Seriously overgrown African Violets! Help pls!

[Azure]

My neighbour, on seeing my re-bloomed orchids, had decided that I am the perfect person to help her overgrown African Violets. :P I know some geeks have some experience with these, so I thought I might seek out some help.

I've tried to separate the new plant off of the adult one before, but the 'baby' died, and left me with only the adult. One pot has one plant, two have three plants, and the last has five! Is there any advice to be had? Thank you!

[psyc1210]

I have a couple pots that look similar to this. I haven't tried separating them at all, thought I could let them be.. I think Patti would have the best advice regarding african violets as I believe she used to show them. Maybe she'll be along shortly with better advice.

[Tarad]

WHOA send them to me I will help ya out haha. Ok I tried in that case you could do this, but wait for Patti as she might have a better way

To divide the plant, allow the soil to dry slightly, then tap the plant from the container and place it on your work place. Separate as much of the soil from the root mass as possible, then cut through the crown with a knife, scissors or small pruner. Take the divisions and plant them in a premoistened soil mixture. Keep the soil moist for a few days. Then allow the soil to remain slightly dry for the next couple of weeks so the plant can recover from the shock of division and transplanting. If you have a multicrown plant, divide the multiple crowns by hand and repot.

[mayres]

I've had a couple of hundred african violets before and the task you have before you is actually quite simple.
This is the process that I use to remove the new plants/crowns.
Take a very sharp knife (with good point/tip) and carefully cut out side crowns. Depending on how developed they are you can carefully cut into AND DOWN and oftentimes get some root development with these. If you do, simply pot up your "baby" and you are off and running. If you have very little root I recommend you apply a little powdered rooting hormone (like rootone) to the cut area as well to stimulate new roots just before repotting. You can find it for a few dollars at most garden centers.
If you get a baby with no roots you can oftentimes pot them up with rootone on the cut surfaces OR a fool proof method is to put a piece of tin foil on a small container of water and poke a hole in the center. Place your new rootless crown into the hole with the base of the leaves into the water, but the leaves above the foil. Works great!
Easy as pie! YOU CAN DO IT!

[11Orchid126]

When you separate them, you may find you have plants with no roots but a long bare neck. That's okay. Bury this neck to just under the bottom row of leaves. You can gently scrape the neck with the knife, and where you scrape new roots may come. Or as mayres says, dust with rootone.

[Azure]

Thank you so much everyone! I'm definitely feeling better about doing this!