This beginner tutorial shows how to take cuttings from African violets and grow new plants. Whether you root them in water or soil, these are easy plants to propagate at home. And, once you know how easy it is to propagate African violets, you’ll want to try more.
I’m quite certain I got my love of growing African violets (Saintpaulia) from my mom who always had some in bloom throughout my childhood. There was something so wonderful about having these brilliant purple, pink, and white flowers blooming indoors in the middle of a Canadian winter. That’s because of its profuse and reliable blooming, the ease of care, and the mystique of being a plant native to Africa.
You may see this propagation method referred to as taking leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or growing from leaves-it’s the same thing. Propagating Saintpaulia is relatively easy. From there, it will bud and bloom. The process from cutting to new plant with blooms takes about 9 to 12 months.
If you have never started a violet from a leaf cutting, it opens a new world of enjoyment for many growers. Starting a violet leaf is easy, fast, and inexpensive. Once you master propagation, you will find that you are no longer just enjoying the pretty flowers but becoming a capable grower who understands violets better. Some even believe that the plants they get from propagation are stronger than plants they buy - and more adapted to their own growing conditions. Putting down leaves is the first step to becoming a skilled grower.
Two Main Methods for Rooting African Violet Cuttings
There are two main ways to root African violet cuttings: in water or soil (growing medium).
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Rooting in Water
One way to propagate African violets is to root a leaf stem (“petiole”) cutting in water. It’s not my preferred way since roots grown in water tend to be less durable than those started in potting mix, but I’ll share how it’s done just in case you want to try it. The traditional way is to place a piece of wax paper over the top of a baby food jar filled with warm water. Hold the paper in place with an elastic band. Roots should grow and, when a few inches long, the plant can be potted.
I grew up using the water method but switched when I tested rooting cuttings in perlite and/or vermiculite and found it much more reliable. Like me, you may find that roots grown in water tend to be bloated and unstable.
Rooting in Soil
You can also use a light potting mix instead. The method I’m using here has many variations. I hope you will feel encouraged to try it and adapt as you like. On the other hand, the ones started in a light, growing medium seem to put their energy right into new plantlet growth.
Whenever you propagate cuttings there will be hits and misses so always do a few extras.
Materials Needed
- Vermiculite
- Perlite
- Potting mix for African violets
- 2-inch pots
- Scalpel
- Dibber (or pencil)
- Humidity dome, plastic clamshell, or clear plastic bag (optional)
- Humidity reader (thermometer hygrometer) (optional)
For the rooting medium, I made my own. I suggest Miracle-Gro Perlite combined with Miracle-Gro’s African Violet Potting Mix. Miracle-Gro’s African Violet Potting Mix is excellent for many young plants. It offers a slightly acidic composition that drains well and is full of rich organic material, making it useful for more than just African violets.
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Step-by-Step Instructions for Taking Leaf Stem Cuttings
Here are step-by-step instructions for taking leaf stem cuttings (petiole) from African violets to grow new plants:
- Prepare Growing Medium: Combine equal parts vermiculite and perlite or fill 2-inch pots with potting mix. Alternately, you can just use potting mix made for African violets. Soak filled pots in water and allow to drain.
- Take Cuttings: Take cuttings from 3rd row of leaves from middle of plant using clean scalpel taking at least 1-inch of stem with the leaf. Write plant tag for each cutting if you want to track them (flower color, etc.).
- Trim Leaf Stem: Place cutting on table with fuzzy side up. Cut last inch of stem at 45-degree angle, tapering to base. I like to use a scalpel, getting a nice, clean cut.
- Plant Cutting: Use dibber in potting mix to create hole and insert cutting with leaf resting on side of pot. Bottom of leaf should be just above soil level.
- Grow Cuttings: Close lid on clamshell if humidity is low (under 40%). Provide 12 hours light per day. East-facing natural light (without hot sun) is good. Avoid drastic temperature changes and drafts.
- Keep even moisture and open clamshell if condensation forms.
The scale of this operation is up to you, the gardener. For this project I mixed two parts perlite to one part African violet potting mix.
Fill the two-inch pots (or whatever size you have) with the rooting medium. Use a pencil or any similarly-sized object to poke holes through the soil. Remove mature and healthy leaves from the host plant. Select leaves from the middle row of the plant to use as cuttings. The leaves forming from the very center of the plant are the youngest, and the largest leaves on the outside are the oldest.
You may have seen tutorials where the leaf is also reduced in size, by cutting off the top two-thirds or one half. I do not do this. I’ve found the stem forms roots just fine regardless and I don’t like how it looks when they are cut.
I mark the mother plant pot with a code on a piece of tape and write a duplicate one to place on the little pot used for the cutting.
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Using a dibber (or the end of a pencil), create a hole in the growing medium to accommodate the leaf stem.
Place the potted and soon-to-be-beautiful African violets into the clamshell containers. Leaves are too tall to fit in the greenhouse container. These cuttings fit just right. A temporary home for growing Saintpaulia. Your ultimate goal at this point is to do your best to mimic the natural habitat Saintpaulia originates from.
Is rooting hormone required? Nope! African violet cuttings do not require rooting hormone. They grow roots just fine without further assistance.
Not always. Some plants are patented and propagation is prohibited. Check your plant tag.
Before we get started with this step, recognize that rooting powder is a very mild irritant. If ingested, it can cause stomach discomfort and it can irritate any mucous membranes it comes into contact with. Lightly dip each stem into the rooting hormone. I’ve always dipped my cuttings right into the bottle of hormone powder, but you can shake some of the hormone onto a flat surface if you prefer. You don’t need much, only a light coating. Carefully tap off the extra powder from the leaf stem. Carefully place the stem of each leaf into the rooting medium. The blade of the leaf should just touch the surface of the rooting medium.
Another lesson in Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - for those plastic supports, I used old plant tags. There always seem to be a few lying around. It will need to be large enough to place your pots inside, and for the pots and the leaves they contain to remain upright when the lid of the container is closed.
Auxins are a plant hormone located in the tip of a stem that encourage elongation.
How to Grow African Violets from Leaf Cuttings
Caring for Cuttings
It is important that the humidity remain high until the baby plants are well-rooted. Place the prepared pots of cuttings into zip-lock plastic bags, clear clam-shell food containers, or clear plastic storage containers. You can even cover a single pot with a clear glass jar.
Check the cuttings a few times a week for moisture and add a small amount of water if necessary. Some growers fertilize regularly with dilute (1/4 strength) liquid fertilizer. Do not wet the leaves, as this can cause harm to the plant.
Place the container in indirect light, preferably in an East-facing window or under grow lights. Direct or excess light can burn the leaves. Provide light for 10-12 hours daily but don't leave the lights on all of the time. The plants need a dark, downtime each day to grow.
If your humidity levels stay around 50% or higher, you will not need to cover the cuttings. You can use a simple humidity reader (thermometer hygrometer) like this one at Amazon to check levels ongoing. If your humidity level is consistently low (40% or less), it can help to place some sort of humidity dome, plastic clamshell, or clear, large plastic bag over the cuttings (without touching them).
Some moisture will likely form on the inside of the humidity dome. If it’s really damp, remove it-you don’t want that much moisture present. How often you water the growing medium will depend entirely on the humidity levels and other growing conditions in your home. Water droplets should form on the inside of the clamshell lid. If they are present, no watering is necessary. And, as mentioned, if it’s really damp (dripping, making the growing medium wet), remove the lid.
Growth and Development
In 2-3 months, you should notice little green balls appearing at soil level. From the time you take an African violet cutting, root it in growing medium, and have enough new growth to consider it a new plant takes approximately six months. After about nine months to a year you could get new blooms. Timing will, of course, vary depending on the plant and growing conditions.
Also, not every new stems may survive or you may need to reduce how many you keep to ensure that they each have adequate growing space. Around 6-7 months you should have enough new growth from a crown to pot up your new plant.
Upshifting to Larger Pots
After 8 weeks, young plantlets with leaves should appear at the cut surface of the stem. When the baby leaves grow to dime-size (miniature varieties) or to quarter-size (standard varieties), the plants can be moved to their final pots.
Squeeze the sides of the original container to loosen the soil. Slide out the soil and gently pull and tease away the baby plants from the mother leaf. Take care not to injure the delicate roots of the new plants. Discard the mother leaf; the mother leaf is no longer needed and will only rot away. Plant the babies into suitably sized pots of African violet mix.
Additional Tips for Success
Here are some additional tips to help you successfully propagate African violet leaves:
- Is it better to root African violet cuttings in water or soil? While you can root these cuttings in soil or water, I find, overall, cuttings rooted in potting mix made for African violets or a mixture of vermiculite and perlite yields better results.
- How long does it take for roots to form on African violet cuttings? Roots will start forming on African violet cuttings within days and will be 1 to 2-inches long within a month or so.
- How long does it take for African violet cuttings to grow leaflets? African violet cuttings generally take about two to three months for little leaflets to start appearing.
- Should I use fertilizer while propagating African violets? African violet cuttings do not need fertilizer. Fertilizer is usually needed when the plant is mature and capable of flowering.
- Do mature African violets need fertilizer? Yes, you can fertilize mature (capable of flowering) African violets with a product like Organic Violet! African Violet Plant Food. Be sure to follow the product instructions and do not over-do it.
General African Violet Care
Here are some general care tips for African violets:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Sunlight | East or west windows are recommended. Avoid excessive heat and cold. |
| Water | Water deeply, until the saucer fills. Empty the saucer after 30 minutes. Best to water from below and avoid wetting leaves. |
| Humidity | 40-50 percent. A household humidifier and keeping up with watering can help. |
| Pot Type | Plastic or clay. Plastic works best in low humidity households. |
| Fertilizer | One popular type used is Organic Violet! |
| Reblooming | If growing conditions are optimal, by snipping off old flowers (“disbudding”), new blooms may appear in 6 to 8 weeks. |
Congratulations! You are now an African Violet propagator! Enjoy your new gardening skill!
