Look What I Found In My Cabinet!!

Jannich had sent me some Bio-tone in a zip lock bag and I have been sparingly using it because I didn't want to run out of it. Just a few minutes ago, I remembered that Jan sent me a whole big new container of it!

Thank you , Thank you and Thank You one more time. When I put about 3 heaping big tablespoons of this in my (middle size plastic salad bowl) mix for new baby streps separated from their mamas, they grow like wildfire.

Hip Hip Hooray!! Now I can really plant up babies.

This saves me all day tomorrow running around trying to find some!! I don't know why it wouldn't be good for any new transplants............
I owe you a big box of african violets for this, Jan.

LOL.Your welcome again,glad you found it.I forgot I sent it to you ^_^ When you need more let me know.I found it at the Home Depot in Montgomery.It does seem to make a difference when you use it in the mix.I noticed the babies seem to grow faster too.

I know I can find it around here somewhere, but it is just so hot right now to spend a Saturday out looking for some.

I love this stuff for my outdoor veggies - tomatoes, lettuce, etc. I am not quite ready to try streps I think I just want to try a few avs for now. Could I use it with leaves do you think? Not sure - would I use it when I put down the leaf or after it makes babies?

I haven't tried it with african violet babies but am going to try and see................I wouldn't put it in with the mama leaf though (?)

Hi , Happy Weekend everyone

Welcome to the forum Annacanna , you will love it here , everyone helps all they can with info and will offer you leaves / and or plants to get you started including me , I have a lot of avs and am trying to do better with streps , some grow like weeds for me and others just go down hill and die , so I am working on it but be sure you ask for any help you need as everyone here is as nice as you could possibly find anywhere :)

Gail and Jan , I was wondering how much should a bag of Bio-tone cost , I found some on line for 7.00 for 4 pounds but will see if the home depot near me carries it

If you find it locally, it runs about 5 dollars for 4 lbs. I would think that Home Depot or Lowe's (one of the two) would carry it. Good luck! (I think I am right on the price)

Thank you Gail , I will look at home depot , glad I might find it locally as I hate to pay shipping if I don't have to :)

Connie

Just a note: A lot of things are seasonal at Home Depot and Lowes. If they don't have it now, look again come spring.

I don't know ... did I read fertizilzer is bad for starting leaves? I know the leaf will continue to grow when you cut it off and root it, you want more energy to go into the making of baby plantlets, not mama leaf growth. I think you start fertilizing after you have the little plantlets growing. Thats what I thought I knew. Any more ideas on that?

It sure would be nice having luck with little streps. If I'm lucky enough to get a leaf to grow baby streps, I can't keep them alive. I just love the blooms on streps and its so sad i have so much trouble getting streps to grow for me.

Isn't it always fun to run across something you didn't know you had! Especially if its something you can use right now!

tish

Hi Tish ,


I understand your frustrations , I have had AVs for many years and they do well for me but streps are harder for me to grow , once I can get them big they grow like weeds but it is getting them there that I haver trouble with , and most seller send small plants :( i don't have any trouble getting the babies to grow on the leaves but after that while they are still small they do fine for a while and then they just seem to dry up and die and I can't quite figure out why , it is really frustrating but I keep trying , I started with three small plants and now they are huge so I just don't get it but I hope to just hit on the right thing and make them all huge , maybe some are just more fussy but it seems the ones that grow well for me are harder for some other people , just makes me kind of nuts :)

Connie

Connie - thats me too. The few that have gotten larger have done well. I only grew one from a leaf that did really well, echo. Or had been until this spring I tried to divide it as it was seriously potbound ...and ....I lost both pots. And anything small, once it needs repotted, its a gonner. It's just a plant - I grow all kinds of plants, I don't know why streps are a thorn. Streps and orchids, can't grow them either. I keep trying, because after all, it's just a plant, so I should be able to grow them, and I love the bloom colors and shapes. And to just look at the pictures gail posted of her racks and racks of strep plants...well..its a mystery that I can't have some success. tish

I wish I knew what to say about streps. I don't know any secrets except that they don't like to be kept above 73 degrees and they love winter time with lower temps. Also..........someone told me once to be sure the strep is not 'floppy' in the pot but the crown must be above the soil line.(slightly)

I don't wait until they are wilted to water and I always make sure they are in a smaller pot rather than a larger pot. They love to be rootbound. I start out in solos or even smaller and let them grow until about 6 or 8 inches. Then I move them to a 2 1/4" square pot where they stay until they are really a big nice size.

I only use that Bio Tone on the tiny ones the first and second potting............preventing transplant shock.

Also, Jim King just told me he has always had trouble with the babies and he is now using worm castings. I ordered some from the site he gave me but am scared to change anything right now on the tiny streps. He says the worm castings are also great for larger streps of any size as it is organic material rather than harsh fertilizers.

When I plant my leaves, I give them two weeks to get rooted before I dilute regular fertilizer on a regular basis until the babies appear and then I feed them just like I would regular strength fertilizer.

Don't know if I helped anyone or not...............

I HAVE to learn to grow nice african violets this time or I am quitting again. I always get tight centers and I do not have thrips or mites. Either I am using too much fertilizer or too much light. The larger the av the better I do with them. I don't get the tight centers on the big ones........

Right now someone told me to cover those with tight centers with coffee filters for four days so I am trying that...........if you have any good ideas to help me, let me know.........wide open and listening for answers.......one would think it was mites or thrips as the center leaves can also get brittle but I promise I don't have any bugs.

I bought some of the worm castings too and have added them to some of my plants but it is too early to tell if they will help but I will be keeping track to see how they do and will let you know my experience with them and I thank Jim for telling us about them , any growing tips are really appreciated and Gail you have given me a lot for streps , I have a small greenhouse that I am going to set up to put the small streps and leaves in and see how they do , as far as heat I don't have that trouble here , it has been a really cool summer and I keep the house very cool in the Winter too , I don't like a warm house makes people get sick more and at night it is nice to have a cool head and a cozy warm body :)

Connie

Thanks anyway gail, but I've tried all those tips and more except for the additive. A few do good, most don't and I've got some seeds started now to see if I have any better luck that way.

It's most likely the fertilizer with your centers. What I do now if the first half the month I use diluted fertilizer and the second half just plain water...that seems to be working better for me. Now that I've gotten my lighting a little closer to the plants, they are doing much better with my on and off fertilizing. I don't repot as often as I should and I don't leach my soil. A definite problem I'm having with my violets now...the smaller ones, is suckering. I've tossed a few due to the amount of suckers they produce and my inability to keep them cut off. I have a bryte bubbles sport that does not bloom because it is all suckers...I couldn't keep up with it and I let it go, it's a bush now, I looked at it today and decided to keep it although I don't know why....I'll decide another day if I'm gonna re-root the crown or strip it's leaves down to almost nothing and repot it deeper. It's almost not worth my time....just almost....the challenge in the growing is whats keeping it on the shelf,...that and the fact its a chimera, ha.

tish

Thanks ladies!! Now I am positive I am over fertilizing, Tish. I use 1/4 tsp av food per gallon every time I add water to the trays...........going to clean out the trays tomorrow and start over with much less fertilizer on my avs.........

I think I have the right lighting.......about 9 inches from minis and semi minis........and 15" from the standards. (the standards do fine)............

Good..........a new idea............can't wait to clean those trays tomorrow ............tell me if you alternate fertilizers Tish or Connie? I am currently using a no urea 12-36-14.........tell me if I should change since mine are wicked.........or just dilute it? Thanks

For some weird reason, I love to get those suckers off my plants. I have a pair of real sharp needlepoint scissors that I treasure and use them just for the suckers.............

Don't throw away that chimera (smiling)......take that crown and reroot........so easy to do.......the most fun part of growing is propagating anyway...........

Gail - also move the plants that you are using the coffee filters on to the ends of the lights - keep them away from the middle . . . that worked wonders for my Rob's Blue Socks . . .

Gee , that is a lot of trouble............but I will do it right now!!!! Tomorrow I am cleaning the trays and using clear water for a week or so.

Look what I just treated myself to!!! Melanie just told me about the Ma's Ching Dynasty!! Thank you, Melanie!!!
African Violet - 1 Leaf - Ma's Ching Dynasty! WOW!


African Violet - 1 Leaf - Christine! Perfect Lady


African Violet - 1 Leaf - Ness' Satin Rose! So Pretty!!

African Violet - 2 Lvs - Tea's On Bended Knee!! NEW!!


African Violet - 1 Leaf - Zaca's Memories! Hard

I recall writing that I liked that Chirstine and Satin Rose so very nice choices.

So fertilizer can cause problems that is if you use too much. How do you decide what is too much? I go by the package for the amount it says to use every time you water. I mean for my other houseplants. will that be too much?

This message was edited Aug 30, 2009 4:58 AM

I would have to go and open my big mouth!! LOL!!
You bought some real beauties!!

And I thank you for opening your big mouth!!!!
After all, we all like to treat ourselves to something we really want on our birthdays!!

Mine was a lazy day.........with a friend visiting.........

Whoa! I missed that. Happy belated birthday, Gail! Looks like you got a treat of a few beauties!

Thank you , aspenjocop (I have to learn your first name)!

I planted these streps up in solos two weeks ago with bio-tone and since they are doing so well, I am going to use bio tone again and actually move them up to a 2 1/4 square pot. Hope they make it as I usually wait for them to get bigger before taking the plunge into the 2 1/4 pot.

If I haven't told you all lately.............I do love all of you and think that DG is the best place in the world to share our joys (and sorrows, too)

Just look at that! You have magic with the streps!

The reason to alternate fertilizer is that each one has different trace elements - minerals and such, alternating them gives the plant a variety of nutrients. I alternate but have not set change schedule, I just put one kind away and pull another one out evey now and then.

I've read the trailers have more growth above and below the soil so they should get a little heavier feeding than the other avs.

The package says how much fertilizer to use but check if it is a monthly use directions or what. I think generally it's about 1/4th teaspoon per gallon when you water every time.

Happy b=day!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Tish for the birthday wish and for the info on avs.........my goal this year is to learn to grow them the RIGHT way...............

My african violets are loving me, Tish!!! I am not through but what a good way to take the time,snip off suckers before they get a bath. I really ran the water through the soil on each one but not even half way there yet!

I don't dare post my avs against that awesome picture that viostrep posted on my birthday thread. I want to grow like the 'big girls' do!

Here is Tsarina after her bath and she is happy (without symmetry of course)

I just looked at Marketplace and if anyone wants strep leaves, bigoldbuck (Jim) has some awesome deals...........fantastic deals!

Gail,

Your streps look so healthy! I killed the some of the first starter plants I had by watering them too much. I tried to treat them like AVs and they said no way! I think I am doing better with them now and haven't killed any in while:)

Pat

Good..........never overwater streps.........quickest way to kill them. I have some this morning that need watering but not totally........so am waiting until late today to water them.....There is that 'perfect' moment to water streps.

So glad you are having better luck..I don't dare wick my streps but some people do.....

Thats a beautiful av gail! Be sure to take a paper towel or tissue and dab the water out of the crown after you wash them.

The first time I had new av's from a club plant sale, I sprayed everything with a mix of neem oil and the safer insecticide....I didn't realize the moisture standing in the crown would rot it, but it did and every top died in each violet. The sad part is all those plant were probably just fine. Being new at the time, I took it seriously to treat all new plants. Well, I learned alright!

Take care. tish

Oh no!!! I left them out for about 6 hours and then put them on their stands where the lights came on last night. I hope they don't die!!!

My only prayer of them not dying maybe is that when I washed them good, I turned them to each side to let any water run off at the time.................

Thanks so much and I hope I don't have to learn the hard way......oh well.............this is how I learn.
If I see them starting to not look good, I will just take leaves from the plants and stick them to start all over..........

Probably ok. Maybe a little spotted - or does that only happen with sunlight. The heat from the light probably dried them.

We shall find out but they look really good today and so clean..............

Gail, how much of the Biotone do you put in with the plants? I am looking at my bag of it that I use for my veggies and wondering if I should try it on my leaf that has babies.

I haven't tried it on african violets but always do with streps. I use about 3 heaping tablespoons to a big plastic salad bowl size of mix. (I am guessing that the bowl is about 12" across at least).

Maybe someone who does use it with violets (like jannich) will come along and help you. At least I think she uses it with all transplanting.

Hey i wanna try this stuff now,where do i get it Gail

JIM

I got mine from a local nursery . .

Goldleaf is the one who told me about it.........Jannich sent me some but lately I have seen the Plant Tone everywhere but it is for mature plants when potting up. The Bio Tone can be found at Lowe's, Home Depot and good nurseries for about 5 bucks.............it can also be ordered on line. Let me find the site for you.

http://www.espoma.com/p_consumer/biotone_overview.html

Jannich sent me first a big zip lock and then a 4 lb bag............lasts quite awhile...

just found out my local nursery is carring it
thanks for telling me about it,ill be getting some soon
JIM

I am simply amazed. I hadn't used it in a long time because I thought I just had a little left and hadn't seen it out in box stores. Then.......lo and behold.......i found a whole new 4 lb bag from Jannich last year.

I am anxious to try the worm castings, also!!!