African Violets and Gesneriads: October Photos and Chit Chat, 1 by bsimpson1972

bsimpson1972 wrote:
Thanks everyone!

The one thing that I have learned over the years is that if you have a somewhat unsteady watering hand (like I do...), then a light mix with a lot of Perlite is the key. Sinningias, Streps, Violets and many other commonly grown Gesneriads like it on the dry side when humidity is above approximately 50%.

As for the rhizomatous genera like Achimenes and Kohleria: As long as they are actively growing, NEVER let them dry out! Anything from leaf damage to premature dormancy can be the result... It is almost impossible to overwater a Kohleria that is in active growth but forget to water them and they droop almost immediately and the leaf damage starts within a few hours.

Newly acquired mini Sinningias often times shed their leaves or even all their crowns entirely. On top of that, mini Sinningias are very brittle plants and hard to ship without damage. However, if you just take the tuber and put it into some barely damp mix and dome it, you will usually see the new sprouts within a few weeks. Often times the tuber has some spare sprouts coming up right away. From sprout to flower, it usually takes 6-8 weeks.

Tish: Achimenes should make PERFECT outdoor basket plants for Summer in your area. The key is to keep the soil moist at all times. Oh, and do you recognize the yellow flowered Episcia in the picture? :)

Eileen: I don't have any of the gadgets you are talking about and have never used them in my entire life. The only thing I have is a cheap thermometer/hygrometer which is probably not very precise but does the trick for me.

As a general rule, Sinningias don't need a lot of water when out of bloom and surprisingly large amounts when in bloom, particularly when grown in small pots. It's always a good idea to let the mix dry a bit before watering again. Wicking also works wonderfully. If you grow Sinningias domed, they actually thrive on neglect. I water my enclosed micros maybe once a month and sometimes even less.

Oh, and Sinningias will show you that they need water as they will start to droop but will get back to normal within a few hours after watering. Usually even the flowers come right back to life. Not recommended but it happens... LOL