This is its sucker....

It looks like there is a little Tommie Lou variegation, but you're also suffering water spots/cold damage too.

Thanks, I think I've just been looking at it for too long :-p
I'll just have to wait until it grows out of the damage...

Karin

Karin,

Variegation is highly variable. A plant can have young leaves which variegate as they age and vice-versa. A leaf can also change its variegation with differing growing conditions. Usually a warmer environment, such as summer temps. will bring out more green while a cooler temp. will bring out more color. Fertilizers also affect variegation while some plants never change their colors.

Linda

Hi, Karin, Did you remove the sucker along with two adult leaves attached? Joanne

Thanks for the info Linda! Sounds amazing - I should get some more variegated plants :-)

Joanne, those were the bigger leaves on the sucker itself (it's not a solo cup but a mini shot glass, so they may appear bigger than they are...)
I have not quite yet figured out how big a sucker ought to be before attempting to root them - so far, it seems the bigger the better...

This one is supposed to be a standard. I removed some of the outer leaves that showed the worst damage, and repotted it to a smaller pot about two weeks ago. Still, I think it won't look right until the (now) center leaves are matured...

Are those little babies from leaf propagation? Or are they suckers? Nice photo! Is that a Canadian copper or a U.S. penny? The scale might make a difference! (Joking!) I thought the rule of thumb for suckers is when it has a minimum of 4 leaves. I usually wait much longer, until it looks like a small crown, so that it holds its shape when separated. Because I don't have a lot of success with suckers. As for variegation, may I suggest those with leaf edge variegation rather than all-over variegation. They are very attractive and symmetrical. Variegated AVs tend to grow more slowly and bloom less profusely than solid green. Joanne

They're all suckers in the image. But I am happy to say I finally got some leaf babies showing too. The peat dried out during the move, so I repotted the leaves to 1/2 perlite and peat mix, and now they are sprouting like crazy. Well, four of them so far...

I'm just putting a wish list together to order from bloomlovers in the spring.
Green dragon, Mac's just Jeff, Morgan's Helen Betty Osborne , teen sweetheart and Alan's Fallen Angel are on the list so far...
First I put everything with variegation on the list, but then I didn't see a point growing something if I already know I don't really like the flowers of...
Now I am just left to decide on ordering any of the varieties I believe my NOIDS to be - on one hand I might see if they are what I think, on the other, I already think I have them so why bother....

Nice job with your leaves and suckers! Sweet listing for your spring fling! I often order duplicates. I suppose if a leaf is an Heir, then it is good to have an heir and a spare! If you tend to like the same sorts of looks or styles, why not get look-alikes. If you say your Noids are most likely Anthoflores, then the named, specialty varieties might look similar in the photos, but once you grow them, they might look different. The named varieties are most likely available only through the specialty growers, I thought. Maybe it is different where you live.
Joanne

I don't honestly know where people buy varieties around here - I just checked a florist and they had no tags and the plants looked sadder than at the grocery store... No way am I forking over what they ask for a phyto these days, to order internationally, so I am still looking for more Canadian sources.
There is a meeting of the local African violet society this Friday - they haven't gotten back to me, but I assume it would be ok if I just drop by - I am expecting they'll know more :-)
If all else fails, there's always the avsc convention in April...
As for duplicates - little (noid) Hopi kind of got me started on the little Indian series, maybe I'll try and find as many of them as possible, with pedigree this time ;-p but that's probably as organized as I am going to get.
Other than that, I am pretty much just looking for what I don't have already (colors, leaf type...). I think I have every color now except baby blue or yellow, so next is different colors with Geneva edges, or trailers, or variegated... I just love the diversity of these plants!

May I suggest the Optimara Modesty which is a single blue NOID. I bought it at a local grocery store, and looked it up on the Optimara website to identify it. It is a very good bloomer. I have started several plants from it, and it always comes true. Here is a photo of it, and in the next post, I'll show you Romance, which is another NOID I bought at another grocery store. Nice pink blossoms, with nicely variegated leaves.

Here is a photo of NOID Romance, another Optimara, that I bought at a different grocery store. It comes true with propagation, also.

I've been keeping an eye out for those - (they are on the supplier's list) but no luck as of yet...

This post was edited by froeschli on Wed, Jan 8, 14 at 21:58

Karin,

As for when to remove suckers: I wait until they are large enough for me to be comfortable handling them but not large enough to start throwing off the plant's symmetry.

I agree the variegates are interesting. I love the ones with pink variegation-so pretty!

Linda