I have an AV called Bia. It is an Optimara. It is absolutely beautiful. I am not sure if Bia is the whole name or not, that is just what the label said. Anyway, I repotted it on 2-13. Now it is growing out of the pot. How do you keep AVs from growing out of their pots? Do you just keep removing leaves, and when you do, do you set them down to make new AVs? I'm open to any suggestions that you guy have. I'm starting to be over run by AVs. LOL Here is a closeup of the flower.
Jesse
Here is a photo of the whole plant. As you can see it is very thick. I have a silly question, but do you guys every throw away any leaves, or do you pot them all?
Jesse
Jesse beautiful bloom. but the plant does not look healthy :((.
Foliage it too pale/yellow Is it od ? Sick or needs grooming > Center growth is too tight and bunched ?
I have plants 12-16 inches across ib 4 inch azela pots. One plants roots were growing out bottom around wicks so I did go to 5 inch pot. But my plant is very large. Leaves are almost size of my hand.
So what do you think is wrong with my plant? I really love the flower so I want to save it. What should I do?
Jesse
What is your plant getting in terms of light & fertilizer?
I'd take off at least the outermost ring of older, palest leaves. The center leaves look better (even with the bunching), so if it was a problem with light or fertilizer it may be on the mend already.
Gorgeous bloom!
BTW, I looked up "Optimara Bia*" in FD and came up dry.... not a registered variety, I guess, or there's a typo on the label... will search again... There is an Optimara Rio (de Jeneiro), but it's white with a purple edge, not the other way around.
I could not find anything on it either. I bought it when I bought two other Optimara's and they were labeled correctly. So I'm not sure why this one was not right. Is there a way to look up AVs by what kind they are, like look up only silver-edges?
Jesse
Jesse, I searched FC database with various combos of "Holtkamp" (hybridizer) "Optimara" "white edge" &/or "purple" for the bloom... checked for names containing "B" or "ia" etc... I found several varieties with photos or descriptions that seemed similar to yours (I think Hawaii was one) but didn't think I got a positive ID. Since you're pretty sure it's a named/registered Optimara variety, you might try looking for it on Optimara's site. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful!
Thanks critter. I have searched the net and cannot find anything on it. I don't know what it is but it sure is beautiful. What I want to know is if I should pot up the leaves of the noids. The reason I ask this is because I do not know if anyone will want them in a trade. I can make lots of them for myself but I want to know if others will want them. And I only have so much room for myself. So do you guys pot up your noids?
Jesse
I just rememberd something. This particular AV is one that I had left over from last year. I lost all of them last year except for two of them, EverGrace and this one. So it is not a new one. Any suggestions on what to do to make it look healthier?
Jesse
Jesse take any foliage off that pale, yellow, bruised, broken. Check under foliage for scale, mealies, marks under foliage or stems. Take out of light put into natural light. Keep away from other plants just in case.
Might be a Potassium Deficiency.
http://www.optimara.com/doctoroptimara/diagnosis/potassiumdeficiency.html
What size pot is plant in ? What kind. ? Soil PH ?
Check link above. Doctor Optimara is excellent !
Jesse don't bother rooting unhealthy leaves that don't have a lot of green,
Treatment
If you suspect that your Violet is suffering from Potassium Deficiency, the best treatment is to simply change fertilizers. If you are not using one, start now. A good fertilizer for African Violets will have approximately equal amounts of the primary elements, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). For standard-sized Violets (in 3-inch pots or larger), the ideal NPK is 14-12-14. For Miniature Violets, look for a fertilizer that has somewhat lower percentages, such as Optimara Miniature Plant Food. This fertilizer is specifically formulated for Miniature Violets, with an NPK of 7-9-5.
Prevention
The best way to prevent a Potassium Deficiency is to use a fertilizer with the proper percentage of potassium (see above, under Treatment). In addition, repot your African Violets at least twice a year.
First, repot your Violet with fresh potting soil. After separating the rootball from its container, shake as much of the old soil from the roots as you can without disturbing the roots too much. Repot the plant in a potting soil that is light, porous and guarantees a pH of 5.8 to 6.2.
Next, drench the soil with lukewarm water. Water from the top until about a cup (8 oz.) of water has drained from the pot. Allow any excess water to drain. This will help leach out any of the substances that may have contributed to a pH imbalance. If these substances were the cause of the problem, they may still be present in the old soil that clung to your Violet's roots.
After you have drenched the soil, wait one week. During this time, do not use a fertilizer. The nutrients in the soil will be sufficient until you begin fertilizing again.
After one week, you may notice that your Violet has already begun to recover. If it has, it was most likely suffering from a pH imbalance in the soil. In either case, you can again start fertilizing. When selecting a fertilizer, be sure that it contains approximately equal amounts of the primary nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). For standard-sized African Violets (in 3-inch pots or larger), an NPK of 14-12-14 is recommended. For Miniature Violets, you will need a fertilizer specifically formulated for miniature plants, such as Optimara Miniature Plant Food. In addition to being fully-dissolving, make sure that the nitrogen is not derived from urea, since urea will cause Root Burn on African Violets. Sources for each of the three primary elements can be found in the Guaranteed Analysis, located on the fertilizer label. (Note: Many of the micronutrients, though essential to the health of African Violets, are often not listed on the Guaranteed Analysis. If interested, reputable Violet Food producers will generally be happy to send you a complete analysis upon request.)
Important: If symptoms begin to return, you
Jesses If symptoms begin to return you have a water problem of too much chlorine in the water, too much boron in the water and /or soft water.
Try using non-distilled, bottled spring water on your plants if you keep having same symptom come back. If symptoms clear up, your water is almost certainly the problem. Jesse how is your other yellow foliage plant doing ?
OH PS have you fertilizer with urea nitrogen Past several months ? Could have caused this ,
This is in a 4" pot. One of those self-watering pots where you have an inner pot and an outer pot. I repotted it on 2-13. It was one that I had from last year so I know that it was not in very good shape. It had been hiding behind my cacti and succulents and was almost dead. So I'm sure it needs something. I have been using the VF-11 every time that I wanter. Do I need to stop using that and get something else? I will go to HD tomorrow and buy whatever you all recommend. I want to save this one because it really does have a beautiful flower. So I'll do whatever you think is best.
Just for my information, is it needless to pot up the leaves that are really light-colored? Will they not produce any babies?
Jesse
Jesse, I sure hope you can nurse that one back to health. It's a beauty! Follow all the great information you get here, and I'm sure it will be fine in no time.
I do put down leaves of my NOIDs. I know some people don't want NOIDs and I respect that completely. I, however, don't mind having NOIDs at all, and there are others here who feel the same. My wants are determined by what the plant looks like, not whether it is named. I do like having named plants, of course, but to be honest with you, one of the plants I'm most looking forward to receiving is Jill's Big Blue NOID. The pictures of it are gorgeous! And Anita has a fantasy NOID that is beautiful. As pretty as yours is, I bet there are several of us (me included) who would love a baby of it!
Good luck with it!
Jesse
Very beautiful bloom. Allison has given tons of information. Hope it helps. I use optimara fertilizer. 14 - 12 - 14 has no urea . Urea causes root burn and that might prevent nuitrients from reaching the leaves. One additional thing. pot size should be about 1/3 the size of the diameter of the plant. However, that's just for show. You can actually keep the plant in any size pot you want to but the plant will not bloom until a good root system develops (root bound).
I have also been researching chlorine and the damage that it can cause. The water here in montgomery county md. is very heavily chlorinated. It has taken me several months to reverse the effects of the chlorine. You might want to check that as well.
How's the grid coming?
Jesse, if you still have the tag, look for a number. Often Optimara will also put a number on the tag (generally three digits) and this can help to ID it. For example my Optimara Candy says the # 295 (or something like that )
Good Luck Jesse just follow simple steps and it should be better. And like Nanna and I posted and Optimara says Important: If symptoms begin to return, you
Jesses If symptoms begin to return you have a water problem of too much chlorine in the water, too much boron in the water and /or soft water.
Try using non-distilled, bottled spring water on your plants if you keep having same symptom come back. If symptoms clear up, your water is almost certainly the problem. Jesse how is your other yellow foliage plant doing ?
Good luck and let us know.
Also everyone Optimara has help for just about every problem ! with the solution, and how to prevent it from happening again.
I have been telling my DH lately that the chlorine in the water is so strong it smells like bleach when I turn on the faucet. I have heard that if you let water sit out overnight that the cholorine will be gone the next day. So that might help.
Also, I bought some African Violet food, it is 7-7-7. It was the only food I could find for AVs. Will this be okay or do I need something else? I also have some regular MiracleGro all purpose plant food but it is 12-4-8. I was reading the list of ingredients and it says this:
Total Nitrogen 12%
12% Urea Nitrogen
I also have some MiracleGro Instant Action Food Tablets that you put in water. They are 15-20-15. That sounds a little bit high to me. If I can find the one that I bought, I can see if it has the Urea in it. I'm still looking. The good part about it is that it is making me clean my house. LOL
So I'm not sure what to do. Believe it or not, I cannot find that silly bottle of plant food just for AVs that I bought last night. When I do, I will see if it has Urea in it.
Jesse
From a little experience with fish tanks, I can tell you that chlorine will dissapate if you let the water sit out... however, many water treatment facilities now add "chloramines" that do *not* just go away.
I have been using filtered water (same as for my fish tank), but I wonder... Is there any reason not to use a commercial aquarium dechlorinator? They get rid of chlorine & chloramines, and they also remove "heavy metals"... would that remove necessary trace elements from AV fertilizer, do you suppose? It sure would be more convenient to add a splash of dechlorinator to tap water than to lug a bucket of water from the mud room sink (where the filter is) up or down a flight of stairs to where the AVs are.
Jesse, I think AV fertilizers with equal numbers are recommended by many growers... so unless there's a bunch of urea in it, you should be fine. Actually, I've used AV fertilizers (eg, Miracle Gro) with urea without having problems, but it's a form of N that can't be utilized by the plants directly (I'll have to look up the explanation in the most recent AVSA mag), so it can build up in the soil and potentially burn the roots.
Thanks critter. I will look more into getting some sort of filter, even if I have to put one on my kitchen faucet. The smell is so strong I know that it must be bad for the plants. If I find out any good info I'll pass it along.
Jesse
Jesse try taking off all yellow and damged foliage and potting it in a 3 or 4 inch plastic pot ( which ever size is good for your root ball) , take off and damaged root ball examine it good.
If you are using Eleanor's VF-11 your plants should be trans-planted, or flushed and no fertilizer used for a month before using VF-11 and only use it alone. Also becareful lot's of mixes come with fertilizer in it.
I feel this plant took awhile to get this way and is not going to go away over night. I'd also put it at the end of light tube or windowsill .
Allison,
I finally found the fertilizer that I bought that is just for african violets. And the 7% Nitrogen is mostly Urea. I have not been able to find any that is not mostly urea Nitrogen. Will this still be okay? The other parts are 7% also, making it 7-7-7.
Jesse
I would not use it on my plants so I cannot recommend use of it.
I use to buy Peter's African violet soil bought local at Lowes. It's not in the gardening depatment it is sold in seasonal inside. It has no Urea.
If not I ordered . Several vendors sell Optimara plant food and African violet food ! Or I buy Eleanor's VF-11
You figure one gallon of VF-11 is going to make 128 gallons of food. A great value !
I already have some VF-11 and that is what I have been using on all of my plants and I have noticed a big difference in a lot of them. I need to order some more because all I have is the little sample bottle and it is almost empty. Who do I need to contact for that? I remember that someone on here gets it a lot cheaper so people contact her and let her know. Who was that?
I will just take this back and get my money back for it. There is no need keeping it if I'm not going to use it. I could not find one that did not have urea nitrogen in it. If the VF-11 does not work I will order the Optimara plant food. Thanks.
Jesse
Good Idea to use VF-11 alone. And if good is happening I'd give anything 4-6 weeks. VF-11 is not a bllom pusher it helps to make your plants over all healthy.
Lali can get the VF-11 for about 15.00 a gallon ( she thought it was less but probaly went up) Eleanor sells it cheap by the case of 4. Oh with lali is a tax plus shipping to my home about 11.oo for one gallon and 17.00 to ship two gallons.ne gallon will make 128 gallons so a great deal
Dyna grow cost a lot more pre gallon like 35.00.
Deb posted the other day VF-11 for 19.95 a gallon plus !0.00 shipping not bad no tax.
Some places you can buy it local stores sell it. Go to fist sticky and look at Eleanor's web sight for what states you can buy loaca. OH yes I think you can buy a case of half gallon from Eleanor pretty cheap too :))
PS though Optimara food is excellent I like it. And it cost little less than 3.00 for about 15 gallons.
Not bad if VF-11 is 19.00 for 128 gallons.
Who is Lali? I get everyone's names confused, especially when some use their nickname part of the time and their real name the other part of the time. How can I reach Lali?
Jesse
yoo hoo, I'm Lali. (that's my nick name) we have three Laurie's here (well, Lorry, Laurie and Lauri) so to help end confusion it may be better to go by Lali.
but it's just little ol me
That does help. Becuase I thought you were one of the Lauris, and therefore did not connect your name with Lali. So how much can you get the VF-11 for and how do I order it?
Jesse
So far I cannot find any all purpose or african violet fertilizer around here that is not mostly Urea Nitrogen. However, I did find some yesterday that has no Urea at all. On the package it says No Urea. It is Better-Gro fertilizer made for orchilds. It is 20-14-13. One the package it says
Formultated with fast acting Nitrate Nitrogen to stimulate vigorus and abundant growth.
If you use a 20-14-13 formula you will get great leaves, but not much bloom. A balanced formula is best for av's like 20-20-20 or 14-12-14. Miracle Grow has a av formula, I think it is 7-7-7 but contains urea. Optimara 14-12-14 is urea free.
Jesse if it has no Urea and middle number not much off from first and is 14 I feel you will be fine !
If you give your plants the other things they need, light, space, air circulation, humidity you should get nice healthy foliage and flowers. You have a lot of plants that need foliage repair and babies growing/leaves and small plants are going to really benifit from this.
Are you not going to order VF-11 ?
If not you may want in the future. Or try Optimara Food you can buy it on line from Optimara themselves under Selctive Gardners. Thought they have a food with like numbers of the one your using I love for leaves and babies , and they have one African violet food both no Urea.
Anything you use give them awhile to adjust and don't forget to give them the other things they need and you should be fine !
One thing I do like about the Optimara and VF-11 they have all 16 food the Micro Nurtrients plants also do need.
I can't buy anything around here so I order mine also. I think a lot of people do So don't feel it's just hard for you. :))
Where is the cheapest place to order VF-11 from? I think that is what I will do since I really need some and nothing around here meets the requirements that I need for all of my precious AVs. Anyone know the cheapest place to order from?
Jesse
Jesse I think if you are not buying a case from Eleanor
right here has 3 sizes . It goes a long way too !
http://www.discountgarden.com/index.php?keyword=VF-11&page=mod_results&submit=+go+
I am just curious as to why Eleanor does not have the prices listed on her website. It seems like she could lose a whole lot of business by not doing that.
Jesse
Morning Ladies!
Could that plant of Jesse's be Black Ace? I have one that the flower looks like that and we thought it might be Black Ace.
Thanks for allt he great info.
Joanne
No sorry Joanne her plant is an Optimara.
Black Ace is a Special expensive Vintage plant.
Black Ace (3541) 11/24/1978 (R. Nadeau) Semidouble dark burgundy/white edge. Plain, pointed. Standard
This picture does not do it justice and the flower is the deepeset velvety burgundy/almost black purple to my eyes. Very striking !
I've been trying to get ahold of VF-11 too, and if you email Eleanor she'll send you an attachment of price lists.
She prefers (that was my impression, anyway) that you buy it retail.
I can send you the email that she sent to me....(because it often does take her a while to get back to you, as she receives a lot of emails) thing is, I can open the attachment but it shows up HUGE on the screen and when I go to print it - it only prints about 1/8 of the page.
It is *just plain* not available here in the Midwest, retail.
***If anyone knows of the place that will ship a gallon for $19.99 and no shipping, please tell!!***
I just checked the prices on discountgarden.com, and a quart is almost $19 with shipping added, and a 1/2 gallon is $25.88 with shipping added, soooooooo, if I can get a gallon for $19.99 and no shipping, I'd be 'set'!
I ended up buying from Charley's. Thought it went up yo $24.00 the shipping was lower than Discount gardener shipping to me was almost $13.00 when Charlet's is only $8.95 . I was also able to buy several other items from Charley's and the shipping was still only $8.95.
I don't think you will find a gallon for $ 19.00 including shipping.
Even Eleanor's to get a deal you have to buy a case of 4 and still pay shipping.
Laurie buys it at the sotre for $14.95 plus tax another couple $$$. And for her to ship one to me ground Fed-Ex was about 10.00 to ship to was almost $17.00.
It's pretty heavy.
Also to concider is a gallon of VF-11 is going to make 128 gallons of excellent food !
Now if there is a rare case someone finds a gallon for $29.99 that includes shipping I'd sure like to here about it.
In the mean time I've been with-out fertilizer for a month or so , I need it bad so had to order it !
