African Violets – Rooting Leaves in Soil

Propagating African violets from a leaf in water is one way to increase your collection. A second method enthusiasts use is to start their plants in soil. They have found that jars, terrariums, aquariums and plastic soda bottles are excellent makeshift greenhouses for propagating.

Over the bottom of a fish howl or other suitable receptacle spread an inch of pebbles. Cover the small stones with two inches of fine sandy soil moistened well but not made soggy. Then insert the violet leaves just deeply enough for them to escape the soil surface. If they rest on it, decay often starts.

Firm the soil mixture well around each stem. Set the “mini greenhouse” in a light but not sunny place. Over the top cover with a piece of cellophane secured by a rubber band.

Little attention will now be needed for several weeks. The first few days after planting inspect the soil to be sure you moistened it well enough at the start for it to stay damp. If moisture collect on the sides of the glass, remove the cover long enough to wipe away the excess. In a not too warm and not sunny place such attention will hardly be necessary. In four to six weeks the rooted leaves will be at the new-plant stage and ready for separate potting. Those who have followed this plan re port bloom on new plants in six months.

Pot-in-Pan Method

Then there is the pot-in-pan method. Use moist sand or sand and peat moss for a rooting mixture. Fill a large porous bulb pan with this and into the center insert a small stoppered flowerpot. Keep the small center pot filled with water. The amount of water will decrease because of slow seepage through the walls of the inner pot. This seepage provides the surrounding soil area with adequate and even moisture. Insert the leaf stems in the soil at a slight angle, the upper surfaces to the front. In two to four weeks roots will form and in the course of another month new sprouts will push up to the surface. In three months’ time well-developed plants will form and he ready for separate potting.

Any one of these methods – water glass, aquarium, pot-in-pan – or your own variation of them, will start a violet collection for you or increase the valued number already in hand.

Some have reportedly have used Rootone to advantage and with it developed flowering plants in a four-months period. Others report that root-growing suhslanccs are of little value with African violets (Saintpaulias). In any case, rooting and flowering seem to be hastened by a spring rather than an autumn start. Some amateurs, in deed, have reported late September flowering from early May propagating. Perhaps the former idea that leaf-to-blossom took a year was based on autumn and winter propagating. Even so, flowering in less than eight months is fairly unusual.

Related Articles Of Interest:

• African Violet Videos
• African Violets – Rooting Leaves in Water
• African Violet Propagation by Leaf Cuttings
• African Violets – Care Potting Propagation