Chris -

the violet in question is sporting. You have one color coming from the bottom of the plant - and the second from the top. Eventually as it grows - you will have only tops left.

I once bought a plant of Rhapsodie Cora - with a double crown - one side was blooming true bi-color - the second - just purple. I removed the true blooming sucker - and rooted it. It is still blooming true 5 years later.

In any case - mostly it is a temporary condition - and eventually one type is going to take over.

About the WM planters.

1. Eventually your multiple violets will get large and start looking untidy pushing one another. So for some time it will work - and then you can repot them separately.

2. WM planters have very small pores in the inner pot - and in sveral months they will get clogged and stop passing the water. To restart it - you need to refire the inner part in a kiln with 1500F. Or get another pot.

Good Luck

Irina

Irina,

Thanks for the info. But look closly at the photo (link below.) This is two different colors coming from the stem. Is that sporting. Also...you are wrong about the planters. Look at the picture again. It has no pores to clog.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Chris,

I agree with Irina that your plant is sporting. I have an "Iceberg" that will have solid blue, solid white, white with lots of blue, and white with blue edged blossoms. Some or any combination of these appear on the same stem sometimes. In regards to your planter, I see two planters in your pictures. The plastic long rectangular planter is the one I am assuming you referred to in your first post. Yes, you can get a number of plants in there, but keep in mind that for the plant to achieve its best possible shape, it should have enough room to grow without touching anything, even other plants. Also, plants will have different water requirements. If your goal is simply to fill up the planter, then by all means use it. Be sure to use a lighter mix with lots of perlite.

I also see the pretty blue ceramic pot, which appears to be a two part pot, with the inner pot having an unglazed lower portion that is suspended in water in the water pot. This is the pot that Irina is referring to. We call these self-watering pots also. There are lots of pores to eventually clog. Plants in these pots frequently are overwatered unless you use a really light mix heavy on the perlite.

Barbara

Barbara et al,

Thanks for the answers! This is a great site for ...er ...ensite. I was confused at first about the stems...but I am learning more and more each day. Like I mentioned earlier...I inherited about 50 plants and I only have 6 in self waterer(cermaic) and 8 in the plastic WM planters. I was in need for some pimp containers.

What do most people prefer to pot there AV in? Im guessing the real avid fans have bunches in the original cups...but I like a nice pot for plants. Thanks in advance.

Oh...also...what do you call what is going on with this leaf. Looks like a extra set of leave on it.(link below)

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:365000}}

For my standards, I use 3" plastic pots that I get from a supplier. For my semis/minis, I use plastic solo cups that I buy in bags of 150 from Kroger and prepare for growing. I wick ALL of my plants, no matter what size or what kind of container they grow in.

I understand your desire for "nice pots" but sometimes those pots look pretty but don't provide the optimum growing support for your plant(s). In our study group, we suggest that growers grow them in the best containers and then set that container down inside of their "pretty pot" so that they have the best of both worlds.

For example, I wick my standards in their 3" pots and then set the entire plant/pot/watering container down inside of one of those self watering pots - the plant is a bit higher than it would be if actually planted in the container but it has the best growing support and thrives. I have several of those self watering containers that I use and when a standard begins to bloom on my plant stand, I rotate them off the stand and into these pots on my end tables in my den.

I think that leaf that you asked about is damaged and needs to be removed when you groom the plant. I would recommend grooming several of those plants that are in your pictures.

JMO,
Dora

>>>>I think that leaf that you asked about is damaged and needs to be removed when you groom the plant. I would recommend grooming several of those plants that are in your pictures.

Dora...thanks for the information...but no thanks for your "opinion". The mutant leaf stays.

Chris,

That leaf in question is probably not a genetic mutant, which would require a change in the genes of the plant where it changes, or 'mutates' to something else. It is simply deformed. It appears to have been damaged at some point in its life. If it were my plant, I would remove it and the leaf to its left that has damage on it also. Its not a life or death thing, but it will eventually get older and die off and need to be removed.

Trust Dora, I've seen her stuff.......

Barbara

> Dora...thanks for the information...but no thanks for your "opinion". The mutant leaf stays.

No need to be rude about it! :(

Also, she's right - your violets will grow much healthier and stronger if they are groomed properly. Your "mutant" leaf is actually a *damaged* leaf. Mutation is the result of permanent genetic changes in the plant, whereas your leaf is pretty clearly suffering from scar tissue the plant is growing from an injury (likely the leaf cracked when it was growing.) It's an ephemeral change - if you cut off the leaf and put it in soil, any plantlets grown from it would look totally normal.

Keep it on the plant if you want, but understand what it really is.

>>>No need to be rude about it! :(

WTF! I originally thought it was rude to tell me my plants need cleanin up! I have worked my arse off on salvaging some 50 violets. A cracked leaf is not going to hurt the av at all....in fact I could damage the plant by removing it. I can clearly see the crack from where it got bumped. What I am calling a mutation is the extra pair of leaves growing from the center of the vien.

I was not trying to be rude...Only asking questions.
OK...this is where you all gang up on me and run me off.

Chris,

She was offering advice to help you with your violets, not insulting you or tersely ordering you to do it! We know you're salvaging violets and you came here with a few questions. It's okay! Just take the advice that looks good to you and leave the rest. A lot of us here have grown them for many, many years and we know what we're talking about. When someone who hasn't grown them for very long comes in asking questions, usually people here fall over themselves offering this advice and that advice - it isn't to be taken as a slap to the face saying "you don't have any idea what you're doing!" but rather to help you grow the best violets you possibly can.

Also, the leaves growing from the injured leaf is a hormonal response to the injury received by the plant, not a genetic mutation.

We're not going to gang up on you and run you off. Please don't get all defensive!! We're here to help you but only if you're respectful of us.

Christine

Chris
I am sure no one meant to hurt your feelings or insult your plants. No harm will come to your plants if you do not remove those leaves. By "grooming" your plants, by which I mean removing the old or damaged foliage, more of the plant's "energy" will go into producing new leaves and each new row of leaves produces a new set of blossoms. If, however, you had any interest at all in ever entering your plants in a show, the leaves would have to be in a perfect "rosette" pattern in order to qualify for an award.
Anyway, the point of this posting is to tell youthat if you are happy with your plants, then by all means leave them be!
Lynn

My goodness! A lot can happen in a few hours.

Chris - Nothing that I said to you was meant to be rude or insulting; it is certainly unfortunate that you didn't take the opinion in the spirit intended.

When you post to a message board and ask questions - you are speaking through the written language. Sometimes we can't hear the 'tone' and have to adjust our radar sensitivity.

You came here looking for help and asking questions. When you do that - you open yourself to the answers that come. I could care less if you groom your plants or not but I do care that you are not ugly in your responses and that you use language that isn't offensive to others, including me. "WTF" and what it stands for is absolutely offensive.

Stay or leave....those who post here will continue to love their plants, will continue to love to help other people who love them (or are trying to love them) and will continue to offer helpful advise in the spirit of friendship. Should you decide to stay - and I really hope you will - then you'll need to learn to take what you want without getting all upset because you don't agree with something someone says.

Spend a bit of time reading some of the other thousands of threads.....you'll see that you aren't the first to be encouraged to groom your plants nor will you be the last.

Dora

Chris -

to my regret I do not see your pics - I am not on the windows machine right now.

In our WM we have 2 types of planters - ceramic double pots "with pores" - and plastic double with an opening for watering. Ceramic are plain no good, the plastic ones - I use for hanging plants - they are easy to water. I do not find them of advantage for the AVs. The best for me is to grow them on wicks and trays with mats under fluorescent lights.

Grooming doesn't mean that your plants are neglected and look like ...bad. They are living things and we all the time shape them to the best appearance and performance - that is a meaning of grooming. Something like - to remove this leaf - to stake that - to pluck this sucker out etc.

Just to add to the non-AV related part of the discussion -
you are not obliged to agree with everything people say - and you can politely disagree and do whatever you think works best for you. Do not get into the fistfights with the ladies.

Irina

I think that the plant with multiple flower types would be called a "chimera" in botany, except that the term "chimera" is reserved in the african violet world for a plant with pinwheel-striped flowers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chimera (plant)