I suppose that is the smart way.... But many of us are impulsive. And this forum is here to HELP people, not to discourage them for asking for help when things go wrong.

That's why I usually ask silly questions ;-p
mind, if you're convinced what you are doing is the right thing, you won't believe otherwise until things start looking wonky....

I'm not trying to discourage asking for help, just trying to get the help out there before, not after.

Linda

I think it's helpful to be assured that it's ok to ask before taking action. I often feel Ike my questions are so basic and have probably been answered a million times before, but when I read older posts I don't have confidence that my case really is the same as the past ones I've read about.

SW,

Never be afraid to ask questions. We have all been where you are and we remember what it was like to be at a loss as to a plant. Most of us learned to grow before the internet and there were very few places to turn to for answers so take advantage of this amazing learning tool! Growers of all kinds are very generous with help and we all want you to succeed. So ask away! Very soon you will be the one helping others to learn. :)

Linda

Hi Linda,
Two ?? for you. First, although I've been putting leaves
down as you recommended, I did stick a few leaves in
water that had broken off a plant. I forgot about them.
Now, they have a lot of roots with the tiniest green fuzz
growing at the base of the leaves. They don't have
petioles due to the way they broke off. They are from a
vigorous grower. Should I just pot up the leaves with
the roots well-buried and forget about the green fuzz?
Or should I pinch off the teeny tiny "ears?"

2) A variegated plant that grows in a symmetrical whorl
fell. Several leaves from one side broke and one leaf
from the other side. I removed what broke and dusted
the open spots on the stem with cinnamon. There is a
tiny bud forming on the side where the most damage
took place. It is a fairly young plant. I thought to give
it some time to recover--about 3 weeks. Question is,
because it is a
symmetrical grower, should i remove an equal number
of leaves from the "good" side to balance it? Should I
wait until it stops blooming? Is there any way to prevent
sucker(s) from forming on the "neck" that was suddenly
created on one side?

I will try to put down the leaves that broke off, but
they are mostly white and have either none or very tiny
petioles. So they probably won't "take."
The crown of the plant is
mostly green. I am guessing that as the leaves get
older, more white shows up.
Thanks
Joanne

Joanne,

I would wait until the babies are maybe about one inch or so and then plant them in soil. Try to plant just the roots and leave the babies exposed as much as possible. This may be difficult because they are coming from the cut end but do the best you can. Then I would bag it and wait until the babies are big enough to separate. They may have a bit of a set-back when you transfer them to soil; just baby them and they should be fine.

Do not remove a bunch of leaves at once to try to balance your plant. Remember, there is a root-to top growth ratio that needs to be maintained. Remove a few and then when you get some more center growth, remove a few more. Removing leaves shouldn't affect the blooms you have now so there is no need to wait.

The suckers on the neck are a reaction to the injury. You won't be able to stop them from growing. Just rub them off if you don't want them. Why don't you wait until they are big enough and then root them?

You're right about the variegation. Most variegated violets are very green when young and show the most color in the older leaves. And you're also correct- the mostly white ones probably won't take. There's just not enough energy.

Linda

Hi Linda,
This is so interesting, I always want to understand how plants function botanically. I'm glad I asked before trying to plant teeny babies.

As for the variegated AV, now that five leaves are gone, I can see the underlying structure, which was hidden when the leaves draped over. It was started from an older plant, there is a separate neck visible from the point of growth. That's why it was established. It is an LLG.

There's a need for a distributor in my area. There used to be more growers/ hybridizers/distributors years ago.

Just wondering what is your suggestion for hours of darkness--- three hours minimum? Nine hours?

Joanne

This post was edited by fortyseven on Fri, Mar 7, 14 at 22:33

Joanne,

You know what is frustrating? It's frustrating to write a long answer and then have the inter-net go down just as you are trying to post it!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Anyway, again-Try to emulate as closely as possible a plant's natural environment when growing. AV's come from tropical Africa near the equator where day and night length is about equal. Therefore, I have twelve hours each of light and dark. It's easy to obtain this with lights and one reason plants bloom better than in natural light, (generally).

It is important to have an adequate amount of darkness as many plant's processes are carried on at night-plant hormones are produced esp. ethylene. Darkness is also a factor in photosynthesis.

When I began growing, there were many large growers in this country. One grower was close by my house and he shipped world wide. (I spent many a happy Saturday morning there!) When the energy crisis hit, greenhouses were hit hard and all the major AV growers either shut down or began to specialize in other plants. There are very few large growers now and this has opened up an opportunity for small growers and hobbyists to market their plants. It is the first example I can think of when a business has returned to the small guys from the large guys. This and the advent of E Bay has been a good thing for growers, I think, because I think there is a larger and more diverse selection of varieties available now.

And, I agree, reading helps you prepare but you have to grow to learn. This is why I encourage people to not give up when they fail at their first, second, fifth or eleventh plant. It's a learning experience and it has to be worked at.

I got my love of plants from my dad, as well. He grew the most beautiful roses, not a small feat in this climate. And tomatoes. They were the best. I miss him every day.

Linda

I hope this posts...

I'm really enjoying these longer posts. You two have great stories!
The two local distributors who had small amounts of great varieties of violets and orchids have both changed their business model and don't carry them. The local nursery who does carry violets occasionally has some optimara standards (just got a 3 basket arrangement last week end) but usually nothing special. There is a place about an hour from here that has some mini's. the only problem is they take the labels off all the mini's but not the standards! I've talked to them but no change in behavior.
This will be my first winter without a local supplier and it is too cold to mail order. I hope I live through it!
Jodi

Jodi,

Some people snub E Bay but I have found some great grower/sellers on there. Many of the growers who no longer sell to local distributors turned to E Bay when the distributor dropped violets from their inventory. Some will ship through the winter; some will not. I have gotten both violets and orchids all through the winter with no problem. I talked to my post office about winter shipping and they said the plants are always in a heated building or a heated truck which I realized made sense once it was pointed out.

The main problem is when they are left all day on a cold doorstep. I am always home when I expect a delivery.

It is discouraging not to be able to actually see what you are buying and I don't understand the practice of removing tags. They all seem to do it. Frustrating.

Linda

Linda,
Thank you for this great background and info! And taking the time to respond. This just shows, rather than my trying to figure things out on my own, just ask! BTW, my dad also raised tomatoes. Come first frost, he and my mom busily put up jars upon jars of tomatoes. They gave away baskets of tomatoes to everyone. Neighbors who did not know how to appreciate a gift called my mother the "tomato lady," which she considered a slur. When they passed away, there were many mason jars of tomatoes on their basement shelves.
Jodi,
I once ordered some plants from LLG during the winter. It was a large shipment for the office. We live in a moderate zone, so temp is not usually as issue. They shipped from their cold climate with heat packs in the box. That is something to consider, if you order from a grower in the NE, you might want to ask if they use heat packs. I spoke with Travis a few weeks ago, they said they will ship in Nov.
Joanne

Joanne,

Like I said "Ask first!!!" :)

Linda

Yup - no such thing as a silly question. It is silly not to ask them when you need the info. Especially when we have plenty of growers here who just love to share their knowledge.

If they sell plants without labels - I ain't buying.

Nothing wrong on buying on ebay. May be you will be a seller one of these days. Yes - we need to support our commercials and buy from them - and often it is cheaper. But - if you want a specific variety - they do not carry - why not. Nobody can carry everything. Commercials cannot afford to keep the plants nobody wants for 3 years - and then boom - everybody is interested.

Linda and Rocking I,
Great advice! (I have bought other things on EBay in the past, just not AVs. However, the time-consuming process of bidding at auction eventually caused me to stop. Also, I did not know if it would be cost-effective to buy just one plant. With established sellers, I know what i am getting. However, enough experienced folks here by on EBay and know the sellers, so it is probably a safe practice. )

I wandered over some older threads on the various forums, Exchanges and Gallery, plus Discussion.

I read in a discussion back in '08 that the "protocol" for offering AVs to someone who asks is that the person be somewhat established on the forum. However, on the
Exchange forum, I noticed a few folks who posted for the first time to request leaves or plants. Either for donation or postage or a modest sum. Just wanted to know, what is your experience. I will have a large batch of small plants in the spring that I would be happy to donate for postage and a modest sum for the pots if I repot them. Most of the requests are older, so I don't know if the people still want plants. I sent a few emails to let them know I will have plants in the spring. I could always post on the Exchange in the spring when the plants are ready. I would not want to exchange, I would just want to donate. (I know this is a new topic but since it is still "live" I thought to ask now, on this thread.) P.S. Linda, when I was a girl, we also raised lots of roses. My father had the proverbial "green thumb" that I inherited. He was not really "into" roses, though we had plenty. I grew roses when I lived in the northeast. However, they take a lot of care. In Calif, in the desert, only a few varieties thrive. So I don't try here. Joanne

Linda, Irina and All,

I'm so happy that you take your time to spoon feed us, newbies! No matter how easy it is to find info on the internet, a lot of it contradict itself, and it can get confusing at time.
I can relate to frustration of label free plants, went to local nursery to have a look; all plants were noids. :(
I plan to go to local av meeting mid December, and hope to find out if there are local sellers.
BTW, do you know if cape cod violetry is in business? E-mailed them asking for current catalogue with no reply? There is last year info on the internet, but I need current stocks and prices!

Thanks, Aggie

Aggie,
I agree, they are the best ever!
Irina gave us a new address for Cape Cod Violetry, it is:
http://www,jacksonvilleviolets.org/uploads/2012_catalog_oct30.pdf

I picked up a stunning NOID from a local nursery. I was so glad I did, as it turned turned out to be a real beauty, strong, and reproduced easily from a leaf. It is probably locally grown.

Joanne

Aggie,

Cape Cod is difficult to find in a search but they are still in business. I got an order this summer and John was at our state show in September.

Joanne,

I would offer your plants here and see what happens. I would check the "if you are a business' section first but since you aren't out to make money I think you'll be fine. Also, post on the exchange and stress that you don't want any in return. It's worth a shot.

My dad's roses were gorgeous and I don't know how he did it in our goofy climate. The most beautiful I have seen were in Oregon, Michigan, and Martha's Vineyard. And England. All cooler climates.

Linda

Linda,
Thanks so much for the tips!
Today, when grooming one of my plants started from a leaf, I removed the three immature leaves at the bottom! I am feeling more like a pro each day! Also, another plant I started produced a rare blossom color! The blossom subtly shades from orchid to a tangerine center to magenta on the edges, is a slightly fringed pansy with a subtle broken Geneva edge. It is difficult to capture with the camera. It has pretty leaves. One of these days, I will post a pic.
I thought I had lost that plant. it was a gift from LLG with an order when I ordered chimeras with that color combination. It is not one of their hybrids and not a chimera. They told me the name, but I don't recall and can't find the record.

Regarding the roses, it was difficult to give up on that hobby, as I just love them, and the fragrance! That is why I like to grow AVs that look like roses. Currently, I am looking for Rebel's RoseBud.
Joanne

Hi Joanne~
The Violet Gallery has leaves of Rebel's Rosebud in their catalog. Saw a picture of it elsewhere ...very pretty!

Nancy, thanks! I will be sending for those leaves!
I saw a You Tube video of "Visit to Violet Gallery" by M3rma1d. To view it, just type in the title on a You Tube search.
Joanne