Question
My next door neighbor of 30+ years passed away recently and her children, after cleaning out the house, brought all her house plants to me.  Among the haul were several African Violets.  I have given away 6 or 7 and kept two beautiful varieties.
My problem stems from the fact that all I know how to do is water ems plant.
I have read and looked up things on line but I need to know when a plant is basically overflowing the pot it is in, should it be re-potted and how do I get it out of the pot?  Do I reduce its size?
The two plants I have are in ceramic pots that are approx 8" diameter.  One plant grows very low to the surface of the soil the other is more what I have seen on line, lots of leaves and they grow upward except at the perimeter.  It has many new little leaves, as well.
I cut some of the low hanging leaves and started them in tiny plastic pots with the string hanging into a small water container below the pot.  How long should I leave them in those little pots and what size pot should they be put in when transplanted?
Sorry for so many questions.  I don't want to kill these plants.
Thanks.

Answer
Steve,
I'm happy to help you with your "many" questions. My hat is off to you for nurturing these plants as you have been. I'll tell you what I tell most beginners: Violets need three things first and foremost: Moisture, light and humidity. Keep the soil moist at all times. They cannot live if they become dry. They must have good light, too. For nonprofessionals (like you and me) that means sitting near a window with INDIRECT sunlight. Direct sunlight is too strong, except maybe in wintertime. Six inches or so from a window with a see-through sheer curtain would be ideal. If not, then just place them where they can get several hours of MORNING sunlight. Afternoon and evening sunlight in spring/summer will burn the leaves. I know- I've done it. Humidity is important, too, but not as important as moisture and light.

Now, for the repotting: Violets work a little differently than most plants. They prefer to be a little pot-bound in order to bloom. It took me years to understand this, but if their roots are left "loose" in the soil they will use their energy to simply produce more leaves. However, if the roots are a little tight their energy will go into producing blooms, and that is why we love African Violets so much, for the beauty of their blooms. I can't explain the botany or science to you, but this is a fact with this species.  You are doing the right thing by cutting off SOME of the older leaves, and you are doing an expert job by trying to root them in soil. Many of us don't bother to do that. For these little leaves you are rooting try putting something over them to increase humidity, even a small plastic bag. But, make sure there is a little air vent or it could lead to a fungal infection or root rot. There still needs to be some air circulation. Consider it like a miniature greenhouse. Don't even think of potting them up until they produce several more tiny leaves, which they should do if their roots "take". You probably won't be successful with all of them. And, they need light just as the older ones do.

For the older, larger ones you speak of, and how to get them out of the pot- you can try trimming away the peripheral leaves and just keep them in their pots. Remember what I said above about violets blooming best when pot-bound. Some professionals (and very daring growers) will try to divide a violet because it has grown into 2 or even 3 plants within one pot. Well, I personally have never had luck with this technique. Maybe the plants sense my fear! Some will advise you to break them in half or even cut with a knife, but I'll be honest and say I'm not that aggressive with mine. I've lost several attempting to do just that. Then, there are folks like myself who just take care of plants and water and fertilize them and keep them for years. As for fertilizer, you can probably find a good one at a nursery or Lowe's store. Peter's Special or Optimara are both good ones. Mix in at half-strength, not full-strength. And, only fertilize March through September. The plants need to "rest" in the cold weather months. Even if they're indoors they still sense the seasons. You can repot a very large plant, but urge it out of its pot very gently. You can use a butter knife around the edges, just be gentle. No knife cutting advice from me! And, with older plants don't forget to top-dress once or twice a year. This keeps the soil fresh with plenty of nutrients. Top dressing is just adding fresh soil to the top of the plant and working it in gently with a small tool, even a fork.

I have given you a crash course in African violet care, and I hope I've answered your questions. I will give you the web site of the African Violet Society of America. They take questions and offer lots of good advice and reference materials. If I neglected to cover something please let me know. Click or go here:  www.avsa.org.