Lorry, if any of yours are wobbly in the pot, i.e. the 'neck' or main stem that the leaves branch off of, is sticking up out of the soil (as most of mine were) then one would repot. Here's the link to the Rob's Violet Barn web site for repotting.
http://www.robsviolet.com/repotting_violets.htm
Rachels also has some good info with even better photos, BUT I didn't go to that extreme on any. Rob's also has a link to take a crown cutting to do this.
http://www.rachelsreflections.com/another_long_neck.htm
I did have some that had multiple crowns so I used a brand new xacto and cut them off. I'm repotting them up now and just came out to my office to get some supplies. I have been taking photos all through the repotting process and will post later tonight or tomorrow.
Juse popped the cork on a bottle of good wine so it all depends on if I have one glass or one and half glasses! LOL (just kidding).
It was WELL worth repotting everyone. Since most either had long necks or multiple crowns that needed to be addressed, it gave me the chance to wash all the leaves, groom up any bent or broken or ugly (dare I say 'ugly' and 'african violet' in the same sentance for fear of being boo'ed out of the forum -wink wink-!)
Now everyone looks very tidy and nice. some smaller for the process, but still nice.
Can't wait to see what you got.
Bargain Violets
Looks like you got a nice selection Lorry!
I spent the entire evening into the wee hours doing the repotting project. It was like a fabulous zen evening! Everyone got repotted, new wicks and bleached pots. Some got divided as there were multiple crowns on three or four. Here's some photos.
The 'before' shot
Here's the one marked 'Malakai'
It really has a cool bloom and the leaves look to me to be 'holly' type.
Here are her undersides
Here's the tag. What do you all make of it?
Here's Jeanette
And here's Jeanette's underleaves
Here's Buckeye Country Gal - with two crowns. I used the box cutter to take it off and then repotted it. She gets a dome for humidity until more roots come out.
And after I divided it.
Here's Apache Halo with her looooonnngggg neck. I rinsed some of the soil of, trimmed the roots and removed 3 crowns. This is the main crown which I repotted so the neck was deeper in the pot and soil up to the leaf line. If you refer to the 'before' shot above, Apache Halo is the plant at the top left. You can see from the photo, that I removed alot.
I finished up the evening by creating a tray of leaves and crowns. I'll post their photo a bit later.
And finally, here's everyone 'after' getting washed up and groomed/repotted
Great job on all of them. Their beautiful. Well Malakai' I would email him and ask . Like Rasoberry Queen is not registered in FC but a Named AV this might be the case with Malakai' . I could not find it in FC oe on his web sight so best bet ask him :))
Thanks for sharing all your hard work. I'm sure it was fun !
Wow...they cleaned up real nice. Looking forward to seeing their progress.
Deb
Ditto Deb's ... Begonia your the Best..Great how to photo's and explaining how to do so many African violet projects !!! Thanks much
for always sharing...
Thanks VT, but I'm just winging it. I read the internet and then have a go at hacking up the plants (LOL). I look at it like this; if I dont experiment, then I'll never know what works or doesn't work. If it doesn't work, well then I have learned one more way that does not and move on to trying the next thing.
I've been gardening for many years, but not too much into the houseplants, except begonias but they also live out side in the greenhouse all year. During all my years working at a nursery, I was always taking home houseplants, they looked great until I forgot about them (I was getting my degree at the time and commuting 3 hours round trip to college with two toddlers - don't know why I thought I had time to take care of house plants)
But ever since I answered your post 'Less than 10 named violets' I've been hooked on AV's.
The obsessive compulsive part of me wants them all, but there's a good article in that Newbie Nook about keeping your collection managable. Makes a lot of sense. I think I'd rather have a couple dozen 'real nice' ones that get all the care and then keep trading them as I find others that fascinate me.
For example, one that I received in the 'grab bag' of surprise violets has a very red flower. I'm not a huge 'red' fan so I think someone else will want it when I get it into top shape. (the big assumption is that I wont kill it). I think it's name is Red Lantern. I do however LOVE it's 'elf ears' shaped leaves.
See the photo below.
I sprayed ALL of my house violets with neem just for good measure and they are all drying now.
I'm trying to kill some of my other noid's so I'm going to post them in another thread. Not sure WHY they are dying .....
They could be cold or insect/bugs most likely cold.
Red lantern is a beautiful red :)) I was trying to get as many red and white or red and white combination blossoms blooming for the Holidays :))
I'll have to send you an Arapahoe African violet plant grows nice and has the deepest true red lagre flowers.
I have leaves down of Christmas Morning Streptocarpus plant Bright deep red :))
I love a good red flower.
I grow a lot of babies by leaf to share and trade with others but keep a small selection of my favorites for me :))
Here is Picture from FC Arapahoe..mine from my throw camera away did not come out,great even this one does not do it justice. It blooms for a long time. Maybe when I get the disk the Photographer took so many pictures for Hospice Calender and magazine maybe they'll be a good one ! I've been waiting on the CD over a month they get so busy they keep forgetting to mail it.
Here's what I think the problem is with the dying ones. Well they are 'dying' per say. but the outer older leaves are drooping and wilted.
My intuition tells me they were TOO wet. their decline bagan when I made my new AV shelf in my office. They all got wicked at that time.
Today, I repotted each one - using a very coarse soil mix with lots of perlite. Enough so that when I made a fist, it wouldn't stick in a ball and crumbled easily. I removed as much of the original soil as I could.
my FAVORITE one with the green and gold variegation was the worst! the soil felt like a soggy sponge. After I got rid of the soil I really looked at it closer. I think it was only peat moss. Then they use what 'looked' like perlite but WASN'T, it was itty bitty styrofoam balls the size of perlite. Kink of what you would find in a bean bag chair. (ever have one of those break in your house and you will know what I'm talking about - my kids once thought they could use it like a trampoline - a gazillion little styrofoam beans everywhere.... ) Anyway it was so soggy.
Remember, when they were in my bedroom, they got watered when the top of the soil began to dry and then I would set them in a dish of tepid water until they drank it up and then put them back in my bedroom.
SInce I moved them that is when the problem started. When I moved them they all got the little tupperware type containers and wicks.
So I think that was really the issue. Here is a shot from when I had just made the shelf
Sadly, here it is today.
(that other shot was taken on the 7th of this month. So just about 10 days ago.
I also gave them a shot of B1 in hopes of perking them up a bit. I then sat the pot on a towel to drain any excess moisture off the pot and wick it away.
I hope it helps.
In your experience, if it was over watering, will those outer leaves perk up or are they doomed?
I love that African violet Begonia. Your so right. See I wick I coil the wick all around the bottom of pot and bring up to thee top of the pot for water to go evenly too all roots. I do not sit mine with tubs of water espcialy in the winter water sitting can get cold. It also can leaves the plants in the middle soggy and cold and Av's don't like their feet soggy , nor cold. I let my wicks dry out inbetween.. Then I fill trays with hot water, or food and let them drink 15 mintues-half hour and then trays saucers, what ever I am using is drained. This I find is most important in the winter/cold months. Many cute teap ots, containers I kept water in all the time I don't in the winter.
Last year a friend kept her wick containers full not letting dry in-between and things like your picture happened. Someone told her it was Mites and she threw away all her plants. When it was just what has been happening to you.
How is your baby , the variegated one growing ? Thanks, Allison
It could have got root rot. and cold from the wick water . I'm so sorry see if you can put a couple leaves down. Keep plants warm and less watering is needed. I'm so sad I hope you can save it.
This is the only variegated one doing this. My 'baby' thats my first to pup is fine.
I'm pretty sure this is a water issue. My playhouse is pretty chilly. Mid to high 60's during the day.
All of your babies are just fine so I'm pretty sure they just didn't like the water wicking combined with their store soil.
I know that nurseries use wetting agents in the soil along with styrofoam? and who knows what else. Once I changed it, I could see why.
Don't know if this will help, but it is worth a try.
I had an EverSpecial plant. It came in a 6 inch pot. No matter what I did the outer leaves withered and turned dark. I would cut it back. The outer leaves would still wither.
Just as an experiement I put it in a 4 in pot. Same conditions as before. The size of the pot was the only difference. It revived and is doing very well.
Do you think that extra soil in the pot that holds water the plant doesn't need might be causing the problem. That way the root ball would get water logged because of the extra soil.
VT, you are always reminding us to make sure the pot size is correct. What do you think?
One mornig you may awaken and your African violets will look absolutely superb and floering abundantly in all their glory.
The leaves will be rich in colors and form a prefect rosette needed for a lovely show plant. Later in the afternoon you notice that a big change has accurred in the appearance of your favorite African violet. It has started to wilt , although you watered it at breakfast time. By evening time the leaves are drooping over the edge of the pot, and the magnificant flowers are no longer stnading high above the leaves of the plant.
Crown rot is the culprit. ! This Disease is caused by getting the crown of the African violet wet , keeping the soil too wet, and by watering your plants bwith water that is too cold.
( The book shows a picture like yours Begonia Sorry
Book; African violet Queens of the Indoor Gardening Kingdom, By Medlivn J. Robey)
Air circulation across the crown also helps to evaporate the mositure from the surface of the plant. Spacing your plants properly and air circulation is important.
If you are able to accurately diagnose the problem in its early stage you may be able to save your favorite African violet. , but you will have to act quicklyand repot it immediately after drying the crown . Take the plant out of the pot and remove all soil mixture roots by washing them with warm/hot water . Clip any dead roots and plant parts from the infected plants. Use a very porous soil mixture when repotting. Use clean bleached pots always. Never re-use soil, pots, wick.
This will help to in sure good drainage and reduce the chances of crown root rot infection. If you are lucky , the plant will survive and again produce lovely flowers.
Begoinia I would remover flowers so the plant can use energy to get better. I keep mine as warm as can be. Also I never let them sit in water and I let them dry out in bewtween watering. Wicks will still work fine. Check tempertures in your two piece pots, or water holders for wicked plants a day or two after with theromater water can get cold fast.
Try to put a leaf down. Good Luck, Allison
I did all of the above. I would concur, that it is beginning root rot. They were all repotted today so Hopefully they'll recover.
Also put down another leaf. :-(
Yes Nanna
your so right. Most times buying plants from Nurseries, HD, Walmart, Lowes...they are grown under control enviorment. The soil is thick and heavy. Sometimes pots too large. These condtions are not good for our homes. Lot's of times you buy plants on Ebay. I have seen so many for sale Min, Semi-Minis say 4" pots, babies in 4 " pots....any one can put a plant in a 3" pot . But if this is not the proper pot size you are going to get root rot and a dead plant. Soil must be light and very porous soil mixture is a must.
Begonia is your tempertures are 60's dring the day what are the night tempertures ? I highly recomend to try to keep them as close to 70-75. I am in Florida and having a heard time. Even with heater going and lights. I am doing my best to keep 70 24 hours a dat, sometimes it drops to 65 but not long we work on getting it up.
Yes they might not die, but they are not going to perform as well, babies and leaves have more chance of dying, more chance of root rot.. A short period of time might not hurt, but most likely you are going to see negitive symptoms soon or later from keeping your plants cold.
They say room temperture but would you be comfortable in a room of 60-65 all the time. Taje a shower with 60-65 degree water. Cold winds
coming in open doors or windows ? I feel not I would not either do our plants. I'm sorry to say each winter I see so many people lose big Av collections becasue of cold/cold water, water with wamr water, but plant is cold ..well ...you know what will happen.
Last year we moved down the street edn of November. We sold one home..but new home needed electric up dated and A/C and heat pump put in. Geeting the right qulity people to do so took until middle of Decmeber , being inspected by the City..then we mover my stands and plants down. Though we were not living in the house and it was empty
The A/C and heat was kept on just for the plants to keep them warm.
As soon as we had heat they were moved down. We had sold our home mid November but new ownders did not move in until Jan 2005 .
The electric bill for the month to either keep the home warm or cool ( Flroida weather is crazy you either need air or heat seems no inbetween) was around $81.00 and no one living there but had to do it to keep them alive.
The bill in home we were living was $137.00 and we had over 15 thousand Christmas lights on.
I do beleive in keeping them and us warm :))
Great Begonia I think you saved them ! I love that plant of yours :)) Is the baby getting big ? She's so pretty :))
Well, temps in my playhouse is an issue. I don't have any heat except for a dish heater. I keep it running all day.
I WISH my power bill was only $137.00- I don't even want to know what mine will be. I pay about $260 a month all year long.
My 'office' is drafty and needs some more insulation. I'll try and get DH on the task but he's pretty busy. We did decide to try and have a wall unit put in for heat. Not sure if we'll do one of those kind that looks like an a/c unit but does both heat and A/C. or what.
All I know is it will run about $1500+ for the unit and installation. And that's just my guess. There's no cheap way about it.
I almost bought a small wood stove but by the time you pay for the tripple wall stove pipe, well you're right up to the 2K range.
It's about 76 right now, but that's because it's raining outside and it has warmed up. We've been getting into the low 30's at night here which makes my office in the low 60's , in fact, my digital thermometer says the low was 52, not sure what day that was.
The change in the drooping just happened so I think I might have caught it in time. I pulled all the wicks out on the others and will monitor each one each day just in case. At least until I get a grip on the water/temp thing.
Well that was last Decmebers 2004 we had 2 bills but only one house was empty just my plants were not moved lol The other house was 81.00 we had two bills. When we bought this old trailer before moving the plants down we had to get electric up dated and A.C heat put in. It does A.C and heat one unit. It was for all electric and all six thousand dollars . Sure it would be more in a house, This is a short single wide one bedroom trailer, But we had two bills as plants cotould not be moved from sold house until we got heat,
Can you bring all your AV;s into your home ?
I could bring them into the house, but I learned not to mingle the new gals with the healthy old gals. So i better not. My living room which is the only room with heat (remember, 100+ year old house) would cook the moisture right out of my AV's. We only have a wood stove. Hard to controll heat.
In fact I only have two plants in the liv. room. Die hards. I had a nice spider baby on the mantel but I looked at it today and it's a gonner. AND I just watered it a few days ago. Oh well, plenty more where it came from.
My kitchen is a shoe box. Can't hardly cook dinner let alone put plants in there. So that's not an option. Next best place is my bedroom (I think you saw my new AV set up but in case you didn't here's a photo)
That's all the rooms we have. It is a TINY house.
I think I'll just put in another space heater until the new unit gets installed. I can't wait until we build our new home. someday...
I'm hoping for a 'florida room' or conservatory type room... until then, I get the 'playhouse'... which I do love despite the temperature extremes.
Plants on trays of moist pebbles , cups of water around plants , MY sister keeps pan of water on top of their wood stove for moisture,
Any windows in your kitchen or bath room ? any table, end tables , top tv you name it . under a lamp mine go ever where lol
It seems that I have caught the root rot just in time. Everyone perked back up with some B1 and a good drying out. For my green and gold beauty however, I trimmed all the wilting leaves off, as well as the flower (left one teeny bud) and put the leaves in water (actually it helped them firm up)
So now my poor baby is bald and sad. BUT NOT DEAD! so there's hope for me yet. I'm ashamed to show you all a photo of her in her 'state',
Kind of like when you are a kid and decide to cut your own hair! Like a big chunck, cut right across the front of your forehead! ANd now you mom is parading you through the Beauty Parlor making sure eveyone knows you did that yourself! LOL Well, that's my poor green and gold.
Let's just remember he in her glory!...(trying to cheer myself up here!)
Her inner leaves are firm, not soggy, and the others have firmed up. So... with fingers crossed, I'm hoping I don't have more for the compost bin!
Sounds like she is going to get better ! Also sounds like you save a few leaves so you can grow several babies just like her :)) Allison
Thanks for the info.
Oh and add Malakia and Anastasia to my wish list!
The ones I got from him were like this also *long necks* I repotted them by Rachael's suggestion, so we shall see.
Your plants look gorgeous!
This message was edited Dec 21, 2005 7:16 AM
OH MY GOD...Put Elfs ears on the VERY TOP of my wish list LOL
Your plants look great :) You are a wonderful mom!
I need to get brave and seperate some of mine also.
This will be the first time though..so I am SCARED!
I am so sorry to hear about your plight with your baby :( But also tickled to hear he is on the mend!
DP had 15 plants left. I bought them all! LOL I figured it was worth it to see if I get some more I don't have.
I will be posting any doubles for adoption and probably holding a couple for my bunny swap partner.
By then they should be a good sized plant!
Also I contacted DP about ordering from their site..there is stuff there that I am interested in, especially in the supplies..So I will keep you all informed.
On my shelves..I bought seed trays and have compacted 4 shelves into 2 which means more room for MORE leaves!
Oh Lorry I emailed them twice this morning and called and just got answering machine. They did email me and told me to call and see what they have left. Save some for me :)) Allison
LOL ok I may not bother then. Everything I was going to order from them I can get elsewhere. I was just seeking out the bargains!
I may try calling them though.
Oh and lord knows :) whatever babies I have..you will have dibs at!
Lorry I just called and ordered 40 Semi and trailers :)) and some pots :)) They will be shiipped Tuesday :)) I told him I need some before Lorry in Florida buys them all. lol He laughed. I can;t wait to gt thm $1.00 ach.