Propagation Techniques by Carol Hess

 This African violet hobby is definitely addictive! I have never known a violet grower satisfied with only a few plants. They are easily propagated and here are 4 methods to increase your collection. Plants may be reproduced by leaf cuttings, suckers removed from the “mother” plant, bloom stalks or from crown cuttings.

Leaf cuttings are the easiest and most common method. First, select a leaf that is firm and healthy from the middle row of a mature plant;. older leaves from the bottom row tend to rot or never produce offspring. The leaf may then be rooted in water, but when transplanted, the fragile roots take longer to be established in the potting medium, hence a longer period before “babies” are produced. I keep leaves in water only until I am ready to put them into individual pots. Healthy leaves that have become limp can be revitalized by submerging them in tepid water for 1-2 hours before potting.

I use moist African violet potting mix mixed with perlite (half and half) in a 2 ¼” pot or a 3 ounce solo cup with drainage holes poked in the bottom. Don’t forget to label your pot with the plant name! Cut the petiole on an angle about 1 ½ “ from the leaf with a razor blade or sharp knife; the longer the cut, the more “babies” that are produced. I have had as many as twelve plantlets from one leaf. I then put the pots in trays with a clear cover. Clear shoe boxes or individual plastic bags also work well. If you have a plant stand, the best place is the top shelf as this is the warmest but the trays can be placed near a window but not in direct summer sun. I have even rooted leaves in plastic bags with a little potting mix and when space is limited, have clipped the bags to a string hung on the side of my plant stand. It is important to keep the soil moist but not soggy. If condensation occurs, I partially remove the cover. In about 6-8 weeks new plantlets appear. When the baby leaves are about the size of a dime it is time to separate them into individual pots.

Suckers are one of the fastest methods to propagate plants. Carefully remove the sucker from the “mother” plant with a sharp tool then plant in the same medium as leaves. If suckers are left on a single crown African violet, the shape of the plant will be distorted and prevent it from becoming show quality. Suckers are the most common method to propagate chimeras since this plant won’t “come true” if propagated from a leaf.

 Bloom stem propagation is a challenge. It is used to reproduce chimeras or a fantasy flowering plant. Ruth Bann, the hybridizer of the Rebel series of violets told us at the Chicago convention that she uses this method almost exclusively as it the method most likely to produce a plant with the same characteristics as the parent. The blossom stem (peduncle) is cut about 1 inch below the two tiny leaves that form below the blossom. Choose a fresh blossom with the largest sized leaves on the stem. The larger the leaves, the better the chance of success. Trim the blossom off the stem just below the flower and place in a small pot of moistened potting mix up to the small leaves. Clear covered plant trays or sealed plastic bags ensure consistent moisture. Plantlets will appear on either side of the two small leaves in about 2 months. Some growers use rooting compound but I find little difference in the results or the time to plantlets.

 Crown cuttings are not for the faint of heart. The crown or the center of the plant is pinched out leaving at least one row of leaves. The crown is planted and treated as you do a sucker. The mother plant will now produce multiple suckers. It is necessary to limit the number to encourage healthy suckers to grow. Once the suckers have leaves as large as a nickel they may be removed and potted up. Scraping the scar tissue that has formed in the crown will encourage another group of suckers to grow.

Now… where will we put all those new plants? Happy propagating!!!!