It’s simple to separate African violet pups, and you’ll have another plant that you may offer to friends or family—or you might just want more to add to your collection.
The day before you intend to separate the pups, water the African violet. Then, add a commercial potting mix made of peat and perlite, or any other well-drained mix, to a 2 inch (5 cm) clay or plastic container. Use a smaller container because using a larger one could cause the pup’s rotting potting mix.
Carefully remove the mother plant from the pot. To find the pups, gently push the leaves apart. Use scissors or a sharp knife to separate the pup from the mother plant.
With the tip of your finger, poke a hole through the pot’s middle. After placing the pup in the hole, gently compress the potting mixture around the stem. Water sparingly.
Put a clear plastic bag over the pot to make a tiny greenhouse. A clean plastic milk jug with the “spout end cut off” can also be used. Set the pot in a spot with good, soft light. Make sure the puppy is shielded from heating vents and drafts.
Use lukewarm water to water sparingly as needed to maintain the potting mix just moist enough but never saturated. Use one gallon of water and 1/4 teaspoon of balanced, water-soluble fertilizer to feed the puppy once each week. Always hydrate the puppy before fertilizing it.
To let in some fresh air, occasionally open the bag or take the cover off. This is especially crucial if the plastic appears to be condensing. After four weeks, take off the plastic cover for a brief while before gradually lengthening the time each day until the pup is no longer shielded by the greenhouse environment.
Is it advisable to divide my African violet?
African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha), which have fuzzy foliage and cheerful flowers, give container gardens a year-round boost of color. Although they can thrive in a protected location outside in USDA plant hardiness zones 11 and 12, they are extremely cold sensitive and must be cultivated indoors in most climates.
The multiplication of African violets can be done in a variety of ways, including division and cuttings. The plants frequently produce numerous crowns that can be divided and used to grow new plants. More quickly than other methods, division propagation produces mature African violet plants. To ensure success, they must be handled carefully as they are prone to damage.
What time of year should I divide my African violets?
Because of their lengthy lives, repotting these flowers is crucial. Ryan McEnaney, public relations and communications specialist for Bailey Nurseries, advises consumers to keep in mind that African violets can live for up to 50 years. To avoid becoming overly root-bound, plants can be repotted into larger pots as they mature. It’s probably time to relocate your African violet when it has doubled or quadrupled the size of your container and the leaves are beginning to wilt, according to McEnaney.
However, you don’t have to repot your plants right away. If your African violet appears to have outgrown its container, don’t rush to relocate it, advises Brian Parker, senior merchant for Live Goods at Home Depot. “African violets are best when their roots are in a little bound condition,” he adds. “They will produce and perform for years and years with just a simple routine of the right light and food,” the speaker said.
Can two African violets be planted together?
I have a beautiful decorative pot that I would want to place three small violets into. The pot includes drainage holes and is around 10 wide. Is this possible?
both yes and no. The violets can be placed in the same pot as long as they are otherwise taken care of appropriately. Watering should be done with caution because these violets will be grossly overpotted. Even while three miniature violets’ leaves could readily fill a container with 10 gallons of surface area, their root systems couldn’t. The amount of soil in this pot is significantly greater than the sum of the soil volumes in the three minis’ individual pots. Additionally, keep in mind that violets develop best when they are not forced to compete for space and are not crowded together. Plants must compete with one another for light, water, and nutrients when they are packed together, which can prevent leaves from growing fully or correctly.
If you still want to combine three violets into one pot, we advise keeping each one separate first before adding it to the larger container. Given that the individual plants’ root systems would remain in their appropriate size pots, at the very least, this will lessen the chance of overwatering. Additionally, doing so would make it simple for you to switch out one plant for another in the future, ensuring that the arrangement always looks its best. If you decide to plant a violet in the large container, using a trailing variety would probably be the best option. Trailing kinds can more easily fill a container with such a huge diameter because they are spreading plants by nature. However, they still develop thin root systems, thus the depth of the container can be a problem. Fill the bottom of the container with very porous, well-draining material, such as perlite, if it is deeper than a few inches. This size container would be filled the fastest and most easily by a standard-size trailing variety, which is also the easiest to produce. Although it would take much longer, micro and semiminiature trailers would also expand to fit the container.
Can you cut an African violet for a cutting?
Leaf cuttings are a simple way to multiply African violets. Cut off a portion of a firm, healthy leaf using a sharp knife. Keep the petiole, or leaf stem, 1 to 112 inches from the leaf blade. Vermiculite and coarse sand mixed 50:50 with moisture should be placed in a pot. Each leaf cutting’s petiole should be inserted into the rooting medium at a 45-degree angle. Each leaf cutting’s petiole should be firmly encircled by the rooting medium.
Once all of the cuttings have been placed, moisten the rooting media and let it drain for a while. Next, put a transparent plastic bag over the clippings. Use tape or a rubber band to attach the plastic bag to the pot. The leaf cuttings’ water loss is significantly reduced by the contained habitat, which also keeps them from withering and dying before they have a chance to take root. Place the pot in a well-lit area. Normal root formation takes three to four weeks. In six to eight weeks, new plants typically sprout leaves.
At the base of each petiole, many plants typically emerge. Carefully pluck or cut apart the plants to separate them. Individualize plant care by potting each one into a container with a well-drained potting mix.
How frequently do African violets need to be watered?
Although they are often simple to care for, African violets need some effort to grow.
How frequently to water African violets is one of the most crucial considerations while caring for plants.
One of the most frequent mistakes made with this kind of plant is overwatering, therefore caution is necessary.
African violets typically require watering once a week, though this can change depending on the environment and potting mix.
In contrast, you might only need to water them every other week if you reside in a cooler environment.
Put your finger in the potting mix to get an idea of how frequently to water your African violets.
How Often To Water African Violets Indoors
The first factor affecting how frequently you need to water the plants is your home’s temperature and humidity.
You might have to water your African violets more frequently if your house is extremely warm or dry.
Second, the kind of potting mix you use can have an impact on how frequently you need water.
African violet potting mixtures are frequently drier, so they might not require as much watering.
On the other hand, potting mixtures created for different kinds of plants could require more frequent watering.
To make sure the plant needs water before watering, like with all plants, it is best to examine the potting mix.
African violets should generally be watered when the potting soil feels dry to the touch.
How Often To Water African Violets Outdoors
There are a few considerations if you are growing African violets outside.
The climate and weather will decide how much water they require.
You might need to water them more frequently if you live in a region with high humidity.
You might need to water them less frequently if you reside in a low-humidity environment.
After giving them a good drink, let the soil totally dry out before giving them another drink.
Checking the soil is the best approach to figure out how frequently to water your African violets.
African violets should be watered in the morning so that the leaves have time to dry before dusk. This will aid in the prevention of fungus illnesses.
The following general instructions are for watering African violets outside:
- If you reside somewhere with a lot of humidity, give your plants a good watering every 5-7 days.
- Water your plants every 3 to 5 days if you reside in a dry area.
- Water your plants every two to three days if you reside in a hot area.
- You should water your plants every 7 to 10 days if you reside in a chilly area.
Depending on the climate where you live, your particular plants can require more or less watering.
How Often Should You Water African Violets From the Bottom
The more conventional approach of watering from the top is fine for African violets.
The benefit of watering from the bottom is that the water may get to the roots directly, promoting strong development.
Additionally, it lessens the risk of fungal illnesses by keeping the leaves dry and preventing waterlogging.
Put your African violet plants in a saucer or tray with water and water them from the bottom.
Once every week, or whenever the top inch of soil is dry, the bottom should be watered.
The more conventional approach, watering from the top, is fine for African violets.
The biggest benefit of watering plants from the top is that it is simpler to determine whether they are receiving enough water.
Start by watering your African violet plant once a week and increase as necessary if you’re unclear of how much water it requires.
Use a watering can or cup to pour water onto the soil until it is uniformly wet to water from the top.
Feel free to experiment and find which works best for you and your African violets as each watering technique has benefits.
The most crucial thing is to monitor the soil’s moisture and make adjustments as necessary.
Once a week, or when the top inch of soil feels dry, water your African violets.
Do African violets grow in number?
By only sticking one of a plant’s leaves into some soil, some plants can be multiplied. These so-called leaf cuttings need to develop roots and branches in order to produce new plants.
If the bottom end of a jade leaf is placed in soil that is occasionally watered, it will sprout roots easily. Such cuttings can occasionally remain dormant, producing new roots but no branches. New shoots are certain to appear by bringing a small piece of the old stem along with the leaf cutting.
Rex begonias and African violets both grow quickly from leaf cuttings. To multiply either of these plants, use the entire leaf or even a portion of it.
Always have your pot of soil ready before you remove the cutting since a disconnected begonia or African violet leaf wilts quickly. And instead of using actual soil, root the cuttings in a sterilized, porous, moisture-retaining mixture. Ideal materials include moist peat moss, pure sand, perlite, or a 1-to-1 mixture of both of these.
African violets and begonias can be multiplied using a variety of leaf cuttings. Take the stalk of an African violet leaf and cut it off. A new plant will grow at the base of the stalk once you insert the stalk into the rooting medium.
A lot of new plants will grow along the cut edge if you cut off the far half of an African violet or begonia leaf and add the cut end of the detached half to the mixture.
Alternately, lightly score a leaf’s veins on the underside before laying it flat on the rooting medium. A new plant will emerge at each cut if you place a few pebbles on the leaf to keep it pressed up against the mixture.
Or you can make tiny, triangular pieces from a single leaf, each with a big vein. Each triangle that is planted upright and partially in the soil will sprout additional shoots.