Last year I tried African Violets and did not get a single bloom. I gave up on that and decided to try the Chirita. Man am I glad I did that. One of mine has four blooms. Are they just that much easier or am I just finally getting the swing of these gessies?
Chirita Victory
I have more trouble with Chiritas than AVs. Maybe it is just the surroundings. Post a picture of yours, please - I'd love to see those blooms.
It sounds like you are getting in the swing!!
I think Chiritas do better in less light compared with av's. Most of mine get window light, they do better there for me than under my lights. Some varieties need to mature more than others before they will bloom. Some only bloom once a year, where others are like violets, they bloom and rest. I've read where you should water less and fertilize less during the winter months as they rest then (not go dormant) and don't grow much, but I haven't followed that advice myself. I like that some have yellow blooms, I love yellow!. tish
Here is a picture.
very pretty begoniadude,looks like you have a seed pod forming,Are you going to leave it and see if you get seeds?
Beautiful bloom! I've never seen a Chirita with a pink bloom. What is her name?
Maybe the picture makes it look pink, I think its more red-violet/purple ? There are a couple light pink ones that are new varieties. I seen them at the 2009 gesneriad convention...I don't remember the names, I think they were girl names.
I find the chiritas easier than AVs also. They seem far less fussy. and there is such a great variety in the leaves:)
Pat M.
The flower is definitely lavender. I was hoping someone on here could ID her for me. I have misplaced the tag.
Great growing Begoniadude! I love Chirita's and find them much easier and forgiving than AV's or other Gessies. I still have a few, at least I think they are still alive, they are buried somewhere out on my porch in the jungle. I will have to dig around later and see if Kazu is still there. If you scroll down this page to Chirita hybrids you can compare photo's to your plant: http://www.gesneriads.ca/alphabet.htm#C
There's only one photo of Kazu in PF, but no blooms: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/128005/
I am so not good at identifying from photo's but I will search through the pic's on my computer and try to find one of Kazu and come back later to post it for comparison.
Lin
I think you are right. It is Kazu. I remember now that is what it was called when I bought it. Thanks Lynn.
You are welcome! Here's an old photo of my Kazu
Better shot of foliage
b - It is not Kazu. Kazu has dark leaves and the bloom does not have those dark stripes. I think you have Stardust - marble leaves and darker stripes on the petals. Where did you get this plant from because if it was labeled Kazu, I think it may have been mislabeled.?
Here's Stardust: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/180649/
at Rob's Violets site: http://www.robsviolet.com/chirita_stardust.htm
Your bloom looks like Stardust, but your leaves, although marbled, look lighter, but that could just be growing conditions.
The reason I mention mislabeling...I bought some plants that were very young, and the as they got older and some even bloomed, I found out they were not what they were supposed to be. As chiritas are babies, they don't often display the marbeling and leaf shape they will get as they grow older. I traded plantlets and leaves, so perhaps this was one of those.
Whoever they are they are very pretty!!
Mystery solved. I went home yesterday and discovered that the tag was still on the plant. It is stardust.