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begonia2005

big impact white av

Begonia2005
11 years ago

I need some recommendations for a really beautiful white AV. By beautiful I mean big blooms, ideally double, very floriferous, big impact. Which varieties would fit this bill? If it blooms easily and is generally easy to grow - this would be cherry of the cake.

Comments (6)

  • bunnycat
    11 years ago

    White Queen, a Russian variety. Fits the bill. Long lasting very large double flowers.

  • aegis1000
    11 years ago

    Hi Begonia ...

    I haven't had too much luck with white violets.

    The ones that I've tried, with the exception of a few, have all opted to die before producing any significant bloom.

    I've grown Arctic Frost for years, which is easy to grow. It is an audaciously large ruffled single with violet streaking. I like it, but it has a tendency to "neck" badly.

    My most successful white AV has been Sansoucy Julie Marie, which has a very floriferous mix of single, semi-double, and double blooms. It's blooms are long-lasting. The plant can be quite stunning for significant periods of time.

    It's probably available from Bloomlovers, hopefully as a plug (as opposed to leaves) ... which is about a one-year old starter plant which you will have to plant in a starter (2 1/2") pot.

  • aegis1000
    11 years ago

    Another white I like is available from Lyndon Lyon as a starter plant - Angel's Innocence.

    The flower here is, essentially, a bright white ruffled semi-double, ... with bright pink markings.

    I've got one just coming back into bloom ... the color is like baby shoe polish white.

  • aviolet6
    11 years ago

    Gillian is another nice one for large double ruffled blooms. Are you sure sure you aren't starting to get a real collection?: )

  • Begonia2005
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Well...I am thinking about a white one for the future, because I have none like that and I love white.
    This could be my 8th violet.

    So yes...I guess you COULD call this a real collection. :-)
    I know, however, I will never get more than what fits under the lights on that stand I placed in the kitchen.
    I got a few more when people told me that this is the way to make sure you always have something in bloom. If you have 2-3 plants and you expect to always have something blooming big, that might not work out that well.
    And because I like to always have at least a couple of them blooming to decorate my living room with... I said let's go for it. And yes, it's addictive too, that's for sure. :-)))

    Trouble is I also put down a few leaves, as back-ups. A few, as in about 8. It was my first time so I was convinced most would not root anyway; but recently, I took one out that I had just randomly stuck in some potting mix without even giving it the correct "Annie" treatment like I saw in those podcasts.
    No plastic bag, no exact cut, nothing. I did not expect that one to make it, this is why I took it out to look at it. But when I did, it had started to develop two very tiny roots. If this one worked - that was so casually put down - I expect that those who got the "rocket science" treatment per Annie's podcast...those would catch too.

    THEN the question becomes what will I do with all of them? :-) For now, this is more like an experiment to me, to see whether they root, how many, etc.

    I will probably only keep those who will be able to give me lots of blooms. I will not keep any lazy AV, regardless. There will be too many by that time.

    All this being said, I will not rest until I figure out, over the long term, how to get them to bloom PROFUSELY, like the commercial guys do. :-))))
    2-3 blooms on an AV (which is the best I have been able to achieve so far) is cute...but AV-s are comparatively small plants and unless they bloom a lot, I don't think they have a major impact compared to other tall/big-growing house plants.

    I am now expecting a new generation of blooms from 3 plants (made under MY conditions)...and I am curious how much the plant will produce. From what I can see now, they will still not be what they were when I got them at the store.

    With all the knowledge I gained here over the past month or so, I have made changes in pot size, watering technique and lighting. There might not have been enough time for me to see dramatic changes in blooming potential anyway...but will keep doing what I learned, and maybe eventually they will perform big. :-)

  • suecirish
    11 years ago

    I bought Irish Mystery in April, at my local AV show where Lyndon Lyon Greenhouse was selling. It had a few blooms on it when I bought it but I removed them all when I repotted and isolated. It has recently just started to bloom again and there are LOADS of flowers and buds. It is a beauty!

    Irish Mystery (10405) (LLG) Double white pansies, with a wide green, frilled edge. Medium green, quilted and serrated. Standard

    Here is a link that might be useful: Suecirish (Sneirish)'s Irish Mystery