I have noticed that many of you, especially Allison, Lory,and Jil have pictures of very new plants with blooms. What am I doing wrong? I have very healthy plantlet but none of them are in bloom. I shifted the plants on the plant stand today and put the young plants under lights that are 6 to 8 inches. They are now with my minis and semi minis. Do you think that will help with the blooming?
Big Blooms on tiny plants
What is the age of the plants ? Are they old enough ?
Are they in a light soil-less mixture? Getting 12-16 hours of light though most of my mini's are in the window light only. Air circulation and humidity good ?
Proper pot size. I have mine in one and two inch pots. Proper amount of food. Is it too cold ? Water warm ?
Laurie's little Irish Flirt . She was suprised how small it was. And the little sucker in 2 inch pot tripled in size sense I took it off but half this size is all in bloom too !
Irish Flirt (7577) 11/07/1991 (S. Sorano) Double bright green and white frilled star. Medium green, wavy. Semiminiature
Nanna, mine get repeat blooms all the time, even the tiny ones from Bluebirds are on their second bloom. All I use is Eleanors. I know Ali touts it, but honestly, I'm convinced it's magic!
I have a noid that I've had for about 2 months, and it's on it's third bloom cycle.
it's LOADED with blooms under the leaves, just waiting to pop out. I have it in a two piece self watering pot, under a 'tiffany' style lamp with regular old light bulbs in it. (have recently changed to the compact flourescent bulbs in that lamp but not long enough ago to make a difference.
I'm convinced that the VF11 is what's doing the trick for me. All my babies are so healthy and my leaves shoot out roots in no time at all. I pulled some leaves yesterday that I laid down just before I left for FL and I see babies already sprouting at the root level. All I do is water with that stuff!
Nana, do you feed them?
Begonia, how often do you feed yours? Do you spray the leaves with it or just roots? thank you.
mine goes in their drink water just about evertime . i have too many no time to foliage feed.
I use it every time i water ( and I dont really measure, just blop it into my watering can and guestimate that it's a cap ful). No, I don't foliar feed anymore because I found that with my hard water (lots of calcium and iron in my well water) along with the water softener salts left a build up on the leaves. So I want to, but I'll buy distilled water just for that and use a new spray bottle.
One thing about Vf-11 if you don't measure and go a little over your OK ! But if you add Superthrive or any kind of food or fertilizer with it you will have troubles.
Nanna, my little plants are probably no more than 8 inches from the lights, which may help. The other factor might be pot size... I never got blooms on such young plants before I started using the thumbprint pots (1 oz plastic cups). And most of mine still don't bloom when they're that small -- it's just that I love "showing off" the ones that do! :-)
Sorry, I didn't explain very well. I don't mear mini or semi minis. I mean young plantlet growing from leaves.
It's so cute when these big flowers come on little babies still with Mom :)) They say to remove them so the plant can put it's energy into growing but I can't.
Picture of large flowers biggeer than the baby. Can you picture this trailer full grown with bouquets of these large double Orchid Flowers !
Orchid Trail (H. Pittman) Double orchid. Dark green. Semiminiature trailer
Very Beautiful but you are right the bloom is much bigger than the plant.
I have corrected the light situation and we will see what happens next.
Yeah it's just a tiny baby with mom lol Not sure why this Mom leaf down that has like a half a dozen buds. I think it's Unltra Violet Flash one of the leaves Jan " Janich" sent me. I'll have to try to capture a picture.
Love the color of the bloom
Thanks me too it surprised me.
Nanna I was reading Rob's culture corner and question section.
On the part about plant blooming young or plants blooming not until mature size.
He talked about plants with Good cultural conditions, from the very beginning, are also important in early blooming .
I fount it very interesting.
http://www.robsviolet.com/faq_page_8.htm#forcing%20early%20bloom
Thanks Allison. That was very interesting.