Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Indoor gardening, Mid atlantic, 2015, 2 by VA_Wild_Rose

VA_Wild_Rose wrote:
To answer some questions...

Yes, my own hybridizing has used most of the fantasy streps I have, particularly the DS varieties from the Ukraine. I also have a dear friend in Pennsylvania that has been hybridizing for about four years, and focusing on fantasy as well. I have many of her hybrids and use them in my crosses too. I currently have seedlings growing out from 11 crosses, most of which have fantasy as both the seed and pollen parents.

As for how my streps are grown... we still live in an apartment, so space is limited, and they have now overflowed into all rooms! LOL! The majority of the plants are in the dining room on two 4-foot wide shelving units, with three shelves each used for the plants. On these, I use 4-foot 2-bulb T8s. I have a shelf each in the living room and our bedroom where my favorites and currently blooming plants. They are in south-facing windows and get natural light, and supplemented by T5s. I have broken down and purchased yet another shelf and T5s for two more light shelves... I am not using them quite yet, but with 200 seedlings just transplanted, and WAY MORE to be transplanted, those lights will come on soon.

The shelving units I use are the ones readily available at places like Lowe's amd Home Depot... metal (both chrome and black available) with adjustable shelves. I have both 4-foot wide units and 3-foot wide units. They are very sturdy, and aren't too bad looking.

A lot of my other gesneriads can go out during the summer months, and flourish on our balcony, but streps would never tolerate the heat!

First photo is an older shot of one of my shelves in the dining room...
They don't always looks that clean and neat!

Second photo is a recent shot of the living room shelf, looking out to the balcony.