Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Holiday Cacti general Discussionpart #4. , 3 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
JB---

Poor me--again!!! Wrote you a lengthy Post at work on growing AV's (African Violets) from a single leaf.
Hit "send"---and nothing much happened. I guess our work computers are so overwhelmed with a
zillion programs running on them, that they just could not "send" my post--as along with it came all the rest of
the post and the pictures and all that. I think it "died" trying...got an error message. I just logged off....

I am now back home and it is almost time for bed for me.....But I wanted to re-write all i did for you on the AV's.

Propagating from a single leaf is SO easy!!! And--you can make a lot of plants from just one Mama AV.
There are TWO ways (that I know) to root a single leaf of an AV. Both totally easy as pie!

Method #1 is rooting the leaf in soil.

--Take a healthy, leaf cutting off of your favorite AV. Leave about a 1 1/2" stem on it.
--Use a 3.8" (Angel Plants) pot--or similar size--and fill it with great, loose potting mix. Like--Pro Mix.
--You will need a clear, plastic glass as a dome. You can buy these in any grocery store--or $$ Store.
What you DO need is for the plastic cup to fit, snugly, on top of the plant pot--INSIDE the rim.
--Fill the pot with the potting Mix. water it in to a moist state and then stick the stem of the AV leaf
in the center of it, making sure the leaf does NOT touch the soil.
--Now--place the plastic cup over the pot (INSIDE the pot rim) and that is all!
IF you have a tight fit--you may not have to water it again. IF there is wiggle room between the pot and the
plastic glass--the soil may dry out and you may need to dribble a bit of water around the edges.
MOIST is the thing here---NOT wet!
--Set the pot somewhere in semi-bright light and some warmth (like your G.H.) and wait.................
--In about 2 months or so (maybe faster in a GH ) you will soon see baby AV leaves growing out of the soil
next to the stem.
--YEAH! You now have new AV's!!!! Sometimes more than one--you will see in time if it needs
separating. That is all there is to this!!!!

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Method #2--Rooting in water.

--You will need a SMALL (3" or so) vase or a fairly narrow glass. Some Plastic Wrap too.
--Fill the vase/glass almost to the top with water. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap tightly over the glass.
Smooth it down the sides and, either, tape it to the glass or put a rubber band around the neck of it.
--Take a sharp-tipped knife and poke a SMALL hole in the center of the wrap covering the glass.
--Stick the stem of the AV through it and put it somewhere semi-bright and warm and W-A-I-T.....
--In a couple of months--you will see the roots forming and the new baby AV leaves growing--ALL under water!

At this point--you can pot it up in a small pot to let it continue to grow.

Personally--I prefer the soil method (#1)--as soil and water roots are different.
Why stress the new rooting plant more than you have to? Soil-to-soil is better than water-to-soil.

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JB--Now about your other question--as to what to give up for Lent?
How about "Pickled Gizzards of snakes" ??. I just made this up....Watching too many "Bizarre Foods" shows...

JB--I am glad my CC cuttings are doing well. I bet it is because the Apricot CC is such a robust grower---
Also--I sent you fresh cuttings. You already have the Apricot CC's anyway-- Right?

I have a tray-full under my lights still. They are all rooting great. Will need to move them soon to start some seeds.
The ones on all my window sashes (from last year) are not doing as well. I think they need more watering/fertilizing
that I seem to be negligent on.

I know! I know! It is, OH so cold, on those window sashes. But--It is Oh, so warm, under my grow lights.
I am also trying to water them more regularly.
I think, once they root, they really need more watering. And in those 1 1/2" clay pots--they just dry out in a couple of days.

OK! Now I REALLY need to go to bed......Hope all this helped you some.
GO for it! Grow AV's from leaves.....The DO do well.....

By the way--out local EXPERT on propagating AV's is "donner" (Sally). Send her a D-mail if you want more info.
She is a wonderful Chinese lady who knows all there is to know about this. We have become "friends" of sorts...
You can "catch" her name on the MAF Seed Swap we just had in Frederick.

How are you doing?????? I care! Gita

Here are some of my, and Sally's, new AV starts under my seed lights in November, 2011.