I use VF-!! too on my different plants. My flowering annuals seem to love it.
WOW you have so many AV. I am so impressed. Looks like such fun starting them. GOOD LUCK!
Just starting some leaves
Well Deb everything your doing is terrific ! Excellent
Success you are having ! Great job :))
I have a few questions from all of these posts. First, what is the deal with the Christmas lights? Do they keep the plants warm? Does anyone have any photos showing how they use the Christmas lights? I have lots of Christmas lights that I did not use for Christmas. Does it make any difference what color they are? I have both white and blue. Second, in the following photo, I see the little AVs sitting on a tray with the wicks just sitting on the tray also. Can I just sit my pots flat on a tray and add water when they need it? Or do I have to have them up on something like I see a lot of people doing, you know, have them sitting on some type of tupperware container? Can they just sit flat down on the tray with nothing under them? Here is the photo I am referring to.
JesseK
I am sorry for asking so many questions but I really do want to do this right. Also, I have a question for deb. Deb, do you use wicks for watering your plants and leaves that you have set down, or do you water everything by hand? I noticed that you have some of yours in an indoor greenhouse. I have one of those. Is this necessary? I am full of so many questions but I just want to do it right. In the following photo, you have them sitting in aluminum foil type baking dishes. How are you watering those? Here is the photo of what I am talking about. A big thanks to all of you for helping a newbie like me.
JesseK
I have never used Christmas lights so I'm lost there ?
I use gro-lihjys or cool white tubes in double four foot fixtures.
WOW I forgot about those baby pictures from Mid_October , everyone of those babies are large and blooming non-stop !
Yes my plants sit on trays. ( not all in windowsills their on saucers or cups, little teapots any cute holders I can find for display) .
When time for watering I yes hot water ( it cools so fast) and it is poured on the trays and allowed to sit a half hour or so. Then any water left is dumped off .
It allows for easy water of hundreds of plant. I never let my plants stand in water not even in those plastic stubs as I fount the plants can get too wet and the water gets cold sitting there then always keeping the Av's feet cold and wet and they Don't like that. I somtimes water on top/ I no longer wick leaves I just water them tiny bits from top. They are all kept in boxes the clear plastic holds them safe under lights keeps them from yipping same idea of the pans Deb uses.
Here is Vespa Sensation a double wasp plant from Mid-October picture.
I got 4 nice babies gave 3 away and kept the smallest for me !.
Vespa Sensation (T. Moreno) Double dark pink wasp Dark green serrated , red back , variable bustled foliage Standard Standard (User Database)
This message was edited Jan 29, 2006 8:47 AM
Then there was
Gecko's Typsy Vespa (T. Moreno) Single purple, , variable horn petaled wasp dark green serrated, red back, bustled foliage. Standard Standard (User Database)
Then there's
Gecko's Angelic Vespa (T. Moreno) Single light pink wasp Dark green serrated , heavily bustled , red back foliage Standard (User Database)
I'll take her picture all in bloom today ! I just set all these leaves Mid-September.
I had five sents but only three names gave me babies the others bit the dust.
Jess....No I didn't use wicks for the leaves or some of the first small plantlest I put down. I still don't use wicks for the leaves, but from now on when I grow plantlets I will be using wicks.
The foil baking dishes I have in my greenhouse have aquarium rock in the bottoms of them. When I water my leaves and violets I use a small spray bottle and put warm water and Eleanors VF 11 and lightly spray the leaves.
Then I also put warm water and Eleanors VF 11 in a watering can and pour it into the foil baking dishes...just enough so the plants and leaves soak up some of the water mixture, yet there is still water setting under the aquarium rocks to help with humidity.
I now use a plant heat mat so the pans, water mixture, plantlets and leaves stay warm.
I used the foil pans as that is all I had when I first started. In the future I most likely will use plastic containers as the plastic will hold up better and last longer.
I use the greenhouse so everything is confined and enclosed to hold heat and humidity.
Sometimes I also put a small amount of Lysol in my water mixture to stave off mildew.
I also mix neem oil and warm water together and lightly spray it on my leaves on occasion to hopefully ward of insects.
I am really just learning like you. I have always had african violets...but just a few Noids. Now the gardening club I belong to wants me to prepare a program on starting and growing african violets at one of their spring meetings. This should be fun.
Hope this helps, Deb
Deb how are your new plantlets doing ? Are they large enough to put leaves down from them yet ? Have any bloomed ?
Allison...they aren't blooming yet and not quite big enough to put leaves down. I am anxiously awaiting the first bloom on several.
Deb
everything looks great.your a great Mom:)