It also said, AV's should be repotted every 6 months? I think they do best when potbound, so do they mean adding fresh soil without increasing pot size? My AV's are in 4" pots.
Oh and would anyone happen to know a standard 'large' AV by name? Large leaves and/or flowers?

Fertilizer was another mystery..I've been using AV fertilizers for years, but a few articles suggested adding a balanced fert like 20-20-20. Not to mention at every watering. Isn't that a bit much?

One more question. Has anyone ever shopeed at Violet Gallery? If so, do they ship healthy, nice-niced plants? Most of my AV's came from Violet Barn/Robs in 2004, but I've heard they now send smaller plants..is this true? If anyone has info on either nursery, can you please fill me in? Thanks so much..Toni

Suckers are offshoots growing from the main stem or among the leaf axils that will grow into new plants/crowns. Unless the violet is a trailer, suckers should be removed because they destroy the prized symmetry of a single crown plant plus eventually result in fewer blooms. African Violets want to reproduce - either sexually (flowers) or vegetatively (suckers). If you don't let suckers grow, the plants try blooming instead. I put a link at the bottom with sucker info. Below the pictures, click on back to index page. When you get there scroll down and there are lots of helpful links, including starting suckers.

When repotting, the plants go back into no more than a 4" pot. Growers recommend a pot size that is 1/3 the plant diameter to keep the potbound effect and to avoid root rot from excessive moisture when the violet is overpotted. A good link with illustrated lessons is http://www.robsviolet.com/lessons.htm.

A large standard African Violet refers to a 14" - 16" diameter mature plant(show plants can be much larger), not to the flower size. To find large plants check the descriptions. For example, at Violet Gallery, look up the description of Wrangler's Cowboy Blues and note that at the end of the description it says "Large."

One reason for lack of blooms is no fertilizer or fertilizing too infrequently. Over-fertilizing can create problems, but it's okay to fertilize each time with a dilute solution (a lot of people prefer that since they don't have to keep track of when they last fertilized).

I hope this helps. There's so much great info online. Another good site is http://www.avsa.org/. It has a wonderful photograph section to drool over!

Fred, thank you too. I think you meant " instead of '..lol..inches vs feet.
I ordered some of VB's Ma plants, well, Ma Corsage. But now that you mention Tiger and Wrangler, I'll add to my Violet Gallery list..So any Av that says large should grow large, right? What about pot sizes? I keep AV's in 4" so would a large, when mature, be potted in a say 6 or 8" pot?
Thanks for the info about VB's sizes..perhaps ppl who mentioned his plants being small didn't realize they ordered mini types. Those I got from VB in 2004 were a nice size. I've got a lot of reading to do tonight, (making dinner now)
Thanks to you both, Toni

Suckers can be a smidge tricky to figure out at first. I had to Google numerous times to see various pictures before I finally got it. I recommend using a strong light and a stable surface when you start examining them, or even a flashlight (something with a beam you can direct, basically...) so you can move leaves around with both hands to check things out. They're easiest to spot when just starting; you're looking for any new growth that isn't coming from the center (crown).

I think the rule of thumb is that you take the total leafspan, divide by three, and there's your pot size. For example, 12 in from tip to tip means a 4 in pot. Oh wait, Donna answered that already : )

Violet Barn ships starter plants. So yes, they start out smaller, and need a bit of growing out before blooming, generally. But most violets I get go through an adjustment period anyway, so this doesn't bother me much. They do state this on their ordering policies page, along with an example of how big their starter plants usually are.

Haven't ordered from Violet Gallery. Thinking about it though. I bought plants of theirs from the Philly Flower Show, but I don't know if that's representative of what they send when you order. So let me know how it goes.

I fertilize every single watering. I use Optimara because it's urea free, and for AVs, but you can use any balanced urea free fertilizer. Urea is thought to burn the delicate roots on AVs. Optimara's is 14-12-14, I believe.

About repotting, yes, definitely check out Violet Barn's lesson page. When you repot, you often remove older leaves, and trim off some of the rootball at the bottom, as well as replacing the soil. This is to avoid a neck, and to keep it in the optimal pot size.

Lastly, if you want larger plants to start with (meaning more established, fully grown plants, not larger growing) check out Bluebird Greenhouse, who does sell full-size plants in 4 in pots. If you like their selection, this could work out well for you.

Hope this all helps!

I didn't know you were into AV's too..How many do you have? Just counted mine, so far 27..LOL..Yesterday, ordered from Violet Barn..
Ma's Corsage, Happy Harold, Warm Sunshine, Midnight Valentine, and Frozen In Time.
Tonight I ordered from Violet Gallery..Night Fever, Irish Laughter, Jeanett's Apple Blossom, Apache Show Off, Witch Doctor and a couple larger types with Donna and Fred's help..To be honest, I can't recall the (larger) two I chose since, while the owner was on the phone, I was looking at pics on VG's site, trying to decide which to go with..LOL. I'll have to check out the sites you guys mentioned, but dh will kill me if I order more..LOL.

We looked for 20-20-20 fert at HD tonight, but they didn't have any balanced types, so if it's nice tomorrow, I may stop at Ace Hardware and see if they have any. I had several boxes of 20-20-20 but thought they were stale/spoiled so tossed..Hope I saved one box..fert prices have increased, and if I find locally, will save on shipping. We looked for Vermiculite too, but none, not one package at Walmart or HD.

I'm still confused about repotting larger AV's. (Since we shopped, and I had a ton of things to do, I haven't yet read the articles Donna posted, but I plan on reading soon)
I don't know if larger Av's should go in 5"+ pots..also, most of my AV's are in plastic, a few in ceramic..what about clay? Would clay suck up too much moisture? I don't care about ceramic pots, even though they're pretty, but dh thinks I should invest in nicer containers. When he gets my cc statement, he won't be talking about buying ceramic anything..LOL.

When u get a chance, drop me a line. I'll let you all know how plants from Violet Gallery look. They should be in this week, I hope..thanks to you all, Toni

I have Frozen in Time, and I have Witch Doctor... actually, I have two of each, one set from Violet Gallery (at the show) and one set from elsewhere (Violet Barn and Bluebird Greenhouse). I adore Witch Doctor even not in bloom, the leaves are so neat!

Clay is generally not recommended for AVs because fertilzer salts build up on the clay, and AVs almost always have leaves touching the rim. These leaves get damaged from the fertilzer salts. You could always have them in plastic pots, and set the plastic pots within ceramic. Pretties up the pot without actually planting in the pot. Or you could set the plastic pot within nontraditional containers (teacups, bowls, etc). Just don't water em in the containers unless you are diligent about pouring off any excess water. It still won't work for the clay, though, unfortunately... leaves will still come in contact with the clay rim. Anyway, since hubby thinks you should invest in nicer containers, you could always use that as the excuse (ha!) Me, I grow exclusively in plastic 2 in, 3 in, and 4 in pots, with clear plastic saucers. If the plant was from Violet Barn, I peel off those sticker labels and slap em on my pot. The others have plastic tags.

As for how many... I'm probably approaching 50 now... whoops... ha! But strangely, my house is not crawling with them. I've been gravitating more and more to semiminis. We'll see.

Enjoy your new plants!

I've been looking for a true blue (not purple) AV, plus yelow and green. True yellow and true green. I wonder if there really is such an AV.
There are very few true blue plants of any type.

Okay, clay's out. I'll stick to plastic..IMO, bottom-watering AV's work best, with occassional top water to leach. Another reason I don't want ceramic; bottom-watering ruins the pot.

Quinn, hubby changed his mind about buying ceramics..we went to Walmart and Home Depot last night to check out prices..5.99+ for 4" ceramic pots. Ha. That's absurd.
Think I have 26 AV's, one is a mini, barely hanging on, and new plants coming in. So, buying ceramic pots per plant would cost a small fortune.

Wow, you have 50 AV's..lots of work. Do you add fresh soil every 6 months? If so, which soil works best?
While viewing the info Donna posted, they mention Vermiculite. Of course, it's nowhere to be found lately. So, I'll stick w/ my home-made soils...

Mini's are really pretty, but for some reason mine die. So it's strickly standards. But since you have 50, I can see why you're going w/minis..LOL. What size pots do you use for minis?
I can't wait to get in new AV's. I'll let you guys know what they look like.
I don't know if Violet Gallery is a new nursery, but so far they have 100% positive feedback on GWD.

Thanks for your help. Have a great week, Toni

Violet Gallery was at the Philadelphia Flower Show, in March. It's an annual show, and they had a booth. My plants are okay, but a little strange... they have extremely long stems and look gangly. New growth is coming in normal. I've seen this before when ordering plugs. I don't know if their mail order stock looks like this. You can let me know. I don't have a major problem with this; I've just been taking off the long stems as new growth fills in, and use the leaves I took off to propagate more.

Funny enough, the colors you want are the harder colors to get. True blue doesn't exist, but some almost blue ones do. Yellow is also difficult, and there are no bright yellows, only yellowish whites. Green as well, mainly greenish whites or pink edged in green. A "blue" I've enjoyed is Opera's Romeo, which is a large plant, with almost black leaves (the leaves were as big as my palm) and bluish lavender flowers, with pale pink spots and a white edge. Flowered lots, but it died over the winter. I have another one, but it's teeny tiny, and has a lot of growing to do before I expect any blooms. Warm Sunshine is supposed to be a good yellow, as is Golden Threads. For some reason, I feel jinxed with Warm Sunshine though. My plant from Violet Gallery croaked within weeks of getting it, and none of my leaves took. Oh well.

I do change my soil approximately every 6 months. I use Bluebird Greenhouse's soil mix, but it just occurred to me that their shipping is expensive. I like the mix though, and I like getting supplies from them, so I'll still continue getting it, but I wouldn't expect everyone to do so. I also have no car, so the convenience of shipping does appeal to me, even though I pay for it.

Vermiculite is sold at Thompson and Morgan's site. Probably elsewhere too, but that's what comes to mind immediately.

My semiminis (a smidge larger than minis... minis actually weird me out a little bit, don't know why) are in 2.5 inch pots. My experience is that they need more light than standards. I place mine closer to the window, in front of the standards (relative to the window, that is). The only problem with that is that I can't see them as well. I have a big problem with "out of sight, out of mind", which is why I try to store things in clear bins, and why I pull out every single plant when watering them, to inspect them, and avoid forgetting anyone.

I don't find 50 much more work than 30, or 10. Definitely more work than 3, which is what I had, once upon a time. But I do find that 50 gets you much more flowers. Nothing like multiple plants in bloom at once.

Well, Quinn, could have sworn you were the Quinnfyre w/Christmas Cactus..LOL..I'm really sorry about the mix up. Now I can't recall who it was that offered me a cutting of their salmon colored CC. Actually I declined, since even though I adore CC, I have several and the squirrels find them appitizing.

Ironically the color AV's I like are rare or don't exist..what's funny is, when you look at pics on nursery sites, I don't know if they paint colors or use certain lighting, but yellows look yellow and salmon look salmon..yet, when we get them, and plants flower, the colors look NOTHING like those in the pic..LOL..

I don't like when they call Purple, Blue..the flowers are NOT blue they are purple..why can't they be honest??? I once bought an outdoor rose called Blue Boy or Blue Girl..the pic in the catalog looked true blue..surely enough, after planting and flowering, it was true Purple, looked nothing like blue..

I'd also like an AV with variegated yellow and green leaves..Does such Av exist? Last year I ordered AV's from a seller on Ebay.
Actually, I wasn't too happy..for one, her plants were planted too high up in soil, so if touched, the whole plant would pop out of the little pot.
Also, I bought one AV that looked to have yellow and green leaves..It wasn't cheap either..way more than I'd pay for a plant..It sure had NO yellow..
One Av is gorgeous though..it's called Fisherman's Paradise. Even though it arrived small, it's really grown, thanks to Superthrive and just a touch of fertilizer.

Speaking of fertilizer, where can I find an All Purpose fert that is Erea free? Both AP types I have now, Shultz and Miracle Gro, contain Erea. We also checked HD and Walmart. Is this a special order fert or can you buy it, at a reasonable price, online?? I checked Ebay but couldn't find it.

Well, Quinn, even though shipping is high, in the long run you're probably saving money considering gas prices..LOL..Is that awful or what???
I couldn't afford to order soils/mediums online..Not after discovering recent shipping costs..forget it.

Quinn, why do you think your Warm Sunshine died so fast? Was it tiny? Did you repot as soon as you got it home?
I'm still waiting for a confirmation letter from VG..wonder if I should phone them??? What do you think? I gave them my phone number and email addy..And w/the holiday coming up, mail is going to be behind for a while.

These are some of the plants I got on Ebay last year. Do you or anyone else know anything about them? I compared them to VB and RB's, and found some info..but there's one that has me stumped in particular. It's called:
0Z0 499 senks..anyone ever hear of it?
Here are the others: Red Pepper. Ma's Winter Moon. Rob's Hall. Ramblin' Amethyst. Orange Pekoe and Alamo Gold Rush.
The 0Z0 died, but it was odd-looking..it's leaves looked like those of Steptocarpus. Long and fuzzy leaves.
I bought leaves too, but only 2 lived.

Yesterday, I finally got around to repotting all AV's..thank God that's done. There's sooo much to do this summer, so many plants need repotting or fresh soil. Then there's gardening, sigh..

Quinn, do you take AV's outside in summer? If so, where do you set them so they don't burn or get rained on? I'm too chicken placing them outdoors..lol.

Well, if anyone knows where I can find All Purpose fertilizer without Urea, please let me know. I don't know anything bout organic ferts, (other than Fish Emulsion) so that's out..Thanks, Toni

I had Ma's Winter Moon and Ness' Orange Pekoe. MA's is very nice - and Pekoe - is super.

No-urea fertilizers - Peter' s African Violet Specialty - I get it in Lowe's and DynaGro - order it online.

You can try growing your spare AVs outside in dappled shade - but treat them as annuals. Means do not bring them back - you can get thrips, mites, mealy bugs with them.

Good Luck

Irina

Can't help you with the variegated green and yellow. I don't even have any idea if it exists. It's not a color combination that appeals to me, so I wouldn't be looking out for it at all... sorry.

I think Warm Sunshine was too wet when I brought it home, and I was too busy to remedy that. It showed all the signs of dying of rot.

I am quite fond of Ness's Orange Pekoe, even though I haven't seen it bloom yet. It's got velvety soft green leaves edged in pink and white, more subtle than some. A very pleasant plant.

I got my fertilizer directly from Optimara at Selective Gardener. Dyna Gro is a good fertilizer too.

I don't ever take my AVs outside. I'm not a big believer in indoor/outdoor plants in general. Those that grow inside, stay inside. Those that grow outside, stay outside. I made some exceptions for some plants that I felt were not mature or established enough, but this year, I'm wrapping em up and they're staying outside. Well, except for the mandevilla... I think that still has to come inside. But it gets isolated from the rest for a while.

The last thing to remember is that unless your growing conditions match the grower/photographer's conditions, your plant could very well look different, in variegation and in color. I have a few plants that barely look variegated at all, because there wasn't enough light over the winter to bring that out. All my blooms don't necessarily look the same... earlier in the year, they might be more like one color or color combination, and a different one later in the year. I guess you could make it more stable by growing under lights, but I'm trying to reserve the lights for my smaller orchids and my jasmines, so I only have one little experiment going with semiminis under lights. But they're looking fabulous. Not blooming yet, but looking good.

Irena, AV's are too expensive to grow as annuals. I haul plants outdoors every spring/summer/autumn, and only on one occassion did plants attract bugs: Whitefly.
Or is it AV's in general that attract insects?
Some plants, like citrus, gardenias and hibiscus do great outdoors when warm and humid. But I will keep AV's in the house. Don't want to take chances.

You said you 'had' Winter Moon and Orange Pekoe..'had' as in past tense. Did something happen to them?

Quinn, the thing is, it's not one website that purple's look blue in pics..this happens on many sites.
Perhaps I didn't explain right. I have the AV's mentioned above. It was info pertaining to each AV I needed. Meaning, standards, minis, etc. Sounds like Orange Pekoe is a favorite.
Is Optimara organic?
Quinn, when you said you're wrapping your plants up and they're staying outside, do you mean in winter too? Because you're in a cold climate, how do you go about doing that? Won't they freeze?
I had AV's on a shelf w/lights for two years, they stopped blooming. Lights are kept on 9 hours per day. Because the house has plenty of windows, they're now back in south windows, and since have again bloomed.
Quinn, do you not like variegated foliage? You have to see the yellow and green AV's. Wow!! There's actually more yellow (canary yellow) than green.
My dh and I shopped at Jewel Foods several years ago. They just got in a batch of AV's. There was one solo AV w/all white leaves..Dh found and grabbed it before I could. LOL..I know, I know, it's been said all white leaf AV's do not live, but I wonder..Dh had it more than 2 years, it bloomed, grew larger, more white leaves..It was only after his company relocated, the new building had fewer windows, less light, did it die. I'd love getting one, but no one will sell an all white..they say they won't make it 6 months, even after I explained the story about my dh's plant.
BTW, while working w/AV's, I 'think' I found a full-leaf sucker, so cut and repotted. We'll see what happens.
Again, I want to thank everyone for their help..hugs, Toni

I have no idea whether or not Optimara's fertilizer is organic. My immediate guess is no.

The plants that would remain outside are hardy to my zone, and should return in the spring.

I DO like variegated foliage, I just don't like the color combination of yellow and green. My variegated plants are either green and white, or green, pink, and white. No yellows. I like yellow flowers with green leaves (actually I like yellow flowers a lot), but I'm just not a fan of yellow and green on leaves. That's why I'm not a huge fan of regular pothos, and while I do have a sansevieria that is yellow and green, and happen to like it, that is an exception.

My AVs that are under lights get 14 hrs of light a day. Perhaps 9 hrs wasn't enough. But if you have window space, that should work just fine. I ran out of window space, so that's why I've got some under lights.

Good luck with the sucker, hope it roots.

Got 5 AV's from Rob's today..they're pretty good size. Much larger than those I got on Ebay. The 5 are: Ma's Corsage, Happy Harold, Warm Sunshine, Midnight Valentine and Frozen in Time..

Please let me know about Optimara..Thanks, Toni

If you like green blossoms, I think you will really like "Frozen in Time" - it is an almost constant bloomer for me and the foliage naturally grows in a nice rosette.

Also, no one answered my question about using All Purpose fert on AV's..LOL.. Because AP contains larger amounts of N and K, would this benefit an AV???

Dragonfly, don't worry, I never use the amount they recommend..I divide in half. We all know fert companys want to SELL their product, so naturally they're going to up the dosage, use 'x' amount per gallon of water..it's worse with chemical ferts. Way too strong, especially on tender plants. Cactus and Succulents, or slow-growing plants shouldn't be fert much and when they are, dossage cut in half or thirds.

I bought two bags of AV soil, I add other mediums in the mix. What I didnt know was the soil contains fertilizers. In fact, so far, no matter where u shop for AV soil, or others including Cactus and AP, Fert is included, prices higher. At least here in IL.
One AV site stated soil w/added fert should be avoided. Had I known I wouldn't have purchased..it's too late now.

Dragon, thanks for the tip on Frozen in Time. I hope mine does as well as yours. It's still young, so may be some time before seeing flowers. Thanks to everyone..Toni

One more question..LOL..How old/large do AV's have to be before they set out their first buds/blooms? Thanks again.

I think you got a lot of useful info on fertilizers. The thing you were confused about - if you still are - not all purpose fertilizer - but balanced fertilizer is recommended - with about equal amounts of N -Ph -K. All purpose - it sounds kind of too generic - and usually includes N in a form of urea - since it is the cheapest one.

I had Ness' Orange Pekoe for several years, loved it, lost it. The problem - way too many violets - do not check them all often enough. Ma's Winter Moon - I think I gave it away.

Why not to put the violets outside - for example - you have 3 plants of the same variety - and one is kind of old - you can toss it - since you have a new vigorous starter - or put it in a soil outside - so you can enjoy it in summer.

Irina

Hi Irina..Hope all is well with you.
I understand the concept of AV ferts now, but trying to find a balanced fertilizer w/o Urea, is almost imposible.
Especially in IL..
Yep, that's the problem with 1 or 100 too many plants, sometimes a few are neglected. LOL. If you want a couple Ness Orange Pekoe leaves, let me know. You'll have to explain how to ship leaf cuttings. I've sent tropical and succulent cuttings, via snail mail, but never AV leaves.
Irina, I don't have 3 AV's of the same variety, but thanks anyway: besides, I'm chicken. Our weather has been horrible, a couple days were 87F, AND nights as low as 36F. So far, I've only set out a few plants that can take cool temps like Gardenia, a couple citrus, etc.
So, do you set AV's out in summer? If so, where do you keep them? In the ground, under protection? How do you prevent them from getting rained on? I'd worry leaves would get wet, then either sun would shine on plant, or temps would drop..wouldn't they die? I don't discard plants. It's hard enough leaving annuals to die.. LOL The only plants I'll toss is (if, and this is rare) a plant got mealybug..I can rid scale, mites, etc, (naturally) but can't find an organic way to kill mealy. Thank God they normally steer clear. The last time they attacked a plant was a variegated Purple Passion, (Gynura) two or three years ago. Thankfully, they didn't attack neighboring plants.
Anyway, as for putting AV's outdoors, my yard and front will be cluttered w/tropicals and succulents, (soon as temps remain warm.)
Another addiction of mine is (Euphorbia) Crown of Thorns, and (Adenium) Desert Roses. (different varieties, not the same.) They take quite a bit of room out back. It's too bad their are so many dishonest people in our world, otherwise I'd like to keep plants in front too, but some people have sticky fingers and can't leave things be.
Anyway, I'll use the Peter's and alternate w/Dyna Gro when that comes in. (for now) I want to thank you both for being so helpful..Have a great, safe 3 day wkend, and Happy Memorial Day..Toni

Happy Memorial Day to all of us and especially to the Veterans in our families! My Veteran is sitting on a sofa and watching Mars landing right now.

I kept the Nemathantus outside last summer - and it did OK, not great. It was so huge - I needed to take cuttings and restart it anyway.It is so dry here - that gesneriads just cannot survive outside.

Optimara and Rhapsodie - are the patented names of the AVs created by Holtkamp Greenhouses. You see their violets with a distinct tag very often in big box stores. These varieties are good, reliable, hardy - and bred to be very presentable in a store - while a lot of more flashy hybridized varieties are just too tender to survive transportation.

Mealy Bugs - the best thing to deal with them is imidacloprid - brend name Marathon, Merit etc. Ortho sells rose spray with Imidacloprid - it is usable too. It a synthetic "tobacco" type poison and not the worst of the poisons. If you add it to your soil (always work in gloves with your soil - it keeps dirt from getting under the nails) - it will take care of MBs.

Peters specialty and DynaGro - that's what I use - and I water all the time with 1/8 of a teaspoon per gallon. For you - since your air is not so dry - 1/4 of the teaspoon per gallon - is more appropriate. Optimara fertilizer is a good one too.

No - I do not need any more plants - but thank you very much. My friends from the club came yesterday - and we put 200 cuttings for the table favors for the Gesneriad convention in Denver - it is coming in a month. I an still struggling to figure out where I can put them. Means they go to the premium spot - but what I'm going to do with the plants that are there now...

Good luck

Irina

Although, if you have gotten plants from Violet Barn before, and you are okay with their mix, then by all means, wait till they grow up a bit. Just sharing my experience in case it is helpful.

I fertilize every watering too. They seem to like it.

Enjoy your new plants!

Irina, I don't use chemicals..of any type..well, wait, I add fertilizers but that's as far as it goes..there's two reasons..one, I don't like them, don't want to breath our handle..the second reason is more important. I have birds..don't know if you know anything about our feathered friends, but they can't be near chemicals..if by chance, one flew and landed on a plant, (treated) and either nibble or sit on long enough they absorb the chemical, they will die..
I also breed/bred cockatiels..sometimes the chicks, when learning to fly, take off and land on a plant..so you see what I'm up against?? thanks for the suggestion though. I'm considering using weed killer outdoors though..but don't know how it's done, since we pull weeds once a wk..but they've pretty much taken over, and the weather isn't cooperating. LOL

Thanks for the AV explanation..problem is, most Av's sold here at Home Depot, Walmart or grocery store, wear a very generic tag glued to the pot..It says, African Violet, 4" pot..LOL..no names..it's possible a family owned gh's name plants..some time in the future, (if gas prices drop) I'm going to ask dh to drive me to 2 local nurseries that sell AV's and a zillion other plants..both opposite directions, but you should see their plants!!! They also sell supplies so maybe I can find proper fertilizers for Palms..

Irina, when you fertilize, do you do so at every watering or space between? Also, I'm assuming you don't mix both ferts together, right?

Oh my goodness, 200 plants??? Are they potted? Good luck, girl..LOL. I hope they make it till the show. I wish we travelled, I would love to go, but w/the pets, birds, dogs, and iguana, it's impossible. Are you in charge of these plants?
Hi Fred. You didn't generate confusion; I'm a dunce..LOL..
Now you have my attention..You mention, in some cases, using larger pots, 5-6"..The AV's at say, Rob's Violet's or Violet Gallery, that state, 'Large'..when mature, should these AV's go in 5-6" pots. I've never used a pot that size fearing AV's wouldn't flower or excess soil would rot, (if overwatered) which doesn't happen here.
I've seen pics displaying huge AV's..large leaves, wide in size..would you happen to know if these AV's are potted in larger than 4" containers?

I've never 'wick' watered plants, but assume it works well. Is it similar to using self-watering pots?
Actually, when I won AV's off Ebay, the seller sent them in little, 2" plastic cups, w/drainage, and a red wick per pot. I didn't know how to use it so ended up watering similar to other violets.. To be honest, violets did best when they were bottom-watered, plus leached once a month or so. A few AV's are still in pots that can only be top watered, but eventually will go in those ugly, plastic pots..LOL
Fred, I only have a few, 'mini/dwarf' AV's, possibly 3..All the others are standards. That's one reason I asked if anyone heard of plants I bought on Ebay..the seller didn't mention which were standard or mini.
One more thing..you say you won't pot an AV bought at Rob's in a pot more than 4"? Does he not carry Large AV's?

Hi Quinn..I meant, plants from Rob's Violets/or Violet Barn whatever name they go by..The nursery, not the plant. I don't even know any Rob's AV's..LOL

LOL, I'm assuming you don't like humidity..I love it..can't live w/o it..in winter, we run 2 humidifers, 2 indoor fountains, daily misting and showering plants/people, humidity trays and little cups of water hidden behind plants..LOL..In summer, NO A/C or C/A..only fans and windows..heat and humidity is something we love..90F degrees, and I've got super energy..Of course, I'm the only one in the neighborhood working outside, while the neighbors sit in their a/c'd homes watching tv..LOL.
I really didn't notice Rob's soil being heavy..I'd best check..Now you've got me worried..so far, thank God, I never had rot problems..I mix soils for ALL plants, using Perlite AND HD's Builder's Sand (and other mediums)..Not beach sand..Builder's Sand isn't as fine as beach, so it doesn't retain water, on the contrary..been using this mix many many years.

I'll have to think about fertilizing w/every watering. Do you guys fert in winter, too?

Again, I want to thank everyone for your help. Wish me luck finding a Palm Fertilizer..LOL..Toni

I found palm fertilizer either at Home Depot or Orchard Supply Hardware. It wasn't in the section with the large bags, but in a specialty fertilizer section (Azalea, Citrus, Avocado food, etc) in cereal-sized boxes. The home Depot web site also shows 20 lb. bags (link below).
~ Donna

Yes, like Fred said, plants that are called Rob's are minis or semiminis. For example, I have Rob's Pewter Bells, Rob's Scrumptious, and Rob's Boondoggle. These are all semiminis. I also have plants name Ma's, which are also from Violet Barn, Ma's Easter Parade and Ma's Debutante. Plants named Ma's are standards. In this case, they are large standards.

Ness's Orange Pekoe is a standard. Ma's Winter Moon is a standard. Rob's Hall (if it is a Rob's plant, but I haven't heard of it) should be a semimini. Alamo Gold Rush is a standard, I think. Rambling Amethyst sounds like a semimini trailer, but don't quote me. The others, I'm not familiar with.

Here's how you figure out what to pot them in. Take a tape measure, and measure the distance from the tip of one leaf, to the tip of the leaf on the other side. Basically, you're looking at the total leafspan. Divide that number by three. Don't worry about how big it will get, just how big it is now. Pot it in a pot appropriate for the size it is right now. If it grows a lot, you'll just repot it next time, probably six months from now. So even if you have a large growing standard, if it is only 9 in from tip to tip right now, put it in a 3 in pot. Worry about whether or not to put it in a 6 in pot when it gets 18 in across, and not until then.

Good luck!

Hi Fred, Fred, everytime you mention AV's being 18" across, it astounds me..I've never ever seen an AV that size. Do you have any? If so, would you mind posting a pic if it's not too much trouble.
Or if anyone else here has a site or pics, and not too much work, can you post?
Fred, I ended up reading Violet Barn's history..It's funny because I've seen 'Ma' AV's listed on their site, (Rob's,) but have also seen 'Ma' AV's on other sites..Are 'Ma' AV's that are sold at other nurseries the same hybrids as those at Rob's?
In your opinin, Fred, you seem to know a LOT about AV's, how long does an AV take to grow 18"? Also, how do they grow so wide? (I mean, is there anything that needs doing?)After my AV's get 'x' large, I remove the bottom leaves, sometimes two bottom layers. Should I stop doing this? I once read after so many crowns, (I think 3-4) to remove..is this incorrect?
What can I do or not do to get standard AV's to grow 18" or larger? Does one AV grow large, (width) or is there more than one AV potted per pot? Please forgive all the questions, but I don't know any other places that explain, Plus, I'd rather hear it from people who actually grow plants. I have a couple, older AV books, but there's no mention about larger AV's. One book is by Orthos.
Okay, one more thing..well, maybe two..LOL..So you're saying, when an AV grows 'x' size, the pot should be 1/3rd size of the plant. I'm guessing this applies to all ages.
I hope I'm not giving you a headache..LOL..wish I could email u an aspirin, if you think I've overstepped by asking so many questions, please disregard.

Hey Quinn..People are different.. I notice, espeically since the internet, many ppl prefer cooler temps to warm. It's a matter of opinion.
AV's are kept in the LR w/3 big, south-facing windows, and a ceiling fan. Plus, we keep a stand=up fan, though it doesn't aim at plants. (or birds)
So you pretty much have different size AV's..How big do your Ma's get? What about Gillians? I have an older Gillian, (think that's what it is) another coming in. It's possible the tag is mislabeled. One summer, while windows were opened, a strong gust knocked a bunch of AV's on the floor, (babies) so some tags may be in the wrong pots.
What attracted me to Gillian were its large, white flowers..
I heard of minis, but knew nothing about them, like the fact they required smaller pots. Over the years, I purchased a few minis at our grocery store..they were in 2" plastic pots, but duh, as they grew I repotted in 4": they died. Now I know the reason, thanks to you all.
I now understand selecting the correct pot sizes..So Fred, if you're reading this, I now know not to worry what size it'll be in the future, but the size they are now..that makes sense.
But I'm curious how AV's grow so large..I guess I'll stop removing bottom two layers of leaves.

Violet Gallery are shipping new AV's this week..Can't wait to see them..LOL.
There's another AV nursery called Federicks..has anyone bought plants from them? While browsing through Bookmarks, their addy popped up. Of course I had to see what they had..Most AV's were 4.50..One problem is, unless one knows names, it's difficult choosing an AV since most have a brief discription, very few pictures..I need pics..

Thanks again, people. From now on before repotting, I'll keep a measuring tape, (soils and pots) handy. It's much easier that way.

Wanted to add, I forget who said this, but I agree VB's soil isn't very well-draining. I dont know what to do..Repot or wait?
Thanks Again, Toni

I don't know Marie Burns, sorry..is she in Lancaster PA or England? How is she affiliated with AV's or visa versa?
Fred, I don't know where you live, but it says zone 6. How in the world did you get an AV, (Dumplin') to grow 9" from Dec to well, basically June? Are your plants in windows, under lights, or both? Which direction and do you take plants out in summer? Maybe there's something to wick-watering and frequent ferts afterall.
One mistake I'll never again make is remove lowest foliage without cause. Other than the artilcle I read that recommended removing leaves to keep 'x' amount of crowns, there was no reason to do so.
What is a violet ring? What exactly does it do? Sheesh, I've a lot to learn about AV's..lol
Fred, I'm sure you're correct about me using the wrong soil with minis. I have one left, (have NO idea what it is, it's never flowered,) but had it planted in a shoe planter which was way too large..took care of that last week..It's now in a 2" pot.

Believe me, Fred, 99% of my soils are well-draining. I mix according to plant, be it AV's, cactus, citrus, etc.
Most mediums I purchase come in 40-50lb bags..(locally) not via online nurseries..This includes Peat, Builder's Sand, and All Purpose. Perlite, Charcoal and a few other mediums come in small bags.

Hope this work..I'm going to try dl'ing pics here..hope it's no problem..maybe you guys can ID them.
Wish I still had babies bought on Ebay for ID's, but lost them (they were on desktop) when my puter broke..

If you guys see anything wrong, or something I can improve, please let me know..I know two variegated leaves lost some color on bottle leaves..

Thanks again, and Fred, thanks for the email, you're a sweetheart..Oh this isn't an online pick-up..LOL..I'm married, and now on the prowl..LOL..just enjoy talking plants..thanks again..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19171044@N04/1924931211/sizes/s/in/set-72 157603019893010/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19171044@N04/1924963165/sizes/s/in/set-72 157603019893010/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19171044@N04/1925032599/sizes/s/in/set-72 157603019893010/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19171044@N04/1925863724/sizes/s/in/set-72 157603019893010/

Hope this isnt' too many pictures..
Oh one more question..Does anyone know what Sideras/Spiderwort is? I'd like to know if it's related to AV's. I have a pic if necessary..Thanks again, Toni

Fred, thanks..I browsed through the sites you sent, but been plucking weeds again today so don't have time to read all this minute. I'll finish the articles and info later tonight.
I did get a look at the Fisherman's Paradise on one site, one I got from Ebay..out of all the plants the seller shipped, FP is growing the fastest and most colorful..In fact, since Dec the FP was repotted once so I guess it's a fast grower???
Of what I saw on the site, those AV's are beautiful and definatly well-cared for.
I didn't know AV's weren't tropicals..
Fred, out of curiosty, do you grow other plants, (tropicals/cac/sux/outdoor gardening) or are you dedicated to AV's??? You don't have to answer if you feel it personal.
I'll have to check out Dumplin'. I want to see who's plants, between Robs and Violet Gallery are nicer..Then there's Florals of Fredericks, too.
BTW, I checked out the plastic ring you mentioned..they're sold at FOF's..after viewing the pics, I don't see how they work..LOL..the ring looks flat to me, so I can't figure out how the leaves/flowers are held up..

Also, does anyone know a Standard Trailing type AV? Back in 1988, when Park's Seed had reasonable prices and customer service was helpful, I used to order their seeds. One was a trailing AV Standard. Had it for 3+ yrs..a friend came over and asked for a cutting..Don't know the reason, but after removing a cutting the entire plant died..weird huh? Anyway, I'd like to find another AV, that hangs, standard size, not mini. Oh the one I grew was also veriegated. If anyone has an idea, will you please give me a name?

I tried copying and pasting the Princetonol.com addy, but it didnt go through..I'll type it manually.

So, you're in NJ and grow AV's under lights..What type of lights do you use? When I kept AV's under lights, they did nothing..plants thrived, but NO flowers. They were adjacent a south window (no curtains/blinds) but another shelf w/C&S's stood before the south..They also got sun from a west exposure, but again, another shelf stood before that window..
Lights on shelf w/AV's were on about 10 hours a day. I kept them on the shelf about 2 yrs..

Fred thanks again..I have quite a bit of reading to do tonight..lol..
One more question..when you discuss repotting, it sounds like you do so continuously..What sizes do you repot in? Say you start at a 2" (for standard) what's the next size you go to? Toni

One article in AV Orthos book discusses Creating AV Hybrids...I've been meaning to try it 'for years,' but never got around to doing it..It sounds simple enough.
I'm curious if anyone here has tried it? If so, if it worked, how long does it take for seeds to germinate? I'm jumping the gun, (considering up till last wk I didn't know what a sucker was, lol) but what can it harm? As long as mom AV doesn't die..

Fred, all I can say is WOW..your AV's are gorgeous. Of course now that u posted, I have some questions..LOL.
The Maa's Angela..what type of leaves are they? I've never, ever seen leaves on Av's w/lines??? They're amazing.
Also, the Maas' Chris flowers looks salmon. I love them!!!!

The S. Sigi Falls leaves are also amazing. They look to have a silver streak/veins? Oh another thing about S. Sigi is the flowers..They look true Blue..are they or is it the pic? Lighting?
The Optimara groups are also stunning. I'm considering a couple for future AV orders..

Is the Rob's Gizmo a mini? Its flowers look as large as foliage.
I see why you like Dumplin'..Those flowers are gorgeous..they look like carnations. Are they what is called double flowered? I've seen names with single, semi-double and double, but can't tell the difference. (There's one at Robs called Gillian with similar flowers. Are they double? The same as Dumplin?'

Fred, is that it? For some reason I thought you'd have hundreds of AV's..LOL.
Sorry for typos, gotta get outside and weed before it rains..Again thanks for all your help, and thanks for the pics..the problem is, after seeing them, I want one of each..LOL..after cc is paid off, I'm going to place one more, ahem, order..Fred I'm going to keep your pics for future reference..Toni

I don't know if you guys heard of these two nurseries, but a friend phoned tonight, told me to get online to check them out..OMG!! One is called Brennans Orchids, the other Lyndon Lyon..
I don't know if anyone here likes Episcias, but LL has E. Ember Lace for 10.50..problem is there's a waiting list.
So far I want 7 AV varieties from Brennans, and 18 from Lyndons..lol..of course I can't get them all at once, but I'm thinking 3 or so a month..prices vary.
There's some high-priced AV's at Lyndons..Harmony Little 25.00. Raspberry Halo Sport 20.00 and Rob's Lucky Penny, 20.00.
While viewing their plants, I notice two desciptive adjectives for AV's...'Fantasy' and 'Plain'..What do they mean? At first I thought plain meant green, but one AV was variegated yet it said plain leaves. I don't get it.
Also, they sell Russian Violets..Are they from Russia? Is there a differce from Russian than American?

One other thing I want to state. Brennans sells Standards, minis, and trailing, but they also have a few they call 'Large.' I wonder how 'large' they get. I'll have to buy one to see what the difference is.

Just wanted to inform everyone about these two nurseries. Have a great night..Toni

I want to add my 2 cents in here too. Fred gives excellent advice when he suggests you order the newly revised book by Pauline Bartholomew, 'Growing To Show'. Even if you never have any intention of showing, it is a wealth of information about simply growing African violets at their best.

Since you want to increase your collection of varieties, does it not make sense to invest some of that expense in a very good reference book? FIRST?

The information you get on this forum is generally excellent, but the nature of the beast is that it comes sort of piecemeal, since few of us have the time or inclination to respond with what would be at least one chapter on 'watering', or 'propagating', etc.

We all want to see everyone grow lovely healthy plants, and getting that 'basic and beyond' education about this plant is really important to help reach that goal. If you cannot afford to purchase it, check out some books from the library and keep them away from the birds. Makes great nighttime reading.....

Mel Robey's books are good, Tony Clement's are too. Ortho is pretty generic but sort of outdated. Pauline's is really good and reasonably priced.

I would also spend some time looking over the various topics on a couple of websites; the Violet Barn has great culture info, as does the AVSA website and Rachel's Reflections.

I just completed a trip and visited the Violet Barn (home of Rob's and Ma's series), Fay Wagman (Violet Venture), and Lyons Greenhouse. 44 new plants to care for.......violet heaven....

Good luck.

Barbara

Dragonfly, the Russian Av's are really pretty. Perhaps in the future, I'll add one to my collection. I'd also like a Chimera. I'm assuming Chim's don't root as leaf cuttings, only suckers which makes higher prices understandable.

Barbara you trying to get rid of me? LOL..I'm sorry, once I get started talking about plants, especially with people who know about them, enjoy them, it's yap, yap, yap..
Perhaps, I should give it a rest..huh? Sorry, I didn't mean to be a pain...
I should have realized I was 'yapping' too much when Fred said, "here we go again."
Thanks for all your help, I've learned a lot about AV's from you guys, (guys meaning gals, too.) More in a week than I knew in all the years I've grown them. Now I know what a sucker is, NOT to use UREA in ferts, and can distinguish foliage. Toni

Of course I'm not trying to get rid of you! I just would like to see you invest in a really good reference book before you spend a lot of money and then run into problems that you don't know how to deal with. By reading a really good book, you should be able to either avoid or at least minimize problems that are much easier to deal with on a smaller scale. You are probably going to add plants as fast as you can cause you have the bug. Rather than ping-pong your way thru it, get a good reference book to help guide you thru it. Again, the advice you get here is really good, but piecemeal.

Good growing.

Barbara

Okay, what's a Sucker? LOL j/k..Speaking of suckers, the sucker set in soil is doing fine, so far..I'm debating whether or not to surround with plastic for humidity.

Dragon thanks so much..I love talking to you, too. Since you sent the first email (via GW) made my day. Barb, I will eventually invest in the AV book. Obviously, buying reference books before purchasing something, (like a pet) is a good idea, but I get hyped up when it comes to plants, like they're going out of style. I really cannot borrow any book from the library. Birds are up till I go to bed, and Sparkle goes out of his way getting to them.

I know I shouldn't have done it, but because I was feeling blue, I ordered 4 Av's from Brennans..Rhodeo Country, Violet Kris, Ma's Winter Moon and Silver Grade Spells. LOL
Isn't that a great excuse???? LOL

Fred, you're the best.. :) You have been most helpful. I truly love your plants, but wish you'd send more pics..LOL.. You may not realize it, but you've explained so much in a week, stuff you may consider trivial/basic, but important to me.
BTW, I live in Illinois.
I know not to buy AV's from sellers on Ebay, learned that lesson last year.
A few years ago I checked our neighborhood paper for flower shows, etc, but the nearest place was about 30 miles west...mostly herbs and annuals. But I'll check on AVSA.org..they may have info the paper didn't. So, thanks again.

Again, I apologize. I really like this forum. There's so much to learn...even when someone mentions a plant they have, care for, explains its needs, dislikes, growth patterns is very helpful. It's also nice talking to people who have the same type of AV..there's really a LOT to learn, and YES I've come to love those fuzzy leaf, profuse flowered greens.
Have a great night, hugs, Toni

Out of curiosity, I just checked on AVSA affilliates in Illinois. Gasp! There are 10! I hope at least one of them is near you. If so, I strongly encourage you to attend the meetings and join. You'll find so many nice people with lots of information, leaves and plants to share, and have a good time.

We have started a club here in Maine, and it is a wonderful way for some of our less experienced growers to increase the size of their collections without buying mailorder.

Barbara

Thanks..actually I saw 9 IL Av groups on AVSA..the problem is all are far, unless the one I didn't see happens to be nearby.
The closest burb is Des Plaines which is a 30 miles.(My dh works there) Des Plaines is north of Chicago, we're southwest. Norridge is about 45 mins away, (north,) my sister lives in Norridge. 5 out of 9 are up north. A couple west, and Moline is sw, about 1 1/2 hour drive. Never heard of Murphyboro but I'll check it out. One says locations vary, but the person to contact is in St. Charles, (a prison town) LOL which is somewhere sw of us. St. Charles is at least an hour away.
If you don't mind, will you please email me?? My addy is hopefulauthor@sbcglobal.net
I want to thank you for checking.

I'd love to go to Maine some time, the land of Stephen King. LOL. A friend of hubby's has a home there; we're invited to stay if we want, but travelling is almost impossible with the pets.
We have friends who vacationed in Maine and boasted of its beauty. Apparantly, Mainer's love to garden. It seems like a nice, serene place to live.

How often are your meetings? What do they discuss? It's great you get to trade with fellow members, that's one way to increase your collection, and safer than sending leaves through the mail.

Thanks again, and when you get a chance, will you send an email? Thanks, Toni

Fred, one more thing..I know I said I wouldn't shop for AV's on Ebay, but ended up browsing anyway (the shame is killing me, lol) Guess which AV is being sold? S. Sigi Falls..What would you do? LOL. Actually there are 3 AV's from the same seller that are quite interesting. The Sigi, Senks Longlegs which looks spectacular and Spite-ly which is double white w/yellow variegation..Quite variegated.
I didn't see any of the 3 listed on AV nursery sites..the long legs is so different, and I've got a thing for yellow leaf variegation.
I know the seller, (not personally, only via emails.) What to do? Time is passing as I write..one has 2 hours left. Toni

You would love the weather we're having right now. 80s and humid. 60 percent humidity in my house right now. Whew.

Where is your burb, if you don't mind my asking? I went to high school in SW suburban Chicago, so I'm just curious.

For rooting... I get the soil damp, but not soggy. If it looks like you can wring water out of it, that's too much. I then seal it in a plastic sandwich baggie. I keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't dry out or start rotting, and also to see if there's any action going on. Um, very slow paced action... ha. Just don't leave it in direct sun, or you will bake your poor little leaf or sucker.

Ok, off to try and accomplish something today without melting...

Quinn, you think I have more AV's than you? How many do you have? Not that I'm comparing...actually feel better when people tell me they have 5 times as many as I do..LOL..
I'm curious about Senks..lol..the one posted on Ebay turned out to be a mini..I don't want to get into minis, 'just yet.' I wonder if Senks come in standards. I'd love a Senk with long leaves, but standard. Dark or variegated leaves, flowers don't matter..Do you know if anything like that exists?
Oh wanted to add, it's in the high 90's and humidity is about 95%...Perfect..LOL..in fact, I've been bringing plants outside most of the day..finished dinner..After this post, it's back outside..Problem is running out of room..LOL..
Oh Quinn, don't say you don't have room for more plants. There's always room for one, two, three more..LOL..how about minis?
What type of orchids do you have? You may have mentioned it, above, I'll have to reread. I only have a few..one Dendrobian, spelling. 1 green vanilla 1 vanilla variegated and 1 Ludisa. That's it..I think.
Well, off to work outside..been procrastinating..LOL. Take care, and don't be a stranger, Quinn..hugs, Toni

Will a north window be enough light for the sucker, Fred? The window is unobstructed, in front of the kitchen sink where I can keep an eye on it. What do you think?

It's 9:09 pm now. Went back out to weed, but after getting attacked by bugs, and being a tad shady, lol, I gave up.

I mix soils using different mediums for different plants. Av's, Succulents, Citrus, etc.. Hopefully I'll get my hands on Virmiculite somewhere..
Some guy on Craigslist is selling Perlite in huge bags at super bargains. This may sound weird, but I don't know if he's legit..In other words, it's too good to be true, know what I mean??? He said his large bags are equivalent to 15, 8 quart bags sold at the store. First he said, if I picked them up they'd be 8.00 per bag.. if he ships, they'll be a little more. BUT, when I said, it'd be easier if someone picked them up, he said, I'll tell you what, I'll sell each bag and include shipping for 8.00..What do you guys think? Too good to be true or what?

Trying to get me to go to a show..LOL..We'll see, Fred. I just wish they weren't so darn far. Gas is, 4.25 per gallon..the closest show is let's say 25 miles to and 25 back. I dont know how many gallons our car gets per mile, but let's say EXPENSIVE..lol.
Anyway, I'm really really busy and will be for a few weeks. Still have to dig up two+ sections in the front gardens. Dig as in using a shovel. Transplant a couple bushes..then mow. By the time that's finished, it'll be time to weed out back again..

Fred, do you root leaves in soil or water? If you root in water, do you add fertilizer?
Oh it's true leaves are less expensive then plants, but sometimes they root and other times not. Ironically, I have better luck rooting variegated leaves..

One more question. lol. All AV's are in 3 south-facing LR windows. They don't get direct sun; bright light is more like it..No curtains or blinds..But some ***** planted a tree so most light is blocked. The LR gets warm, but a ceiling fan runs all day and windows are opened.
We have a front plant room. 5 windows facing: 1 north, 3 west and 1 south. Problem is that room gets really HOT in summer. (Winter isn't a problem because AV's do best in the LR so that's where they're staying.)
We're thinking of having new windows installed in the plant room in a few wks, but my question is, which room would be better? The LR that gets less light but cooler (not cold) or the front plant room that is hot but sunnier?
Oh, btw, I have a little rotating fan for the front plant room. I'm unsure what type of windows we're getting, the current windows are old and won't open which is why it's so hot.. But even with a fan going, temps can exceed 100F. Toni

Oh Fred you're going to kill me.. You said you looked for the ad on Craigs List, but the problem is you could have searched all day and never have seen it because it wasn't on Craigs List..It was at www.kijiji.com Not sure if that's the correct spelling..LOL..I'm so sorry. Do you know of this site?

Oh sheesh, I had no idea Perlite came in different textures.. The only available Perlite here is sold by Miracle Gro. It'd be a nice gesture if the seller sent a picture via email to compare his to Miracle Gro Perlite.
The seller is pretty persistant. He emailed again today asking if I was still interested. He also said he sells on Ebay..I'll have to check Ebay to see if he's listed. Is it illegal mentioning the screen name he uses on Kijiji?

Fred, I doubt AV's would flower or keep variegation if grown in a north window, especially in winter. But in 2005, I purchased a 7" Richardsiana Begonia, 'grown as a bonsai,' and has since lived in this north window. Underleaf and stems are red, and flowers all summer..same type of flowers as Wax Begonias. It's now a mature plant and pruned many times. I've also rooted 3 Opuntias, (Prickly Pear Cacti) two different types, in this window..Let's see, there are 2 Avacado pits rooting, and various Pothos 'in water' off the side. A Purple Passion, (Gynura) bought last winter..Since it gets monthly pinching it grows compact, and has kept it's velvety purple color. There's also a variegated Spider Plant, but its lost most variegation..One Pineapple Dracaena, and a cutting (hopefully rooting) of a vining Schefflera. I'm trying to find an ID on that guy..
In the second north kitchen windows are ferns. 2 Bostons, one called Tiger Fern, the second, Golden Fern. A huge, old Leather Fern, a Curly Fern, and Fuzzy Ruffle Fern. LOL.

I have to repot a few Hibiscus, they're the last plants going outdoors.
Hopefully, if it's nice tomorrow, (nice being 85F+) I plan on working out front..Once that's done, then the fun project, Fertilizing, Superthriving, and some plants will get a dose of Epsom Salts...Fertilizing take 2-3 days..LOL. I use several types depending on plants. Like soils.
Well, that's about it..I don't think I asked too many questions,right? LOL..There's another.
Hope you guys have a great weekend. Take care, Toni

1/2 the plants coming outta Rob's (aka The Violet Barn) ARE named "Rob's", 'cos Ralph Robinson (the owner or co-owner or whatever) is the hybridizer of the Rob's series.
The other half coming outta there are hybridized by his wife Olive and are named "Ma's".
You can find Rob's and Ma's plants elsewhere, but they all originate from "Rob" & Olive.

"...and they are standards, they are good in 4 in pots when mature. (Plants named Rob's, for example, Rob's Scrumptious, are semiminis or minis). I actually recommend repotting them into new, lighter soil, in 3 in pots if they are baby standards (which they probably are) or 4 in pots if they are full grown"

Plants named "Rob's" (or any other minis & semis) are NOT baby standards, minis & semis really stay small even when fully mature. Putting them in 4 inch pots is a great way to kill 'em--which can come in handy if yer looking to cut down yer collection, but a better option might be to give away/send/swap them to people who love minis LOL

Red Pepper - Standard
Ma's Winter Moon - Standard
Rob's Hall (musta gotten abbreviated somewhere along the line, should be Rob's Hallucination) - Semiminiature
Ramblin' Amethyst - Standard Trailer
Orange Pekoe - Large Standard
Alamo Gold Rush - Standard

The "0Z0 499 Senks" sounds like a Senk's hybrid that perhaps the seller labeled using their own "stock number" or whatever and mayhaps forgot to put the actual name on (or maybe even perhaps lost track of the name entirely)

Fred, I really can't complain about variegated plants..We keep temps set at 68F in winter, but it's cooler by the windows. Each room is different in temp. Before new windows were installed in the back room, a few nights temps dropped as low as 23F, which was a fluke..but accurate..I set two thermometers and both read the same..In fact, I lost a Pachypodium one night because the temperature dropped drastically.
I'll check Krums Perlite on Ebay..the seller mentioned two burbs, both of which aren't too far. Thanks so much for checking..I feel bad because I haven't notified him, but before handing over cash, I want to be sure he's legit.
BTW, there's room for big bags of Perlite in the gh, shed or garage..

M3, thanks..I've got it figured out now, meaning Ma and Rob's AV's. Now it's only the remaining 50,000,000,000 AV's left to remember..LOL.
You're right about Rob's soil being heavy..I didn't notice at first but after checking soil on a daily basis, I see what you mean. Someone mentioned their soil being heavy in an earlier post.
The problem is, I'm afraid to pot up new plants, especially when they're small, but in this situation, it'll be better in the long run.

M3, thanks for checking AV's..After checking I discoverd the RH is a semi mini..I know now 4" is too large for a semi mini or mini..Would a 2 or 3" be better for the RH's?
The other night I went through Robs, Violet Gallery, Lyons and Brennans to find sizes for my AV's with names. There's still a few I can't locate. So if you or anyone has info can you please let me know?
Each name doesn't have to be typed out, I don't want anyone spending time typing on my account. Thanks for your help M3..And of course Fred..
Here are AV's I couldn't find..

Alamos Gold Rush
Gillian..I think it's standard.
Happy Harold.
Lemon Whip
Midnight Valentine
Ness Orange Pekoe..I think this is a standard, too.
Tomahawk
Warm Sunshine

Thanks for everyone's help. I can't wait to get my other orders..LOL..I forgot which, but one nursery has a 3 week waiting period. Now that I think about it, I should have ordered one Chimera. Just one. LOL.

One more question..LOL..I asked before but it's possible it was an oversight or the question couldnt be answered.
Is Sideras (Spiderwort) a form of violet?
If the file doesn't open, don't bother..It's not the best pic anyway,...Thanks again, Toni

Here are the descriptions of the plants you were looking for:
Alamo Gold Rush (H. Pittman) Double gold and pink shaded. Variegated dark green, pink and copper, wavy. Standard (TX Hyb)
Gillian (8619) 06/16/1997 (D. Ferguson) Double white large star. Medium green, plain, quilted. Standard
Happy Harold (2169) 02/01/1971 (Rienhardt) Single red-wine. Variegated, plain. Standard
Lemon Whip (7964) 10/08/1993 (S. Sorano) Semidouble white frilled star/yellow mottling. Medium green, wavy, serrated. Standard
Midnight Valentine (7976) 10/08/1993 (S. Sorano) Double dark red star/white edge. Medium green, plain. Large
Ness' Orange Pekoe (D. Ness) Semidouble-double coral large pansy. Variegated dark green, pink and cream, scalloped/red back. Large
Tomahawk (7269) 01/22/1990 (K. Stork) Semidouble-double bright red. Dark green, plain. Large
Warm Sunshine (9546) 12/17/2005 (Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses/P. Sorano) Semidouble-double pale yellow star. Dark green, plain, spooned. Standard
I don't have any idea if spiderwort is related to an AV. For all I know it may be a gesneriad.
That's it for now.
Fred in NJ

I assume you mean Rob's Hallucination, but the thing is--I can't tell you what size pot just based on the name.

I have a ruler, but I can't reach my arm all the way to Illinois to measure your plant, so you'll have to do that yerself & then pot it into something 1/3 smaller.

Fred, it's nice going back in time, recalling fond memories. Since your mom had a love for her special Rose and Iris, and your aunt, with a non-touchable AV, (so untouchable you'd be in the OUThouse if touched) you too inherited a love for greenery.
Other than my grandma with her AV, and an aunt and uncle who owned a gorgeous, huge farm in MI, nobody grew plants in my family..My father mowed the lawn, my mother didnt touch anything outdoors. Though, when we bought the house, the previous owners planted a rose. One Nov, it bloomed. That was the only time my mother showed any signs of amazement. She went as far as phoning her family to tell them..Roses do NOT bloom in IL in Nov.
It's ironic you encountered a teacher who not only loved AV's, but involved in shows.
Was there something special about the AV's you entered that they won blue ribbons? Were they rare or was ut something you did? Also, by chance, do you recall what type of soil you used? I'm assuming it was a while back, (since you've mentioned outhouses, lol.)

Nope, never heard of Tinari's..was it an online nursery?

Fred, thanks for typing the AV info..you didnt have to go through all that work though..I've entered all in my plant journal,, thanks so much. You think I like standards? LOL..

I got an order Friday from Brennans..don't worry, I've got the info so no need for descriptions or sizes..LOl
Ma's Winter Moon
Kris
Rodeo Country
Silverglade Spells
Also, while shopping at the grocery store, they had a display of AV's, newly stocked for 1.49 each, so 3 Standards jumped in my cart..LOL..1. white flowers, 2. pink edged with white centers, 3. purple center w/white edges.

M3, that'd be one BIG ruler.. Do you think a tape measure would do?

Fred, Rob's Hallucination is now in a 2" pot, all comfy cozy..since repotting it's grown two new leaves. It's in the north window till autumn.

I hope you guys had a great wkend w/o storms..it sure has been pouring here..Toni

BTW, Brennans AV's are really rootbound. They're in 3" pots now. I cannot find 3 1/2" pots anywhere..should I up to 4"??? They're so potbound they won't stand erect. Roots are seeping out of drainage holes. Some roots are thick..That's something I've never seen happen with an Av before.

Regarding the pot size, Toni, repeat after me, "measure the diameter of the plant from leaf tip to leaf tip. Divide that diameter by 3. The resulting number is the size of the pot the plant should be potted in." This seems to be a difficult concept for you to grasp, so let me explain how this standard is used by experienced growers. When repotting a violet, you will want to do any necessary grooming at that time. This includes removing any deformed leaves, any dead ones, any immature ones growing form underneath, and any suckers. Looking down on the plant from above, look to see if it is symmetrical. If one leaf sticks way out compared to the others, take it off. What started out as 12 inch violet may end up to be a 9 inch violet, or even smaller after all the trimming is done! Especially if there are a lot of separate crowns or suckers. Now, the pot size needs to be appropriate to the plant you have in your hand, not what you started with. Now is the time you measure the diameter of the leaves, divide by 3, etc.
Good luck.

Barbara

To clarify, I didn't mean to imply that plants named Rob's were baby standards. I just meant that standards FROM Rob's were usually baby standards. Plants NAMED Rob's are still semiminis or minis. My baby standards are still in 3 inch pots, and need to do some growing before moving on up to the 4 inch pots. I've also had to pot one or two down, because they'd gotten smaller due to their not enjoying my winter. That's my favorite lesson right now, actually: don't be afraid to pot down. If things go awry and your plant loses leaves and becomes too small for the pot size it is in, go ahead and pot down. My troubled ones are much happier now.

My other favorite lesson is: bag your leaf starts. I'm actually getting some results faster now. In fact, I started Princess Jade in late April, and have had a bunch of babies sprout already. Before, I could never start a sucker, and had low success rate with leaves, partially because I keep managing to work a six-day work week, and couldn't keep them properly moist. Did I mention I'm a chronic underwaterer? : )

As for your question, I do think you have more than me now, Toni. I've evened out at about 50. That isn't counting my starts, but I'm kind of really just propagating to have backups and trading/gift material, and also for education, so I hope to not have all my starts live here permanently... I feel justified in not counting them : )

Barb, I still owe you an email..sorry, never finished..I'm way behind in the email department (for one thing my hubby's puter needed a part so he was using mine)
I received your two emails, which I'll try getting to today. Thanks for sending. I'll check them out.
Barb, I understand the concept of sizing AV's, but I asked about repotting in a 4" pot because I don't have the size needed..I admit, 12"+ diameter AV's is baffling since I'd never seen one that size..Ever. (not in person) To be honest, until coming here, I'd never ever heard of such a size for this plant.
I'm a firm believer in grooming ALL plants..With AV's, any dead, yellow or broken leaf/ves is/are removed..Faded flowers deadheaded. Pots are cleaned off. Soil checked.
Sunday, when we had a wanna-be tornado, my new AV's went flying..What a disaster!!

Howdy Fred..But you still haven't answered my question..or are you avoiding it? LOL..j/k..Your AV's were in bloom..But wouldn't other entries have flowers too? Was it the type of flowers that won the ribbons?
It sounds like the Tineras did a lot to get the ball rolling.. I wonder if I kept the AV stamp the misses had issued..how in the world did she accomplish such a feat? That's impressive. I wonder if she's listed on Wikipedia? That's some accomplishment. Not to mention everything else they'd done..and to find a husband interested in something you love, well, is rare..LOL. How's Mr. Tinara doing? Have you or anyone else spoken to him?
Landscaping huh? Well, at least it involves plants, guess people have to do what brings in the bread and butter.
A couple here have/had at least 2 gh's we're aware of. Their children have NO interest in plants..one son is a fireman..the owner one day jokingly asked me if I wanted one of his gh'es..I THINK he was joking..LOL..One gh burned down a few yrs back..I'm not sure the Mr is alive, last time we saw him he had to be in his late 80's, early 90's, but was at the gh daily. The second gh is a far drive.
Oh got my Violet Gallery order yesterday..LOL
Here's the list.
Apache Showoff
Irish Laughter
Jeanette's Apple Blossom
Night Fever
Witch Doctor
Wrangler's Cowboy Blue
Lemon Whip (free gift)

Quinn...I'm not afraid to underpot..I've done this with plants shipped with very few roots..(not AV's)
I know what you mean about Rob's plants..LOL

Is Princess Jade a mini? Sounds pretty. When you say bag your leaves do you mean cuttings? If so, I do..Especially in winter. Our house is very humid this time of year, since no a/c or c/a is used..believe me, my hygrometer's needle cannot get any higher..LOL.
Well, better you're a bit of an underwaterer, than an over-waterer..Most ppl kill plants by over-watering..any plant..I've talked to ppl use water 2-3 times a day!! I'm not talking AV's, but other plants like Citrus, etc. A few even have done this with succulents, which is a BIG NO NO. Then they wondered why their plant died..lol.
I beat you? You're kidding..lol..Well, this wasn't intended to be a contest, but I believe you..Still, after my next order, lol, that's going to be it for a while..at least until I figure where they're going in winter. Okay, just counted..so far, 47..LOL..I have one more order coming in, okay, I admit it, I went ahead and ordered from Lyons..LOL..so sue me..I asked my hubby, he said oh go ahead..as for the books, we'll get them at the library, and hide in the bedroom, (Barb's advice) so the birds can't chew pages..LOL.
Today, AV's are getting a nice drink of room temp water that's been sitting out over 24 hours..maybe some Superthrive, too..
Well, again thanks for listening and your help..Toni

Fred, remember the sucker you and the others told me to remove, and pot separately? I followed instructions and now It's Blooming!!! The flower is white edged w/light purple center. I'm sooo excited. This tiny little sucker has one flower..The sucker is from a 'Ma' African Violet. Ma's Winter Moon as a matter of fact.
As for the mini, (remember I discussed it earlier?) how often do they bloom? It's been years since. I can understand the reason it hadn't when it was potted in too large a container, but now that it's in a smaller pot, nothing is happening (as far as buds) Remember I set it in a north window? Could that be the reason it's not flowering? Perhaps north isn't bright enough???

Fred I checked Tinari's site..I think they're strickly into landscaping. The links don't open.
I'm using Vista instead of XL..there are several sites that won't open which means this puter needs updating or whatever. Something's missing. So, it's possible the links work, just not with my puter.

Thanks Fred, but I jotted down descriptions for all new AV's. If only I could remember each plant, eg. which are standards, which large specimens.
I have another question. Years ago I read AV's shouldn't have more than 4 or 5 crowns. So, as leaves grew, I removed lower leaves..Now I'm baffled. When you and everyone talk about large AV's, how is this done? Should I not remove leaves? I'd like my AV's to grow large, so if bottom leaves are removed, I'm assuming, this will never happen. What should I do? As long as bottom foliage is healthy, should I let them be? What do you think?

I hope everyone is well, and enjoying summer. Are you guys getting a lot of rain? It seems to be a daily thing here. We haven't had full sun for some time. The sky is bright one minute, then cloudy the next two hours. Since I don't use plant lights in summer, my violets only get light provided by the sun which is, IMO medium light. I worry the variegated will lose color.
Oh well, what can ya do? Take care, Toni

Apache Showoff (J. Munk) Semidouble hot pink large pansy/red eye, rays. Variegated dark green and pink. Standard (DAVS 1472, TX Hyb)
Irish Laughter (9527) 12/17/2005 (Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses/D. Herringshaw) Semidouble-double white star/frilled green edge. Medium green, wavy, serrated. Standard
Night Fever (8538) 11/09/1996 (S. Sorano) Semidouble burgundy pansy/variable darker streaks. Dark green, plain, quilted/red back. Standard
Witch Doctor (J. Gehr) Double burgundy/near-black tips. Mosaic variegated dark green and silver. Standard
Wrangler's Cowboy Blues (6220) 05/20/1986 (W. Smith) Double blue. Variegated medium green and cream, plain. Large
Lemon Whip (7964) 10/08/1993 (S. Sorano) Semidouble white frilled star/yellow mottling. Medium green, wavy, serrated. Standard

Dragonfly, remove all the flowers?!?!? Really??? Just thinking about it gives me goose bumps..How long is this supposed to be done? Do I remove buds or flowers..and how long a period should they be removed? In other words, do I remove once after one blooming spurt or more often? Is this done with babies or any age AV's?
Also, what about fertilizer? Would a fert with more nitrogen (N) work better than one with higher P?
You've given me an idea. I received Lemon Whip as a free gift which means I have two. I can experiment with one Lemon..thanks so much for the concept.

I have one more question..LOL..I measured a few newer AV's. Some need repotting..My question is, though I know how to measure a pot, some pots are constructed odd. The upper parts of containers, (the lips/rims) are larger in diameter than the bottom, the bottom is what holds the plant. The lip/rim is about 1/4" deep, the remainder of the pot is almost 3" long. So, do I measure the lip/rim/diameter or the bottom?
Of course, after measuring leaf diameters, some equal odd numbers like 5 1/4" across..LOL. Unfortunately, I haven't any pots 1/3rd the size of 5 1/4". That's not the problem though..my question is regarding size of the pots lip vs bottom..remember, bottom is where roots live, so wouldn't the bottom of pot be measured for size and not the lip/rim? Thanks again, Toni
I hope this makes sense..LOL

AV's are really shallow rooted, so measure the pot across the top. And, if you can find 'squatty' pots, they seem to workd a little better because of this.

Cape Cod has a good pot selection.

Barbara

Barb, I found Cape Cod, but there's no way to order via their site. I guess you have to call? Or am I missing something?
In the meantime, while browsing for Cape Cod, I found a few other nurseries that sounds good.
I already have a question regarding pots, so Barb and Fred, do you have your thinking caps on? LOL
One African Violet site sold pots as large as 6". I understand we pot according to leaf diameter, divide into thirds, and whatever 1/3rd equals determines pot size. What size AV would do well in a 6" pot? In all the years growing plants, I've never once seen an AV growing in a container larger than 4". Nor have I heard anyone mention potting an AV in such a large size.

Fred, I figured out the * perhaps while you were writing this post. (S)
Some north windows are bright in summer, but the two in my kitchen are semi-obstructed by neighboring homes..there used to be 3 fir trees between, but they were old and diseased so our neighbor had them cut down. But even treeless, there's not much light to speak of. Then again, a Richardsiana Begonia lives in the kitchen window..(3 yrs now) It's blooming like crazy. Oh, there's also two Optunias (Prickly Pears) cuttings that took root, one has sprouted. So, you guys let me know what you think???

I'm going to disbud a Lemon Whip when and if it/they bloom. (Remember I have two) Do I disbud when they're buds or flowers?
I think Lemon Whip is Stadard, right? I really would like to disbud a large specimen to see how it works.
Since the newer AV's are babies, would I disbud now or wait until they're older? Most of my new AV's are in bud/flower..still in small pots.

Oops, Fred, guess I meant row, not crown. I don't understand what you mean when you say each row has three leaves??? When I count 'rows' there are more than 3 leaves.

Fred, what happens if you disbud AV 12 wks prior a show and they don't bloom? Do you enter them? Do they ever judge for foliage? Or are both leaves and flowers important?

Like I mentioned to Barb, there's nothing on CCV site that specifies what's available. Do you make up a list of, say pots, then work from there when ordering? Do they ship catalogs?
Also, what material are Solo cups? Another site sells them but didnt' explain their material. Are they paper, like those people buy as disposable drinking cups? Or plastic?

A few more questions, if you guys don't mind me asking..LOL. When an Av flower starts fading or fades, how far along should it be before deadheading? Also, how much of the stem should be removed? The tip, further down? Will a new bud form on an old stem?

I know I said no more new plants, but I broke down and purchased four AV's from Lyndon Lyons.
Berry Splash, Evening Splender, Simpler Times and Blue is Blue. They arrived in nice condition, but some leaves broke during shipping. Since they're young plants, 1-2 broken leaves per plant made a difference. But they had some varities nobody else had, like Blue is Blue.
One more question..LOL..Why do some AV's have long stems while others are shower? All my older AV's have short stems..could this be due to lack of sun? Natural for the species, or another reason,...
Thanks for your help again..

Sorry it took so long to reply to this thread, but problems at home. Toni

You can send an e-mail to Cape Cod Violetry and have John send you his catalog by return e-mail, etherwise it's 2 bucks. violets@cape.com is the address.

Disbudding is the way to increase the number of blooms on a plant. You remove each stem of buds as they appear without letting them mature. I use a pair of dental 'tweezers' and break off the stem as close to the base as possible. The younger the buds, the better. Be sure to look down under the newer leaves near but not in the center, and remove them as soon as you find them. New leaves form in the center, buds form in the next several rows of leaves. What disbudding does is direct the plants energy to roots and foliage, and really seems to 'frustrate' the blooming cycle. It is as though the plant gets frustrated about not being able to bloom, and it decides to send up so many buds you could never get them all. Sort of a "take that" response! Once you have seen the amazing results you'll be tempted to always disbud your plants.

Lucille, great that you got the book Growing to Show. I think you'll agree that it isn't just about raising for show, but raising for the best plant it can be. Tell us what you think of the book after you have read it.

Make it a good week, everyone!

Barbara

Good luck.

Barbara

That plant is 36" accross.

Amazing, pretty to look at... but no thanks, not for me--I'll stick to my minis & micros. :-D

Hey Barb..How are you? Have you gone on any trips recently? Shows?
Thanks for detailing how to disbud. Many AV's are blooming now. If my AV's were yours, and you wanted larger foliage and flowers, would you remove flowers now or wait until these flowers fade?
Also, does it matter if disbudding is done w/older AV's?
I hope all is well with you, Barb.

Hey Fred..Yes, this is one long thread, and I'm honestly happy I asked about suckers, becuase not only have I learned a lot, but others have too.
Maybe you missed the post, but I mentioned having a shelf w/lighting. But don't worry, I'll make room for every AV. If there's one thing this house has, it's windows..I also use artificial lighting from late autumn til mid-spring. There's enough light to keep AV's, Hibiscus and Citrus blooming/fruiting all winter long.
You said, "I always remove the bloomstalk before the blossom opens?" What is your reason for doing this? To grow larger flowers, leaves, both or something else altogether?
Do people disbud, (not deadhead) mini AV's? People unconcerned about size? In other words, if someone grows AV's strickly for flowrers, to they remove buds? Isn't the concept of disbudding mainly to grow larger specimens?
Oops, sorry about the species question. Surely don't want to confuse anyone. I assumed Saintpaulia was the genus and theri second name the species..It doesn't work that way with AV's? If not, why? I thought all plants used two names. Oh well, shows what I know.
Still sooo much to learn.
Fred, until I know exactly where plants, all plants, will reside once indoors, I'll have to hold back buying, even small plants like AV's. Of course it won't hurt to browse..LOL..While checking out Cape Cop, I ran across a site that contained links that sold AV's and supplies..gotta learn to say NO. LOL. Some nurseries had interesting plants and supplies.
Once again, thanks for the help. You guys have been incredibly patient.

We've got severe T-storms heading our way tonight..Hope it storms..(S)

I hope everyone had a great holiday. Take care, Toni

Hope you survived the t-storms. It is hurricane season on the TexasGulf Coast and I do not look forward to them.

I am not new to AVs, I had some many years ago. But they were nothing like the ones whose pix I see today. I bought a bunch of AVs and leaves on Ebay, the leaves should get here in the next few days.

Will let you know about 'Growing to Show', it too should get here in a few days. I got the old edition on Ebay, not knowing there was a new one as of this year but I am sure it will still have lots of interesting info.

I am keeping all of my AVs either in the kitchen window or under some fixtures which will arrive soon, I look forward to having everything set up. I should have got everything set up first, but when I saw the leaf auction I decided I really wanted to have those particular AVs.

Yup, Tiger it is :-)

Lucille, I pray you guys are safe now that it 'cane season..Are winds strong yet or is it too early? What time of year do cane's start? When do they end?
Our T-storms are nothing compared to canes. It gets windy, things go flying, but other than a few cities in IL that are known for tornado's, it's child's play.
Did you get your AV leaves yet? I know there are several AV sellers on Ebay, but does the seller's first screen name start with Ice----? If so, she's the one I got my AV's/leaves from last winter. I hope yours arrive safe.
Regarding, 'Growing to Show,' you say yours is an old edition. Are you talking about the copyright or is it the same book w/more information?
I can't find it. I checked the library and Brookfield not only doesn't have it, but there's no library in the system that does..Then I checked Ebay and Amazon without luck.
A seller on Ebay had a copy, but the book is from the 80's..Is the 80's book the same everyone is talking about?
Yep, it's best to prepare soils, pots, whatever you're going to use before getting a bunch of plants/leaves in.
Do you root leaves in water or soil? Good luck, hope they all root...and keep safe..

Hey Fred...I remember Tiger mentioned in a previous post, but had NO idea it'd grow THAT large..Nowhere near as huge as the picture M3 displayed..One large AV that size would do it for me..If/when I order again, Tiger will be on the list.
Although, I don't know if there's a trick growing an AV that size..You mention disbudding, which is a start. I'm going to choose one large AV, and do just that. Also, no more plucking bottom rows of leaves, unless by chance they yellow. Which I can honestly say, for the most part, doesn't happen, or not often anyway.
Oh Fred, I wish you had a picture of your mini AV w/77 flowers. Okay, did you count each flower? One, two, three, four,(wife calling Fred in the background) "okay dear,", One, two, three. (Fred's phone rings.) One, two, three..lol
I'm confused with minis and semis. Which is the smaller?
According to Wikipedia, Baron Saint Paul sent 'seeds' to his amateur botonist father who resided in Germany in 1892.
Oh Fred, I'm not sure I follow your explaination on species and sub species..I read, reread, and re-reread your explaination three times, and will again until it sinks in that little golf-ball size gray matter under my scalp..You are light years ahead of me..LOL
Toni, the General of plants..hey, I like the title. Maybe I'll have business cards printed up..(S)
Fred, wait, you have 2 copies of Growing To Show??? Is there a difference between part 1 and 2? What about 3? My question regarding this book is, is it the same book, just different copywrites? If that's the case, I'll buy from the seller on Ebay..his copy was published in the 80's. If they're three totally different books, that's different.
The other book I'm looking for is, You Can Grow African Violet's, which was recommended on this thread. I'm going to try the library for both, and if I like them end up purchasing. You'd think Amazon have it/them in stock. I'll have to go back and recheck. The night I looked, I had other things on my mind so it's possible I missed seeing it.
But Tiger is on my list. The only problem is ordering one plant...that's simply impossible..plus shipping at most nurseries have a flat rate, so it'd be silly buying one and paying 12.99, or whatever they charge.
Ironically, I saw Tiger several times but didn't think about adding. My son's g/f's name is Tiger so that's one name I can't forget..LOL..

Hope everyone has a great wkend..hugs, Toni

Tiger has a beautiful variegation, long petioles and not that special flowers. I had it for some time, didn't like it that much, gave it away.

You are right - doesn't make sense to pay for the leaves of Tiger only. Try violetgallery.com, they carry Tiger, you can search their catalog for "large" and order several. Everybody I know who dealt with them - is very happy.

(Tell your hubby that it is your B-day present and give yourself a good selection of leaves or starters.)

Have lots of fun on your B-day!

Irina

Large: 16" and up
Standard: 8-16"
Semiminiature: 6-8"
Miniature: 3-6"
Microminiature: under 3" (NOTE: Microminiature is NOT a recognized size classification by the AVSA... So technically they are just "miniatures", but us fans of the itty-bitties just like to think otherwise--And we will, and we will be wrong--At least until/if the AVSA ever budges on that rule.)

The book Growing To Show has been revised a couple times, that's all.
The most current one released in May would be the most up-to date. Same book since the start, but "revised" means more/new info etc. I know it's been said before in this thread as well, but again-you can order the most current edition from AVSA.

Thanks M3. Though all size AV's are gorgeous, my interest lies on the Tiger you posted. If only..(S)
Sizes were probably mentioned on this thread, but it's a longgg way up..LOL..thanks though. Now to remember.
I've never seen or heard of microminiature, but they sound lovely. An Av, even though it's not recognized by AVSA, under 3"..Ooh, do you realize how many would fit on a shelf or sill??? If anyone has one will you please post?

Ah Fred..Okay, you convinced me. I will join the AVSA, AND buy both books..Now, the question is, once I join, can I order both books using membership fees? LOL..That sounds so, Mr. Scrooge, but money IS an issue.
They have a phone number so I'll phone tomorrow..if no one is around, I'll call Monday during business hours.
Also, I imagine the fees are for a good cause.
No, I don't intend showing plants, but IMO, it's important ID'ing names of all plants. It may be generic or silly, but each AV has a label inside the pot. Those bought locally do not have tags, but who knows, one day while browsing pics one will pop up with a name. Not John or Mary Smith but an actual name.
Okay be honest Fred, how many tries before counting 77 flowers? LOL..Would you happen to have a picture? I don't intend on counting the flowers, but would love seeing an AV, packed with buds and blooms, where foliage is hidden.
Again I want to thank everyone. It's a pleasure talking to people who enjoy greens. Toni

The plants themselves ARE recognised by AVSA, but they are lumped in with the just plain "miniatures" size--not "micro" as some of us would like them to be classified.

And since you want a pic of what we mini-freaks call a "micro", here is a pic of my Rob's Twinkle Blue that I picked up at the National Convention in Tulsa this May...

My friend Jana snapped this pic 'cos she couldn't believe how teeny it was. We also stuck a penny in there for "scale":

I potted it down to a teeny 1/2 oz. solo cup once I got it home... Is much more snug and happy in there now than it was in that huge 3oz solo cup it was sold "swimming" in. :-)

About 100-150 or so I think... All minis & semis. Tho, the semis are kinda "too big" for my liking so I am trying to "phase them out" of my collection :-p

"Would a petitition, if 'x' amount of signitures were submitted to the ASVA, convince them renaming a 3" or smaller Av, a micro?"

I dunno... Maybe... Maybe not. I'm new (less than a year) to the AVSA so I don't wanna "cause waves" :-p

"M3, your camera really picks up detail. It displays each 'hair' per leaf. I don't know if it's the camera or your computer. I like that."

Thanks but as I said when I posted that pic, my friend Jana took that one, not me. Jana's good tho. And I sorta taught Jana a bit of what I know. Good cameras help. But still, thanks--I do think I am a good photographer... You can see my pics in the gallery area of this forum.

"What's the brown pieces/medium in your soil? Is it bark?"

It's just the potting medium that all of Rob's plants come in. I bought this from his table at Tulsa Convention... But it's the same if you mail order from him.
Kinda heavy stuff, I repot whatever I get from him immediately into a light mix (about 1/2 peat, 1/2 perlite) so I can get 'em on wick watering.

"I'm baffled by the number of people who travel around the US hunting down AV's. Did you go to OK to AV shop or other reasons and happen to come upon a show?"

I don't "travel around the US hunting down AV's" HAHAHAhahahahaha
I went to Tulsa, OK in May because that was where the 62nd annual AVSA National Convention was being held.
It's A BIG DEAL.... Not just the sales room with most of the biggest African Violet suppliers that are in biz, but meeting up with violet lovers from all over the world, with seminars & classes... Oh, and a BIG show.
2009's National Convention will be in Reno, NV... so I'll be going there for it :-p
Mostly I just liked it for the people. I only bought 2 plants (which was pathetic compared to most of the frenzied shoppers at Convention as you might imagine LOL)

Every since it was posted, the image of this beautiful AV has been stamped in my mind..Toni

Every since it was posted, the image of this beautiful AV has been stamped in my mind..Toni