This is part of an article in the November/December 2005 AVSA Magazine. I thought it was very interesting. The article is by Marie Montague and she writes:
"Years ago when first setting violet leaves, I diagonally cut the stem (petiole) and placed it straight down in a pot. This was not wrong, but a friend suggested another way. Since he had great success with many new plants per leaf (8 or 9 in some pots) and, more importantly, lost very few leaves, I was willing to give his method a try. The following is his technique for preparing a leaf' . . .
"Select a healthy leaf with as long a stem as possible. Fill a (2 1/4") pot or a "solo" cut (with drainage holes) almost to the top with wet soil. Place your leaf on the top of the pot and cut the stem, on the diagonal, to cover most of the pot. Very gently scrap the top of the stem, with your thumb. If you look closely at the stem it will look a little shiny or moist. Place the stem on the top of the soil, scraped side up, and lightly add a little soil to the top (approximately 1/8") to anchor the leaf in place. Water leaf with your favorite fertilizer (adding a little "Marathon" to treat for bugs will never hurt) and set aside so excess water will drain from pot (half hour or so.) I believe at this point the leaf bonds with soil. Label each pot with violet variety and perhaps date set.
"When will you know if a leaf has acturally set? Check your leaves after about a week by gently touching the leaf to see if there is resistance. If the leaf doesn't move, the leaf has set. If there is slight movement, add a litte more soil."
My comments:
If you scrape off the top of the stem, I assume that you make the diagonal cut on the bottom of the stem. I also assume that the top of the stem is the front of the leaf. Another assumption is that the diagonal cut is a long cut.
It seems to me, if I am reading this correctly, that the stem is only under the soil 1/8 of an inch and the leave is horizontal to the solo cup or perhaps resting on the rim.
Any comments on this preparation technique?
New Suggestions for starting leaves
Sounds good you should try it. Some times I cut my leaf stem into a v. I cut my short.
I read an article in an old AV magazin that if you are not experience to cut leavs straight across. I do like they say. I fill 3 oz. solo cups , labled of course and dated. I cut the stem straight across leaving less than an inch. I stick it straight into the soil until the leaves touch. Most time I get 4-6 babies except if Mom rots I get one.
When I cut v shape, or diagonal thy say you should get more babies I seem to get the same amount. But if it is cut wrong too much leaves may not give you any babies and may rot.
I would try this new method Nanna on half dozen leaves or so ! I am Happy you got your new issue of AVSA Magazine. :))
Thanks for sharing :)) Allison
I was particularly interested in the reduced loss of mother leaves.
This is an awesome suggestion. I will have to try it out! I am still trying to find the *right* way for me to start leaves.
One of my books says you can also start leaves in water...Has anyone tried this? It says it is the quickest way to get roots. I was just wondering since quicker is not always better :)
Lorry, I started one in water and will report back if I don't kill it. please correct me if I am clueless - you all know how new I am, but I am like a sponge for info, but you can get pups even without much of a root system. yes?
Since DH gave the ok to put up a plant stand in the bedroom, This will become the 'holding' area for new plants and the leaves I'll start from my Guinea pigs. Since I'm going to try a variety of methods, I'll add this one. Nanna, I'm a bit confused as to the process, how about you do one and take some photos of how you interpret it.
I have never tried to propogate AV and am wondering if you have any additional hints for someone who knows very little about AF except what my grandmother told me- should have listened more- and who owns only the varieties available in the general retail market- sorry.
Also, I am wondering if any of you can/would recommend sources of leaves- I would like to try some interesting varieties & by that I only mean those I think are beautiful, but am not sure from whom I should buy and also I have no idea what to expect to pay.
Thanks for any help that you can offer.
Welcome April
Friends here on the forum are a good place to start with leaves. You can also check out
www.violetgallery.com
www.violetbarn.com
www.bluebirdgreenhouse.com
www.lyndonlyon.com
I'm sure others will join in the thread and give more suggestions. The Violet Barn web site has a step by step lesson on putting down leaves.
Again, welcom to the forum
Nanna
aprilwillis, this is an amazing forum with VERY generous members. I'm quite certain someone can help you out with leaves or good sources.
Also eBay is a good source for leaes and plants.
This message was edited Dec 13, 2005 8:44 AM
Thanks to both of you! I have just been browsing Violet barn, Blue Bird Greenhouse and Ebay- and wow! I have got to stop buying my AV from the grocery store! I had no idea how amazing AVs are. Thank you and I am sure that after I read and browse more I will have questions. It's very nice to know that I have a group of experts willing to share their successes and misfortunes. Thank you.
Nanna, this method looks interesting! I'm thinking that new babies could arise all along the "scraped" part of the stem, rather than just from the diagonal cut end. My only hesitation with regard to the survival of the mother leaf would be making sure the leaf does not touch the rim of the pot... Perhaps because I put down leaves in a terrarium or under a plastic dome where there is more humidity, I find that any leaves that touch a pot rim or anything else tend to get wet and to rot.
April, you've come to the right place if you;re fascinated by AVs! Welcome!!! Actually, I think one of the best sources for leaves is right here on this forum.... check out the various threads, and you'll see that there will be lots of trading activity here once weather warms up this spring for shipping! Please start a new thread if you have questions, etc, as information can get lost easily in an off-topic tangent.
I just put a leaf down following this method. I will let all know what happens.
nana, can you shot a photo for us. I'm such a visual learner, if you can it would help.
Nanna the method is good. Nice to have extras, share some sell some for $$ to buy more :))
Water rooting is fun ! I've done it. But when you het hundreds of leaves down I'd be spilling them. I was told at AV group water roots are different tha soil roots and when you put them in soil they form all new roots ? You can also keep them in water until babies come !
Aprilwillis Welcome to our great AV forum. You may want to practice a few times with their leaves before buying expensive ones.
Here is a web sight that shows everything about everything :)) Page down to bottom for index. There are pictures also.
http://www.rachelsreflections.com/
I didn't know you could keep them in the water until babies came :) How cool :)
I put three leaves up this way just to see what will happen :)
This message was edited Dec 13, 2005 1:31 PM
I think there's a thread somewhere on the forum about water babies.... The trick seems to be to add soil very gradually, not just pop them out of the water and into a pot of soil mix.
I will have to dig it up critterologist..sounds like something I may want to try :) See how well it works!
I'll see what I can do to set up a picture step by step to this new method. I'm not sure I totally understand it, but I'll give it a try.
Give me a couple of days.
Nanna
I've always started mine in water, but learned a while back that when I was planting them in soil, I was putting them in way too far into the soil, and that's why it took so long for the "ears" to appear, when the leaf had a good clump of roots going - they had to fight their way to the surface!
Since I've changed that, they pop up in no time, it seems.
I've got a question for Allison or Nanna or any of you other "experts" (now now, don't be modest, compared to me, you are) - I've got a strep that is putting out babies, and want to know, how do I separate them? And when?
thanks!
When propagation of my Stretocarpus by leaf I like letting the leavs get 2-4 inches tall and a little root system. With Streptocarpus plants not like African violets there is no crown. Each leaf by itself potted up is a Plantlet :))
Here is a great link that shows step by step and photo's of
propagation of Streptocarpus. Shows taking plantlets from Mom.
http://www.streptocarpus-info.com/streppropagation.html
That's a fabulous link - I had no idea that each leaf is a plant! This one has seven babies, This is a pale purple with some darker streaks - got the leaf from a nice friendly librarian here - we traded my pink for her purple.
Allison, how do you do yours? Which cut, I mean; do you remove the central vein, or cut the leaf into sections? And about how long does it take from the stage in my picture to separation stage?
(questions, questions)
I cut just leaf with rib still in. I use large leaves most of the time.
I have a bunch with mouse ears. Hard to say, gibe them light little food maybe any where from 2-4 weks. Allison
I find if I let them get ;srger they are stronger .
I'd go with what Allison says 2Z. Haven't worked with strep.
Nanna