"peter stickney" wrote in
oups.com:

I have a few AV leaves rooted, and am now wanting to plant them.

I had a pot, 4 inches. It's one of these pots in a pot. Glazed on
the outside, the ceramic ungalzed pot sits in this pot.

And Ive tried this in the past, and have over watered it. I kept it
in the bathroom, I wonder if the humidity of showers had an ill
effect.

At any rate, I have this pot, I have a newly rooted cutting. I used
potting soil, it sits in the office at work in an east facing window,
it's all I have. With this kind of pot, how much water should I put
in, and how often. Ive searched this newsgroup and the net, with
mixed results. The last time I used this pot, I assumed I could keep
water in it 24x7, and the plant would get it as needed. I was young
and foolish, as I think I totally over soaked it.

Also, if I am allowed a secondary question. I have 3 other leaves now
rooting, and I can see the little green stems coming up from just
above the new roots in the water. When I eventually pot these leaves,
should I put the roots and new the new growth deep in the soil? Or
should I leave the leaves in the water until the new sprouts get a
little longer, so when I do pot them, they are above the soil line.
And furthermore, how long can the leaves stay in water, growing roots?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

-peter



I went into violets in a big way a few years ago. The best results I
ever got was using plastic pots (just like the ones you buy them in) with
a hole in the bottom. Through the hole I would run a piece of cotton
rope or fabric. That must run along side the soil in the pot and down
into a tray UNDER the pot with pebbles in it. Water the PEBBLES and let
the cotton rope draw up the water into the pot. Don't let the water
touch the bottom of the pot. This gives the plant the right amount of
water AND humidity.

Clay posts and violets just don't seem to go together -- especially after
the plant gets big enough for the leaves to touch the rim of the pot.

Rooting it water is easy but it tends to make weak babies so don't leave
them there indefinitely. Don't repot the new leaves below the soil line.
You may find you have two or more new plants to each leaf. Separate them
gently. The mother leaf can be reused if you do it right. When you first
repot the babies you might want to place a plastic bag over the pot for a
few days to help them get established. Remove in stages. Keep the bag
off the plantlets with toothpicks or other upright devices stuck in the
pot soil. Don't let it get wet in there; you just want it to stay warm
and slightly moist.

BTW, an east window would be better if there was a sheer curtain between
the sun and the plant. The best light for violets is north light.