Taking African Violet (Saintpaulia) Leaf Cuttings in Water
In this guide we show you how to take an african violet (Saintpaulia) leaf cutting in a jar of water.
Step 1
Choose a healthy african violet (Saintpaulia) plant from which to take your leaf cuttings from. You can use any Saintpaulias except the Chimera type. (Chimera Saintpaulias are ones that produce stripped petals. These have to be propagated by division if you want a plant exactly the same as its parent).
Step 2
Cut a healthy mature leaf from the parent plant with a sharp pair of secateurs or a sharp knife. Ensure you have a clean cut, if not trim the end again. The leaf cutting should be taken with as a long a stalk as possible.
Step 3
Fill a clean jam jar with water.
Step 4
Make a lid for your jam jar. It needs to be made of a supportive material that you can make a hole in. Tin foil or clingfilm is ideal for this.
Step 5
Make a hole in the centre of the foil or clingfilm lid with a pencil or similar sized utensil. This will be about the right size for the Saintpaulia leaf stem to fit through. Do not use the leaf cutting to make the hole as you will damage the leaf.
Step 6
Place the Saintpaulia leaf stalk through the hole so that it is in contact with the water. The foil or clingfilm lid will then support the leaf and stop it getting wet.
Then place the jar in a brightly lit spot but away from direct sunlight. Too bright a spot can cause leaf scorch or cause the leaf to form dry brown spots and fail to root. A temperature of 18 to 24 degrees is ideal.
If the water goes cloudy replace with fresh water. Top up the water as necessary if it evaporates or is used up by the leaf.
Step 7
After a few weeks the leaf stalk should grow roots. Once the roots are a couple of centimetres long the leaf can be transplanted into african violet compost. (Alternatively you can use a houseplant compost). Handle very gently when doing this to avoid damaging the fragile roots. Keep the baby plant moist for the first week to prevent shock from transplanting.
