Some of these babies are from leaves that went down Nov 5... I think that might be a new record for me!
It's taken me much longer in the past.... Those plantlets of 'Rob's Bunny Hop' and 'Peppermint Girl' that you can see in the pictures above (Dec 14, 10:21 & 10:23 posts) are from leaves that went down in May. It often takes a year for me to get blooming size plants from leaves, which is why I'm excited about that little plant that I now think is 'Rob's Whiz Bang', which is about to bloom for the first time. I've started putting dates on my leaf pots, but I never used to keep track very well, in part because it got frustrating to realize how long the process could take! LOL
Your patience will be rewarded... If the leaves have rooted, the ears will come along!
Basement babies
Those are wonderful pics!
Did you decide to put them on heat???
I'm finding my growing room coller than I think it should be but everyone seems happy ?? I'm wondering (read as :worrying) if I should add heat to the leaves & new babies??
MsC
After I started having trouble with powdery mildew, I did start using my heat mats, and I think it helped. However, I only have 2 mats, enough for four 1020 flats. Check out the photo I posted Dec 15 at 1:03.... I rearranged things so that the leaf pots and smaller plantlets are on the heat mats, and the rest of the basement AVs are on the shelf above so they get a little extra heat from the lights and the mats below.
Thanks CritterO,
I've used an old heating pad in the past but I've never had this many babies or leaves to worry about until now.
I like the set up you have so I may try to rearrange my shelves similar to yours.
MsC
Jill Wonderful pictures and great babies ! How exciting :)) Do you feed them yet ? Oh I wanted to let you know a capful of Lysol in a gallon of water or feed water keeps the green out of the soil .
Your babies a all beautiful !
Deb with your added heat pads and lights all yours will be coming up in no time too !
Thanks for sharing ! Allison
Yes, when I water I'm giving them a little AV fertilizer... I figure it'll probably help, and it never seems to do any harm, even when the leaves haven't rooted yet.
Thanks for the tip about the Lysol. Adding a splash of hydrogen peroxide (1 Tbsp of 3% solution per quart) also helps keep down fungus, algae, gnats, etc. The algae that grows sometimes on the surface of moist soil under the lights seems to be harmless -- it just looks peculiar! :-)
I'm hoping all my plants are doing well while we're away this week... My neighbor is feeding the fish, but I figured we'd be back before the plants needed watering again... The AVs may even enjoy a bit of drying out, although it doesn't take long for the little ones to start wilting.
They should be fine !1 Can you wick or put minis on a mat of some sort ? Will you be gone long ? Seems everyone I know that goes for a week or two their plants are just fine. I think mine enjoy a little drying out too. Do you keep a timer on for lights ? How about heat ? I'm weird I don't like to run lights when were not home. I've never had to leave except during Hurricanes :((
Many books I've read say feed leaves, babies with Mom, babies feed them all :))
OK, well, I'm feeding them all, and they looked fine when I left! I'm sure they'll be OK when I get back tomorrow, as I generally let them go nearly a week between waterings (although I check on them more often than that).
I'm looking forward to seeing how those little ears have progressed while I've been away! I'll have to get another shot of those 'Cambridge Missy' leaves with the gazillion little ears as they grow. Meanwhile, my digital camera has been busy taking pictures of my brother's kids... :-)
The basement babies are looking good, and I am getting them ready to move to an uptown address! I've been thinking about the slightly-too-cool temps in the basement, and considering that I will "need" those basement shelves for seedlings soon, and I've concluded that an upstairs plant stand would be just the thing! We close off our extra bedrooms during the winter, and there's a big sunny window in my craft/sewing room that "needs" a plant stand. I think the temperatures in there will be cooler than the rest of the house, which will be good for promoting leaf variegation, but it should be just a bit warmer & drier than the basement. I found a big, 5 shelf wire utility shelf at Home Depot that I can put on castors (to move down the hall if we have company and need to break out the trundle bed).
I was downstairs for a couple of hours this evening, separating plantlets and potting up a bunch of suckers. A few of my leaf pots have failed, but most of them are now popping up ears! Very exciting! I was especially happy to see a mob of ears poking up around my one surviving leaf of 'Milky Way Trail' from MsC -- I guess I can take that one off my wish list! :-) I popped 3 or 4 sucker cuttings from the 'Rob's Snake Charmer' and 'Rob's Smarty Pants' that Danak sent me last spring, so I should have those to share. I'll definitely have enough 'Winnie the Pooh' to go around, as I separated two more suckers from the larger plantlets, and I've also got half a dozen 'Midget Gumdrop' plantlets that are looking good. I popped 4 little plantlets away from my leaf of 'Cloud Puff', and it looks like there are at least 3 more started in that pot. Got 5 nice plantlets of 'Peppermint Girl' to share around, too.
I'm really liking these thumbprint size condiment cups I picked up in NC, and I think lots of these little plantlets and leaves will do better in them than in the little 1 1/2 or 2 inch pots that were my smallest ones before.
Yeah, I know -- I need to take photos! I will update with picture when they are all settled in on the new plant stand!
Yes critter, photos!!!
WOW awesome ! I wish to have one of everything ! I have midget Lillian for you for a Midget Gumdrop ! I also have leaves down for I hope many Ramblin' Midget ( E. Champion also fantasy, variegated ,
vintage trailer)...Oh yes my Baby colors is getting her first blossoms :))
I'll have a lot of goddies for you too !
Exciting babies and a new plant shelf ! I need another light stnad but need to put a new floor down in plant room first as when hubby does this he has to move everything out of the room. lol I will then get all my plant stands washed down by him :)) Lights all dusted clean ! and then I can get another lighted plant stand ! Oh my goodness endless fun !
I know your babies will be happy in their new bedroom !