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How to Salvage a Plant with a Very Long Neck |
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If your African Violet is beginning to look like a palm tree as a result of removing dead leaves, or it hasn’t been groomed at all as is the case with the plant pictured at right, it’s time to drastic measures!
First, remove the bottom rows of limp, discolored or misshapen leaves until you have a cluster of young, uniformly colored and shaped leaves. The picture at right is the same plant as pictured above after some drastic grooming! (If you have been removing dead leaves faithfully, but have not re-potted your plant in a long time, it will already look like this.)
Remove the plant from its pot. Wash the pot to reuse it in the future. Most mature standard African Violets can remain in a 4 inch pot indefinitely if repotted at least every 4-6 months. Plastic pots are preferable to clay pots.
Since the stem of the plant is longer than the depth of the root ball, CUT OFF THE ROOT BALL!!! (This is the drastic measure!) You should have a stem about 2 to 3 inches long.
With the edge of a sharp knife or a single edge razor blade, carefully scrape away the calluses on the stem until the green fleshy part of the stem is exposed.
The length of the stem will determine the size container you will use to repot the plant. You should use a container that it just large enough to hold the stem. In the picture at right, a 3 oz. disposable plastic drinking cup was used. (Holes were punched in the bottom for drainage.) The container is filled with dampened African Violet soil mix. Using a pencil, make an opening in the center of the soil just large enough to insert the stem of the plant. Tap the soil down firmly around the stem to make contact.
Place the plant in a clear plastic bag and close tightly. Place the bagged plant where it will get lots of indirect light but no direct sunlight. Don’t let it get too warm. (Under a fluorescent lamp is ideal.) If too much condensation forms inside the plastic bag, open the bag and remove the condensation with a paper towel. Rebag the plant. In a few weeks, roots will form from the stem. When the container is full of roots, repot the plant into its original pot.
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