Grow Notes » African Violets http://www.grownotes.com gardening & growing tips Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:07:19 +0000 en hourly 1 African Violet Leaves in an AeroGarden – Update http://www.grownotes.com/african-violet-leaves-in-aerogarden-update/ http://www.grownotes.com/african-violet-leaves-in-aerogarden-update/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 14:07:16 +0000 editor http://www.grownotes.com/?p=783 growing african violets in aerogardenUpdate: Growing African violets in an AeroGarden hydroponic unit.]]> We started seven African violet leaves in an AeroGarden unit to see if we could successfully grow plants from leaves. Here are the results:

In the few weeks, we lost two leaves quickly to rot (Rob’s Seduction and Rob’s Shadow Magic). We suspect that the air circulation in the area of the AeroGarden unit is insufficient, leading to the loss of the leaves as well as the additional problems with powdery mildew, surface mold, and rust rot noted below.

rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
At 4 weeks, the back leaves are bleached out from too much light, and Rob’s Seduction is rotting away.
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGardenLeaf rot.
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGardenPlantlets are beginning to show at the base of Shirl’s Hawaiian Lei leaf.
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
All the plugs are choked with algae and spotted with white mold.

At 60 days, the situation is worse:

rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Rob’s Slap Happy is prolific but bleached out and tinged with rust.
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Rob’s Boondoggle is very susceptible to powdery mildew.
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Shirl’s Hawaiian Lei is succumbing to rust rot.
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Rob’s June Bug is choked with algae and not producing plantlets yet.
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Our F2 hybrid leaf is bleached out, choked with algae, and spotted with white mold.

Leaf Experiment Unsuccessful

At 60 days, we deem the experiment less than successful. We’ll transplant the growing African violet plantlets, and start the next batch of leaves with better air circulation and less intense light. Stay tuned…

]]> http://www.grownotes.com/african-violet-leaves-in-aerogarden-update/feed/ 0 Rooting African Violet Leaves in an AeroGarden http://www.grownotes.com/rooting-african-violet-leaves-in-an-aerogarden/ http://www.grownotes.com/rooting-african-violet-leaves-in-an-aerogarden/#comments Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:42:14 +0000 editor http://www.grownotes.com/?p=780 rooting african violet leavesPropagating African violets from leaf in an AeroGarden tabletop hydroponic unit.]]> We been growing African violets hydroponically and semi-hydroponically, and we’ve propagated African violet leaves in water and in plugs. But we’ve never tried rooting leaves in an AeroGarden which make use of both peat plugs and water.

First, we chose seven leaves from our African violet plant collection and prepared them for planting by washing them and then cutting the stems at an angle, leaving as much stem length as possible. Peat plugs were inserted into the plastic AeroGarden baskets and placed in the AeroGarden unit, which had already been filled with water. Plugs were covered with plastic discs (homemade, cut from plastic file folders) to reduce algae growth. Finally, the unit was set to “Herbs” which allows for the longest light cycle and most frequent water cycle.

rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Preparing AV leaves for planting
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Ready for the plugs
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Placing the plugs in the AeroGarden unit
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Plugs are covered to reduce algae growth
rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Ready to be labeled:
Back row: Rob’s Slap Happy, F2 hybrid (single red pansy), Rob’s Shadow Magic, Rob’s Seduction
Front row: Rob’s Boon Doggle, Rob’s June Bug, Shirl’s Hawaiian Lei

Rooted Leaves

Twelve days after planting, a tug on each leaf confirms that they are well-rooted. There’s no way to predict when plantlets will emerge. We may have to cut off the tops of the leaves to prevent the leaves themselves from growing instead of producing plantlets. Stay tuned!

rooting African violet leaves in an AeroGarden
Leaves are well-rooted two weeks after planting

See the experiment turned out on the update page.

]]> http://www.grownotes.com/rooting-african-violet-leaves-in-an-aerogarden/feed/ 0 How to Root African Violet Leaves in Water http://www.grownotes.com/rooting-leaves-in-water/ http://www.grownotes.com/rooting-leaves-in-water/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:46:54 +0000 editor http://www.grownotes.com/rooting-leaves-in-water/ Growing African violet leaves in waterRooting leaves in water is one of the traditional methods of African violet propagation dating back to the early days of the plants' popularity in North America. If your grandmother grew African violets from leaf cuttings she probably used this method ...]]> Rooting leaves in water is one of the more traditional methods of African violet propagation dating back to the early days of the plants’ popularity in North America. If your grandmother grew African violets from leaf cuttings she probably used this method (or merely pinched off a leaf and stuck it in the soil of the nearest house plant).

colored glass rooting jars  rooting jar

To root leaves in water you will need a rooting container to hold water and a means of suspending the leaf above the water while the stem remains in the water. We like to use small, colored glass bottles (colored glass slows the growth of algae) and aluminum foil. Cheap and easy.

First, choose a healthy, firm leaf from one of the middle rows of the parent plant. Make sure you choose a leaf with a long enough stem (petiole), preferably 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. Cut the tip of the petiole at an angle with a sharp blade.

African violet leaf cutting   cut stem

Fill the rooting jar with water to just below the rim and cover with aluminum foil. Poke a hole in the foil large enough for the leaf stem. Large leaves or longifolia leaves may require additional support. If you will be using leaf supports, such as coffee stirrers or plastic plant tags, you’ll need to make openings for them as well.

rooting in water   cut leaf stem

An alternative to using additional leaf supports is to create support from the aluminum foil covering the rooting jar:

rooting african violets in water

Monitor the water level in the rooting jar daily to make sure the stem is sufficiently covered. Plantlets should begin to grow and become visible along the stem within a few weeks.

This is a leaf of African violet ‘Cherry Dots’ showing several babies growing from the stem after approximately 3 months in water.

african violet leaf in water   rooting leaves in water
]]> http://www.grownotes.com/rooting-leaves-in-water/feed/ 0 Wicking African Violet Leaves http://www.grownotes.com/wicking-african-violet-leaves/ http://www.grownotes.com/wicking-african-violet-leaves/#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:49:31 +0000 editor http://www.grownotes.com/wicking-african-violet-leaves/ Wicking African violet leavesPropagating African violets from leaf cuttings is easy by a method called wicking. Plant them in 100% pure perlite with a nylon wick leading into a water reservoirs. This method is easy to master and results in the least amount of care and maintenance.]]> Our preferred method of propagating African violets from leaf cuttings is to plant them in 100% pure perlite on wicking reservoirs. This method is easy to master, requires a little more preparation than using plugs or soil trays but results in the least amount of care and maintenance afterward.

For wick watering you will need:

  • a small plastic flower pot or other planter with a hole in the bottom (shown: 3oz Solo® bathroom cup)
  • a nylon wick about 7 in. in length (we use fine gauge nylon cord – similar to the cord used in mini blinds – which can be purchased by the yard from any hardware store)
  • medium-grade perlite
  • a reservoir to hold water and nutrients (shown: small Ziploc® container with hole in lid)

Some considerations in choosing your materials: A nylon or acrylic wick won’t rot in water as will wool yarn or cotton cord; Opaque containers inhibit the growth of algae which, although unsightly, is essentially harmless but can prevent the wicking action over time if not removed.

wicking leaves   wicking african violet leaves

Propagating African Violets in Perlite

Prepare your leaves the same way as if you were about to plant them in potting soil. Pull the wick through the bottom of the plastic cup to just above the rim (leaving about 4 inches of wick trailing out from the bottom of the cup). Fill the cup with a layer of perlite about an inch to 1-1/2″ deep and curl the wick around the surface. Place the leaf in the cup resting against the rim and fill the cup with perlite to just below the bottom of the leaf. Top-water thoroughly and check that the water drains completely and flows down the wick. Label the cup with the leaf variety and date, if desired, and place on the wicking container with the wick inserted into the reservoir.

leaves planted in peat plugs   wicking leaves   wicking leaves

Place the leaves under lights or in bright indirect light and check periodically to make sure that the wicks are working (keeping the perlite moist) and that the water in the reservoir hasn’t evaporated. You should see plantlets in anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks or longer. Transplant when the plantlets are large enough to handle comfortably.

wicking african violets   wicking leaves   wicking leaves


]]> http://www.grownotes.com/wicking-african-violet-leaves/feed/ 0 Planting African Violet Leaves http://www.grownotes.com/planting-african-violet-leaves/ http://www.grownotes.com/planting-african-violet-leaves/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:47:32 +0000 editor http://www.grownotes.com/planting-african-violet-leaves/ Propagating African violet leavesAfrican violets are easy to propagate from leaf cuttings. Rooting leaves in potting soil, soilless mix or inorganic media such as perlite or vermiculite will produce new plantlets reliably and with very little care and attention.]]> African violets are easy to propagate from leaf cuttings. Rooting leaves in potting soil, soilless mix or inorganic media such as perlite or vermiculite will produce new plantlets reliably and with very little care and attention.

African violets are generally very easy to grow from leaf regardless of the method used. We say “generally” because different methods work better for different people depending upon many variables. Additionally, certain varieties, and some individual plants, are slower to produce plantlets or “babies” than others. Outlined here are a couple of methods that have worked quickly and easily for us in varying environments and should work well for most people.

First, regardless of the planting method, you’ll want to choose a healthy leaf from the parent, or donor, plant. Ideally, the leaf should be firm, undamaged, and have a long enough petiole (leaf stem) for planting. Older leaves are slower to produce plantlets so it’s best to avoid taking a leaf from the outer rows. A good guideline is to choose a leaf from about the third row from the center (crown) of the African violet plant.

African violet leaf cutting

Cut the leaf stem at an angle with a razor blade or similarly sharp blade leaving at least one inch of stem from leaf base to end. (A longer stem is easier to work with if you will be planting in plugs or on wicks.) The angled cut allows for greater surface area (and greater number of plant cells) exposed to the growing medium. Using very sharp blade decreases the amount of damage done to cells when slicing through the stem.

cut stem

Planting Leaves in Soil, Peat or other Soilless Mix

If planting leaves in potting soil or soiless mix make sure the mix is well-moistened and drains easily. Add perlite to potting mix to lighten it since most commercially available potting mixes are too heavy for African violets (even those claiming to be for African violets.) Place the cut leaf or leaves into the mix about an inch down and cover the stem. It’s best not to let the leaf itself touch the surface of the medium as this can lead to rot. You can rest the leaf in an upright position against the side of the propagation tray or prop the leaf up with a plastic plant tag.

If planting several leaves in a tray space them a couple of inches apart and be sure to label them. If you have a humid growing environment you don’t need to cover the leaves or use a dome, but you may find it helpful if your environment is very dry and your mix dries out too quickly. Place the tray under fluorescent lights (8 to 12 inches from the tubes for 8 to 14 hours a day, depending upon your lighting and your growing environment) or in a brightly lit window but not in direct sunlight. Check the medium daily to make sure it doesn’t dry out and water from the bottom when necessary.

Plantlets will begin to show from as early as 4 weeks but usually take 8 weeks or longer. Transplant when the plantlets are large enough to handle comfortably.

Planting Leaf Cuttings in Peat Plugs

Peat plugs are great for planting African violet leaves. Moisten and drain the plugs and prepare your leaves as above. If you are propagating large varieties with thick stems you can place your cut leaves directly into the pre-drilled holes in the plugs as long as the cut in the stem is in constant contact with the peat. If the pre-drilled holes are too large you can simply create a new hole right next to the pre-drilled hole using a pencil. If you are propagating regular standard sized African violets, or semi-miniatures or miniatures, small peat plugs are a better choice as the leaf stems will fit well in the pre-drilled holes.

(click to enlarge)

leaves planted in peat plugs planted african violet leaves leaves planted in peat plugs
]]> http://www.grownotes.com/planting-african-violet-leaves/feed/ 0 Where to Buy African Violet Seeds http://www.grownotes.com/buy-african-violet-seeds/ http://www.grownotes.com/buy-african-violet-seeds/#comments Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:13:57 +0000 editor http://www.grownotes.com/buy-african-violet-seeds/ African violet seed vendorsAfrican violet seeds are fun to sow and grow, but finding them available for purchase can be difficult. We tell you where to locate and buy African violet seeds as well as other flower and vegetable seeds.]]> African violet seeds are fun to sow and grow because you can never be sure what the plants or flowers will look like. Every seed represents a surprise. If you create your own African violet seeds through hybridizing you may have a rough idea of what traits the resulting plants will have. But if you buy mixed African violet seeds, all bets are off!

Where can you buy African violet seeds? Certainly not on the rack at the local garden center. African violet seeds are often available through the seed fund of the Gesneriad Society (membership required) and I highly recommend joining, if only for the seed fund and the magazine subscription that comes with membership.


If you are interested in growing other indoor plants from seeds:

Recommended Books on Seed Propagation:

The New Seed Starter's Handbook
The New Seed Starter’s Handbook		 Greenhouse Gardener's Companion
Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion		 Hands On Gardener: Seeds and Propagation
Hands On Gardener: Seeds and Propagation


You may be interested in…


]]> http://www.grownotes.com/buy-african-violet-seeds/feed/ 0 Anthoflores African Violets http://www.grownotes.com/anthoflores-african-violets/ http://www.grownotes.com/anthoflores-african-violets/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:38:12 +0000 editor http://www.grownotes.com/?p=156 Anthoflores violetsAnthoflores African violets are produced by Harster Greenhouses and commonly found in supermarkets and home improvement centers throughout North America. Here is our unofficial list of Anthoflores descriptions to help you identify your Anthoflores variety.]]> Anthoflores African violets are found in supermarkets and home improvement centers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Produced in Ontario by Harster Greenhouses, many growers are first introduced to African violets through these popular hybrids.

Anthoflores descriptions are often difficult to find, and many collectors start keeping a log of Anthoflores African violets as they come across them on the Web and from other growers. Below for reference is our unofficial, collected list of Anthoflores violet descriptions – not necessarily accurate, but we’ve linked the ones we’ve grown to photos so you can judge for yourself.

An Unofficial List of Anthoflores African Violets with Descriptions

Anthoflores African violet

Anthoflores Alexis (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue, white edge; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Alf (Harster Greenhouses) Large blue, white edge; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Alma (Harster Greenhouses) Light blue, white edge; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Alrick (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble White Pansy Blue Thumbprint. Plain, Light Green. Large
Anthoflores Appollonaire (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with blue edge; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Ariel (Harster Greenhouses) Single white sticktite pansies with frilly blue violet edging; medium green, tailored, quilted. Standard
Anthoflores Arno (Harster Greenhouses) White and blue bi-color; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Baker Pink Star (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink and white stars; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Barnabe(Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble white pansy, dark blue radiant eye; medium green, pointed; Large
Anthoflores Bastian (Harster Greenhouses) Large sky blue, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Bayer (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Bayer Mauve (Harster Greenhouses) Single purple; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Benjamin (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue frilled; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Benji M. Bic (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with dark purple edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Berti (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semi-double dark blue pansies; medium green, plain; Large
Anthoflores Blue Star (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semi-double white pansy with dark blue thumbprints; dark green, plain; Standard
Anthoflores Brielle (Harster Greenhouses) Dark mauve with white edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Brutus (Harster Greenhouses) Ruffled purple pansy with fine black edge; medium green, ovate; Standard
Anthoflores Busso (Harster Greenhouses) Dark blue single pansy; medium green; Large
Anthoflores Denise (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark red; light green; Compact
Anthoflores Edith (Harster Greenhouses) Single – semidouble white pansy, lavender/purple radiant eye; medium green, pointed; Large
Anthoflores Elias (Harster Greenhouses) Double red with blue tinge; medium green, ovate. Standard
Anthoflores Fire Red (Harster Greenhouses) Single – semidouble bright red pansies; light green, plain. Small Standard
Anthoflores Hanna (Harster Greenhouses) Single white pansy, red eye, thin red wavy edge; medium green, slightly scalloped; Small standard
Anthoflores Honore (Harster Greenhouses) Frilled white with red edge; medium green, round; Standard
Anthoflores Henrietta (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi-double stars of bright rose pink with pure white centers. Medium green, tailored, symmetrical; Standard
Anthoflores Horacio (Harster Greenhouses) Single ruffled purple, white centers; medium green, plain; Standard
Anthoflores Guillaume (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi double frilly white pansies marked with red at the centers and petal edges. Tailored, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Caroline (Harster Greenhouses) Semi double and double frilly white pansies with candy pink edging. Tailored, symmetrical, medium green, quilted foliage
Anthoflores Irma (Harster Greenhouses) Large medium red frilled; light green round; Standard
Anthoflores Ivan Bic (Harster Greenhouses) Very large white with red edge; large leaves
Anthoflores Lila (Harster Greenhouses) Light purple frilled; medium green;
Anthoflores Lila Bic (Harster Greenhouses) White with light purple edge; medium green
Anthoflores Little AxelSemi-double white pansies with blue thumbprints; medium green; Semi-miniature
Anthoflores Little Barty [sometimes labeled as L. Barty] (Harster Greenhouses) Single fuchsia star, wide white fringed edge; dark green, wavy. Miniature
Anthoflores Lorelei (Harster Greenhouses) Single Purple / White Edge Pansy. Medium Green, Light White Variegation. Standard
Anthoflores Maeva (Harster Greenhouses) Single Hot Salmon / Purple Fantasy Pansy. Plain, Light Green. Standard
Anthoflores Marie (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark red; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Marion (9332) – Blue & pink fantasy; large, dark green, round;
Anthoflores Maxime (Harster Greenhouses) Single white pansy, purple eye, variable green ruffled edge. Medium green, plain. Standard
Anthoflores Moe (9328) – Blue & pink fantasy; large, round leaves
Anthoflores Narcissa (Harster Greenhouses) Double lilac blooms; plain dark green, red back. Standard
Anthoflores Natalie (Harster Greenhouses) Large blue stars; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Pansy (Harster Greenhouses) Large mauve with dark eye; medium green
Anthoflores Patrick (Harster Greenhouses) Very large purple frilled; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Percy (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble Purple Pansy. Dark Green Plain. Standard
Anthoflores Prosper (Harster Greenhouses) Very large frilled white with purple edge; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Ralph (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink pansies with darker pink centers held on strong bloom stems. Very dark green, tailored, quilted foliage with red reverse; Standard
Anthoflores Ramone (Harster Greenhouses) Large single medium pink; medium green round; Standard
Anthoflores Ramses (Harster Greenhouses) Dark rose pink; dark green; Compact
Anthoflores Raoul (Harster Greenhouses) White and pink bicolor; light green; Standard
Anthoflores Raphael Semi-double frilled white pansy with peachy-pink markings; plain medium green. Standard
Anthoflores Reinhardt (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink frilled, darker eye; dark green
Anthoflores Ricardo (Harster Greenhouses) Semi-double/double frilled bicolor, white with pink blush; medium green ovate; Small standard
Anthoflores Richard (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark pink pansies; plain, medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Robert (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink frilled; medium green; Compact
Anthoflores Rock B. Blue (Harster Greenhouses) Medium blue double rosettes; medium green, curly; Standard
Anthoflores Rock B. Rose (Harster Greenhouses) Single pink, frilled; medium green, curly; Compact
Anthoflores Rodin (Harster Greenhouses) Dark pink and white bicolor; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Rosa-Lea (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark rose-pink with ruffled darker rose edge, rose glitter overlay. Medium green, plain, ovate.
Anthoflores Rose (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble Pink Pansy. Medium Green. Standard
Anthoflores Rose Blanc (Harster Greenhouses) Single, two-tone white pansies with pink markings; medium olive green; Standard
Anthoflores Rose Claire (Harster Greenhouses) Double light pink rose-shaped blooms; medium green, curly; Standard

Anthoflores Rouge Red (Harster Greenhouses) Pink with red edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Saskia (Harster Greenhouses) Dark purple pansy. Medium green, ovate; Standard
Anthoflores Simone (Harster Greenhouses) Single and semi double salmon pink frilled pansies; dark green, ruffled; Standard
Anthoflores Vanessa (Harster Greenhouses) Light blue, white edge; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores Virginia (Harster Greenhouses) Single Pink Pansy. Variegated White & Pink, Plain. Standard.
Anthoflores William (Harster Greenhouses) Single white; medium green; Standard

Anthoflores Millennium Series (Year 2000)

Anthoflores (9901) (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark pink with white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9902) (Harster Greenhouses) Dark red frilled with white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9904) (Harster Greenhouses) Single dark blue, white eye; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (9914) (Harster Greenhouses) Large, double pink and white; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores (9915) (Harster Greenhouses) Semi-double, dark purple and white bicolor; dark green; Standard
Anthoflores (3913) (Harster Greenhouses) Light pink with white eye; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores (239) (Harster Greenhouses) Semidouble salmon pink, purple fantasy; medium green; Standard
Anthoflores Fire Red (Harster Greenhouses) Single to semidouble bright red pansy; light green, plain; Small Standard

Contact Harster

Harster Greenhouses Inc.
Box 8135 230 Highway # 8
Flamborough, Ontario, Canada
Phone: 1-905-628-2430 Fax: 1-905-628-4818


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