Potting Baby violets

8 years ago

I have finally found thru much trial and error the easiest way to pot up those tiny baby mini violets with my all thumbs big fingers. I hope this will help other newbies and if you have any other suggestions please help us.

Using DRY AV potting soil mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with perlite,

1.Snip 3 cresent shaped holes on the edge of the solo cup

2.Insert the wick and tape to the top outside edge (bend a florist wire into a little loop-that fits thru the hole, to use to pull wick thru)

3.Fill the cup with soil, make a well in the center

4.Insert the baby and then gently push the soil from the outside edge toward the plant with your fingers

5.Untape the wick and pull wick down from the bottom until below soil level

6.Brush off stray bits of soil from leaves and between leaves with an artist's paintbrush

7.Put the potted babies inside a big ziplock bag that has a plastic bowl in the bottom.

8.Fill bottom of bowl with water with a turkey baster, spritz a few drops on the plantlet to wash any stray bits of dirt off.

9.In 30 mins or so use the turkey baster to remove excess water

10.After a few days or a week open the bag for a day or so, then insert AV's into a wicking jar and move them to a shelf.

Now what am I going to do with all these babies????

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Comments (7)

dwarfmatergal61
8 years ago
you can mail them to me LOL
Karin
8 years ago
i don't precisely have a "method", but i prefer using pre-moistened mix, being careful not to compact it, i fill the 2oz cups i use, poke a hole in the center for the roots (often there are none) and then just tap the cup whist holding the plant to get the soil to fill in around it. then it goes into a domed tray (no extra watering).
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After the plant is stressed, bagging or doming it is wise and will help. However, you have the plant seriously over potted. With a pot disproportionately large it is difficult to keep the soil from staying too wet. Ideally the pot size should only exceed the spread of the roots by about 1/2 inches to an inch at most, which leads us to the usual saying that the pot size should be about 1/3 the size of the plant. That is more applicable with an adult plant than a baby, however. I would suggest repotting it into a small pot that is less wide than the spread of the leaves. Also, your soil looks heavy and has little perlite in it. African Violet roots thrive best where there is tons of light airy soil. I use 1/2 potting soil mix with 1/2 perlite myself though usually 2/3 soil mix to 1/3 perlite can also suffice. If you get a lot of condensation accumulating on the inside of your bag, open it slightly or cut tiny slits to allow some evaporation. It does not need to be entirely sealed. After it's been bagged about a week you should be able to start opening the bag slightly and getting the plant re-acclimated to your normal open air growing conditions. Provide the brightest light you can that is not full sun and it should do well. As for the broken leaf? Simply stick the stem tip down into a tiny bit of soil and bag it separately. It will need to remain bagged or domed for a couple of months but if the soil is only damp and not wet, and if your light is bright enough, your odds of it growing entirely new plants are not bad at all! For more information on propagating African Violets from leaves, or potting sizes, or potting mixes, Google is your friend. Keep reading! Once you learn a few basics, they really are pretty easy to grow and enjoy. ;)
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judyj
8 years ago
Guess I use a combination of both-the soil is pre-moistened but I put a layer of perlite in the bottom and set the babies into water for a few minutes, then remove them. It just allows the soil to pick up a little more water without soaking. Interesting idea with the turkey baster, might have to try it. Typically I use the sprayer from the sink to get the excess dirt off!

Thanks for sharing!

Best,

Judy
frankielynnsie
Original Author
8 years ago
I have tried the moist soil but it always gets in their stem crotches and sticks. The dry brushes out easily. I am still cleaning stem crotches on others I have planted. I tried the kitchen sprayer and that made everything float and get in their crotches and I killed the new baby middle leaves in one plant and wonder what is going to happen to it. The outside leaves are still alive so I am just watching it for now. Can you tell I have a crotch problem???

I will try the tapping and see how that does. Some of the plants that I have replanted were very wobbly so I used skewers to anchor them in place.
Rosie1949
8 years ago
I have also run across that wobbly plant thing. Here is how I solve it. Went to a garage sale and bought those aquarium pieces of glass that are flat on one side. They also sell them at the dollar store (the one where everything is $1). I usually will put 3 in the cup in a triangle fashion. It still will leave enough soil exposed for evaporation, and when I water I can put the water on top of the little glass things and it will gently disperse it into the soil. Rosie
dwarfmatergal61
8 years ago
is that your window ? that is beautiful
frankielynnsie
Original Author
8 years ago
The window is getting very full and I have built 4 shelves in another window, a section of a bay window, that faces into the sunroom. It is on the south side of the house but since it faces into the sunroom it doesn't get the hot sun on it. I only have one more window I can do this to but it is the big window over the bathroom tub and needs more privacy than shelves and plants would give it. We never use the tub and I am thinking of hanging a semi sheer shower curtain that would allow the plants a sunny window and us some privacy. It must be an addiction....I am running out of space for new minis.

Potting Baby violets

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dwarfmatergal61

Karin

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Potting Baby violets

Comments (7)

dwarfmatergal61

Karin

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