Traditional technique would be better - on variegates - just cut the petiole at an angle and stick it in a soil - or barely moist vermiculite - and do not let the rest of the leaf touch anything. Make sure that the soil is not too wet, No rooting powder is necessary. This is a safe method.

What Randy was doing with Streptocarpus - is more of an experimental approach.

Thank you, I have 2 different kinds of AV leaves I want to propagate and will try that.

Have never tried the cutting up route. Have only done the "sticking the petiole in damp media".

Do you cover in any way or just make sure the media stays damp?

The containers I use are from some to-go containers. Not even sure where I originally obtained them. The upper portion is a clear dome with a hole the size of a quarter or half dollar -- like the one tops to a frozen slush/frosty or milkshake cup. Keeps the humidity a bit higher while allowing for air circulation.

Yes, I agree that propagating variegates can be a challenge. Always choose the greenest leaves available when propagating. I have cut up a leaf before, however, with green leaved varieties. You will need to include part of the central vein in each section for it to work well. If successful, you should get one or two plantlets per section. More commonly, you can just cut the top third or so from larger leaves and use that piece also for propagating. Good luck!

If I have only one leaf of a plant that I would like to propagate, I always cut it in half and put both pieces in the soil. I was able to obtain a dozen or so clear, plastic, clamshell containers that are about 6" square and 3 1/2" tall. I have punched about a half dozen small holes in the top part of each. I fill em up with soil, add water and leaves, close it up and forget about it for a week or so. (I have to periodically add water so I check them once a week or so.) This works real well for me and I rarely have failures.

When I have had failures, it was largely because of the leaf I was trying to propagate. Old, outer leaves are tough to propagate. I had one a while back that grew roots like a tree but no new leaves.

For whatever reason, I have a tough time trying to convince my friends to let me cut a good leaf out of the middle of their plant!

As observable in mature plants, growing leaves will often need to have their roots contact the sides of the container to initiate the next stage of growth. For leaves it is plantlets, for mature plants- blooms. Have you tried using smaller containers? I use 3 oz solo cups for many standards and 2.x oz condiment cups for small standards, semis and minis.

up. And small Keurig cups - 2oz - already have a hole - Woo-Hoo!

Would one of those seedling heat mats be good or is room temp ok? I put the leaves in the damp mix, and I'm praying they will be OK. I actually paid $ for these leaves that arrived today.

Depends upon how cool/warm your growing area is.

I don't use heating mats for my violets. If your room temperature is lower than 68 F it might help. I have read that they can be helpful when germinating seeds. If one doesn't have a heating mat and uses flourescent lights at night instead of during the day, it could help compensate for winter nights if your plant area is colder than other parts of the house. Additionally, put them on a higher shelf, since heat rises. On a different note, LED lights emit very little heat, so they would not help raise the temperature significantly. If your growing area is on the cold side, be cautious about overwatering since evaporation will slow at lower temps and plants also grow more slowly. Hope the leaves grow some healthy plants for you!

I live in Texas, it is pretty warm here, so I won't use the heat mat.

There is an article on Aggie Violet propagation in the newest AVM pages 54-55. Uses perlite and vermiculite in styrofoam cups. If you have had a problem with leaves rotting, a sterile mix like that should help reduce rotting considerably. If your peat moss mix is saturated, you can use paper towels and newspaper to soak up the excess water and discard them.

I have had some stressed leaves that would not stay turgid (firm) in soil mix. I rinsed them, recut and put them in water first to perk up. I either potted in moist perlite first or after roots formed in water. For leaves started in water, the perlite will help the transition to soilless mix. I use a weak fertilizer solution and keep the perlite moist. If a leaf has started to rot or turn brown, use a sterile knife to remove that portion. Sometimes you can save the leaf, other times you cannot. My preferred method is soilless mix with extra perlite that I have hydrated with steaming hot water (not boiling) from microwave. Allow to cool to near room temperature and fill containers

Hear, hear... if you start your own leaves...usually they do just right without any fuss. With leaves that arrived for who know where... they will need TLC.

Why is it that when I have 10 leaves off of a donor plant, they all survive with each throwing a couple dozen babies. When I have one leaf that I had to kiss somebodies butt for, that thing limps along and requires all the attention of a sick puppy, just to maybe get one or two babies!

Jeff, I know what you mean. I had a single leaf of Lavender Lace from Bloomlovers that I had to watch closely. Had to trim the leaf a few weeks after starting it and it was still fading on me. Was glad to finally get two babies from it on division. Conversely, Yesterday's Cherry Cola leaves were in great shape, produced several and one is in its second round of propagation after seperating the last batch! Thanks to whomever had the cinnamon tip for leaf propagation. Tried it today on cut ends of leaves from Admiral and Amour Elite. Will be neat to see how they develop.