Just in today. PFK on the left (6 plants) and Rob's on the right (10 plants *dwarf types).
Rob's Violets and Plants for Kids
The opened boxes.
Inside the boxes.
contents removed.
PFK. 2 each of 'Libra', 'Taurus', and 'Capricorn'
Rob's Violets.
'Black Fang', 'Winky's Chocolate Chip', 'Tempest', 'Five and Dime', 'Royal Lustre', 'Baby Dress', 'Cleopatra', 'Beau Rouge', 'Ram's Head', 'Dollar Down'.
goegoensis
'Jelly Roll Morton'
Lovely, healthy looking plants. Couple of questions:
(1) How long do you wait for them to adjust to your growing environment before repotting?
(2) Do you prefer clay or plastic pots for your rexes?
Everything I read indicates that clay pots are better for begonias than plastic. My concern is what effect the evaporation through the sides of the clay pot has on the roots during the hot days of summer.
Shirley
Cicada,
As for repotting after receiving new pots, it depends on how ambitious I feel. I have some I bought from Logees back in early Jan. that are still in the same pots and doing fine. Huge leaves in small pots? You bet.
I prefer clay just for the reason of drying out faster than plastic. I can always add water but it's harder to remove it. Plastic is fine as long as YOU control the amount of water and not Mother Nature. Unfortunately, we do get downpours at times through the summer and clay helps speed up the drying out process.
Here is 'Northern Lights', 'Caravan', and 'Orange Rubra' from last week still in their original 2.5 inch pots since Jan. 9th.
Butch,
Thanks for the information. I have plenty of clay pots from years of growing cacti.
Shirley
What? You ordered from Rob's and no violets? Boy, I'm going to have to work harder!
Where have ya been lately?
love your new babies! Are you happy with the Rob's order? I've been waiting a while until their shipping came down a bit.
Is there a website for Robs.
Shirley,
Clay pots aren't that expensive either. I'm always restocking through the growing months and do reuse old pots as well.
Laurie,
Just a tad busy lately. No AV's from Rob's but did pick some up at Wal-Mart just because of you. I'm always pleased with Rob's orders. Very decent prices, well packaged (too much at times - rubberbands, plastic, tape, insulation, etc.) but they did sub 'Geometry' with 'Cleopatra' (darn).
snboyken,
Rob's Violets aka 'The Violet Barn' is at:
http://www.robsviolet.com/
Here is my cookie jar terrarium with two Martin's Mystery (both started by a salvaged leaf off mother plants that bit the dust) and a very tiny Connie Boswell (doesn't look like it now).
The jar itself.
Close up of the plants
I love the cookie jar, I am going to have to find me one at yardsale and then find some begonais. I love that look.
'Midnight Twist' from a local nursery.
'Cleopatra' from the same nursery.
'Torch'
'Black Velvet'
'Chocolate'
Double semps (wax)
'Snoopy' and orange tuberous
'Dewdrop' and friends
A cool variegated fern
Staghorn fern.
very large echeverias
And how many came home with you???
nice echiverias! I love them!
Is 'Chocolate' the same as b. withlacoochee (sp? LOL can't ever get that one right). Remember I ordered one last year via eBay and you thought it was Magdalene Madsen? (which looked as if it had some b. listada parentage)
and speaking of b. listada, I grabbed a baggie of leaves at the sale in FL marked b. listada and it's NOT, it's for sure b. luxurians, so now I have extra - If I didn't twist your arm to buy it, I have one for you. I know I was teasing you - but did it ever jump on your cart?
Just two begonias and two succulents came home. A big 'Torch' went with my youngest daughter plus a couple of other plants. She must've picked up my bad habits.
'Chocolate' looks a lot like 'Withlacoochee' but easier to spell and pronounce. Who knows, maybe they are the same thing?
Yes, I got luxurians while in FL and it is doing quite nicely in my aquarium. I got listada last fall off eBay and have had 'Magdalene Madsen' for a few years which can grow like a weed.
Butch - did I read correctly???? You got some AVs? Laurie's pretty convincing, isn't she?
I thought I bought a B. listada at PHOE but it never arrived in the bigshipment. :-{
Jooolz
some how some way, I need to get on C. Jaros' good side. I need a Harmony's Little Stinker (AV with chimera foliage) and I know he has some inside connecions (like real inside! )
Joolz how are your AV babies doing? Are you ready to start leaves?
Julie,
Yeah, I bought some stinking AV's but only the Wal-Mart type (not a lot of money in case they croak).
Smart move, Butch! I still feel somewhat like you do about the AVs, but I'm willing to give them a try and see what happens. Laurie is awfully persuasive.
Laurie - Well, I haven't killed my AV babies yet, but I don't think I'm ready for any "good" leaves. I'm going to try propagating some of the ones I have and see how it goes. I've set up some of your "magic" prop trays with perlite and have noticed the begonias seem to root right up.
are you using heat mats? I put a leaf of Acetosa down after the show (broke off while repotting) and it's loaded with roots. No babies yet, but still, that's pretty fast!
Take a look at my streptocarpus roots! This thing was a mess of roots.
Just take a leaf off, cut the petiole to 3/4" to 1" with the angle of the cut at 45º facing upward and let it dry 15 minutes, then poke it down in the perlite so the bottom of the leaf just touches. Wait about 10 days and you'll start to see roots.
Acetosa roots fine in regular soil as well - just keep the humidity dome on though for speedy results.
Butch your plants are beautiful .
Patti
Laurie - I am using heat mats. I'll try your method on AV leaves and see what happens.
How did you do the streptocarpus leaves? I have a beautiful one named after me that I'd like to propagate. I've seen two methods. Cut horizontally across the leaf and put cut sides down or cut the leaves next to the ribs (leaving two long pieces) and then sticking them in the mix.
Yes Joolz, cut the mid rib out and lay horizontally in the perlite.
Here's how I did it. http://flickr.com/photos/begonias-photos/sets/72057594093111273/
When yours make tons of little pups, can I beg one from you. ? Pretty please?