I certainly prefer to think so. I got an order recently and had a bit of rot that was spotty - one leaf out of two, the tip of one. Two were touching the sides of my plastic box, but one was at all and its companion was fine.

I trimmed nearly all of a big one, the tip of one, and the small one, but have lost the small one. I'd be surprised if that large one makes it since it was so bad and lost so much though.

It is still very cool here and they weren't sent with any real insulation so I think it may have been chill.

I had a bout of powdery mildew on an earlier order.

Diana

If you are having trouble with several leaves from a shipment, I too, would blame either the plant or the shipment methods.

Theoretically, you can grow a violet from just a piece of a leaf although it is more difficult than the standard method. You can use a 'wedge' (see the link) or a plant with no petiole.
With a leaf with no petiole, nick the veins on the back of the leaf and lay it on top of your mix. Make sure there is contact and take care as you do your regular leaves.

When you cut out the rotted parts, dust the cut edges with cinnamon to help prevent more rot.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Rooting a 'wedge'

Thanks Diana & Linda,
I already potted the remaining wedgelet of the leaf - i don't have high hopes for it, but if it were to root, so much the better...
So far, I am only having trouble with those two leaves of the same variety (same package), too bad really, it was one i was really looking forward to having (rob's pewter bells).
But if the others grow out ok, i will just try to order it again :-)

I have (in distant past) grown Rob's Pewter Bells from a leaf so it's apparently not especially tricky. It was a nice plant but I quit growing it because it tended to get overlarge. Sorry I don't still grow it. I could check but most likely mine came from Bloomin' Jungle because I bought a lot of things there in that time period. There are some varieties that I seem to have ordered more than once and I don't know if the leaves don't take or the plants don't work out - I should keep better records of some of them.

I've also done the "piece of leaf" recently with some Lowe's and grocery store ones.

I'll try the cinnamon if I have a problem again, although I think I really did a number on the ones with my Lysol spray (other people do it and are okay). It's exceedingly rare for me to have any issues with my own leaves.

Diana

Diana
I did Lysol on a plant with a few spots of what I thought might be powdery mildew. I tried not to get any direct hits on the leaves but you know how that goes.
The spots went away and nothing was damaged, that I have seen.

I'm not trying to dissuade other people. It just never worked for me and I made a mess of it this time.

I did spray some of my own earlier and they were okay, but I think that was perlite dust anyway...I didn't overdo it but they stank for a week. Perlite dust isn't particularly contagious ;)

Diana

Definitely Stinks
I did it quite a while ago on some grocery store plants. Could have been perlite.
May not have done any good but it didn't do any harm which was my real concern
I don't know that I would do it again.

Since I do my leaves in perlite/vermiculite, it's not uncommon to have perlite dust on my fingers and then on the leaves. If I'm not sure (whether it's pm), I've been dipping a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and cleaning it off. It's worked twice now on my leaves - probably was perlite.

It didn't seem to damage them and if it had returned, I would have treated. Again, many people seem to use Lysol. I don't seem to have the knack. I used Spectracide Immunox.

Diana

Thanks for the information. I use Spectricide Triazicide outdoors if I ever use anything, being careful with the bees and it works well.

I've used Lysol on my Av's and so far it only ever had a funky effect on the blossoms - one lilac coloured one actually turned neon green :-D (temporarily)
DH actually likes the smell. Better than wet dog i suppose ;-)

Powdery mildew can be controlled by placing a pan of sulfur among your plants. It works great. The first time I read this, I thought, "Nothing is ever that easy." But it worked and since I have advised several on here and they have had success with it as well. Lysol did nothing for me but I know some growers swear by it.

Linda

Linda,
Not sure if it is a coincidence, but after you suggested the sulfur last time, I sprinkled some potassium-metabisulfate (for wine making) between the plants on the shelf - haven't seen near as much mildew since.... Sulfur is still on my shopping list though...

Linda
There is a photo of Garnet Elf on a web site. I have the web link if you want it. Tell me how to send it.
There was another thread (2012, I think) about mildew and you posted there. On that same old thread there was a person who mentioned she had Garnet Elf. I sent her an email but she sent a reply that she no longer had it.
I am intrigued with that plant now. Has it disappeared from the planet. That would be sad.

This post was edited by lucky123 on Fri, May 2, 14 at 14:46

Hmm...seems that a rooted leaf with a small plant attached sold on EBay for $42.11 in Nov. 2013. The postage was an additional $8. It shipped from Elizabethtown, PA. Perhaps a search on EBay will reveal the name if the seller. Joanne

Lucky,

You can copy the address and paste it in an e-mail to me. Or copy and paste it here in a post.

I hope 'Garnet Elf' hasn't disappeared! I have been trying recently to find some of the 'oldies' and grow them. It would be a shame to lose these vintage beauties.

I have also been trying to find 'Dainty Doll,' an old Fredette. Someone from Poland had one on E Bay last year but I can't find it now. I was going to e-mail and see if she had another one. Maybe Joanne can find it-she found a sale from last year!

It's interesting that the potassium-metabisulfate worked on the mildew. It must be the sulfur in the compound working its magic, I wish all AV problems were this easy to treat!

Linda

Linda
Your email is blocked. If you don't want to open it, send me an email and I will reply.
I have two links to send, not sellers but people who state they are growing the plant. Perhaps you could contact them.
Dainty Doll
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/African-Violet-Dainty-Doll-Starter-plant-/141062251860

This post was edited by lucky123 on Fri, May 2, 14 at 16:01

The batch of leaves with the couple of bad ones looks fine now. Even the one that lost over half of the leaf is still okay so I think it was just damage beforehand. I don't wash them or do anything like that so it's nothing I do. (Well, I've washed a few but not this bunch.)

Now the ones that I'd messed up with that spray just kept on going bad.

As far as looking for violets, I can't find Glitterstar or Glittersweet. I had both of them a few years ago. I wanted Garnet Elf for a good while too and I don't think I ever got it or it never made it if I did. There is a Gleeful Elf by Pittman which can be confusing if you're not paying attention (guilty).

Diana

Yay, the cooler is on. Humidity went from 13% to 40% and rising. I took all the covers off the bigger plants. Let them get some fresh, *moist* air.
I have a houseful of big plants, small plants and leaves from Aviolet6.
Everything is looking very good so far, one week later.
I am losing one of my original Walmart noids (not one from Aviolet6) to crown rot but I put down leaves so I should be able to save something.
I am doing well with leaves so far.
Surely it can't be this easy.
Diana
Thanks to you especially for all the posts about how to quarantine and root plants and leaves.
I have a beautiful collection of AV's if they all make it.

This post was edited by lucky123 on Sun, May 4, 14 at 14:44

lucky123,

I'm so glad that things are looking good there and that you received all those goodies. That was so nice. I'm glad my posts helped a little and hope everything continues to grow!

Diana

I've lost both leaves of robs pewter bells now. Too bad. I'll definitely have to try that one again. Two other leaves from the same vendor have keeled over as well. The ones from everyone else look great though...
I wonder if they just brought too many an that's why some weren't as fresh....

Hi Karin,
Perhaps it had something to do with the weather and many plants not wintering very well. Was the vendor Rob's or someone else? Will you try to contact the vendor, or just chalk it up to experience?
Joanne

Joanne,

The vendor was bloomlovers. And I think I'll leave it for now, one set of leaves was still less than I would have paid for shipping. And the other leaves took long enough to go wonky that it might have been my not-so-optimal growing conditions (DH still won't leave the windows alone GRRRR) But I am considering that next time I see her at a show I might get plants instead of leaves. More instantly gratifying anyhow ;-)

Karin

I have ordered leaves from her and don't recall that they were any worse than others. However I have often seen her plugs recommended so maybe's there's been a message there.

Now take this with a grain of salt because I don't know what it means. When I went over my records, I didn't have anything left from her and did from several others. I don't know why that is because I don't remember anything truly bad occurring. I have ordered again this year which is good because of the Violet Gallery fiasco so I'll see how I fare this year. All I could think of was maybe different growing conditions.

I can recall a few I raised to full size and discarded because they weren't my favorites so I assume others made it too. (Hot Shot, something like that. It was free. Not my color, but okay plant.)

I just saw Pewter Bells on eBay I think but I don't know that she ships to Canada. I think things are going plenty high there. (Turned out it was Bloomlovers. I thought it was Bloomin' Jungle. Sorry about that.) I was eyeing Mac's Pizzicato which is up to $14+. It won't be coming here.

Diana

This post was edited by quimoi on Mon, May 5, 14 at 13:53

Thanks Karin and Diana for the info
perhaps the winter damaged a lot of stock with many vendors. The weakness or dormancy
in the leaves might not show up until trying to propagate them.
Joanne

There are so many variable with buying leaves that I'd hate to draw any conclusions from a few. There's what happens on the grower's end, packing, transporting (in my case the U.S. mail), then how I treat them. I've taken two of my own leaves and one produces and the other sits around. No clue why.

I do think that some varieties "take" much easier than others. I've been noticing that Pittmans seem pretty tough even if they're small. Bloomlovers carries an awful lot of varieties and so few places will sell leaves. I usually prefer them to plants which have to adjust to my conditions.

Diana

Some varieties do root and grow better than others. Some also produce more babies than others.

My record time is two-and-a-half weeks from leaf to babies-'Arabian Night'. My longest took nine months. I don't remember the variety. I've blocked it out...

Linda

Lucky,

I sent you an e-mail so you have my address. I don't know why my e-mail won't unlock.

Thanks for any help with 'Garnet Elf'. I would love to find it!

Linda

Bloomlovers just canceled a request for Paypal payment for me so I don't know what's up. I hope I will hear more. I had tried to put in an order after Violet Gallery pulled out. She may be low on stock.

Just to be absolutely clear - I have had no issues with Bloomlovers leaves. I wouldn't have ordered again if I did. I remember who I got powdery mildew from (not her), a privet mite (not her), heaven knows what (not her and not in business).

As far as powdery mildew, it comes in sometimes and I know how to watch for it and handle it now. I think it's more of a greenhouse issue so I hate it but it's something that happens.

(I think that free one was called Hot Spot. A rather odd colored red which DH liked. I remember it was fully grown because I found the color glaring and he liked it :)

Diana

I do know that she's snowed under at Bloom Lovers because of the show last weekend and because she's just starting to ship next week for the first time this year, but has been taking orders for several month now. I personally have a decent size order with her that's I keep adding to. It's scheduled to ship on Monday, her first shipping date of the year.