African Violets and Gesneriads: A Day Of Gratitude and Love, 1 by kimskreations

kimskreations wrote:
I didn't want to impose on anyone's thread so decided that I would just start a new one. I hope that is OK.

Many of you have asked how the growing is going so I wanted to share some pictures and a few stories as I go along with my photo album today.

First I want to say Thank You to each and every one of you that has shared a plant, leaf or seed with me. Each and every one of them is cherished immensely on a daily basis in my home.

For the first time in my life I have a plant stand. I cannot begin to tell you how much it has changed my life! I get tears in my eyes every time I look at it as in Maine on dark winter days it truly is the "light of my life"! I have spent countless hours just "playing" in my stand. It goes on the minute I open my eyes and off just before I lay down at night I have NEVER been able to grow such beautiful plants in my life and feel SO privileged to have met you all and been introduced to this wonderful gessie family!

When I first found you all (in October) many of you sent me nice strep plants to get started. This was before my plant stand. Being new to streps, I struggled and struggled with them. Some of them ended up being only 1 leaf left and poor Streaker went to rot heaven. BUT because of the knowledge I gained from all of you, I was smart and took leaf cuttings of EVERYTHING.

I put down leaves at the end of October. I tried some in perlite/vermiculite only and some in perlite with a LITTLE bit of soil mixed in. I had a couple rot both ways but FOR ME I'm finding the ones that are in the soil mix produced babies faster. I also did some "group" plantings and individual plantings. I have found that FOR ME the individual plantings produced bigger, healthier babies than the group plantings.

Picture time:

Here is a shot of my "group" babies. I have removed some of the bigger babies and then replanted the leaf to grow the little babies bigger. Again, this is all new to me and who knows if I'm doing it right but it sure is FUN trying :)