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Debbie's African Violets

~~Streptocarpus~~

How I Grow Streptocarpus
 
Streps are very easy to grow.  Basically, they take the same care as African Violets and can grow right alongside them.  Anyone who grows streps knows there are lots of different ways to grow them.  There are different sizes of pots, soil mixes, watering methods and lighting.  Everyone has to find what works best for them in their growing conditions. 

Bristol's I Do
This is what works best for me.  I use the same potting mix, fertilizer and lighting that I use for my African violets.  All my streps are wicked using 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water.  They are grown under fluorescent lights which are on for 12 hours every day. 
 
Streps like to grow in shallow pots.  I prefer to use 5" pan pots, because they keep the streps from tipping over when they get top heavy.  I also try to repot all my streps about every six months.
 
The leaves can be trimmed with scissors if they get too large for your growing space.  It does not hurt the plant to trim the leaves.  It will continue to bloom and grow new leaves.  I do trim some of my larger streps, because my growing space is limited.  Most of my streps are the more compact-growing ones.
 
 
 
Leaf Propagation of Streptocarpus
 
There are several different methods of propagating streptocarpus from leaves including different ways of cutting the leaf, growing mediums and rooting the cuttings.  It's really a matter of trial and error to find what works best for you in your growing conditions.  This is the method I have found that is most successful for me.
 
First, you need to choose a mature, healthy leaf from your plant.  If possible, it should be one that has not produced blooms yet.  You don't need to remove the whole leaf, just a section.  You will need a sharp blade such as a razor blade or knife and a cutting surface.  I have an old wooden cutting board that I only use for my plants.
 
(click on pictures to see larger images)
 
 
 
 
Lay the leaf on the cutting board with the back side facing up.  Use a knife or razor blade to cut along each side of the midrib (the big vertical vein in the center), leaving two leaf sections.  The midrib can be thrown away.
 
 
 
Now you will need a container with about 3/4" of potting mix in the bottom.  For this purpose I use 1 part peat moss and 3 parts perlite.  The mix needs to be very light.
 
 
 
Place pieces of the leaf sections, cut edge down, into the soil about 1/4" deep.  The babies will grow from the veins along the cut edge of the leaf sections.  Moisten the soil with weak fertilizer solution until barely damp. 
 
 
 
Label the container with the name of the streptocarpus and date.  Cover with a clear lid or plastic wrap and place it on your light stand.  It will take several weeks for the leaves to root and for babies to appear.  Occasionally, check to be sure the soil is not too wet.  The leaves will rot if there is too much moisture.  If it seems like there is too much moisture, open the lid for a little while so some of it can evaporate.  The soil should only be damp.
 
 
 
It's been about 8 weeks since the leaves were planted, and small babies are starting to appear.  Each of the little leaves is a separate baby.  Continue to keep the leaves covered and just damp.  When the babies are about 1" tall they can be separated from the leaf.
 
 
 
The babies are now about 1" to 1-1/2" tall.  They are ready to be separated from the leaves.
 
 
 
Gently remove the leaves with the babies attached from the container.
 
 
 
Very gently separate the babies from the leaf with as many roots attached as possible.  This is done much like separating African Violet babies.  I like to use a wooden chop stick to help separate each baby from the leaf.  If a baby comes off with no roots or very few roots, it can still be potted and it will grow roots.

 
 
Each baby can now be potted into it's own little pot.  Be sure to label and date each pot.  Moisten with a weak fertilizer solution.  Streps do not like to be too wet, so make sure they are only damp.
 
 
 
Put the babies into a clear container such as a clear plastic shoe box or aluminum roasting pan with a clear lid.  Place the container on your light stand or in natural light for at least a month or until the babies are well rooted and you can see new growth.  Make sure they stay damp, not too wet or too dry.
 
 
 
The babies can then be removed from the covered container and planted into larger pots.  Streps like shallow pots so I plant mine in 5" pan pots.  These wider pots also help to keep the plants from tipping over when they are large and top heavy.  I wick water all my streps; however, they don't mind drying out a little between waterings.

 
 
 
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Do You Have A Strep That Won't Bloom?
 
I have found that some streps do not bloom easily.  When I have a strep that just won't bloom, this is what I do.  I know that streps like to be repotted often, so I repot it and set it higher in the pot.  Remember to use a shallow pot, like a 5" pan pot.  Don't put the root ball down deep in the potting mix, just under the surface.  Then I put it directly under the center of the fluorescent lights where it gets the maximum light.  This usually results in a blooming plant.
 
So, if you have a stubborn strep, try repotting it with fresh soil, plant it higher in the pot and give it more light.  Hopefully, this will give you big beautiful blooms.
 
 

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