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dylanangel2001

why does avsa discourage growing from seeds?

dylanangel2001
14 years ago

I'm new here, but I have been lurking. I have one av that has done ok so far even tho it did come from lowes. I want more but am low on the means right now so I was looking into seeds. Then I ran across the avsa website that is against it. Has anyone ever done it and ended up with really gorgeous av's? Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • snappyguy
    14 years ago

    There's no reason you shouldn't end up with great plants from seed, though I've never tried it. Bear in mind that the seeds will not produce plants identical to their parents. This makes keeping a trait a variety is known for more difficult.

  • Christine
    14 years ago

    Welcome to the forum! I'm wondering where on the website the AVSA was against growing from seed. Lots of AVSA members do grow that way, either buying the seed or pollinating their own plants, and end up with gorgeous AVs. As Snappy said, you'll likely end up with a variety of different looking plants, even from the same cross.

    You can self-cross your Lowe's AV for free instead of buying seed. The link below has hybridizing instructions. You could end up with dozens or even hundreds of seedlings if you're not careful about how many seeds you sow! A drawback is it will take 4 months or longer for the seed pods to mature. Buying seed shortens the time it will take for you to see results.

    I made my first cross in January 2009 and harvested and planted the seeds 5 months later. The seedlings are now forming their first buds. Which brings up another drawback to seeds - the suspense of not knowing what you'll end up with! The plants/flowers might be beautiful, ordinary looking, or even ugly. Even if they turn out ugly it has been a fun experience to grow them.

    Another way to get more plants without spending a fortune is to join a local club (the AVSA website has club names/contacts). Members may share free leaves or even plantlets with you and give you lots of growing tips too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hybridizing African Violets

  • dylanangel2001
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the tips and clearing that up. Of course this always happens to me, I find something on the internet and don't bookmark it and now I can't find it again. It was something about how only 1 out of a 100 or even 1000 seeds would make a good plant was the point on the AVSA site. I'll keep trying to find it. Thanks for the link too!

  • irina_co
    14 years ago

    DylanAngel

    A very important part of the AVSA life is showing your plants - and you need to have named plants to show.

    Hybridizers work hard going through a lot of seedlings, selecting only the best, the healthiest, the most stable, the ones that are not copies of something that already was before. And only then they name/register and share their creations. Usually just several of a year crop got the honor. So it is a lot of hard work. And the WOW factor of these plants - they are gorgeous.

    So - to plant seeds and grow seedlings - it is just a part of the process. I had a pleasure of attending the lecture of Dr. Jeff Smith - he was talking about AV hybridizing - and turns to be - that the hybridizer actually envisions the plant before he starts pollinating - so if you want to have a variegated plant with frilly pink fantasy flowers for example - he will tell you - how many crosses with what parents you need to make, how many seedlings you need to grow - and how many generations it will take to achieve the result.

    So... looks like the times when you can cross 2 plants from the grocery store and produce a masterpiece - are long gone.

    But there is nothing wrong and it is not discouraged in any way for a person to grow his own seedlings. Go for it.

    irina

  • leslie_virnig221
    14 years ago

    try parks seed catalog online they have 3 different sizes, i'm hoping to get a packet for valentines, or my birthday the week after, or mothers day this year.i'm sure my husdand would buy these, i circled it. the babys too young to kno what mothers day is.she's 5 monthes

  • robitaillenancy1
    14 years ago

    I have purchased seed a few times from Parkseed. Results were pretty good. Of course i got a few plants that were too common, not different from many others.

    But I did get a mini and a semi mini that were very good (see FC2 Cockle Shells and Heart's Delight) These are good blue bells on flat foliage. Blue bells are not common in minis and semis so I named the plants after taking them through 3 generations to see if they would remain true to description.

    I got another which was less than great, Belle Starr. The foliage is not always nice and flat on this one so you have to give it special care.

    So, Yes, you can get very good violets from seed.

    Nancy

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