Beautious August Blooms Photos

I have a few not so great pictures,but I will inflict them on you anyway LOL.
Cleopatra

Paprika

Different shot.

Persian Prince

Senk's Cascade.

oh such beauties, always loved cleo. lol had the clone of cleo once, but she did'ent make it.
bonnie

Lynn -- I hope you realize that it's people like you that are responsible for the mean case of episcia addiction that I seem to be developing. LOL cleopatra is too cool. Do you know what the deal is with cleopatra/cleopatra Canadian clone? Same plant, different strains? different hybridizers? Just curious ...

Lol....I am always willing to spread this type of addiction.I believe my plant could be the Canadian clone.I'm not sure,because I have two and they are not exactly alike.Go to this site and scroll down.It gives a little info and pictures of both.

http://www.streptocarpus-info.com/Episcia/tablec.html

Lynn

i use to use to have the cloan, however i think it needed a little more humidity than i gave it, you are suppose to be able to grow this one in the open, but mine died.I think it needs additional humidity, but not as much as the org. cleo.
bonnie

Is anyone else having this problem?? When I go to the forum it says there are updated threads in my thread-watcher or new posts on the Gessie forum.When I click on them there are no new posts???
Lynn

I have one that looks like Chocolate Soldier or E Corel Beauty. We have a plant looking healthy, wealthy and wise. This is our second. The plant we took this cutting from was here in proper light for three years. Have never seen a bloom. We treat it like our African Violets which bloom their fool heads off. Our feeding is weekly weakly all organic teas excepting the months of December and January. All our violets are in the pinch me off category but chosen with great care and taste. LOL

We grow them to give away at plant swaps.

If all else fails,sometimes a slight drying out (not enough to brown the leaves) will make them bloom.Dimmer light helps sometimes too.

i just got another cleo. however this one does not seem to ned as much humidity as the others i have had. This one is growing out in the open.I bought it this weekend at a show, it was in a bag that was stapled shut,so when i got home i just opened the bag to acclimate it some,& it seems to be doing very well.I cut the bag down some to get it more use to the open & it seems to be doing very well.not a real good picture.
bonnie

I just do not think of the modest stress factor to bring on bloom. Thanks that may do it. Short on the water fits the stress factor too. I'll start another and play with the mother.

Use "Beastie Blooms" its dear, but worth it. you'll never have a non-blooming violet

I never had a non blooming violet other than the small percentage that just did not take of right from the cutting.

where do you find" Beastie Bloom?"
Bonnie

i came across this "Beastie Bloomz" here at my daughters, who does not have a green thumb. Her Violets are blooming and Blooming. Her Step Son introduced her to this. Need very little. Buy it on the internet "Amazon" Helene It is dear

docgipe is trying to get a mature Episcia to bloom.I wonder if it would work for that?

the middle # is 50, I think it'll make anything bloom. Here at DD she uses it successfully on Orchids as well. HD

Do the instructions on Beatie Bloomz tell how much to use? How much does your DD use on her violets? I looked on the ads on the internet and I didn't find any mention of using it on violets. I think I will buy some, just want to know I won't be killing my plants with kindness!LOL Thanks, Lou

Beastie Bloomz has an NPK of 0-50-30. To me that is a man made chemical that has not a single grain of living biology within it's make up. It contains nothing that will build or maintain the living soil or medium. It will in fact do just the opposite and in time ruin the growing medium. Yes it will grow large plants in the short term. It is not biodegradable therefore it will leach through your growing mediums and poison your water tables, your streams, your bays and yes your oceans. It really should be labeled as a biocide.

It is now selling or claims to be selling at 82% off. If you believe that give me a call. I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell.

If you really want to grow and improve your soil or mediums go to the ARBICO ORGANICS web site and read up. No baloney in their product lines. Jennifer Bauman is their Biocontrol Consultant. She is one smart lady that has been coaching me for a lot of years.

My only comment at this time,is that 0-50-30 is not good for any plant.Whether organic or not,plants need nutrients of all kinds and an inbalance like that can cause severe problems.Nothing in nature grows that way.

Lynn

How ironic. I just got out of a chat with Pat Hancock (Hybridizer of the Buckeye series). She said the problem with bloom busters is that plants need nitrogen also. As in the case of A.V.s you will usually lose the centers out of them from using it. She uses 20-20-20 and I have been told this by other hybridizers also. It actually has a reverse affect on the plant. I am sure it will eventually have an ill effect on Episcia also sometime down the road. Fertilizers should be a balance of the 3 for all plants it is used on.

I was given some awesome info tonight if anyone is interested. She sure knows how to grow them :)

Connie

Connie,
I would be very interested in what she had to say.I'm always learning.
I know bloom busters have their place,but if anyone uses them,use great caution in how much and how often they are applied.I have ruined and even killed many plants over the years by trying different products.

Lynn

She surprised me on some things that we were always taught. Remember the 3 rule, Lynn? I have always honored that. Well, she said that only applied to show plants. When repotting a plant, the leaves should barely reach a little beyond the edge of the pot.

Also, I have always cut about 1/3 of the top of the leaf when I set it. I was told that would make the leaf put the energy into growing roots and stopping the leaf growth. (Did that make sense?) Anyway, Travis told me a few months ago that I should not cut the top off for a few days after I set leaves. I saw question marks in my head thinking I don't want the leaf to grow...I want the energy to make babies. Of course, everyone has their own way of doing things. Well, Pat said that she doesn't cut the top off until the leaf roots. She will tug on them to check, then cuts the tops off. Of course we all know to never set the leaves under lights while rooting. I wait until I see babies but she will set them under lights right after they root. Also, people will put several leaves in a container to root. They should be stuck in individual containers in case one rots it doesn't affect the others.

Are you all enjoying this??? I could have chatted with her all night long :)

Connie

Very interesting.I don't cut the tops off my leaves at all.I think the mom plant helps nourish the babies?? (especially variegated leaves). I also root leaves under lights.
The one third rule advice is very helpful.A lot of us have probably been using the wrong size pots.
I root most things in individual cups.

Lynn

I speak for non commercial growers namely what I think most of us are. With todays products being so available there is no reason to use man made fertilizers what so ever. There is no reason to think continued practices of the initial commercial growers need be followed. Their job and need is to get 'em up fast and sold in bloom. They need not care about the long term effects.

In more than fifty years of both indoor and outdoor gardening I have never used man made fertilizers. My just plain "stuff" has always looked healthy and produced more in the long run. Along with that statement I must honestly indicate that I have used harsh chemicals to clean up a mess or two and very occasionally to attack a small spot problem like nettles. That is why I speak or try to speak of healthy patch to avoid the term organic.

Any one of us backyard gardeners can become healthy patch growers both in the outside gardens and inside growing. Many of your problems will simply go away. Your plants will respond in many positive ways. Furthermore this can be done without fresh manures and composting. Simple mulching and use of organic fertilizers will cure most of any problems you may be experiencing. I have but do not always mulch my indoor plants too.
There is no reason I do not. I just don't mulch indoors except to prove to myself it might be a little better way to go. I spill stuff and make horrible messes. That is a fact and possibly a reason I don't mulch indoors even if I know it is a better way to go.

If anyone or several of you wish to pump me for my ways of doing things feel free to ask.
I try to do things the easy healthy way.....cause I am getting up in years and can't toss the heavy stuff around like when I was fourty. I do fully understand the organic principles.

Thanks for all the information!!! It's very interesting! What brand do you all use for fertilizing AV's? Thanks, Lou

LOU......With the organics brand is not the major issue. All of anything we might talk about come from a relative small source base. I always read the label because some are watered down to fool us into paying more for less.

Now what I use.......Any two or three would be just fine. As a granular I use Fertrells' 4-2-4. They make and I use their similar for acid loving plants. For trace minerals I use Fertrells Azomite and I keep a bag their earth worm casts. For my garden foliar feeding and pot fertilizer I use these in rotation. Any three would be just fine. Alaska's fish/kelp liquid, bat guano, kelp, earth worm casts, Agroflash and EM 1 concentrate Microorganisms. (distributed by EM America)

I still have a pretty good compost pile which makes a fine tea also as well as an additive to commercial peat named Pro Mix, Coir and my own rebuilt potting medium from the year before.

All of my potting mediums are home made. All of my fertilization is done weakly weekly. Indoors here in the Northeast I do not fertilize anything indoors during December and January and sometimes February. I watch the plants. When they start to move in February is when I start fertilizing again weekly weakly.

I fully realize that I just preached some pretty large dollar numbers for start up. Well I did not get it all at once. I still buy the largest best buy I can. In some instances for my surburban lot that may last three or more years. Same principle indoors. Someone was offering a real special on Bat Guano. I bought twenty pounds. That may be a lifetime supply. When starting do the basics and build your warchest over a longer time period.

Always use mulch and/or cover crops. In three years you will be aware of the goodness and will never turn back. You will be growing the good stuff you never knew you could.

Thanks !!! I will see what I can afford now and start building on that as my gardens are going to outlast me and I will use it eventually if I live long enough!! LOL They say that
when we plan anything, God laughs. Have a nice evening. Lou

I say when you copy what nature does you are becoming a part of the soil biology and it's ability to improve your soil's natural strengths.

Totally agree about avoiding chemicals as much as possible. Sometimes it's difficult to get rid of pests, especially mealies but my first choice is always Insecticidal soap. And the idea about container mulching sounds very interesting. I like to use decorative pebbles or sand for my succulents but are there any options? moss? How about gessies -- do they prefer something specific?

Thanks for the great info!
Maria

Maria............My opinion is to use one the least expensive, easily available and two the easiest, to administer. In my situation darn near all the outside pots get a half inch of ground bark. I reuse my potting mediums by adding them to my compost pile to be rebuilt biologically. Then in the spring to follow I build my medium using my compost mixed with garden soil some coir maybe some Pro Mix and some water crystals. Remember my compost potting medium pile is made up of last years potting medium that was back into the compost over winter. That is one reason I do not like to use stone as suggested by some experts. That pile is something I work on all year. It is always about half made medium from the years before. My regular compost pile is 100% organic in about three different stages. The best and nearly finished is next to my potting medium ready to be used in my outside beds. My soil is sandy loam. Adjusting it for good drainage is relatively easy. I often see worms going into the pots and sometimes see them in the fall when I dump the pots. I have run my program this way for more than fifty years. It works fine for me.