New roots!

Hi all AV lovers! I have a green thumb, but when it comes to AV's... well, let's just say... sometimes I need some help! LOL Here's the deal: I tried a little "experiment" on my AV cuttings a couple of months ago. I put some long-stemmed cuttings in water in clear cups, and attached foil at the top for support (I put holes in the foil for the stems, and also air/water holes). Lo and behold... the things have actually rooted - or at least started to! Take a look at my pics if you have any advice on whether I should plant them, etc... or what to do at this point, feel free! I have never seen such fluffy and thin roots..... (see the 2nd pic).......

I love my AV's..... but I am still learning how to care fo them... and hope this was a decent way to propagate... (not sure at this point!).. I have tried propagating in soil without any luck.. much thanks in advance!

2nd pic.....

Great Job ambuzz! That is exactly how my dear Mother In Law taught me how to root AV's 38 years ago! I haven't rooted AV's in water in many years but still root a lot of other plants that way. I sometimes have decent luck potting plants up after they have rooted in water but sometimes plants just don't make it. I've heard that it's difficult for those fine, watery roots to adapt to soil and begin growing stronger soil roots!

I think if you pot them up in a light fluffy, well draining mix and dome them for the extra humidity, you will probably see those little green baby "ears" getting larger and stronger in no time!

Hopefully some of the more experienced AV growers will be along shortly with some good advice.

Good luck and keep us posted on your babies!


edited to correct spelling



This message was edited Aug 6, 2008 1:15 PM

That's great it worked out for you.If you root in water again,transfer the plants to soil as soon as they have a few good roots and before baby plantlets appear.They will be much easier to plant that way.
Lynn

Great! I root that way or in rooting mix. They both work. Yes, get them into some nice mix now. Fun to see them root and grow!

Thanks plantlady! I was afraid it might make them harder to grow in soil, but I am so glad to hear it has worked for your mother in law.. with success..... very nice.. !!! I am not sure, but It seems like it took a little longer to root in water than it would have in a light potting mix...? About 2 months or so.... man, was I patient! But fun every day to check and see what was going on ... :-)

Lynn and Sally, also much thanks for your input. I will definitely go ahead and put them in a dome and light mix. I'm scared - - wish me luck! ha

Amy

All done! Does this look about right? I put them in custard cups so I can keep a little water around them for extra humidity and then dixie cups for domes. Should I keep them moist, but not soggy? Also, any words of wisdom on how long to leave the domes on? Again, much thanks for any help!

I hate to get in on this at this point but I always (and don't use another way) root african violet leaves in only perlite and 1/2 vermiculite..............dome them for at least 5 weeks...........and then wait for babies.........good luck on these leaves not rotting in a soil less mix.........

As gessiegail says,there are many ways to root them,and her method is the more sterile way.One thing I think there is confusion about is that doming is to allow plants or leaves to set roots.Yours are already rooted.Keeping them covered all the time will cause them to rot.If they are standing up on their own,remove the covers.Water them when the soil is dry a little ways down.Be careful not to keep them constantly wet.
Lynn

I have problems sometimes trying to transition AV's or other plants from water to soil. With those fine watery roots ... everything always wilts rather quickly after potting up, probably from the shock of going from water to soil. Some make it, some don't.

Amy I didn't know you liked av's..well you came to the right place for help with them..everyone on this forum is so friendly and helpful..You will be growing like a pro in no time at all..looks like you already can root them really well..your leaves look right at home in the mix..hope they do well for you and you get tons of babies from them..Good Luck : )

Well hi, Nancy! Yes I do like AV's but they sometimes don't like me :) I am hoping these guys make it. Who knows, if all goes well, maybe you'll get one in a future trade! hee hee

To dome or not to dome... thoughts?

I dome so the leaves don't get dehyrated.............once the roots are formed, I can take the dome off while the babies are forming. Having said that: it is very important once I divide the babies and pot them into individual pots to dome them again until they get real stable. And...........whoever said , 'don't overwater' is right............don't overwater...........just the dome on there is almost enough humidity to not even water at all...............I usually leave the dome on after I separate babies about 2 weeks.........(remember the babies are now planted in a soil less mix)

It is hard to overwater then the leaves are rooting and making babies in perlite and vermiculite...............even if they are domed........

I have done it both ways, but I usually just have leaves in rooting mix, no dome. Seems to work fine either way.

Sally, are you saying that you root gessie leaves in soil less mix with no dome???????

AV leaves. Yes. I have done it both ways. Usually, they are in the mix from Ken.

I have rooted AV leaves in a mix of miracle grow potting soil with lots of perlite and not domed and they root easily. But, I also have stuck leaves in the terrarium and they root and show baby ears so much faster in that humid environment!

I agree about not over-watering, so easy to do and can surely be the demise of those babies!

Interesting ideas! Well, I am tempted to try to dome 1/2 and then not dome the other 1/2. My home is low-humidity and cool, so I am wondering if doming might be necessary in my case. I think I'll try this 1/2 and 1/2 method, water nearly never, and keep a close watch on them! Will keep you all posted..! Crossing my fingers! :)

I think your 1/2..1/2 idea is a good one Amy..I think its fun to run little experiments...let us know how it works..

I have rooted streps with no dome on the at all.. That is the only things that are now starting to come up with babies.. The ones that I paid a small fortune for all died in there domes... So who knows ??? Not I...LOLOL
Hugs,
Susan

I can't dome too much, especially cuttings or leaves ... with the high humidity we have it would cause them to rot even quicker.

Well I have to say mine did not get domed because I forgot that part of rooting :-( It was at least a month or more that I remembered I was suppose to :-( but I do have a few coming up so that makes it ok for me...LOL
Hugs,
Susan

When I came here several months ago I was just muddling about in Organic Choice potting soil with no dome. The last three I cut off half the leaf, added one third by volume Coir and bagged them as a dome method. All three are showing plantlets. When just muddling about I easily lost half over the years. Next time I will use something to lighten the medium. Our relative humidity is held at 40% for personal health reasons.

I have never domed when rooting my AV leaves, but wondered with some of them if I should have. Just seemed to take so long to produce those little ones. ??? And then, some of the leaves seem to be just as individual as some of the parents, with their own likes and dislikes. Just as I seem to do better with some than others. Funny!
Laura

I set three foam coffee cup potted leaves in a gallon baggie and leave the top pinched shut in the center with a paper clip. Guessing the average to plantlet is two to three months.....although that is reporting on the first three. That may not be enough to establish an average. There are many different plants in the violet clan. I'm sure it is much faster than those I did not dome and I had no loss with the first three. Cutting half the leaf away from the main vein may also be an advantage. When I cut the half leaf away I did not make the cut right up against the main vein. The secondary veins are much smaller and heal quickly. Left them cure a day and then went into the baggie.

I used kelp tea as a rooting hormone on one, alfalfa tea on one and nothing on one. The plantlets all showed up within the same two or three week period. In keeping with my usual organization I forgot to label them. I will not know what I started until they bloom.

Just wanted to post an update... I noticed babies are rising to the top of the soil in a couple of the AV's... I have lost exactly NONE (I can't believe it!). I also wanted you all to know that I did not dome after all, and I only watered these little guys when I planted them and then one other time... in a month! These things, as I have found out, do not like being watered at all. They are dry as a bone, and they LOVE it... along with artificial light on a timer. Also I used Super Thrive and AV fertilizer both times I watered them. The "soil" is about 1/3 perlite, 2/3 AV mix. No regular soil. I am very happy, and surprised at the results so far! :)

Hi ambuzz,

I just saw this site and wanted to add that I only start out my AV leaves in water. I take a small glass cup or canning jar and rubberband a ziplock baggie on it. Punch up to 4-5 holes the size of the leaf. Cut 1/3 to 1/2 off the leaf at a slant and insert. I place under lights or in a window sill if it is warm. It may take a few weeks even a month to get roots. I let the roots grow and then dip in hormone and plant in 2 inch pots. Then I wait another (up to three months) watering them from the bottom only when dry. I don't dome and it is very dry out here. I rarely lose one but th process takes about 4-6 months from start to finish. It is so fun to grow and share the babies. I have about 20 right now and I am not the best with labeling so I have to guess from leaf shape, color and sometimes wait for them to flower.

When rooting in water,you should always let the cut end dry for an hour or so before inserting.This stops any possible rot problems.If you remove them from the water as soon as a few roots form and plant them directly in little Solo cups in AV soil,you should have babies emerging within a month.

Lynn

Thanks for that information Ibrabec, I did not know to let the end dry. I wonder why mine take so long for babies to start. I can almost count on three months. It is a long time to wait. But I use the 2" pots, so I will try smaller.

If they form a lot of water roots,it takes time for them to adjust to a soil mix.That coud be the problem.Some cultivars just naturally take a long time to start making babies.

As home growers I think we sometimes try to measure up to what others have said when we do not have the same growing factors. Not only are plants different so are the potting mediums, the water supply, the cutting techniques and the amount of sunlight and control if any of inside temperature and humidity. Therefore..........if we have success that is all that really counts. Comparisons can not be made unless all of the growing factors and plant factors are equal.

Worry about this and that used to drive me nuts. Then one day I sat back and simply came to realize that my plants developed and grew. Soon they would bloom and that was all it was all about.

Well said.I think sometimes we do stress a little over our "babies',but in the end it's a very relaxing hobby.
Lynn

Last year in Feb. I was the proud owner of one violet. Then I pulled of a swap of sorts with Critter who gave me a bunch of cuttings. Since then I can count many that will have been started and should be flowering by this Feb. It may be a bit of an insanity but I am excited to see what I have started come into bloom. By Feb. I will be ready to do onto others as they have done unto me..........or something like that. Fun? You bet.