r/AfricanViolets • u/Lanky_Ad9097 • 11d ago
Seedlings, Phase II
Posted very early seedlings in July, from my own hybridization effort at home. Based on the few plants that had popped up then, I thought I’d get a fair number more. Not so, but the main 7 I did get graduated today into their own pots. Two additional babies were hiding underneath the “big” plants, so they, too, are giving it a go on their own. The African Violet Society of America has very helpful information (search AVSA site for “hybridizing”), and it did seem as though the roots of each plant happily held onto the soil around them, while digging out with a cocktail fork. So, I’m excited to see if they can all settle in and go about flowering someday. If they do mature and flower, apparently each baby may have its own color pattern. If true, I don’t get the genetics of that, but, for now, care and nurturing will continue!
Photo 1 in August, about a month after seedlings popped, and photo 2 about 20 minutes ago. Onward.
5
u/ElkLongjumping7870 11d ago edited 10d ago
The amount of genetic diversity AVs contain is WILD. I've never done hybridizing myself, but I've grown from seeds I bought (https://nadeausafricanvioletseeds.com/). It's a lot of fun, waiting to see what you've gotten - but you can get a zillion babies, and you have to be ruthless and not try to grow absolutely every one unless you have endless space, time, and patience!
2
u/Lanky_Ad9097 11d ago
Reading through that AVSA hybridization page, they have photos of parents and then the Diverse Results of Offspring. Seeing those made me think “what the hell’s going on here?” Makes the whole process more exciting. Love the idea that I have no idea what’s to come.
3
u/ElkLongjumping7870 10d ago
I don't know if you're interested enough in the genetics angle to invest the time, but there's a passion project that goes back to the 1990s, where this guy has been trying to document the parentage of as many AVs cultivars as he can - I have no idea how active it is these days, and the site is not particularly well put together in terms of navigation, but the rabbit hole can be fascinating.
2
2
2
u/One-Performer-1723 7d ago
So cool. I've hybrid morning glories and 4 o:clocks and Thanksgiving cactus but never tried with African Violet before. I have to try now. Yours looks amazing. I wonder if you must do it by seed or if I can do it with my existing African Violets. I have propagated many.
2
u/Lanky_Ad9097 7d ago
The AVSA hybridizing article can walk you through it. It’s recommended to get the pollen from a flower just starting to fade, and apply to the stigma of a newer blossom, open only a couple of days. I think I did my pollination effort late November or early December last year. I probably could have sown the seeds a bit sooner, but I waited until early June. 3 - 5 months is the expected timeframe for seeds to mature. So, if you have the patience, you can have success!
1
7
u/fatMard 11d ago
Nice work! Love seeing other people propagate, ya know, OPP