My experiment in starting african violets. 

  this page last updated 24/08/2004

I considered the fact roots have to fill the container before there is any top growth, along with  the rooting hormone conclusion I came to in another experiment  and decided to try rooting leaves in creamer cups filled with vermiculite thus giving them a smaller space to fill with roots and using a rooting hormone to aid them in their growth .  Here is the result.

Leaves I started on June 26 are in the delivery room!  Previously I was reserving judgment on the "time factor" but now there are enough different varieties coming up that I am most certain this method gives faster results. Here are two pictures

Mvc-217s.jpg (25533 bytes)Da Vinci set June 26
Mvc-218s.jpg (23816 bytes)Emerald Love set June 28
The two leaves I mentioned previously were of a variety that was said to be fast to propagate. There are enough different leaves up now that I know for a fact this is a much faster way to propagate leaves. Since I have to stick to the carefree method of propagation I won't be using this method very often as you do have to make sure the water level stays the same. 

Rachel in Thunder Bay
              

October 16th 2000
creamers.jpg (46609 bytes) These little violets are from leaves set on June 27/2000 using a rooting hormone. I cut the mother leaf right off when the first babies were very small and put them on a regular
feeding program. Today there are two babies in the left creamer cup. One in the 2 1/4" pot and one in the right creamer.  Granted I am getting only 1 or 2 babies this way but when you lift them out of the creamers they come out cleanly with a solid root ball. 
silverLacesNatnak.jpg (36396 bytes)  This of course would not be good for the commercial growers but I am quite happy with the results.  I don't have to toss any babies and they are much stronger starts  than I have ever had before! The root system is fantastic on these little ones.  LOL  now I am thinking "hmmm" a half an egg shell has possibilities  too doesn't it? 
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