Some of mine " grew like Topsy" also! Must be the season. I will post a photo later.

I've heard of this happening, but never experienced it. That is one huge leaf!

Mark

I never had it happen before. Then I suddenly noticed that "Bourane" was very tall and I knew I'd never left a stem that long. Guelph's Christmas is also huge (the leaf this time) and I think I'd have noted that when I planted it.

These were both from Bloomlovers. I don't know what happened.

Diana

I think it is Linda's "magic green thumb" that makes them grow so well! Here 's a baby that bears no resemblance to Mama! It is in a tiny Keurig cup. The one behind it is a clump of variegated babies that have finally gotten big enough to separate. There are probably 4 or 5 in the 2 or 3 oz. cup.

This post was edited by fortyseven on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 2:07

With this one , the leaf broke off . I stuck it in water and forgot it . It rooted, so I stuck it in a tiny pot. Ordinarily, I would cut the petiole down to an inch. It is a big leaf . There are 2 or 3 babies. The bubbly look on the leaf is from not getting strong enough light . The one in the foreground has a variegated mother leaf. The babies are mostly all green.

Doesn't it amaze you when people say violets are hard to grow? You can stick a leaf in water and forget about it and 'Voila" babies!!!

I have had many leaves grow to a size when growing babies but this 'Lacy Lass' is the largest by far!

Linda

This post was edited by whitelacey on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 2:47

Love your "green thumb" Linda!
I was looking at the size of the baggie underneath the pot of Lacy Lass babies. I'm sure you weren't trying to keep them contained in that little zip-lock but it made me think of that mama leaf playing "the Hulk" on it to get out and grow. Tee Hee. ;-)

It's a good thing I am better at plants than I am at Paint!

I would like to think all of my leaves were Hulk but no, I wasn't trying to contain that leaf in that tiny bag. I don't usually bag leaves; I have so many plants that humidity is not a problem. That's the table where I label cut leaves I am sending out to fuel other's addictions to violets! We're all enablers, aren't we? :)

Linda

I'm running out of space, so I crop leaves that keep growing (and thus shading others). Still, their ability to thrive even when 'mutilated', is a big part of the fun of growing av's.

Karin

Ha, ha! That's great! ROTFL!
You've heard of Jack and the Beanstalk and his magical beans. We have Linda and the Magical Green Thumb.
By the way, have you heard anything more from DH's friend you sent home with a bag of leaves?!
I don't have Lacy Lass but I have Irish Lullaby blooming.
Karin, I am always impressed at how you can get your
bits and pieces of plant tops and leaf portions to reproduce.
Joanne

This post was edited by fortyseven on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 22:07

Joanne,

I have heard from her. She's hooked!!! I am getting lots of questions on growing and where to get more..... Hee, hee, hee...

Linda

Good job! high Five ! A great place for her to get leave is from Allegro, Janet Stromborg. She can Google her. Janet send three leaves for the price of two, and vacuum packs them, with air, so they stay crisp in the baggies for several days. That means, she can pot up one baggie at a time instead of having a zillion leaves to take care of all at once. s'cuse the typos, I blame it on word check. joanne

Keurig cups?????? But they are so tiny! And they actually work??? I am amazed!!! Hubby & grandson don't know it yet but they are gonna start saving them for me!

What medium did you use? Did you also use the coffee grounds?? I usually use a 2 inch high plastic tray just filled with plain vermiculite. And of course every leaf has a label! But I like this idea of the small cups! Did you poke a hole in the bottom of it?

I am liking this idea!

Another thing,,,,someone mentioned [and I have read] that you can cut off the TOP of a violet leaf to stop it from growing while rooting? Or if it is too large?

I read in my 1970 AVSA mag that you can root a leaf if you have no stem by cutting off the sides of the leaf and leaving that main vein and planting that piece. Now,,,,I read this late last night so I hope I explained it correctly. I will go back and read again later and possibly update.

But I haven't heard of cutting the leaf to stop it from growing. And can someone explain why it is necessary? Would it hurt to just let it grow? Or will you get no babies??? Rosie

Hi Linda, that leaf is big enough to be an entire plant. Wow. Velleta

Rosie, as simple a task as rooting leaves may seem, I am sure there are 1001 different approaches. Probably more ;).

I use 1oz plastic shot glasses (with holes), or just put a handful of my regular potting mix in a ziploc baggie and stick the leaf in (no holes). Sometimes I cut the top off and plant it, sometimes I don't. Usually just when its been forever and there are no babies, or the leaf has grown to an impractical size.

Theoretically, you don't need much of a piece to get it to reproduce. In practice, I wouldn't cut any but large or damaged leaves (but thats just me). Just make sure you disinfect your knife or scissors before you cut, and all should be well. Oh, and even if you don't cut the top off, and it keeps growing, eventually it should quit and send up mouse ears.