How To Propagate African Violets

African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) are propagated by a method known as "leaf petiole cuttings":

1. Break off a mid-age leaf from the plant with its stem (petiole) attached. Wear gloves when handling plants, mosses and soils.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the petiole to within one-half inch of the base of the leaf.
3. Plant the leaf cutting into a container of moistened Mosser Lee milled sphagnum moss (NoDampOff™) resting the leaf on a toothpick positioned to support the back of the cutting. Do not use a rooting powder since it will favor rooting over the propagation of plantlets.
4. Cover the cutting with plastic film to keep the humidity high. Place it in a bright place away from direct sunlight. A north or north-east window is usually preferred.
5. At the first indication of rooting (usually within two weeks), the leaf cutting will lift itself away from the toothpick and can support itself upright without aid. This is your signal that the plantlets are beginning to form. Full growth usually occurs within 4-8 weeks after the cutting is planted.
6. Divide the clump of plantlets (as many as eight plantlets will form) in any standard African violet planting mix when they are large enough to handle - usually about 3 months old.

Other houseplants that propagate similarly from leaf cuttings include Rex begonias, Sedums, Sansevieria, and Peperomia.