Someone had to post the link toBloomlovers. Just had to didn't ya? Being a glutton for punishment, I went, and ended up ordering 10 leaves. You guys will have to help me, I have never grown from leaves, I killed the ones I tried last time. I ordered:
Buckeye Butterflies
Irish Flirt
Look Twice
Smitten Kitten
Firebird
Irish Maiden
Pink Lady sold out
Pretty Poison
Raspberry Crisp
Ruffled Skies
Sky Diver
and substituted (hopefully) Look Twice for Pink Lady
Huggers!
Janis
Keep your fingers crossed. She can't ship them until May 13.
I blame you all Part 2
Yippe Janis ! I have 15 coming she is shipping mine sometime after April 29th. I ordered them about a month ago. She had closed her business a couple years ago to spend more times with her kids and just re-opened I just had to post the good luck :))
She was the first person I ordered leaves from. About two years ago I ordered like 100 of her leaves. I was a newbie of growing by leaf but had learned a lot from local group and ready. All of the leaves gave me beautiful babies :))
I can tell you hoq I do leaves. It's very simple, easy, fool proof and has given me thousands of babies in the past couple years I have shared !
Oh Ps Tina has good culture and progating info on her web sight too !
Thanks! I am so worried I'll kill them, but I'm gonna try to keep them alive!
wow! enjoy them! listen to allison and you will be able to grow them just fine. i just got my first babies by leaf. i had never owned an african violet before and started with leaves. it is so much fun!
kelly : )
You won't kill them don't worry . This is the best time of the year for setting leaves. I like using the plastic like clear shoe boxes. They cost abot 79 cents-1.00 and sold about everywhere. You will also need 3, or 5 oz. solo dixie cups what ever you can find. I use what ever Hubby can find and I notice no difference they both work the same for me.
You will need a light soil-lss mix. You can use Pro-Mix, MG, and African violet mix . Take one of these and mix it well will 50-60 percent Perlite. Moisten slightly with water mix well and keep in cover container .
Put holes in the bottom of your cups. I use to do five now I do one hole ! Write the names of the leaf on the cup , and write the date using a perament marker. I use to wick them I don't anymore.
Cut the leaf stems one inch long or shorter each on a slight slant with clean sterile tool .I just fill the cup to the top with soil-less mixture and I place the leaf into the middle of the cup of soil all the way in until the leaf touches soil. water threw real good. Place in a area with 68-74degres, good air circulation, light stand or sun light that is not burning . I give mine food evey 10-14 days Keep them evenly moist , not wet and not dry. You may water from the top if you like or pour water into the box for them sip it up . But don't keep them sitting in water longer than a half hour . After a half hour dump any warer left. Try not to let them go stone dry the roots are fragile will die and you will have to start over they may die.
On average you can expect first roots around 4 to 6 weeks. new shoots babies will then start to apear around 10 to 16 weeks. A blooming plant from 6 to 12 months.
All these numbers are average some can be sooner of longer. Even the variety of the African violet can make a difference in time. How healthy the leaf, and if it not an old leaf or a leaf to young taken off of Mom plant.
Each leaf can give you 1-6 or more babies :))
Have fun and good luck :))
Allison
PS I use the top of my boxes for trays for my plants. These are sturdy I have been using mine for two years love them are I can soak them in bleach !
PS I don't cover anything ~ Works well for me.
Wow! Allison, I'm going to print that out! Thanks so much for the advice!
Janis
Your welcome ! I can't wait to watch your babies grow :))