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My first 'Gloxinia'
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Posted by korina 9b, Sunset 17 (My Page) on Fri, Jan 13, 06 at 14:49
| I know, it's Sinn. speciosa. But the tag said! Found it at a grocery store and it's the first one I've seen in person; pretty. It's a noid cherry red, single, in a 6" pot with a ton of flowers coming up. How come no one ever mentions they smell odd? Not the flowers, but the juices; between me and the store, it's lost a number of leaves and some flowers.
So, what do I do to keep it happy? I'm still trying to dry it out; evidently the staff thought it was a bog plant. Will my regular AV mix be okay? Light? Feeding?
Korina |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: My first 'Gloxinia'
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- Posted by jon_d Northern Calif. (My Page) on
Fri, Jan 13, 06 at 22:32
| Gloxinias often abort flowers and even entire growths when they come home from the store, market, or nursery. The reasons are somewhat mysterious. But, I think that often the reason is that people use them decoratively and don't put them in really bright light. Give your plant lots of light now, and hopefully, it will open all its flowers for their full term. It propagates easily from all parts, so you could easily end up with dozens of starts if you are propagation-mad. If it flowers out nicely and holds its foliage, you can then allow it to continue to grow, though no new foliage will be added. During this period it is growing its tuber and inner strength for the next sprout. If, by bad luck, it should abort, give it a nice spot and it should soon sprout a new growth, which can be brought into flower. |
RE: My first 'Gloxinia'
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| Jon mentions 'really bright light.' That's a lot more light than African Violets. If you have a 4-tube fluorescent light than would do it. I've had trouble with 'gloxinias' in the past because the only place I had to grow them was under two tubes like my AVs. I'm not sure if all S. speciosas are hardy, but I bought S. 'Carangola'--named for the area it was found in Brazil I think--as a hardy gesneriad last summer and it hasn't even gone dormant. I'm still experimenting with it--doesn't seem like I ought to put it right out in the sun but it seems to take quite a bit of it. |
RE: My first 'Gloxinia'
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- Posted by korina 9b, Sunset 17 (My Page) on
Mon, Jan 16, 06 at 12:49
| Sun? Hmmm, sounds familiar; where have I heard that word before? Sun. Sun. Oh well, it'll come to me. Anywho, I'll give it as much light as I can; I had to pull off half the leaves; between the store and my getting it home, they got pretty chewed up. After sitting on a newspaper all weekend it's still pretty heavy; I'm tempted to repot, but I suppose I should resist the urge until it's done flowering. Thanks muchly. Korina |
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