The New-to-me Non-Disposable African Violet - February 2022
There's a pattern in our house with *some* houseplants: We buy one from Trader Joe's. Bring it home. It looks great for a bit. Blooms right away. Then, heads into decline. Which, usually leads to being put outside (during the Summer) or tossed into the compost pile when it dies. One of the plants that has come home a couple of times from TJs is the African Violet. It blooms, but is, frankly...disposable. Or at least, that's what I thought.
Sure feels like we have some leafs that I could pluck off and use in propagation to try to grow even MORE African Violets, right? Thinking that I'd leave that new growth in the middle intact, but maybe there are two or three leaves I could use as cuttings?
I came across this video on Garden Answer's YouTube page where she talks us through propagation of succulents, some fishbone cactus and African Violets. Wait, what? Taking apart and planting cuttings of African Violets to make MORE of them? This is the part of the video (10:09) where she starts the African Violets. Huh. Had no idea.
Watching that sent me down a little Web digging hole where I found this post on the Spruce that has a headline that scratches me right where I itch: African Violets Shouldn't Be Throw-Away Plants—Here's How to Keep Them Alive. See??? We're not the only ones.
We currently have ONE African Violet on hand that has been kinda surviving this Winter after bringing it inside. It last bloomed in Fall after a little comeback from being outside during the Summer (in the shade). Here it is below:
As for making the project viable....there are some considerations: The video talks about humidity domes and how it is important to keep these humid during the beginning phase. In order to pull off this project, seems that I need: a tent for humidity, some African Violet soil and some small containers that fit INSIDE the tent. Let me see if I can round up the supplies and give this a try this weekend. Maybe that glass terrarium that I was going to put to work for the Maidenhair Fern would work here? Winter gardening is for indoor gardening, right?
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