Water or Soil?
Not really a big debate on this but violet enthusiasts have been propagating violets from leaves for ages by putting them in water first. My grandmother used to put them in water. So did my mother. There is no one right way for everyone to propagate violets. I've heard it said by some that the roots have trouble adjusting to soil after being rooted in water but... they don't really. It's not a transfer problem, it's a heavy soil problem. And does it matter when you transfer them to soil? Should you let them grow babies under water or not?
If you are having trouble transferring leaves from water to soil, you probably have your soil too wet or too heavy and your leaves have rotted. But it also matters the quality of the water you start them in and the airiness of the medium you're transferring them to.
All of us don't have the same quality water. My water company informed us they are starting with chloramine treatments this year instead of chlorine. Chloramine is toxic to fish and delicate plants. GTS = google that stuff to learn more about chloramine and how to remove it from your water. It will make african violet leaves turn brown and die. Use a chloramine buster and even an algaecide in your water for violets and fish. They say it is not harmful to humans and robust plants outside. BUT??? I would not drink it without a mineral filter on my tap and pull that water off and chloramine bust it before you cook or drink it or even give it to your pets! Be on the safe side.
The violet roots like "just water" and they also like air pockets in damp soil but not water in wet soil with no air pockets. So, the leaves will adjust as long as they get either one. What they don't like is soggy, heavy soil. It suffocates the roots. What determines the quality of the roots is nutrients and air. That's right, they need air either in the water or air pockets in the growing medium.
There is no scientific test that will prove which way is better because no two leaves are exactly alike, even from the same plant. So if you think they grow faster in water, you're probably right. Whatever way they grow the fastest for you is the right way.
What is happening is that each person has different growing conditions. You may not stick them in the same soil as someone else or have the same quality of water. What you have to do is experiment and see which way works best for your growing conditions and go with that. If you continually have problems taking them from water to soil, then you have to examine what you are doing wrong because a whole bunch of people have been doing this for ages with real success and it does work for many african violet growers.
MYTH: Leaves started in water produce water roots and have to die back and re-grow "soil" roots when transferred to soil.
TRUTH: Most leaves root faster in water. If they are transferred to a light soilless mix, they will just keep on developing. The mother leaf produces roots and babies feed off the mother, but the babies produce most of their roots in growing medium. If you want to call those baby roots "soil roots" just because they develop in soil, I guess you can. But there is no such thing as "water roots" and "soil roots". Roots are roots and they don't die back and regrow when you put them in a different medium. They adapt and develop for that medium so if you want to call the ones in water "water roots" and the ones in soil "soil roots" you are talking about the same root system. If you do it right, they don't die back, they adapt and just keep growing.
MYTH: Leaves started in water produce weaker plants than leaves started in potting mix.
TRUTH: Leaves started in water produce plants that are just as robust, healthy and strong as those started in potting mix. I grow plants all the time from leaves started in water and they meet or surpass the size and health of their mother plants. I don't have any magic so it must be working for everyone else that starts leaves in water too.
There is no "adjustment period" for transferring them if they are transferred to a light porous medium to continue growing. If they die back, it's because they were put into a heavy soil that suffocated them. And if they regrow, it's because they're tough enough to survive adverse conditions. And this rule applies for outdoor garden plants too, not just african violets! A lot of people don't have "luck" starting them in water because they suffocate the roots or rot them in heavy wet soil when they transfer them.
I have done research on this subject and I cannot find one university or PhD person who has done a study or can verify anything on "water roots" vs. "soil roots". All I can find is opinions of people who repeat what someone else told them.
I base my conclusion on the fact that if the roots died back, my baby plants would stop growing for a while or die back too... but they don't. They continuously get bigger and bigger with no growth stoppage.
The roots and new leaves grow faster in water for me in a few weeks (faster than mix) and when I transplant them to my mix, I transplant the mother leaf with all the babies still attached. You can make your own mix. I don't separate them until they have gotten a lot bigger in soilless mix for several weeks or even months. They grow faster for me in slightly damp, domed pots under led lights. I can't say you'll have the same success because your growing conditions may be different than mine.
The idea that roots and baby leaves rooted in water have to die back and start over in soil is ridiculous... they just keep going unless you did something they don't like.
So do what works for you. But try everything until you find what works the best. It's O.K. to tell everyone that one way works best for you but that doesn't mean it works best for everyone or that your way is the best way. Your way is just the best way for you.
If you are having trouble transferring leaves from water to soil, you probably have your soil too wet or too heavy and your leaves have rotted. But it also matters the quality of the water you start them in and the airiness of the medium you're transferring them to.
All of us don't have the same quality water. My water company informed us they are starting with chloramine treatments this year instead of chlorine. Chloramine is toxic to fish and delicate plants. GTS = google that stuff to learn more about chloramine and how to remove it from your water. It will make african violet leaves turn brown and die. Use a chloramine buster and even an algaecide in your water for violets and fish. They say it is not harmful to humans and robust plants outside. BUT??? I would not drink it without a mineral filter on my tap and pull that water off and chloramine bust it before you cook or drink it or even give it to your pets! Be on the safe side.
The violet roots like "just water" and they also like air pockets in damp soil but not water in wet soil with no air pockets. So, the leaves will adjust as long as they get either one. What they don't like is soggy, heavy soil. It suffocates the roots. What determines the quality of the roots is nutrients and air. That's right, they need air either in the water or air pockets in the growing medium.
There is no scientific test that will prove which way is better because no two leaves are exactly alike, even from the same plant. So if you think they grow faster in water, you're probably right. Whatever way they grow the fastest for you is the right way.
What is happening is that each person has different growing conditions. You may not stick them in the same soil as someone else or have the same quality of water. What you have to do is experiment and see which way works best for your growing conditions and go with that. If you continually have problems taking them from water to soil, then you have to examine what you are doing wrong because a whole bunch of people have been doing this for ages with real success and it does work for many african violet growers.
MYTH: Leaves started in water produce water roots and have to die back and re-grow "soil" roots when transferred to soil.
TRUTH: Most leaves root faster in water. If they are transferred to a light soilless mix, they will just keep on developing. The mother leaf produces roots and babies feed off the mother, but the babies produce most of their roots in growing medium. If you want to call those baby roots "soil roots" just because they develop in soil, I guess you can. But there is no such thing as "water roots" and "soil roots". Roots are roots and they don't die back and regrow when you put them in a different medium. They adapt and develop for that medium so if you want to call the ones in water "water roots" and the ones in soil "soil roots" you are talking about the same root system. If you do it right, they don't die back, they adapt and just keep growing.
MYTH: Leaves started in water produce weaker plants than leaves started in potting mix.
TRUTH: Leaves started in water produce plants that are just as robust, healthy and strong as those started in potting mix. I grow plants all the time from leaves started in water and they meet or surpass the size and health of their mother plants. I don't have any magic so it must be working for everyone else that starts leaves in water too.
There is no "adjustment period" for transferring them if they are transferred to a light porous medium to continue growing. If they die back, it's because they were put into a heavy soil that suffocated them. And if they regrow, it's because they're tough enough to survive adverse conditions. And this rule applies for outdoor garden plants too, not just african violets! A lot of people don't have "luck" starting them in water because they suffocate the roots or rot them in heavy wet soil when they transfer them.
I have done research on this subject and I cannot find one university or PhD person who has done a study or can verify anything on "water roots" vs. "soil roots". All I can find is opinions of people who repeat what someone else told them.
I base my conclusion on the fact that if the roots died back, my baby plants would stop growing for a while or die back too... but they don't. They continuously get bigger and bigger with no growth stoppage.
The roots and new leaves grow faster in water for me in a few weeks (faster than mix) and when I transplant them to my mix, I transplant the mother leaf with all the babies still attached. You can make your own mix. I don't separate them until they have gotten a lot bigger in soilless mix for several weeks or even months. They grow faster for me in slightly damp, domed pots under led lights. I can't say you'll have the same success because your growing conditions may be different than mine.
The idea that roots and baby leaves rooted in water have to die back and start over in soil is ridiculous... they just keep going unless you did something they don't like.
So do what works for you. But try everything until you find what works the best. It's O.K. to tell everyone that one way works best for you but that doesn't mean it works best for everyone or that your way is the best way. Your way is just the best way for you.
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