How-To Propagate African Violet (Saintpaulia) for Indoor Blooms

African Violets are known for their soft leaves, easy care and dainty flowers. The most common African Violet is the well-known purple shade; however, you can find Saintpaulia variants that bloom in soft pinks and blues as well as the brilliant purples. Once you purchase an African Violet in your favorite color, you can easily propagate it and have a new, mature plant in as little as six to nine months. That might seem like a long time when you can just go to the local garden store and purchase a new one, however, you will find the pleasure of cultivating your own African Violet well worth the wait.

What you will need:

Healthy African Violet Plant
Rooting medium (Vermiculite and Potting Mix)
Gardening gloves
A small mixing bowl
A sharp knife
A small pot with drainage holes
A plant saucer
Water

Step One: Create Your Rooting Medium

To create rooting medium, combine equal parts vermiculite and potting mix in your mixing bowl. Any potting mix will do, just make sure that it is mix and not potting soil. Potting mix is lighter and allows good drainage, which African Violets need to thrive and create new root systems. You may want to put on gardening gloves as sometimes rich black potting mix can stain the hands and get under fingernails.

Step Two: Moisten Your Rooting Medium

Once your rooting medium is well mixed, using equal parts potting mix and vermiculite, you will need to moisten the mix. You want to make sure your rooting medium is well saturated, but not clumpy or runny. It should be damp but not wet or dripping.

Step Three: Fill Your Container With Rooting Medium

Next you will fill your pot with rooting medium. You may want to place a used coffee filter at the bottom of the pot over the drainage hole. This will help the rooting mix stay put, and your saucer to stay clean (learn more here). You want to fill the pot right up to the top. This is going to be the home of your baby African Violet for the next three months.

Step Four: Remove A Healthy Mature Leaf

Choose a leaf on your African Violet plant that is mature, and appears healthy. The leaf should be fuzzy with no cracks, breaks or tears. It should appear well hydrated and full. The easiest way to remove the stem for propagation is to gently move the chosen leaf stem side to side until it releases from the center stalk. When this is done, you will use your knife to cut the stem approximately one inch down from the leaf on an angle. The angle should just be a slight slant that exposes a decent portion of the stem.

Step Five: Place The Leaf In The Rooting Mix

Once you've carefully removed the African Violet leaf, you'll want to poke your finger in the pot, in the center of the moistened rooting mix. Place the slanted stem into the hole, inserting the stem in the rooting mix all the way up to the base of the leaf. Then rearrange the potting mix so it fits snugly against the leaf stem.

Step Six: Place Your Planter In Indirect Sunlight

For the next six to nine months your African Violet propagation pot will need to be where it will receive bright, indirect sunlight. A kitchen table if it receives indirect light is ideal. Placing your planter on the windowsill while it seems like a good idea, most likely will result in your African Violet receiving too much direct light.

Step Seven: Maintenance

African Violets require damp, moist rooting medium but do not like to be too wet. The leaf stem cutting will develop the beginnings of a solid root system in approximately one month. By the end of the second month, your baby African Violet should be well on its way to having new leaves. By the end of three months, you can move your new plant into a larger pot that will become its permanent home as you watch your plant continue to thrive bringing bright blooms into your household.