How long would most of you say it takes for your leaves to set root (or whatever the proper term is) once you plant them? I just started my first 9 leaves and am wondering how long I have to wait till I can actually call them plants and give them away or trade them. :)
Thanks,
Heather
PS...you can blame CritterO for my new AV addiction! LOL
How long for leaves?
HI Heathrjoy ! Welcome nice to meet you :)) Glad Jill turned you ono the Joy and Wonders of growing African violets by leaf !
I think there may be many answers to this.
I think for me it can take any where from 2-8 weeks for roots. Average 4-6 weeks for roots and or little baby leaves coming up.
For me it's a good 6 months or more before I have the size baby , plantlet , plant..to trade or share.
Most times it takes 6-9 or even 12 months for a blooming plant.
Many , many times all of this happens faster, and also lots of times takes longer.
But I am going to say once I put a leaf down and I have a plantlet I can share the baby plant with someone is a good 6 months . I also keep my babies with Mom way too long I like them big and healthy which can distort their shape sometimes. And I have too many babies growing so it takes me time to get to them all.
Hope I did not make this confusing. I just love growing by leaf !
Our first thread on the forum , our stickty has lots of link and information . Please take time to enjoy these threads ! I try to each day !
So very nice to meet you !
My experience has proven to be 4 to 6 week. But RoseQuarts surprised me with little plantlets appearing in just 2 and 1/2 weeks. That's a record for me.
Thanks! I've had the leaves down for about a week or more now, so they have a while to go. It is exciting tho. I only have 2 AVs, and with everything else I'm starting I'm running out of room. I need a bigger house for my plants. lol Ever catch yourself eyeing up a room, wondering what you can do without so you can make more room for plants? I do that daily now.
Heather! Welcome to the AV & Gessie Forum!!
You'll definitely need to find a little space for AVs now that you've come here and started growing by leaf... I did warn you that the little darlings are addictive, right? LOL
He he he. I do blame you for THIS addiction, lol, but gardening in general I can't blame anyone else.
I'll take the blame... as long as you'll share leaves & plantlets with me! LOL!
Well, of course I'll share!! That should be a given!! I wouldn't even know how to start from leaves if it weren't for your guidance. Oh, and none of them have wilted yet either....'cept for the one behind the computer desk that I still can't get to. I'm sure he's quite ugly by now. yuck. I could really use that pot right now too. LOL
I broke off a leaf and it dropped to the floor of my terrarium... out of sight, out of mind, until I rearranged everything recently and discovered a rooted leaf with a cute little plantlet, right there in the wet gravel! But I have to say, I'm not holding out much hope for the one that dropped behind your computer desk. :-)
LOL Jill, that's pretty cool. No, I don't think mine will be growing. There's not much chance it's getting any moisture down there by the heat runs...unless the cats are "watering" it, then I'll have a whole other set of problems! lol
Right now, the least of my worries is an AV leaf and a little spilled dirt behind the desk...it's not like you can SEE it or anything!! One of these days we'll have to move the computer for something. LMBO
When I re-pot, transplamtimg from Mom leaf and so on. I dump soil leaves into bucket. Hubby dumps it outside. Much of it will grow.
When Laurie was here she said looking at my garden and she came across a leaf baby groing ! It's great they will grow any where .
Still cracking up over that resiliant little AV in the front Ali, you should see if DH will transplant it over to the side garden.
I'm hoping to find out what that little cutie pie vine is that is growing itself in the crack of the cement over by the screen room. It looks SO cool with the variegation or mosaic colored foliage.
We have another Av Laurie in the front in the new garden bed where they hybiscus you gave us is. It's looking really good and blooming ! May have him plant some more out !
I fount this very interest on Violet Barn about how long leaves take !
He says that they fount plantlets can be removed from the mother leaf and go into their own pots anywhere from 3to 5 months from the date the leaf was first put down.
I find this true . I like letting my plants get nice and strong together with Mom and brothers and sisters :))
Just like you would not take a baby away from Mom early. It may make it but it will strugle and need specail care and take longer to catch up.
He also talke about feeding them ! I have always done this though many growers have told me not to.
Heh you put food in with flower cuttings ! Every living thing needs food Rob says ! I beleive this always have. Just like I feel keeping them with Mom a long time. He says after all we wouldn't think of withholding food from an expectant mother or newborn. So true.
He talks about how short to cut the stem and how esle they grow theirs. You might enjoy reading about this ! I know I have :))
http://www.robsviolet.com/faq_page_7.htm#time%20for%20plantlets
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Thanks Allison. I think that's why I like the VF11 so much, it's so gentle that you don't have to worry about feeding your babies with tiny tender roots.
I need to spend more time reading info.
Me too ! Sometimes I read things slow over and over
today six months ago , next year ! Takes a lot to sink in sometimes for me :))
I've always fed my babies and leaves so happy someone with 25 years experience does also !
Thanks for sharing that with me. I did read a lot on Rob's site, and a lot at other sites too. I will have to go back and read some more like you said you do. There's always something we overlooked or didn't pay enough attention to! All of my leaves are doing great so far! Yay! This is a first for me, I'm so excited! I can't wait to see the first little baby leaves coming up, I'll be doing the happy dance!
Thanks again!
Heather
Your welcome Heather ! Still each new baby, each new bloom excties me.
This is a great thread. I have plantlets I haven't taken from Mom yet, and I was wondering when to do this. Sounds like I need to wait about two months or so. : )
I like to wait until their a good size.