How to Propagate an African Violet (Leaf Cuttings in Soil)

Pick three or four leaves from the outer edge of the plant. Those are the oldest ones, and they're the easiest to spare. Damaged or plain-looking leaves are perfect - taking them off tidies up the mother plant while giving you cuttings for free.

Snip each leaf as close to the base as you can so you don't leave a stubby stump behind. No shears handy? The stems snap off cleanly with a gentle pinch.

Grab a clear food container or takeout tub that has a lid. You don't need to drill any drainage holes. The whole trick here is that the lid traps humidity, and that damp, still air is what coaxes roots out of the leaf stems.

Pour in a couple of inches of African violet mix. Any potting soil works if that's what you have. The soil is just a place to hold the leaves upright while they root.

Set each leaf on the soil and push the stem down until it's buried, keeping the leaf blade sitting up above the surface. That buried stem base is where the new baby plant forms, so it's the part that matters.

Space the leaves out with a little room between them. If you want the plantlets to come up closer to the old leaf, trim the stems shorter before you plant them. Either way works.

Add water until the soil is fully saturated. Pour it into one corner and let it soak across on its own. Try to keep the fuzzy leaves dry, since water sitting on them can leave spots.

Snap the lid on to seal in the humidity. Then set the container under grow lights or on a bright windowsill and walk away. This little terrarium does the work for you.

Now the patient part. Over the next two to four months, tiny new plantlets push up from the base of each buried stem. The sealed lid keeps things so humid that you'll only need to water once every few weeks.

Leave the container closed and let it ride. When the babies grow so tall the lid won't shut anymore, that's your cue they're ready to move into their own pots.

Tip the whole clump out and shake off the loose soil. You'll see each original leaf now has its own little cluster of rooted babies attached. Gently tease the plants apart so each one can go into its own pot.

Move each new plant into a small nursery pot with fresh African violet mix. If your soil is dense, stir in a handful of perlite so it drains well and stays airy around the young roots.

Got soil on the fuzzy leaves while potting? Don't rinse it off with water. Instead, whisk it away with a soft, dry makeup or paint brush. Keep that brush around - it's the easiest way to dust African violets for the rest of their life.

Give each new plant its first proper drink, soaking the soil right through. Out of the humid container now, they'll dry out faster, so plan to water more often than you did before.