I did not get any of those leaves, and would never (and never be able to) pay that kind of money for AVs! That said, a friend of mine sent me a leaf each for two of her plants. Just the leaves themselves are beautiful. Unfortunately, they both turned to mush. Don't know why, because other leaves that my friend sent treated the same way did not. :(

I know that Bloomlovers.com carries the standards. I don't know if she is selling leaves yet or not. She is supposed to get the semi minis of Cajun's soon.

Nancy

To win the ebay auctions, you've got to have the time and the money.

Aha - if you want something desperately - put the max amount for automatic bidding at your absolute max. Like $100 - and you very probably be the one to get it at a much lower price. I am not saying that everybody should do it - if there is a question of paying a rent - or for the violet leaves of the new variety - the violet leaves can wait for a year - when everybody and his dog will be selling them for $1.99.

Wavy leaves are much harder to root and they are much more vulnerable to the heat. So - buy them in September, not in July. After they arrive - recut them, put them in a lukewarm water with sugar - and if there are damaged peaces - cut them off - and apply cinnamon to the cuts.
If you can get some Fresh-n-Grow powder to presoak your leaves - the chances are much better not to lose it. I just potted a step leaf that was so bad - I was sure it will croak - but Fresh-n-Grow revived it.
Weak solution of a SuperThrive helps too - and it speeds up the babies.

Good Luck

irina

Irina, where do you buy Fresh-n-Grow? When you used SuperThrive, do you soak the leaves (strep) before putting them down?

Allen -

to my regret I cannot find Fresh-N-Grow anymore. Before Lynn Lombard ("The Velvet Leaf") was selling it.

If It take fresh leaves - I just stick them in a soil and they root and produce with vengeance. If the leaves are not fresh - I will soak them in a weak solution of ST for 15 min - or more is necessary - then pot them.

Good Luck

Irina

What does the sugar, then the cinnamon do to the AV????

Quilter -

it is a good idea to soak a wilted leaf of AV or Streptocarpus in a weak lukewarm solution of sugar. Just a pinch of sugar - and for a short time - may be 10-20 min. Peole who use this technique think that it gives a bit of nutrition to the leaf. (It doesn't hurt).

Cinnamon has antifungal and antibacterial properties. If Av leaf you put for rooting just caught rot - you can cut the rot out - and treat the cut with a q-tip dipped in cinnamon. It stops infection. This trick came from orchid growers.

I was able to get my hands on a single leaf of 4 different Cajun varieties. As it was I paid $6.50 for each and they where once she reg a few years ago. Normally I just put my leaves down in my soiless mix and don't worry about them. This time I decided to sterilize the soil. I placed the damp soiless mix in large glass bowl , covered it with plastic-wrap and sapped it in my Micro waves oven for 10 min. It has now been 7 weeks they all rooted and I already have babies on 3 of the leaves.

Jon,
I found it on e-Bay
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=african+violet+cajun&_sacat=0amp;_from=R40

Is it what you're looking for?
Polina.