EasyBloom Forum

I am attempting to propagate leaf cuttings of African Violets. I planted leaf cuttings from two different plants with half perlite half peat moss. The leaf cuttings are living but after months still has not put up babies. My gut instinct is telling me the mix is to heavy. Can anyone please tell me what could be going wrong ? Thank you !

Hey Brett...Where did you cut the leaf? Did you cut right through the blade? Or did you cut the stem-like part of the leaf (aka the petiole)? If you did the latter, your chances are better for propagation. What I have done in the past is cut the petiole and then stick the petiole into pre-moistened soil. I will usually use my pinky finger to make a hole for the petiole to slide into as well. Then I would compress some soil around the petiole (just enough to give it support; like you said, the soil needs to be loose). Normally, you wouldn't have to use any type of rooting hormone, but if you think that your leaf cutting just isn't forming any roots, you could try that out. I would recommend using a low concentration rooting hormone. Root Tone is probably the most popular brand of rooting hormone available. You can purchase this at most nurseries. It comes in a powder form. You would dip the freshly cut petiole into the powder and then place the dipped leaf into the soil. If you're using rooting compound, it is important to use that pinky to form a hole before putting the leaf in the soil. You wouldn't want the rooting compound to rub off by shoving it through the soil.

When rooting any plant, you will come across a fundamental problem: the cutting does not start off with roots and therefore cannot sufficiently supply water to the leaf and/or stem. To stymie this problem, I would try to create a little microclimate around the cuttings that was high in humidity. (High humidity decreases the rate of water loss from the leaves. Unfortunately, it can also increase the rate of fungal infection. In my experience though, decreasing the loss of water from the leaves is more important.) Creating a high humidity microclimate around some cuttings is actually easier than you might think. What I've done in the past is root cuttings in small plastic cups that are filled with loose soil. The cups should have holes in the bottom. Remember to pre-moisten that soil. Place the cup in a zip lock bag with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. The water will seep through the holes in the plastic cup and wick up to the leaf cutting. It's important not to seal the bag. The cuttings will still need to breathe. Oxygen is very important for rooting, which is partly why loose soil is necessary for rooting. The loose soil not only allows the roots to easily penetrate the soil, but it also allows oxygen to get to the plant tissue that needs it.

I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers...Dr. Robby

Thanks Doc. I cut the petiole. I did kind of create a micro climate of sorts.Ii took a standard tray and covered it with a standard cover. Seems like there is enough moisture. Im wondering if the parent plants were some kind of hybrid and the cuttings may not put up pups as a result. Also,wondering if I should have used a straight perlite planting medium. Thanks for any feedback.

Hey Brett...You can use a straight perlite medium if you wish. I've definitely done that with success. As for the hybrid issue, that shouldn't really be a problem. When you make a cutting like you are, you are essentially making clones of the mother plant. In other words, the genes of the cuttings will be essentially the same of the mother plant's genes. I can't really think of a reason why a hybridized plant would not propagate vegetatively. Generally, hybridized is a good thing (hybrid vigor vs. inbred). Also, it sounds like you're doing the right thing with the tray and cover. Good luck with your cuttings. Definitely let me know if you need any help. I'm always willing to assist fellow gardeners. :) Cheers...Dr. Robby