Some of my AVs seem to be stagnant and small. I started some leaves a year ago, and the plantlets are still plantlets. Shouldn't they be nice plants by now? Some certainly grow faster than others, but I'm not sure what the variable is. I don't fertilize, so that would probably help. I think one could use a smaller pot (how small is Rob's Dandy Lion? I have a year-old plant that's about an inch in diameter. What size of "pot" does it need?). Any other tips? I know there must be something more I should be doing... I have a few pending trades once I get some decent-sized plantlets from the leaves that are showing ears now. I don't want it to take longer than necessary!
Thanks,
Dana
How can I get them to GROW??
Hiya Dana
I think you answered your own question...fertilizer.:)
You could try just misting them very lightly with a very weak fertilizer solution and see what happens.
I know when I had my first tray of babies just sitting there not doing anything I figured what the heck?
That was when I discovered the "epson salts " as fertilizer and the interesting article on epson salts uses.
You could repot them and see if that helps bring about a growth spurt ,especially if the soil is a year old. Depending on what they were originally planted in, the nutrients in the soil have probable been long washed away and therefore they have nothing feeding them.
If time is an issue then I'd go for a weak fertilizer solution myself, but if you have the time just repot them in new soil in the same size pot...that will surely help and you should see some impovement.
Hope that helps some & Keep us posted!
MsC
Okay, I'll get back out the fertilizer. They have been repotted at least once within the year when they were separated from the mother leaf. I think I'll try and repot the Dandy Lion, though. I think it's in too big of a pot and it's just working too hard on growing its roots? I'll let you know how it works. :)
Edited to ask: at what point do I start fertilizing the leaves I'm starting? When they get roots, put up babies, or??
This message was edited Aug 15, 2005 10:59 PM
Dana
Most everything I've read or heard is to start fertilizing the leafs after they have a few ears sticking up quite a bit. If you fertilize just the mother leaf then you get nice healthy leaf just sitting there but not putting any babies up. If you have a mother leaf/ or an older leaf that happens to just sit there forever and won't put up a baby , they say to clip the top point off of the Mother leaf and babies are pretty quick to follow. You can also get babies from the clipping of the top half of a leaf too.Just roll it up a bit and stick it down too. Keep it just moist and I didn't believe it but it works too.
MsC
Wow, MsC, I've never heard of that! If you say it works I'll believe you. :) I guess I need to wait a little while to fertilize, but those ears are sure coming up quickly once they start. Maybe I can keep up that momentum!
Thanks,
Dana
Dana,
It is amazing how willing AV's are to grow,even if just from a piece of a leaf. I have grown baby begonias from leaf sections but I really never thought much about AV's being able to do the same. Did you know that some AV's will grow babies form the blossom stem too? I've actually had one that grew a baby on the top tip of a leaf I had stuck down...they are really cool plants to observe.
I think I read this info in an older AV magazine article from the 1950's, but I may have seen it on a website.
I love just growing AV's, but the history and other info I find really makes them a fascinating plant to study, too.
Some of the pics in the older magizines are amazing to me to see plants 23 inches around or larger. Most of the pics are in black and white but the plants are still stunningly beautiful.
enjoy,
MsC
I think that's what makes AV so much fun-- the fact that they're so willing to reproduce! And I guess they're even more willing than I thought. :)
You know what, Dana? You may want to move their locations around.......I have some violets (minis, semis, standards) that just existed 'til I started rotating the fert.'s, and changing their spots. The ones under lights went into the windowsills, the ones in the 'sills went into onto a skylight ledge, etc.
I've found that they're all entirely TOO different! lol Some like natural light best, some like some direct sun, some just want flourescent and so on.
Kathleen
Hmm, now there's a thought. I've been meaning to get fluorescent lights for a long time now and still haven't. Now I have my own room that maybe I can convert to a plant room! It would be good for fluorescent lights, because it's a northern exposure under a covered patio, so it doesn't get much natural light. I'll experiment a bit-- sounds like fun, too!
Thanks,
Dana