African Violets?
Question:I was given a leaf from a African Violet plant. I have had it in soil , it's not dying nor does it seem to be growing either. I have it in a good spot for light.
My other African Violet plant seems to be growing very well.
I was told for the single leaf to grow I would have to put 2 other leafs with it. Which I did, but nothing seems to have changed with the plant. I have had it over a year now.
Any suggestions? Is it dorment? What is the plant doing?
Answers:
African Violets are communal plants, so growing your leaf with other leaves is the right way to go about it. They like to be "buddies" in the same pot, so you could try to grow your leaf in the same pot as an existing violet, and then transplant it when it becomes it's own plant.
Violets are also very water sensitive. They don't like to be watered from the top down - too much moisture on/near the leaves will cause them to die. Try watering your violet from the bottom of the pot (put the pot on a saucer and put the water in the saucer for the plant to soak up through the holes in the pot).
Violets also like flourescent light. That's why they make good office plants. If you have a flourescent light fixture, you might want to try placing your violet closer to it.
It sounds as though you are doing everything right. If it's not dying, it may just be in a dormant phase. (My violets do this - they will grow and grow and bloom and bloom and then just sit there for a long time before they go through the cycle again.)
The leaves are best inserted at an angle, into your growing medium, allowing some of the leaf to be out of contact with it. Insert at a 45 degree angle, into the rooting medium -see below. You can cut the leaf, cleanly, allowing just the stem to be in contact with the soil.
You don't need other leaves, to ensure propagation, from my experience, and I use vermiculite or perlite, to root them in, rather than standard soil - you can always make a mix, if you wish, but keep the vermiculite content higher: it allows more air, which helps keep the leaf in good condition.
Don't have the leaf in direct sunlight, as this is likely to damage it! Good bright conditions are ok, and will allow it to photosynthesize.
Keep humidity constant, and allow the plant to be warmed from the bottom, if possible;though summer warmth should be
ok, just don't let it get cold. I cover mine with small plastic bags, but beware of too much damp, which can cause rot.
After 5 or 6 weeks, you should find that the leaf's stem will have rooted and a few little babies will have formed: separate these, perhaps into the same pot, with fresh soil. I allow around 3 plantlets per pot.
Always water your plant from below too.
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