After years of starting and growing seedlings and plantlets in inert media such as perlite and vermiculite, we decided it was time to return to basics. We’ve been revisiting classic seed starting and propagation methods and supplies, and we’ll be sharing our experiences with you.

We started with the Jiffy® 7 peat pellet. These compressed peat discs have been a favorite of outdoor gardeners for years for their ease of use and convenience. The pellets expand when placed in water and grow into a small plug surrounded by bio-degradable netting with a pre-drilled hole for seeds. Gardeners can start seeds indoors under lights and then place the seedling plugs right into the ground when time to transplant after the last frost. Very clean, neat, and convenient.

Sucker of African Violet ‘Lemon Drop’

Jiffy pellets are also used in the Jiffy Windowsill Garden which can be used to start outdoor plants indoors or, as in our case, to grow indoor plants.

We soaked several peat pellets in a shallow dish filled with water for about 10 min. while preparing to groom a large African violet collection. With a plant sale on the horizon we wanted to salvage offshoots from several plants before giving them away. As each sucker was removed we simply placed it in the pre-drilled hole of the plug and labeled it. (If you use a windowsill garden you can place labels in the tray or affix a label to the side.)

We have found that offshoots started in Jiffy pellets root more quickly and develop a stronger root system than suckers placed in perlite or vermiculite. As a result of this experiment, we have decided to start all our seedlings in peat pellets before transplanting to our preferred inorganic media. We believe this will give the plants a better start and firmer root foundation.

Front: ‘Lollipop’, ‘Lemon Drop’ suckers, ‘Wee Be’
Middle: three ‘Mini Minx’ plants
Back: two ‘Mini Minx’ plants on wicks in perlite-vermiculite mix

Recommended Reading on Plant Propagation

American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical Techniques

Plant Propagator’s Bible

Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion: Growing Food & Flowers in Your Greenhouse or Sunspace

You may be interested in…

• Bio Dome propagator
• Grow lights
• Heat mats
• House plants & house plant seeds and bulbs
• Other seed starting supplies
• Internet specials
• Floral and Botanical Art

  

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.

   

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.

   

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

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 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.

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.

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)

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:

• Kitchen Herbs
• Coleus
• Vines, including thunbergia and clematis
• View all house plant seeds

Recommended Books on Seed Propagation:

The New Seed Starter’s Handbook

Greenhouse Gardener’s Companion

Hands On Gardener: Seeds and Propagation

You may be interested in…

• Floral and Botanical Art

Planting African Violet Leaves

Propagating African violets from leaf cuttings is the most popular method of producing more plants. African violet leaves can be rooted in soil or in water. Leaves are best rooted in an airy, soilless medium such as peat plugs or a mix containing peat and perlite.

The African violet leaves shown at left are planted in peat plugs in a dome propagator® where they root quickly due to the porous nature of the plugs and the added humidity of the dome.

African violet leaves should produce plantlets identical to the parent plant. However, since African violets mutate easily plants grown from a leaf may not bloom “true to description,” or look like the parent plant. You can obtain leaves of varieties you want to grow through trades with other African violet hobbyists or purchase starter plants or leaves from reputable vendors.

See How to Grow African Violets from Leaf Cuttings for detailed instructions.

Rooting African Violet Leaves in Water

Rooting leaves in water

Another popular method of African violet propagation is rooting leaves in water. Some people report greater success in producing plantlets this way, and others say that it takes longer to see results from water leaves. Your own degree of success will be determined by your individual growing conditions, and experience (and experimentation) will lead you to the ideal propagation method for you. For detailed instructions and photos see Rooting African Violets in Water.

Dividing African Violets

Another popular propagation method is by division which entails removing off-shoots (often called “suckers”) and planting them separately. This is the primary method used to propagate chimeras which must be genetic clones of the mother plant if they are to bloom true. Chimeral plants can also be grown from planted flower stalks, although this method is more difficult since flower stalks often collapse before taking root. Cloning African violets will also produce genetic duplicates.

Sowing African Violet Seeds

Click to learn how to plant African violet seeds

Planting African violet seed is a fun way to add a lot of plants to your collection. You can produce your own seed pods through hybridization (or cross-pollination) or purchase seed from a retailer. See Growing from Seed for our method of planting African violet seeds (applicable to Gloxinia seeds and most other gesneriad seed).

Recommended African Violet Books:

African Violets: The Complete Guide

African Violets Back to the Basics: Your Questions Answered

» More Books About African Violets