Starting your new leaves
Your leaves will be individually packed in a plastic bag, labeled with the name, wrapped in tissue paper inside a box.
With each order is an African Violet Information sheet and Staged growing hints for you to help get the best results for your new leaves.
Pots for standard size leaves could be a drink cup with holes in the bottom for drainage or a 70mm pot from Jane. A wick of nylon yarn or cord.
Here are some suggested items to have ready to pot up your new leaves.
1. Pots with a nylon wick. 70mm for standard leaves, 55mm pot for miniature leaves
2. Leaf mix; 1/3 Vermiculate, 2/3 Perlite.
3. Fertilizer
4. A container to act as a reservoir to sit your pots onto so the wick goes into the bottom to draw up the nutrient.
Takeaway container, plastic box from a $2 type shop with holes in the lid for the wick
Pots for miniature leaves could be a medicine cup, a shot glass, a coffee pod for very small leaves, or a 55mm pot from Jane
A thin nylon wick for the pot. e.g. Brickies Line from the $2 shop or hardware shop.
A sharp knife (scalpel) and cutting board to make a fresh cut at the end of the leaf.
Your new leaf, pot with moistened wick in it, leaf propagating mix and a small plastic bag to place over the leaf.
Label your pot with plant name and date.
I use white Electrical tape and a permanent marker. Easy to remove from the pot later on. Always keep track of your plant name.
Cut the leaf straight at the base, then a cut at 45 Deg. angle. In the sloping cut, make a slit in the center to form a forked tongue. This is where the roots and the babies grow from.
Place leaf into moistened mix, approx. 1cm for standards, 1/2 cm for miniature leaves, standing upright, Water through with room temperature water. Cover with a plastic bag. Let stand to drain for awhile before placing onto your reservoir with the wick into the bottom.
Place into a warm, well lit area. Careful of windows at night. They get very cold.
Put nutrient solution into your reservoir to provide food for the mother leaf.