Hello ...
>
>First, I'd like to thank the very kind and knowledgeable people who
>had advised and guided me through the first steps of rooting a baby
>African violet from the leaf of a plant that had sentimental value to
>me, when the plant itself suddenly went downhill and then continued to >fail. >
>Now that I have the leaf with the tiny root shoots in a 4-pot with
>soil mixture, I wondered if I could revisit the suggestion of some of
>you that I cover the potted leaf with a ventillated plastic bag.
>
>Some of you said this would be a good thing to do. Others did not
>mention covering the plant with plastic.
>
>Are there pros and cons to this? )For example, someone with
>experience in this theorized that it might cause mold or bacteria to
>grow.) Have you found it to make a significant different one way or >another? >
>Also ... if I did cover it in plastic, and put a hole in the plastic
>for ventillation -- would I then remove the plastic every few days to
>see if the soil has dried out, and then add more water?
>
>I believe it was Phisherman who said I should keep the soil moist but
>not wet. So this means it should be damp to the touch all the time?
>And I should NOT permit the soil to dry out at all in between
>waterings?
>
>I'd be so pleased if this little rooted leaf developed a new plant. I
>can certainly cover it with plastic if that's the best idea. I just
>wondered if there were pros and cons to doing that, and how often the
>plastic should be removed to check the soil, et cetera.
>
>I'll hold off on using the plastic until I see what you African violet
>experts might think.
>
>And again -- many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience >with me. >
>Linda W.
Linda, The plastic bag raises the humidity around the leaf and keeps the moisture level fairly constant. You could put a pencil in the pot and put a sandwich bag lossely over it (with the pencil holding the bag upright so the bag does not touch the leaf.) If the bag touches the leaf it might rot. Water the vermiculite once, and check if it is dry in 3 weeks--chances are that it will still be moist exspecially if you use the bag. The bag will show some condensation telling you there is water. Starting seeds or cuttings for most plants will benefit from a greenhouse effect. A north window for your leaf is ideal. An east window (morning sun) is ideal for adult AFs.