I'm almost afraid to try to separate it - it's been growing like crazy over the last year, I just know with my luck I'll do the separation and they will all die off. Other than just throwing them in a pot of soil, should I do anything else? I've read some things here and at AVSA, some people say put in a plastic bag (or something to contain humidity) for the first couple weeks, then gradually open, some say don't... Just like most stuff, people have their methods that work for them, but may not work for everyone.

Pluto please read some of the past posts or google repotting violets. If this violet is precious to you, take a little time and by all means start a couple leaves also just for back up.

Repotting isn't hard,just messy! Use INDOOR potting soil. Don't use the cheap mix for $1 or so a bag unless you want to buy a bunch more soil amendments. For instance, I use MiracleGro and mix 1/2 and 1/2 with perlite. Makes a light fluffy mix for roots to penetrate and grow.

3 1/2 inch pots should do. Put a piece of paper towel in the bottom to cover the holes add soil and plant until bottom row of leaves are just a hair above the ultimate soil level. Gently tamp down, lightly water, keep an eye,,,,,and you should be set. I would hold off on fertilizer til you see it growing again.

OH and take all of the flower buds off. They will zap energy from the plant while it is recovering from "surgery".

As far as plastic bags I think that is a judgement call. Maybe do one just for comparison to see what works for you, but I don't. Unless I notice the plant having difficulty. Then I will bag it.

Any other questions? Good luck and let us know what happens! Rosie

You really have little choice but to separate the competing crowns in your plant.

It will only grow tighter and tighter until parts of it begin to die off anyway ... and you'll not have a blooming plant in the meantime.

African Violets are notoriously vigorous. You can start new plants even from from just a "leaf". Suckers will root even quicker, though you may have to use toothpicks or something similar to keep the separate crowns upright in their new pots until they root and anchor themselves,

So you can either let your plant continue to grow itself into just a mass of leaves ... or give each crown (or as many as you want) the space and resources to flourish and bloom on their own ...

here's a good video on separating multiple AV crowns ...

Multiple Crown Surgery

Well, I've watched several videos. I know the folks making the videos do separations and repotting all the time, but I was amazed how rough they seemed to be with the plants. Just snap the extra leaves off, rip the roots off... I'm a little more confident now that if I take my time I will likely be able to salvage at least one of the violets, they seem pretty darn hardy.

Next step is to go find some pots and soil. I have one ceramic violet pot that this is currently in, but I've read a lot about how those can be undependable and may over/under water your plants, so I'd rather not purchase any more. My other problem is figuring out where to keep them. I'd rather pot them all up, make sure they're going to grow and have to choose which one to keep than throw a bunch away and then have the one I kept die on me.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. I may have to wait until payday to acquire the pots and soil - but once I've repotted them all, I'll post new pictures.

Aww, Pluto, you will be fine. And your plants will survive in spite of anything that happens. As far as snapping off leaves, I also reach in as far to the stem as I can and push the stem to the side until it snaps off. You are going to fresh cut it anyway!

I have been potting and repotting for almost 60 years and I do not treat my plants as rough as I have seen some do. I relax when I repot. For me it is a "one with my plants" type of thing. But to each their own.

Pot them in a pot that is just a little larger than the rootball. That pot may end up being smaller than you think. You will find a window for them somewhere. Any broken leaves can be started also. You don't need a separate pot for each leaf. For instance get a snack size baggie, turn it on its short end, zip up about an inch, put a heaping tablespoon or so of soil in the bottom, fresh cut the leaf, put the stem in the soil, and either enclose a plant tag inside with date, name etc, or use a sharpie to write the info across the top short end of the zipped up baggie and you are done. Don't add a lot of water to these. I don't add any at all as my soil is usually barely damp anyway. That is all it needs. Good luck!!! Rosie

Just a thought, but if you're going to pot up as many pieces of the plant as possible until you are sure you have at least one happy growing plant, why purchase pots? Use whatever you have around the house - check your recycling bin: yogurt containers and other similar plastic cups do very well. Look for something about 1/3 the diameter of the plant you're putting in it. Just punch some holes in the bottom for drainage, put the container on a saucer or inside another container that is pretty but not suited for planting, if you don't like the looks. Then you don't have a huge investment in all of them, making you feel like you have to keep more than you need.

Good thoughts AnneCecelia! Recycle is the way to go!!!!! Thanks!! Rosie

Great thought AnneCecelia! I definitely have some things that will work (yogurt cups, plastic dixie cups) until I decide how many or which one I want to keep. Thanks for that thought!

Let us know how your repot goes!

I started another thread about it. I think it's titled 'So I split it'