Oops!...Help...how do I root this??

I am pretty new to african violets, and very new to this forum.

I happened to see the most beautiful AV that I've ever seen, and Brenda was a doll, and sent me a division of hers. :0)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/730086/

That was the good news. The bad news is that the rooted leaf broke. I planted the stem part in a tiny lidded jar I got today at the thrift store, and surrounded it with moss. (just happened to have some moss that my father sent me (from off his wood pile in Oregon), still sitting in a bag).

The leaf I layed on top of a coir/sand mix. Brenda was suggested that I score the midrib of the leaf.

Should I score it, or should I cut it in half and plant both halves edgewise??

I sure want this to make it since it is a special one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, is the moss ok, or is it bad to mix these two?

-Taylor

Here is the leaf:

and here is the stem(with roots) and some moss:

I was pretty excited when I opened Brenda's package today, so went to the thrift store for something to put them in.
I got these for $1 each, except for the crystal one, and that was only $5! whoo-hoo!

These are tiny, too...like mini sinningia size...so cute. Oops...guess I should be putting this on the terrarium forum...oh, well.

Oh, yeah...and I got the 3D shadowbox frame for 2 buchks, lol...
-T

seedpicker - You can root that broken leaf. Check this out. Nice finds on those lidded jars.

http://www.rachelsreflections.com/violets3.htm#broken%20leaf?

Snow, I never know the sites to help people..............but i did learn that you can do this to any leaf if you are missing the petiole.....................I tried it just for fun and it works great..............I just took my razor blade and cut on both sides of the mid rib of the leaf just up far enough so it would have a stem on it.................stuck it in as always and have babies today...........................thanks
Wish i could remember all these sites............

That's exactly right, Gail. I have done that several times myself. You were good at explaining how it's done.

(the poster doesn't know this) You probably taught me, Snow..............everything I know I have learned from you (laughing hard now).............

I accidentally broke 2 of my first AV leaf's and just did this exact method gessiegail described based on my own speculation. They have both rooted ( very very well rooted even! ) but no babies and all the others have babies so not sure if maybe its just slower. Either of you made this observation? ( I know 2 cases is not exactly scientific but hey a trend is a trend! )

It is slower..................I am thinking maybe it is because there is not much leaf mass left when I got through with mine (LOL)

Thank you everyone for your help and for your suggestions.

I googled a bit, and read to be sure the leaf itself stays dry..hm...I guess they mean the top of the leaf only?...because the bottom is supposed to be scored like a begonia and sit on the soil?

...and also to split the petiole area up the leaf about one inch up, to increase the callus surface area...(makes sense to me because I do something similar to rose cuttings...).

I guess it will be an interesting experiment.
Thanks, again for all of your help
-T

good luck.........it will work...............I use 1/2 perlite and 1/2 vermiculite for leaves............keep them with high humidity until they are rooted and then wait for the babies...........

I looked it up in my American Horticultural book of propagation, and it said to make sure there is humidity under the leaf, but not on top, so took the glass lid off...

It said score the veins and lay on surface of medium, or cut into one inch squares and pin to soil. It said the squares will produce more babies, so that is what I'm trying.

Does anyone know if the rooted stem(that has no leaf) will sprout, or slowly die?

You can do that without being under glass...........but then, go to www.rachelsreflections.com
and she will tell you to put your little solo cups (with drainage holes on the bottom) and set in a plastic container of some kind with a little water in it all the time for humidity.............

I will definitely do that and I think that is a great link, but these are in a glass container with no drainage.

The hort. book said to watch for the beginning signs of fungus which would be a slight orange coloring to the leaf, or stem, followed by rot.

The stem one had a tiny spot of orange starting, so lifted the lid off that one. I feel like in my particular situation, since I don't have the drainage, that I might have them a little too wet right now. I'll leave the lid off for a little bit until they dry to "perfectly moist", instead of "wet"...

I tried absorbing some of the excess water with a papertowel pressed to the soil, but I can only get out so much. I'm sure I'll be able to put the lid back on in a few days, or so.

So any thoughts on the stem one, and if it can set a baby, or since it has no leaf, will it slowly starve and die???

I am new to African Violets...............but don't every try to root anything without drainage...........

Taylor, I'm certainly glad the little sucker plant arrived whole so you at least have that to grow for sure. And now you can have fun with the leaf that broke trying these different methods!!

I'd be really interested to see if that root ball sent anything up as it was a nice sized root ball. But with no green above to feed it??

I had read where gessiegail had mentioned planting the mid rib and I now have a well rooted leaf of Ma's Winter Moon done that way but no babies yet....

Gail check out this leaf from the Heartlands Lime Sherbet you had sent me in the bingo box, I've never seen babies growing on the leaf like this (not that I've seen that many babies LOL) but mine have all come up in the dirt next to the mama leaf, what do you think of this piggy back style??

~Brenda

Another shot of Heartlands Lime Sherbet....

Wow, bmedel................I have never seen that happen................ever.................I know someone (not me) that actually used a razor blade to ruff up the petiole surface of a leaf.......and i would lthink that might cause it...................hope it puts out a lot more babies.........I am sure it will...............that is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!! a first for many of us to see...........