Hello! First time poster. I inherited this violet that clearly has numerous crowns. It has been growing like this for a LONG time, multiple years. I would like to split it up, but everything is so densely packed that I'm not sure how to begin? I've never split a violet before. Any guidance would be deeply appreciated!
by birdiestp
3 Comments
honestly that’s a perfect candidate for splitting, you’ve got a ton of crowns in there. i’d start by unpotting and gently teasing the roots apart, don’t be afraid to break some roots, violets handle it fine
My first step is counting how many pots needed. If there’s only 2-3 smalls on the main, I use an old spoon to get them apart gently while leaving the main one in the original pot.
This one? Full size multi crowns. I lay out a larger space to get really dirty. I use rolls of brown craft paper and have a bag for trash under the plant to catch the potting soil. Pop the plant out of the pot, squeeze and gently pull them apart. I like the larger space because once you get going, there usually more than I’ve counted.
I’ve had to split plants multiple times. Here is how I do it!
1.. prepare a space to work and get several smaller pots ready with soil nearly to the top of the pot. It will compact down a little as you plant the new babies and give them a drink.
2.. I use a butter knife to slide down the side while holding the plant with the other hand and gently remove entire clump
3.. gently loosen all the soil away from the roots. During this time if anything breaks off it’s totally ok and expected. It can all be propped if you so choose.
4.. examine from underneath and notice where groups of leaves are growing from. Some might be a single leaf randomly and sometimes it’s mini crowns. All tiny sucker crowns will look wild at first but they can grow into normal looking ones in time. As long as they have their own space.
5.. the scary part.. actually separating! A gentle wiggle and tug should work just fine. Zero tools needed.
6.. once you get the main crown cleaned to and it has a good clean stem and root system (no extra leaves etc) it is ready for the new pot! You can also clean up any older leaves too. Sometimes older ones fade or don’t look good so they get removed and sometimes propped.
7.. after you have gently potted the mama plant and any babies or leaves, they all get a gentle water and LOTS of patience. Sometimes I’ve had to wait at least a few weeks or even months to see new growth.
Some..times, a baby doesn’t make it. And if this is the case, you’ll notice in a few days if it isn’t gonna take to the new soil.
I hope this helped 🙂