Going on another Field Trip! the SFO AVSA meeting!

When I went to meetings our Motto was Grow. Show and Share.
I like the method of sharing the joy. People shared with me when I was new. Now I have the knowledge and joy to grow babies by leaf to share the joy with others and I am
always hoping these people will share the joy someday with others !

i think it's great to share. Especially when one leaf makes 3-6 babies, I mean you can only really have one mom of the same plant (well of course you can have more, but is seems silly) and for us addicts, it's better to share so we can increase our collections. Its a Win-Win prospect for all!

Yes it sure is :)) Our group memebers also grew to share within the group and also to rafle plants off to make money for the group and pay for shows and such. And at the Show/Sale and Sale in May and Sale in fall. Memeber donated bags of named leaves with printed out FC picture nad info. If you did not have FC someone printed them out for you. Leaves were sold 50 cents a bag and all money went toward group. Now memebers also sold their plants, plantlets, blooming plants and so on, Strpes and Gessies too. The group got 25 percent of the selling price and grower memeber got the rest. Then we also had thousands of plants brought in from special nussery growers. Our group could not find plants and nursiers plants they wanted and for the price they wanted. So They gave this nursery thousands of leaves to grow plants for them :)) Then all profit went to the group. We could buy the blooming show/sale plants at cost. Many people sold their show plants too. people are so fussy and careful most I knew would not bring show plants home as they might have got pest while being at the show.

Laurie you will learn so much at your meetings to bring back and share with us ")) Wish I could be there to go with you !

sounds like you had a great time!

I just want to say how relieved I am to hear others scratch their stems to encourage roots. I do that with AVs, Episcias and pretty much anything that will send out roots from anywhere along the stem. I always thought that others must think me a bit crazy for this little habit....

Thanks for the great pictures and account of your AVS adventure! I took a bunch of leaves off some plants when I was watering this morning, and I'll repot a couple that look like they can use it. I always think I've overdone it when I see how much smaller the plant is, but they really do respond with blooms and new growth when you take off a row or two of tired leaves.

oh sounds like you had a great time.Wonderful pictures.

It sounds like you had a blast! And what great stuff you came home with. It all looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing all the tips you learned. The only thing I already knew was to water with a spray bottle. I do that a lot, with all my plants. That's how I watered my leaves last night. I tend to be a bit messy (naturally not-graceful) and I spill less when I use a spray bottle. I would never have thought to use an older leaf as a brush.

I've seen Laurie "Victorian Parasol - Unique Chimera Item number: 7739678433 " $45.00 :))

Well then I sure got the bargain of the day for $5. with more to come next month!!!

And believe me, if I dont kill it, and if I can take suckers, baskets or crown cuttings, I will and will share all around! Perhaps have a lottery or contest for our group to make it fair? That would be fun!

That would be fun ! And we might all be able to have a Chimera trade ! I'll trade you a baby of my Chimera that cost me $53.00 yes crazy me for baby of yours :))

ok, but I'll probably have to bring mine with me on my visit for you to do the crown surgery, I'm a BIG chicken!

Laurie * i looked back you got
Victorian Parasol (8000) 10/08/1993 (S. Sorano) Semidouble chimera dark purple frilled star/white stripe, light purple overlay. Medium green, plain, ruffled. Standard
Thats why it has ruffles !

And its trying to sportVictorian Parasol (8000) 10/08/1993 (S. Sorano) Semidouble chimera dark purple frilled star/white stripe, light purple overlay. Medium green, plain, ruffled. Standard
Sported to
Plum Parasols (9017) 03/14/2001 (D. Thompson) Single violet-purple sticktite star/thin white ruffled edge. Medium green, plain, ruffled, scalloped. Standard
http://www.avsa.org/Library/sports.htm

Well, it can't seem to make up it's mine, BUT did put out a new bloom today. half open so when it opens fully I'll get a photo.

Either way, I love the purple/green blossoms. The edges are green in real life !
woo hoo.

Sounds good to me ! Plants can Sport more than one way. If it does not Sport like it's registered Sport " Plum Parasols " you could grow it out and name it :))

But three generations Allison, I dont know if I'm that patient! LOL.

oh ok !

I'm going to try to grow my new Sport out three generations ! Sense I will be using suckrs and I have one set already ! Hope they grow fast each one gives me suckers fast may not take long :))

Two to go then!
Since we're on the AVSA thread, I am taking one of these babies to the AVSA plant sale table next meeting.
I finally sat down and divided Rob's April Storm.

I'll keep a few of them (one for April since it's her namesake) and take the rest to our group for the sale.

I still need to divide 'Green Eyes'

do you have a name picked out for your sport if you do get three generations?

WOW those were good full plant pots :))
Well the first part will be Alley's I told Robert or sense Laurie calls me Ali maybe it will start with Ali's :))
I thnk I know the rest. You can get a name and pay for it to hold unril plant ready to be registered :))
When is your next meeting !

Next meeting is on the 25th. Then on April 1, there is a show and sale in Sacramento that I'll go to. A few more coming up in the bay area.

I think the name you pick should have 'Precious Joy in it =)

Oh man that's what I want Ali's 'Precious Joy
Named after my daughter and after Precious "__

Now, that has to be a good one, if it is named after your daughter AND your dog. : )

Yes well when I was pregnant with her I wanted to Name her Precious Joy ! Well I did name her Amber Joy. Joy beacasue she was my Joy !
Hubby named Precious and I added the middle name Joy !

I'm off to our Monthly meeting in SFO today. We're discussing lighting!

I'll bring back notes, but I think we've covered most of it here already.

Will let you know what they have at the plant table....

Have fun Laurie ! There is always something new to learn or be up-dated on :)) Take good notes. Hope you get some goodies !

Wow that must have been fun, it was fun reading all about it. Thanks for the info and pics I learn something everytime I read "how to'- you are an excellent instructor.

Your Project plant is much like what my mom and the other quilters in the guild do- "Mystery Quilt" they are given a pattern for a square and sometimes told what color fabrics, others not told and it's left to the individual. They get new patterns for each square at successive meetings and then they all bring their finished quilts in for "Show and Tell." They come up w/ lots of variety- ok it's not exactly the same, but it's fun, like your project plant.
Wonder if we couldn't do something simillar for our own fun, each of us send 2 or 3 leaves, unidentified in one of our secret trades- of course the sender has to know and keep track of exactly what was sent- it's not so fun as the Project plant, but it could be fun. Can you tell I get bored easily.
Anyway how wonderful Laurie, glad you had so much fun. You deserve it.

April, there's a group doing that over at the Violet Vioce, not too late to get in on the fun.

Hmmm, thanks maybe I will do that. Thanks.

Here's who came home with me from the AVSA meeting in SFO today (which was a SUPER meeting by the way!)

Leaves of Ramblin Magic (but they may be mismarked by the person who brought them - oh well, mystery leaves)
Shutter Bug
Rob's Jindalee

AV plants are;
Royal Viking
and
Special Treat

other gessies that came home with me are
siningia speciosa 'double purple'
and a purple flowering eucodonia which looks like a softie episcia so far.

Then I also brought home a reverted chimera of 'The Alps' but it looks like Emerald city or one of the green/white striped flowering chimera.
The lady may have mislabled it?

I brought my trailer named 'Haiku Trail' to ask Gary Beck in person what to do with it.

1) it was suckering like mad (a good thing) but
2) leaning way off to one side (not such a good thing) and
3) the larger leaves needed to be removed to allow good light to the center new suckers. and
4) the very top crown needed pinching.

So I asked him to do it so I could learn by viewing, which he happily obliged. (photos next)

This photo shows the 'supposed to be' shot of 'The Alps'

Here's Haiku Trail

on the right, you'll see the leaf removed to allow more light to the sucker below it. and below the removed leaf, you see the bit of the crown removed.

Not a lot, but enough to encourage lateral growth. (arrows show where each were removed)

Here's a shot showing the curve in the growth. The arrows show where I should repot to and correct the growth by potting it up sort of sideways to encourage it to grow straight and allow the suckers to grow outward.

Thanks Laurie great Trailer info :))
Did you get anymore trailer info from him ? Nice selection of goodies you Lucky Duck !

Gary is a sweetheart with lots of info to willingly share.
We talked about so many things (I always sit next to him at the meetings)

one thing we talked about was foliar feeding with hot , yes hot fish emulsion. The 'prize winning' growers use this as their secret weapon. I guess it would be good to try on supermarket AV and see how they do.
(dilute by the way to 1/4 strength) but this gave them amazing foliage.

We also talked about soil blends, wicking, he has all of his av's on wicking containers. He goes to Mexico and said they can go up to 3 weeks on the wicked containers.

He likes "Peter's" fertilizer now that they stopped using urea

I was encouraged to take the judging school or at least audit the class. (A whopping $5) which I might do, that way I can see what judges look for and learn some more culture info.
Anyone can buy the book from AVSA on their site. ALSO they recommend buying the grow to show book for the info contained in it as well.

I'm driving two of the gals on Saturday to the Show and Sale in Sacramento. Should be fun, one lady is the chimera grower, so I can pick her brain all the way there! (and back too!)

The meeting was not about lighting, the pres. couldn't make it so the VP filled in and we just discussed up coming events and my trailer.

we talked a bit about temps that AV's like and I feel that my leaves are just unhappy with the temp of our house. They should perk up soon as it's definitely feeling like spring around here. My pears are blooming and all my dormant plants are budded up or pushing greenery.

Great info Laurie.Thanks.Sounds like you had a great time.

Begonia, thank you for all the info.

Where do you get fish emulsion from?

Should be able to get 'Alaska' brand at Home Depot or even at a common drug store. It's pretty easy to find.

looks like this
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/image.html?sku=alaska-fish-fertilizer

Great info and metting Laurie ! Thanks wish we were all there but so kind of you to share.
I use to get my fish foliage spray from Gardens alive. I also like using it for a drink for babies, leaves down, or plants/babies with foliage too white.

thank you Begonia!