I am so excited I cannot tell you. I found this site and started reading about African Violets, the inspiration I found here gave me the courage to try and start one for a friend. Well my leaf has 2 little babies right a the base. What a great way surprise to me. Is there anything else I can do to insure that the babies will make it? Do I leave the "Momma" leaf alone there?
I have fallen for the "red" violets and have been looking and looking for one in stores but no luck.
Thanks again for all your advise and I hope I can give back sometime to you all.
:-)
My first leaf has babies!!!!
Yippee Your first baby congratulations !
Leave the babies where they are for a bit, let them get bigger. Your momma leaf can probably be used again to start new babies after you remove the new ones.
I was smitten w/ the red ones myself, some of my favorites are:
Standards
Pow Wow (K. Stork) , Arcturus (J. Eyerdom), Bob Serbin (J. Brownlie), Ness' Red Velvet (D. Ness)
Minis
Mac's Rouges Rouge (G. MacDonald), Mac's Southern Springtime (G. McDonald), Rob's Love Bite (Robinson)
I can't find any named or even interesting unnamed AVs around here. I buy mine from mail order sources like Rob's (The Violet Barn) : http://violetbarn.com/
or Bluebird Greenhouse: http://www.bluebirdgreenhouse.com/index.htm
Good luck!
April
Hooray!!! Good for you... so exciting to see those new little leaves poking up like ears!
Leave the momma leaf in place until the babies are quite big... I don't generally separate them until they're really crowding each other in the pot and have nice little root systems for potting up. Don't overpot leaves or babies... I start a lot of leaves out in 3 oz plastic cups or take-out trays for minis (holes poked in the bottom for watering and in the tops of the trays for ventilation). Most babies get transferred to 3 oz cups... standard plantlets get up-potted gradually to 5 oz cups and then to 3 or 4 inch plastic pots.
There's lots of great culture information in the "sticky" as I'm sure you've found. Keep reading, keep asking questions... and post photos for us to admire! I love watching those little plantlets grow!
Red ones... hmmm, do you like this one? 'Ruffled Sheer Romance' was the label when I bought it, although I haven't come across that name since (it's not a registered one). I need to repot mine, and there are inevitably extra leaves when I do.... I know it's getting colder, but it'll only cost me a couple of stamps to try putting some into a bubble envelope for you.
Blooms are a bit deeper burgundy-red than the photo shows... colors are tricky with digital cameras.
Oh PS Keep Mom with babies as long as you can. It's like a Mom in labor full term babies are more healthy have a better start in life. Pre-mature babies may not make it or take awhile to catch up.
Keep them warm. Just evenly moist not wet and not bone dry. Light is good all non buring you can give them. I like to feed mine too ! I let my babies stay with Mom until each has 4 good size leaves or bigger !
These advise and responses I have gotten here is why I love this site, your support is fantastic. Thanks so much.
Critterologist I just "D" mailed you about your beautiful plant.
:-)
Hey Mimi!
Congratulations!!!! I still get excited when I see babies coming! You are a good mom obviously....WTG!
TFS!
Joanne
Congratulations on your new babies!! I just started leaves on 10/18 and can't wait for mine to grow. How long did yours take? Please don't say 3 or 4 months.....
Maureen
Hey Maureen,
You are probably looking at 6-8 weeks....sorry couldn't give you better news.
Maybe Mimi's didn't take that long.
Joanne
Hi mimi4neeyah,
Welcome to the AV forum.And congrats on your new babies.How exciting!
Canterbury CT. Hey! I grew up in Norwich area and went to grade school in Brooklyn.Small world isn't it:)
Well if you are going to be that way, I lived for a a while in Stamford- my little brother was born there.
The leaves tooks about 4-6 weeks but so worth it. Good luck with yours and do not forget to let us know how you make out.
:-)
The Momma leaf fell off this morning when I was watering them a little. Will the babies still be OK?
Mimi how big are the babies ? They may make it water with wram to hot water, keep warm give as much light a you caN , WATER VERY SPARELY. Is good idea when you can to keep mom with babies as long as you can. Good luck
They are fully formed and standing on their own in the soil. I did water just a little to get the top soil wet and went oh so gently.
Should know in a few days if my babies will make it.
:-)
Sounds like they will be great !