotting? Any help please :( .

I'm not certain if you are talking about a rooting leaf as in this thread or a plant. However, the outcome might be the same. . . you may lose them. When a rooting leaf exhibits grey & rotting throw it out. On a plant you may be able to save the crown by decapitating and rerooting it if it is still healthy looking. Sometimes it is best just to let the plant go. I don't know your growing conditions but most rot occurs when leaves or a plant is kept too wet.

I had grey mold on the soil of a leaf that had rooted but hadn't set mouse ears.. I scooped the leaf out of the soil, treated it with cinnamon and repotted it in fresh drier soil It has been a few days and the leaf looks better than it did before, But the rot was not on the leaf.
The leaf is isolated. I washed everything in dish detergent and Clorox. I am keeping an eye on the other leaves for any sign of infection. I aired the whole tray out for a few hours with a fan near but not blowing directly on the tray.
So far so good. I have heard that peroxide diluted with water will get rid of mold and fungus but the mold likes moisture so I can't water in peroxide.