It doesn't look like suckers to me, at least not from the photos. It was hard for me to learn to spot these too. Basically, you are looking for another rosette forming alongside your main plant. Sometimes if you see leaves angled weird, if you follow the petiole (stem), you will see they have their own separate thing going on.

With itty bitty ones, best to let them go a minute to make sure they are not baby bloom stems until you know what to look for. Basically though, look for leaves growing from the sides and ot the center. I cannot remember the link, but if you do a youtube search for African violet suckers, there are some great videos. I had to see them myself in video before it finally clicked for me.

Ahhh that makes better sense now. I inspected my plant just now once more and every stem looks to be connected to the main plant itself in the center. As for the suckers themselves, you're saying they would be their own entity and NOT attached to the main plant, but along side it? As in a separate plant?

Well, they are attached to the main plant, but from the sides and not the central growth point. A separate plant growing in between the leaves from the crown of the main plant, but growing off the main. I just pick them off and root them to get more plants, they are quite easy to root and grow. Sort of like how succulents produce pups, if you are familiar with those.

Is it a crime to leave suckers alone? Is it necessary to remove them?

They need to come off eventually, or they can create problems. Friend has a plant that looks like a set of rams horns, it isnt healthy and I suspect rot has sunk into the exposed neck. Once the sunny weather comes back she os letting me separate them. And they pull nutrients from the main plant.

And taking them off gives you baby plants to start, if you are so inclined. I turned two grocery store AV's into 5.

I recently got a gift of several hard-to-get AV's in the form of suckers which, I assume, might have simply been thrown out.

Oh, what a lovely gift!

Yup, and I intend to reciprocate as soon as they grow into mature plants. I believe we should all share if we can.

Indeed! This is why I propagate my suckers, in hopes of sharing them. Well, and I am also very new to growing AV's and it is good practice and so rewarding when they bloom. Right now I only have a couple NOID varieties, but they make a good starting point.

Leave the suckers on until 1) You can tell it is a sucker and not a flower stalk and 2) let the sucker stay until it is a reasonable size that you can handle.

Taking them off too soon while they are too small spells disaster.

Don't let them get so large that they distort the rosette shape of the mother violet. She will be happy to share her babies with you,,,,,just take them at the right time! Good Luck!!!! Rosie

"Taking them off too soon while they are too small spells disaster." Well, yes, if you're trying to fit your fingers in between the leaves to grab them - and you have big hands like I do. But there is a tool called a "sucker plucker" that works like a dream to safely reach in there and pop off any sucker, no matter how small. I highly recommend getting one if you have a lot of AV's, or if you just ended up with one of those varieties that makes it a regular habit of trying to grow suckers. Here's a link to Fancy Bloomers webpage showing one for sale (you can get them from lots of other vendors, too) and it also shows a neat little video on how to use it. http://www.fancy-bloomers.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=196

Please don't anyone be offended by this post. I am just laughing so hard I almost can't stand it! I was just shocked at what a sucker plucker is!!!!

hahahahahaha lololololololol roflmao oh I have tears in my eyes I am laughing so hard!

Sucker Plucker???? OMG I can't believe it! I thought I was going to see a new invention!!!!! lololololol This tool is one of the basic tools used in ceramics. If you have ever cleaned a piece of greenware you have used a cleaning tool now aka "sucker plucker!!!!!!

How wonderful that it has been reinvented to be a "sucker plucker".

I have been using one of these to "pluck" little things out of tiny places of all kinds for over 40 years!!!!!! They are available at any craft store--Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Walmarts and just about any other craft store. Pretty cheap also. Really versatile tool!!

I am sorry to laugh so long and hard but it was really a jolt to see that little tool now called a sucker plucker!!!!! It just struck me as funny! If you know me in person you would fully understand my humor! Please,,,no offense to anyone! Geeze I am still giggling!!!!! Rosie

OK, Rosie - hope you ribs aren't aching from all that laughing! How nice to let everyone in on the secret that the same tool can be found easily if you know what to look for. I would never have known it was originally designed to use in ceramics, so there you go. We only know what we have contact with!

And so, I would imagine you have one of these s....ah, tools somewhere in your hobby stuff? And are you going to try it on a violet? ;-)

Handy thingie, probably can scratch some AV soil from under your long nails before you paint them red...

Anne I have bought so many of these handy little tools that I have them everywhere. AND just an FYI there are a couple different sizes also.

See, originally they were used for cleaning greenware AND if you wanted to do some free hand sculpting before you fired the ceramic or porcelain!

They are not expensive and not to take away from anyone who wants to order,,,buying them locally saves the shipping cost. AND if you go in that department you may find other things that are useful to plants!!!!

Irina you bet they are handy little thingies!!!! And I have cleaned ceramic and porcelain slip (not to mention plant soil) from under my nails for years. Except one thing. I have short nails that are never polished because they break too easily. Long nails and pretty hands are NOT mine in this lifetime! Just good old working hands that aren't afraid to get dirty! Maybe n the next lifetime!! Rosie

I kind of guessed that hands in everything Rosie was not going to paint nails red.. Long nails...forget it!

I will take my hard working hands over long nails and polish any day of the week. :)

I am going to have to get one of these. I kind of chew a hole on the side of my latest NOID trying to pull off a sucker. Granted, most of its older leaves looked kind of bad anyways. It is recovering nicely at least.

If you are not going to save this sucker - you can use the tweezers and pluck it one leaf at a time. If you want to plant the sucker, better to cut it of with a narrow blade Xacto knife. You would need to remove the leaf under it top get access to the stem.

But the people who know how to use sucker plucker right - they have their own skills. Total magic. Can give a haircut to a mosquito on a fly with this tool.

i.

Ok, we have a "sucker plucker" (I just love that name!), an exacto knife, tweezers (if you don't want to save the sucker), nut pick tools, long sharp nails (if you are fortunate enough to have them!) AND (here's one I bet no one but me thought of) a surgical scalpel!!!!!!! (I have those also! Cheap on ebay.) There are so many useful tools to accomplish any task it is mind boggling!!!!!

Oh and one time the only thing handy for me was a turkey lacer. You know how pointed those things are???? But it worked! So use what you want,,,,,use what you will to get the job done.

Think outside the box!!!!! Rosie

I am always thinking how I can use anything for the AV benefits. That's why some areas look like I was dumpster diving...all these containers...

hahaha Irina! Good for you!!! Ya know,,,we are more alike than we realized!!! All those containers,,,did I mention I got 300 of the large condiment cups & lids for FREE???? Yep,,,all those containers (not to mention everything else! Wick systems here I come!!!!!!! Rosie