Joanne,

The concept of growing violets with a single crown is an artificial concept that is often contrary to their natural growth pattern. It was decided, at some point, that violets to be shown should be single-crowned. This has now reached the point that it is considered necessary for good growth when the idea originated as a show standard.

Horticulturally speaking, it is always better to let a plant grow as it is genetically programmed to do. Plants do not need human help to grow. Many minis have trailers in their background and trying to keep them single-crowned is an exercise in futility. I have a 'Blizzard Bunny' that has more crowns than I can count but it is happy and blooms away freely.

Also, plants usually respond to any sort of pruning by growing more of the same, and usually lots more so a circle of divide, growth, divide, growth is set up.

If your plants are healthy and you don't want any more of the same, I would leave them alone. It will save you and your plants much frustration.

Linda

Maybe it's just me, but I'd separate one, and leave the other be. See how they do down the road and determine which is your preferred course of action...
Sounds like a neat experiment anyways :-)

Linda,
Thank you! That is very reassuring! It also answers the question I did not ask, as to why the trailer I once had seemed to produce more crowns, the more I detached and potted, the more grew back! I gave them all away as singles, with the warning of what to expect.
I would ask you to post a pic of your "Blizzard Bunny," but it might scare me!

Karin,
That is a great idea! I had not thought of that!
(When I have two or more of the same, I tend to treat them as though they are identical twins and must have the exact same treatment!)
The plant I am referring to, when it was in bloom, looked very much like the first photo you posted on the thread, "Yeah, yeah, they are noids."
Now that they are not blooming, they just look a bit dull, healthy, but dull!

Joanne

Ah, yeah, my [not] little Hopi II already had a sucker at the base of the stem, plus a couple I scratched out. So it probably has those tendencies too. My other mini, I am assuming it's [not] little inca, does the same to an extent - no extra crown on it in about a year yet though and considering I didn't even know what a sucker was until a few weeks ago, I guess it isn't as predisposed to it, or really, really didn't get enough light and nutrients to entertain the extra energy expenditure :-p

Hi Karin, Thanks for letting me know about the [not] Little Hopi II, as I wondered how it was still doing.
On the [not] Inca, not sure if light and nutrients have to do with a tendency to sucker, if the tendency is genetic.
An interesting research question!
Joanne

Excuse me Joanne, whilst I hijack your thread to latch onto something I just realized I read in Linda's post....

So is it true that the single, symmetrical crown is an artificial concept? Could my violets be happy growing asymmetrically?

just asking because I have a few hanging baskets I have been using, but as they hang against/off the wall (or window), they wouldn't allow the av inside it to form a 'properly round' rosette. I took them off the window only because it's been getting a bit chilly. Otherwise I found it's an awesome spot to have them... I figure as long as they remain in the hanging basket, they shouldn't look too weird... Hmmm...

Hi Karin,

Interesting questions you have. Here is a write-up from the Violet Barn on trailers: "Trailers are African violets that naturally branch and spread. Grow them either as hanging baskets or in shallow pots as ground covers. Feel free to pinch or prune, it will only encourage even more dense, lush, growth. Their size and shape when mature, is entirely up to you. Because they are multicrowned and spreading, they have the potential for producing large amounts of foliage and massive amounts of bloom on a single plant. See the "plant care" section of the main website for more detailed information."

From that, it sounds like you can grow them in your hanging basket if you wish.

As for multi-crowns on standards, I have a couple of them that I did not get a chance to separate before they bloomed. They have grown symmetrically, back to back, like bookends.

In my experience, when I have separated a multi-crown plant, it is happier--it immediately stretches out and lies flat.

The plants that have been asymmetrical are those where leaves were knocked off. In my experience, the plant will naturally try to shape itself into something symmetrical, even if it has multiple crowns. It seems that one crown slows down to wait for the other crowns to catch up.

Joanne

This post was edited by fortyseven on Thu, Dec 26, 13 at 22:18

Karin,

The single-crowned, spoke-like leaves lying flat is a show ideal. It is not required for good hobby growth. Some varieties will grow/look better single-crowned but it is not necessary to keep them to single crowns if you don't wish to. In nature, many species grow multiple crowns. I have a S. ionanthat that grows like a small bush. Trying to keep this to a single crown would be maddening.

Linda

Karin,

The single-crowned, spoke-like leaves lying flat is a show ideal. It is not required for good hobby growth. Some varieties will grow/look better single-crowned but it is not necessary to keep them to single crowns if you don't wish to. In nature, many species grow multiple crowns. I have a S. ionanthat that grows like a small bush. Trying to keep this to a single crown would be maddening.

Linda

Lol, I better get me some trailers then ;-)
The standards do ok in those baskets, but I feel sorry for them after all.

Lol, I better get me some trailers then ;-)
The standards do ok in those baskets, but I feel sorry for them after all.

Thank you for asking this! I was just wondering if it was necessary to keep things single crowned for the future growth of the plant, or if that's something just for looks.

When a plant makes another crown, does the first one keep growing? I only ask this because I've noticed on my Sansevieria, when it sends off a pup, the original shoot seems to stop growing. Do violets do this too?

SW,
When a violet grows another crown, the original continues to grow.

Linda

SW,
When a violet grows another crown, the original continues to grow.

Linda