Hybridizing African Violets
 Jere Trigg
By Jere Trigg, Spanish Fort, Alabama Step 1: Choose the Two Parent Plants You Want to Cross The choice can be based simply on your two favorite plants and a desire to find out what kind of offspring they will produce, or you may have a goal of producing a specific flower color or shape. For example, you may want to create a large red-and-white bi-color single star-shaped flower. In the latter case, some basic knowledge of violet genetics is helpful. Step 2: Perform the Cross-Pollination The pollen donor flower should be mature — slightly beginning to fade in color. Remove the pollen sack (anther) from the flower with your finger. Using a hobby knife (razor edge), cut about one-fourth of the pollen sack open to expose the pollen. |
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The flower from the other plant — from which the seed pod will form — should be a relatively young flower that has been open for about two to four days. Look for the stigma, which is the tip of the single narrow tube called the style in the center of the flower that usually points away from the pollen sacks.
The stigma upon which the pollen will be placed will be sticky at this time, which enables the pollen to stick to it. Carefully apply the opened surface of the pollen sack from the donor flower (male component) to the tip of the stigma of the receiver flower (female component) so that the pollen adheres to it. Repeat this procedure for several flowers on one plant to enhance the chances of a successful cross. |
Loosely tie a thread to the stems of the flowers that were crossed to ensure they are left on the plant
for the pods to mature as other flowers fade and are removed. It will take about three to four weeks to determine if the cross “took” and that a seed pod is developing. A developing seed pod can be observed as a swelling at the base of the flower after the petals have faded and dried up. The seed pod should be left on the violet until it has turned brown and the stem that supports it is completely dry. It will require about three to five months from the date of the cross-pollination to the time the seed pod is mature and can be removed from the plant. The seed inside the pod will be viable for several months, so it is best to err on the side of caution before removing the pod from the plant. Once the seed pod has dried, it can be stored in a resealable plastic bag for planting of seed during the next several weeks. Step 3: Plant the Seed The following supplies are needed before planting the seed: 1. Good-quality, fine-textured seed starter mix. It must be sterile, moisture retentive and have a very fine particle size because violet seeds are so small. 2. A container with drainage holes for the planting mix that can be covered with a transparent material such as plastic wrap to create humidity for seed germination. I recommend a clear plastic container with a lid that was used to package salad greens. Burn about nine evenly-spaced holes in the bottom for drainage and in the lid to allow some air to circulate. Fill the container about three-quarters full with the potting mix. Add enough water to dampen the mix and allow excess to drain out of the bottom. Place the seed pod on a sheet of notebook paper which has been folded to form a crease. Using the Sharp blade, carefully cut the seed pod open and let the seed fall into the crease of the notebook paper. Using the tip of a pencil, carefully distribute the seeds from the paper onto the surface of the potting mix, ideally about 3mm apart. Make sure that any excess water has drained out. Place the lid on top of the container and put it in a window or one foot below artificial light. This is preferred because the heat promotes germination. Light stands are relatively expensive but have great advantages over natural light for growing violets. If you need to buy one, I recommend looking at Indoor Garden Supply, which has a wide variety. |
 Jere’s Star Burst, an African violet hybridized by Jere Trigg.
Every few days, open the lid to make sure that the seed bed is moist. Don’t assume that it is moist just because moisture is present on the inside top of the lid. Use the baster to add water to saturate the seed bed if necessary. Remain patient during the germination process.
The first seed should begin sprouting in about three weeks. They will continue sprouting for an additional three months. About one month after germination begins, remove the lid — but be extra careful about checking to ensure that the seed bed is moist. About two weeks after sprouting, you can begin feeding the babies with one-half the recommended-strength concentration of liquid fertilizer. Using the baster, apply the fertilizer in drops around each plant, being careful not to drop directly on the leaves. I use the edge of a paper towel to absorb the solution if it falls directly on the plant. Step 4: Transfer Plants to Individual Pots About three months after the first baby has sprouted, they should be big enough for their own pots. Before you separate the babies, you will need enough pots, a good-quality African violet potting mix and some seed starter. I use 75mm diameter clear plastic drinking cups with three drainage holes burned in them. Add the potting soil almost to the top of the container. Make a small indentation in the center of the soil and put some of the seed starter mix in the hole for the young plant to begin growing in. To remove the small plants, use a small cocktail fork to pry the plants up. Once the clump of mix has been raised, carefully remove the plant by gently pulling one of the leaves up, which will remove the plant, roots and some of the mix attached to the roots. Place the plant in the small hole. Using the baster, add enough water to stabilize the soil around the roots. Then add enough water to saturate the rest of the soil in the pot. Repeat the procedure until all plants have been removed to their individual containers. Step 5: Fertilize Regularly The plants should be fertilized at the recommended rate of 1/4 teaspoon per Litres every other time you water. Every six weeks, use plain water to flush accumulated fertilizer salts down from the top of the soil. Discard the water that drains out. Watering with a weak fertilizer should be done when-ever the top of the soil begins to feel a little dry, usually every four to seven days. If the top is slightly damp, you can water from the bottom using a saucer. The needed water should be drawn up within 15 minutes. Never let the pot sit in a saucer of water longer than 30 minutes to avoid root damage. After watering, place the pot on a surface that provides for an air gap for the drainage holes. This could be a plastic plant saucer with ridges to allow air to contact the opening of the drainage holes. I use a 2-foot by 4-foot plastic ceiling tile grid, which will keep the drainage holes exposed to air. |
Step 6: Repot the Babies
When the diameter of the plant reaches almost three times that of the container, repot it into the next size container. Violets should be repotted every nine to 12 months or if you notice that new growth from the center has not occurred for a period of a couple months. Over time, soil bacteria break down the organic constituents present, causing an acidic condition in the soil that prevents proper uptake of nutrients to the plant. The other issue is that the soil will become more packed, which eliminates the air pockets that provide needed oxygen to the roots, causing them to stop growing. If the plant has developed a “neck” between the soil surface and the bottom row of leaves, this can be corrected during repotting. The procedure requires first removing any damaged, yellow or very old leaves from the bottom row. This is accomplished by bending the leaf to one side or the other, causing the stem to break flush with the main stalk. Using a dull knife, carefully scrape the thin brown surface of the neck all the way around. Then remove enough of the bottom layer of soil to enable you to bury the neck in new soil. Water the plant thoroughly from the top. New roots will emerge from the neck, which will eventually stabilize the plant and encourage new growth to appear at the crown. When repotting to remove soil that is more than one year old, you should remove as much of the old soil as you can crumble away from the roots. Add enough soil to the bottom of the pot to bring the plant up to the desired height in the pot. Then use a spoon to add the rest of the fresh potting mix around the sides of the root ball and up to just below the first row of leaves. It is not necessary to move the plant to a bigger pot unless the diameter of the plant has become three times larger than the diameter of the pot it was in. There will be a wide range in plant diameter among the seedlings from a single cross — a couple of mine are actually miniatures (less than 5 inches across). Step 7: Enjoy Blooming Plants should start blooming within six to nine months after germination. Expect many to resemble their parents in some ways, but no two will be identical. A few will be spectacular and may look nothing like their parents. If a violet is not blooming but is otherwise healthy looking, it is not getting enough light. Artificial lights solve this problem. By using a timer, you can vary the length of exposure to get the right amount of time. Artificial lights also enable you to better see and enjoy the beauty of your new plants. |
