I bought several leaves on the web and planted them about the first of May. A couple of weeks ago, I harvested about 55 plantlets from them and potted them up in 8oz styrafoam cups. Many are very vigorous; some I removed too soon from the parent leaf. But for the thriving ones, how long do I have to wait for blooms? At this time from leaf to plantlet, it is four months.
How long til they bloom?
That's a great question. I am in the same situation. WHO HAS THE ANSWER?
Nanna
I have grown several from leaves and what I've found as far as how long til it blooms is ~~ depends on the plant. Some of the smaller minis and trailers seem to bloom quicker than the bigger standards. But that's just been my experience. Interested to see what others have to say...
I agree with Betsy. The ones that take longer to get to a stage when you can separate seem to take longer to bloom. The trailing minis that sprouted really quickly for me (thread here http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/493471/, pics here http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki/sets/358706/) bloomed in 3 months from when I put the leaves down. (I didn't separate the plantlets - if I had, it would have taken longer). I would guess that many standards bloom in 2-3 months from when they are large enough to pot up separately. On the other hand, the variegated leaf Pow Wow is about a year from leaf and still hasn't bloomed. (I can't say that I've been giving it much attention, though.)
Thank you; i can see it is going to be a wait and see thing, but it is nice to know the peramaters.
gloria,
You did great getting 55 plantlets!
I'm thrilled for you.
The one thing I noticed about your post is that you potted the plantlets into 8oz solo cups....if they were small plantlets then you may wait a long while for them to fill out that size cup with a root ball . Supposedly AV's bloom better when they get root bound. An 8oz solo cup is pretty big for minis, most are planted in 3 oz solo cups or 2 1/2 in pots. If some are standards then they will probable be blooming before you know it.
Be sure and post pics of them when you can blooming or not you did great!
MsC
I think Keyring has the record for fastest time from leaf to bloom! I think I've only fertilized mine once, though, or they would probably bloom faster. My fastest so far has been probably eight months, and that was a semi-mini (separated from the leaf), but I think I just hit a year on my first batch and most haven't bloomed yet. :( Okay, I'll go get the fertilizer...
Congrats on 55 plants! I agree, that's quite a good deal! Ditto MsC's advice on the cup size, if any are minis/semis. Yes, it is a wait and see thing, but it's SO REWARDING when your own, grown-from-a-leaf violets bloom for the first time! It's well worth the wait. Have fun!
--Dana
I think MsCrit hit the nail on the head. I sent a question to the avsa last week about the raspberry rampage plantlet I received from Violet Barn last month. It is still the same size as when I received it. The other plants are six or seven inches across now and are budding. My response was some plants, especially variegated leaf plants, take a long time to develop a root system. The good points is; the longer it take the more established the plant becomes and the more likely the plant will, under good conditions last longer and bloom greater. The counsel I received was, "Be patient. It's worth the wait."
I'll be patient with you.
Nanna
I don't know if any of you do this, but when a baby leaf breaks off, I put it (them) in a small plastic container (bundt cake miniature) and close the lid. I have gotten tiny, tiny plantlets coming up in a week.
I believe these new leaves are full of growth hormones and want to reproduce too.
In light of that, I took small leaves from all 8 or 9 varieties of my little
ones and put them into solo cups, then placed the cups in buffet salad containers from the grocery store. Since 8/29, most of mine have rooted. I started a second container a couple of days later, so I have triple leaves working on making babies. This is because I replant the original mother leaf and wait for her to make new plantlets too. Naturally, I plan on trading many, many of these progeny- I don't have room for them!
Thanks for the good advice and information.
lol Dana - I think it's just these particular trailers. (and this year I've been terrible with fertilizing - none of the gessies have been given any fert.)
Keyring, I'm impressed anyway!
Nanna, thanks for the info about the ones that are taking a LONG TIME! I have a Rob's Dandy Lion, which is variegated, that is a year old and only an inch or so in diameter. I just repotted it into an even smaller pot, giving it less room to have to establish itself. I feel better about it now. I really like that one, so I'm sure it will be worth the wait. :)
You must have the patience of Job. I've only been waiting for 6 weeks.
Mine was started from a leaf a year ago. And its parent leaf was the one that took longest to give off plantlets, so the actual plant is a couple/few months younger than that. It has grown throughout those months, but very slowly! And I think it's a pretty small mini anyway, but I don't know how small. I'm sure it will still grow... eventually!
But remember how Job's patience was rewarded... as I recall, at the end of it, he had something like 10 times more camels than anyone else, and 20 times more goats, and his daughters were far more beautiful than anyone else's daughters... I'm sure those number's aren't accurate, but imagine getting 5 or 10 plantlets per leaf... it could happen!
I don't do a good job of keeping track, but I think the AV's I've propagated have taken from 6 months to a year or so from leaf to first bloom... it definitely varies from one plant to another.
Maybe the Dandy Lion will hold the record for longest time from leaf to bloom! It better be good after this wait. :)
Heya Dana,
I'm still waiting on blooms on that tiny Twinkle Pink and it's going on it's 2nd year!! UGH... of course with me & the way I water, the fact that it is still alive is a small miracle ...lol
MsC
Hey, that makes me feel better! At the rate mine's going, it could take two years, too. I'll keep you posted on that one!