Propagating African violets is an easy elbow room to multiply your collection for gratis .
Bob Stefko
When you know how to propagateAfrican violets(Saintpaulia ionantha ) , it ’s easy to blow up your collection of these colourful houseplants whenever you wish . All you need is a individual foliage to grow whole new plants . And before long , your propagated African reddish blue will begin give rise flowers of their own . So if you have a favored plant or a friend with one who willshare a leaf with you , here ’s how to circulate African reddish blue from a leafage cutting .
Credit:Bob Stefko
When to Propagate African Violets
Whenever you need to make more flora from your African reddish blue is a good clock time to start propagate , enounce Meagan McManus of theNorthwest Horticultural Society . “ Giving to friends is why I propagate some of my favored plants . It ’s joyful to give them aside to hoi polloi who will appreciate them , " she adds . " Then there ’s a whole subset of people who are hardcore African reddish blue people who belong tosocietiesand want [ to propagate ] a sure color or hybrid . ”
Whatever your reasons for propagate African violets , you may take cuttings any time of yr . However , the best clip is during the spring and summertime . The warmer temperatures and better lighting during these month are ideal for push the growth of cutting .
How to Take African Violet Cuttings
When taking the cuttings , sterilize a sharp craft tongue or similar sharp cutting instrument with rubbing intoxicant or bleach , andwater the plantbefore hire a cut . pick out a leaf that is not very matured but also not extremely young — somewhere in the middle is serious . Cut1 or 2 inches of the leafage ’s stemwhen necessitate cutting of your violet , making the slice at a 45 - degree angle . Place the African violet cutting directly into water or potting grunge after you thin it off the main industrial plant .
Rooting Cuttings in Water
Beth Syphers of Crowley House Flower Farm suggests using a small dead reckoning looking glass as a vessel for the cuttings . After you cut the stem , place it in the blastoff glass filled with water supply and check on it every solar day . It takes about three week for it to take root after it is placed in water . Set the blastoff glass in a warm , gay , brightly light up expanse , but not in verbatim sunlight . It will do best in filtered light , such as behind a curtain near the windowsill . After roots form , transfer the cutting into a well - drain potting intermixture withadded perlite or vermiculite .
Rooting Cuttings in Soil
you may also place cuttings directly into small pots fill with amend potting land . After you disregard a stem , dip the cutting goal in a rooting endocrine , form sure to tap off any excess powder . Place the stem turn and ¼ inch of the folio into moist potting grime . apply a clear plastic ziptop bag to make a miniskirt - nursery over your cutting , build sure the plastic does n’t advert the cutting . This will help oneself keep humidness gamy enough to encourage root .
With either method acting , roots can take several week to form . “ It will belike take you about three to four hebdomad until you start to see some variety of base growth and then even longer for the little leaflets to fall out . So you have to be really patient , ” says McManus .
Jay Wilde
Credit:Bob Stefko
How to Care for African Violet Cuttings
AlthoughAfrican violetstolerate moist soil precondition , you do n’t want to swim the plant in pee . When you plant the rooted cuttings in ground , ply consistent moisture . checker the wet level by sticking your digit in the soil . If it is dry , water the plant well . If it is moist all the way through , you do n’t demand to irrigate it yet .
“ I just like to check that that when I stick my finger in , it ’s not oversaturated or too wry , ” say Syphers . “ I think [ keeping it ] too dry is when you ’re going to fail . You need to keep that even wet level . I suggest using a mist feeding bottle to dampen the territory if you ’re monitor it every twenty-four hours or every twain of days . you could water pretty well with a mist feeding bottle . It help keep in line the process more than dumping in a glass of H2O . ”
Place a newly rootle cut near the mother plant so it gets the same amount of light as it received before it was cut .
Credit:Jay Wilde
McManus notify place the new works in an eastern United States - facing window because the southerly and western window deliver too much sun that might accent or sunburn the plant .
Frequently Asked Questions
cultivator have differing opinions on this question , depend on the amount of care they require to do during the rooting process . So try both methods and see which one you find easiest .
foliage cutting are a relatively quick and easy path to propagate African violets , but if you have an older plant that has started to make pups or offshoot from the master works , you may divide andrepot the pups into their own container . African violets also can be started from come but it can take up to a year before the result plants will bloom .
