African violets are very easily propagated from leaf. Even
inexperienced growers can quickly produce additional plants and expand their
collection.
Step
1: Remove and trim leaf. Remove a fresh leaf from the
plant that you wish to propagate. It's best to use a mature leaf, but not
one that's old and tough. Using a sharp knife or razor, trim away the top
of the leaf blade. This isn't a necessary step, but it will encourage
faster production of roots and plantlets from the leaf when it's rooted, and
will stop the leaf itself from growing.
Step
2: Cut leaf petiole. Cut the petiole (i.e. leaf stem) at a 45
degree angle, cut-side facing up, to about 1/2" in length. By cutting
at an angle, this will encourage more root and plantlet production, and they
will more likely appear in front of the rooted leaf, rather than hidden behind
or underneath it.
Step
3: Root the leaf cutting. Fill a small pot with your rooting
medium. This mix should be very light and porous. Our rooting mix is
1 part Pro-Mix (a soil-less peat an perlite mix) and 3 parts coarse
vermiculite. Any mix at least this light is acceptable (some growers use
only vermiculite or mix with perlite). The mix should be moistened (not
too soggy, or the leaf will rot). Make a narrow hole in the mix--we like
to use a "swizzle stick" for doing this. Push the leaf petiole
into this hole, up to the bottom of the leaf blade (as shown), and firm-in
rooting mix around it. More than one leaf cutting may be rooted into a
single pot, if there's room. Label the pot and place it into a clear,
covered container or plastic baggie. Then, place this in a bright place
with moderate temperature--no direct sun or very warm locations, since this may
cause the leaf cutting to rot or burn.
Step
4: Plantlets at 12 weeks. One or more plantlets will begin to
develop from the cut end of the rooted leaf's petiole, and will make their way
above the soil. Those pictured are ready to be separated and planted now,
but we usually wait 4-5 months, since the extra time allows more plantlets to
grow from the cutting. The plantlets also will be just a bit bigger,
easier to handle, and more likely to survive their transplanting.
Step
5: Separate plantlets from leaf cutting. When plantlets are
large enough for you to comfortably handle them, they can be separated from the
"mother" leaf. Remove the cutting from its pot, firmly grasp a
plantlet, and gently pull it away from the leaf cutting. If your rooting
mix is light, and not overly soggy, this should be easily done without need for
a knife. Don't worry too much if your plantlet doesn't have many (or even
any) roots--so long as the plantlet itself is healthy, it will produce roots
when it is potted.
Step
6: Prepare pot for plantlet. Fill a small pot (2" or 2
1/4") with your regular soil mix. Make a small hole deep enough to
hold the plantlet to be potted--we like to use an old pencil to do this.
Step
7: Pot plantlet. Gently push plantlet into hole and firm-in soil
around it. Plantlet should be placed deep enough into soil so that none of
the bare central stem or 'trunk' is exposed, but not so deep as to bury the tiny
growing point in the center of the plant.
Step
8: You're done! Label the plant and lightly water. Larger
plantlets can be immediately placed amongst your other violets. If the
plantlet is still very small and/or has few roots, you might want to place it
into a clear, covered container or plastic baggie. This will provide a
small "terrarium"-like environment, and will protect it while it gets
established. Remove it from this container in a few weeks.
Step
1: Remove and trim leaf. Remove a fresh leaf from the
plant that you wish to propagate. It's best to use a mature leaf, but not
one that's old and tough. Using a sharp knife or razor, trim away the top
of the leaf blade. This isn't a necessary step, but it will encourage
faster production of roots and plantlets from the leaf when it's rooted, and
will stop the leaf itself from growing.
Step
2: Cut leaf petiole. Cut the petiole (i.e. leaf stem) at a 45
degree angle, cut-side facing up, to about 1/2" in length. By cutting
at an angle, this will encourage more root and plantlet production, and they
will more likely appear in front of the rooted leaf, rather than hidden behind
or underneath it. 
Step
3: Root the leaf cutting. Fill a small pot with your rooting
medium. This mix should be very light and porous. Our rooting mix is
1 part Pro-Mix (a soil-less peat an perlite mix) and 3 parts coarse
vermiculite. Any mix at least this light is acceptable (some growers use
only vermiculite or mix with perlite). The mix should be moistened (not
too soggy, or the leaf will rot). Make a narrow hole in the mix--we like
to use a "swizzle stick" for doing this. Push the leaf petiole
into this hole, up to the bottom of the leaf blade (as shown), and firm-in
rooting mix around it. More than one leaf cutting may be rooted into a
single pot, if there's room. Label the pot and place it into a clear,
covered container or plastic baggie. Then, place this in a bright place
with moderate temperature--no direct sun or very warm locations, since this may
cause the leaf cutting to rot or burn.
Step
4: Plantlets at 12 weeks. One or more plantlets will begin to
develop from the cut end of the rooted leaf's petiole, and will make their way
above the soil. Those pictured are ready to be separated and planted now,
but we usually wait 4-5 months, since the extra time allows more plantlets to
grow from the cutting. The plantlets also will be just a bit bigger,
easier to handle, and more likely to survive their transplanting.
Step
5: Separate plantlets from leaf cutting. When plantlets are
large enough for you to comfortably handle them, they can be separated from the
"mother" leaf. Remove the cutting from its pot, firmly grasp a
plantlet, and gently pull it away from the leaf cutting. If your rooting
mix is light, and not overly soggy, this should be easily done without need for
a knife. Don't worry too much if your plantlet doesn't have many (or even
any) roots--so long as the plantlet itself is healthy, it will produce roots
when it is potted.
Step
6: Prepare pot for plantlet. Fill a small pot (2" or 2
1/4") with your regular soil mix. Make a small hole deep enough to
hold the plantlet to be potted--we like to use an old pencil to do this.
Step
7: Pot plantlet. Gently push plantlet into hole and firm-in soil
around it. Plantlet should be placed deep enough into soil so that none of
the bare central stem or 'trunk' is exposed, but not so deep as to bury the tiny
growing point in the center of the plant. 
Step
8: You're done! Label the plant and lightly water. Larger
plantlets can be immediately placed amongst your other violets. If the
plantlet is still very small and/or has few roots, you might want to place it
into a clear, covered container or plastic baggie. This will provide a
small "terrarium"-like environment, and will protect it while it gets
established. Remove it from this container in a few weeks.