Learn the Techniques for Propagation of African Violets

The African Violet is amongst the most popular plants that have ever come to be. Bright colors that range from pinks, purples, and whites to the unique leaf shapes and sizes, these houseplants are not merely popular for their colors, but also for the fact that they are some of the most easily cared for and hassle-free varieties of plants that you'll ever find. That is why they make for great plants to have in one's home. What makes this quality even more unique is the fact that the propagation of African Violet is extremely simple and can be achieved without many efforts. Let us take you through this process in the following sections.

Growing in Water

The propagation of this plant can be done through a variety of ways. What makes it really easy is the fact that these can be propagated with a single leaf. Here is how you go about it:

• Choose a leaf that has reached its maturity, but is not completely spent. For this, choose a leaf from the 3rd or 4rth layer and one that has reached its maximum size.
• Pluck the leaf from the plant and get rid of the stub if there is any.
• Make sure the stem is long. Cut the base of the stem so that it is at a slanting angle. This will allow for a greater area of propagation.
• Take a container that is not transparent. A transparent container will make the plant roots curl in the direction of the sunlight and make for an uneven growth style.
• Anything that is opaque or semi-translucent will do. Colored glass jars have been known to work best for this method.
• Take a colored jar and fill it with water. Then cover with an aluminum foil.
• Pierce a small hole in the foil and push the leaf stem through it so that the leaf rests on top of the foil. The stem needs to just about touch the water and not more.
• Check to see the water level everyday. And make sure that the stem base has enough water supply.
• It will take about 6-12weeks for more leaves to show. Once they do, you'll notice a cluster of these at the base stem. That is the time you can transfer them to a different medium.

Growing in Soil

The other way in which this process can be carried through is through the medium of soil. Here is how you go about it:

• Pluck a leaf using the same method as that used in the earlier method.
• Make a medium of soil, and mix vermiculite, fertilizers, perlite, peat or specialized potting mix in it. Water this mixture.
• Plant the leaf stem in this medium and make sure that the leaf is above the surface of this mix.
• One can place a support for the leaf to ensure that it does not slump.
• If the leaves begin to shrivel up, you'll need to mix more perlite in the compost so that the acidity of the soil is reduced.
• Moisten the mix and let the leaf stay.
• Small roots will begin to appear and in a period of 5-12 weeks new plantlets can be seen at the base.
• During this time, make sure that the leaf gets enough sunlight, water, and humidity.
• After the leaves are approximately 2 cm in size, remove and plant separately.

These methods of propagation were carried out using leaves. One can even carry out the propagation by using seeds. The seeds can be planted in a medium that has been sufficiently made soft with the usage of compost. The plants will begin to appear in a period of 12 weeks approximately. When the plants are propagated using seeds, there are chances that they won't resemble the parent plants, which never happens with leaf cuttings.

After the new plants have been transferred into a soil medium, all one needs to do is administer proper African Violet care and make sure that the process has been carried through with success.