Keeping and propagating African violets
Viable seeds of African violet were first collected in 1892 by Baron Walter von Saint Paul-illaire, in what was then German East Africa and today is Tanzania.
Named Saintpaulia in his honour, almost all our modern hybrids are derived from these seeds, representing only two species, Saintpaulia ionontha and S. confusa.
As a young woman in the early 1960s, I taught school in Tanzania. I knew the African violet was native to the Usambara Mountains, but had never seen them until I returned to East Africa in 2008. We found Saintpaulia in the Amani Nature Reserve on the bank of a small stream. They were growing on a vertical granite wall with water dripping down it, in a habitat so dark it required a flash to photograph them.
The leaves were not fuzzy (as are most modern varieties), nor were the plants in bloom. In their native habitat they require constant shade and humidity and are dependent on surface rather than soil moisture.
Modern hybrids have come a long way. Flowers, emerging from the leaf axils, can be double or semi-double with colours from white to pink, red, pale blue and deep purple, each with a distinctive yellow pollen sac in its centre. Varying in size, from minis of less than three inches to “giants” of up to 16 inches, most form low-growing rosettes. Their round or oval leaves are somewhat hairy, green or with variegation.
Considering their origins, is it any wonder these plants are sometimes difficult to grow in our dry prairie homes? They do best with bright but indirect light in a north or east-facing window, as bright sunlight may scorch their leaves. Or grow them about 12 inches below a fluorescent light on for 12 hours a day. They prefer average room temperature (65-72°F), high humidity and good air circulation (but avoid areas with drafts.) While actively growing, fertilize them monthly with a soluble house plant fertilizer at one-quarter strength.
The potting mixture should be light textured (for better drainage) but contain organic matter. Equal parts of peat moss, perlite and vermiculite are recommended. Keep the soil evenly moist but not overly wet. Never allow them to sit in soggy soil. Water should be at room temperature. Avoid wetting the foliage. The pot should have good drainage and be only slightly larger than the plant itself. Pinch off spent flowers and old or damaged leaves.
African violets are easily propagated by leaf cuttings. The leaf cuttings should be healthy, medium sized and of good colour. Those in the centre of the plant are likely too young. Those on the outside too old. Select one from the middle. Use a sharp razor blade to cut the petiole
(leaf stem) to about 1.5 inches. Some sources recommend dipping the petiole in rooting hormone up to but not touching the leaf blade. Insert the petiole about 0.5 inch deep in a hole in an organic but well-draining potting medium under indirect light.
As the leaf cutting may be top-heavy and prone to toppling over and “uprooting,” use an old plant tag for support. If the leaf is overly large, you can snip off the upper half.
The entire pot can be placed in a plastic container or wrapped in a plastic bag to maintain humidity during the rooting process. Open it occasionally to let out excess humidity or to water if dry.
The cutting should root within three to four weeks and new plantlets should poke through the potting medium within eight weeks. Once the plantlets are about two inches in height, uproot the cuttings and carefully separate the plantlets from the mother leaf and place into their own pots. Sara Williams is the author and coauthor of many books including Gardening Naturally with Hugh Skinner, Creating the Prairie Xeriscape, and with Bob Bors, Growing Fruit in Northern Gardens. She continues to give workshops on a wide range of gardening topics throughout the prairies. This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com ). Check our website (www.saskperennial.ca) or Facebook page (www. facebook.com/saskperennial) for a list of upcoming gardening events.