African violet propagation by seed and leaf
Hello everyone, my name is Catherine and I am new to this forum. I live near Montréal, Canada, and I am no gardening pro, but I love to live around plants, and experiment with them. Some people are compulsive shoe buyers... I love to buy plants! I am presently growing Mango and date seeds just for fun, but AV are my true and real new vegetal... obsession!
I recently bought 1 package of fantasy AV from Mr. Nadeau online. I am sharing a picture of the microseedlings on day 11. So far, I can count around 30 of them... not so bad! I chose to experiment with seeds just because I find it fascinating that these tiny, tiny dusty things can grow into mature AV... I also love the surprise factor: each plant Will be unique, and nature forces me to wait many months to see the results!
Here are the seedlings on day 11:
For this propagation experiment, I also bought a few leaves, again online, from Bloomlovers. I chose varieties that intrigued me, colours and shapes that can't be found at supermarkets around here. For AV Affectionados, here are the ones I chose: Chantaspring, Gunnaroo, Neptune, Blue Mint, Emergency, Arapahoe and Red Robe.
I know I have to be patient to see the babies Come out. I read anything from 2 months to a year, right?
Here they are:
Since I really enjoy reading posts with pictures on plant propagation and evolution, I guess I am not the only one! I will Come back here to show you my babies !
Comments (13)
- 7 years ago
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African Violet leaf cuttings
Comments (1)Hi Debra, Leave propagation can take a short or long time depending on the age of the leaf that is put down. The best leaves for propagataing are from the 3rd row of the plant. These generally pop up in a few weeks. Older leaves can take much longer. I have had leaves down for 4 months before the little mouse ears popped up through the soil. As long as the leaf is still viable it will eventually happen. You might try giving the pot a little squeeze or thumping it on the table to dissturb the roots a bit. But other than that just keep doing what you have been doing and hope for the best. Fred in NJ...See MoreA few questions about African Violets (potting and propagation)..
Comments (19)Update! Four of the babies have been removed from the momma leaf*, who is back in her materinity ward to see if she wants to give up any more. (because I totally need more unidentified plant babies) Three had good roots, one was like a little sucker on another. I don't hold out a whole lot of hope for it but it's in a wee cup, under a dome to see if it will grow roots. Sadly because it's soooooo tiny and rootless, I fully expect it to die. Anyway, I'll try to get pictures later on. ~ I have to (shamefully) admit that two of the babies were removed about a week ago and were probably a little bit too small but I was so impatient with my first attempt! So far they don't appear to be doing much except not dying, and not dying is a good thing....See MoreAfrican Violet suckers-Prone African Violets?
Comments (21)Hi Judy, From Lyndon Lyon's, or LLG, I get consistently large plants, often in bloom, in 2 1/2 in square pots in a good potting mix that does not have to be changed for at least six months. They come with plastic stakes that have the plant name printed on them so I can move them when I repot. The plants grow rapidly and do not sucker. The company has excellent customer service and ships promptly. For me, it is worth it to pay slightly more to get consistently larger, premium quality plants. For all the trouble of ordering live plant material across country, I want to get the best I can for my money. They have good quality control and accurately label the plants. They are my first choice. I only go elsewhere if there is something I want that they don't carry. They also keep their web catalogue updated, so if they are out of stock, they won't list the item. So, no surprises and no substitutions. They usually have enough of a particular type to choose from. For example, they will offer five different reds or five different whites or more. Their own hybrids are exceptional, vigorous and strong. I primarily raise Lyon 's own hybrids. They also have a wide selection of many other hybridizers. They are a large enough company to be able to introduce new hybridizers. They first opened up the Russian market and offer a wide range. They seem to pick the best choices of other hybridizers, so if they offer a plant , I feel it has been preselected for good performance. If something is new in the plant world, chances are they developed it. They are consistent in what they offer, it is usually possible to find the same plant year after year, plus new ones. I like to be a loyal customer and give them my business. They have been at this for sixty years, I appreciate they are still in this business. I feel they are excellent, so why not do business with them? When I place an order with them, I already know what to expect, so I can safely order a dozen. But they will accept an order of any size. When I want to try out a new grower, I place a small order. Usually, about four. Joanne This post was edited by fortyseven on Tue, Aug 12, 14 at 10:56...See Morepropagating african violet leaves
Comments (1)(1)cut the leaf close to the base & retain the stem (2) apply 0.1% IBA Rooting houmone to stem at base of leaf,(3) Use well drained soil... stick stem in soil so that the base of the leaf touches the soil AND the leaf is sticking up in the air & the bulk of the leaf is not touching the soil (4)heep soil damp but not wet.... mist leaf, keep out of direct sunlight, keep out of draft. (5) at some time if leaf does not dehydrate a new plant will form at point where leaf meets soil. let it grow & months (?) (6) later may seporate from leaf....See More
7 years ago- 7 years ago
The seedlings on day 17. Still pretty small, but I can count more than 60 of them
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
Hi Kim! I have seen living stones in a seed catalogue...It is something I would really love to try! Growth is probable super slow, right? When did you start this project? Are you sharing pictures somewhere on this forum?
I was told AV seeds grow VERY slowly after germination.... I can officially say that YES, growth is slooww! . The second set of leaves is still not showing.
I have noticed that when temperature is very hot, over 30 C or too cold, under 20 C, growth stops.
Here are my seedlings today, on day 24.
- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
- 7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
Here are my seedlings today. I planted them one month ago ( May 28th).
I transfered some seedlings to a second 4" pot because they were too closely packed... They don't seem to have suffered from the transplant!
I thought Nadeau's fantasy mix only included green foliage, but I think I do have a few variegated plants... I really hope so...
Do you think these are variegated?
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
irina_co