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eaj09

Florist's gloxinia

eaj09
14 years ago

Please help, I am at a loss. I went through old searches for gloxinias and I'm sure I'm giving my glox optimum conditions.

I've grown AV's successfully and I grow orchids now, so this glox just stumps me. I bought one three weeks ago loaded with beautiful blooms. They all bloomed but then I started experiencing bud blast and distorted, discolored flowers that looked faded. Looking closely I saw thrips, so I applied a systemic outside and brought it back inside. No more thrips, but the blooms are still small, distorted, and the color is very washed out. The leaves are big and firm.

So here are my growing conditions: the glox is in the bathroom w/ all my other orchids (all of which are doing very well), east window with a couple hours of early morning sun and then indirect light after for another few hours. Temps range from 70-80 at all times, and humidity levels fairly high due to the shower, sink, etc. The potting mix seems fine, as the soil dries out a little at the top every week, just enough to make the leaf tips a little soft, and then that signals me to apply water again.

So what is wrong with the flowers? I can take pictures and send them to an email address if you need more pictures but I don't know how to post them here.

Thank you for ANY help you can offer.

Comments (2)

  • irina_co
    14 years ago

    eaj -

    you are getting the results of the relocation shock.

    Your gloxinia was grown in a greenhouse with high humidity and cotrolled temperature, got sprayed and fertilized on time. It started blooming - and got packed in a dark box, moved across the states, was displayed in a store - in less than perfect conditions - may be was not watered for some time...Got infected with thrips - and they got into the bloom and into the unopened buds. Then you sprayed it.

    So basically it is suffering from the shock.

    You take care of your plant, I would remove the blasted buds so the plant wouldn't spend energy on them. Fertilize it with a weak solution of AV fertilizer. Eventually it will go into dormancy - and after it wakes up again - it will be happy to be adjusted to your house - and will be blooming its head off.

    Since you grow AVs - just imagine - you went to a Show, saw a gorgeous show plant 20" diameter, 100 blooms, you fell in love with it, found the owner - and got yourself a plant.
    Do you expect it to stay gorgeous for you? The peak of bloom was achieved at th Show - now it needs to rest. What you got - a florist gloxinia forced to bloom its best at the moment of sale.

    Good Luck and next time - get yourself a tuber. gloxiniane.com sells tubers - so you can plant it at home - and you will have a star performance and no thrips.

    Irina

  • bubba62
    14 years ago

    I find Sinningias to be very different from AV's in that they definitely want to dry out between waterings, and like a lot more sun than Saintpaulias. That's because they have a tuber for water storage, whereas the violets have no such adaptation to cycles of drought. I grow my best Gloxinias in almost full sun outside during the summer, storing the dormant tubers nearly dry in the unheated garage over the winter. I'd let this plant gradually dry out and exhume the tuber once dormancy occurs. If the tuber is firm, I'd repot it in a barely moist, freely draining mix (potting soil with additional perlite would work), leave the top of the tuber uncovered, and put it on a shelf in a cool, dry, shady place. When you see small, fuzzy leaves beginning to form again (timing of this can be unpredictable), top up the pot with mix and begin to water more, always allowing the mix to dry between waterings. Put the pot in full sun, or at least bright light, and it should produce a good show next time. Don't worry if the leaves wilt a bit during the heat of the day, and don't use this as an indication of when to water; it's best to see how the plant looks first thing in the AM, then water accordingly. It's even better to gage watering on the weight of the pot or by sticking a finger down into the soil.

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