On one of Allison's threads she was talking about growing out bloom stalks. I have checked the "stickys" and don't see a direct reference. Can someone elaborate? Thanks :-)
Sharon
bloom stalk propagation
Someone asked this question during my AV club meeting and no one knew the answer. I know that one of the ladies is trying it.
Where are the experts when we need them? :o))
The blooms stocks that you can propogate have lateral leaves on them. You can spot them right off. By the time the blooms have finished the leaves are pretty good size. You cut the spend blooms off and trim the stock to about an inch and put it in soil just as if it were a leaf. This is another way to keep chimera's true. For me it took a little longer than leaves.
Not sure if you can access this without registering, but here's some good bloomstalk info
http://groups.msn.com/TheVioletVoiceTestSite/bloomstalkpropagation.msnw
I think the one in the sticky is under KeikiGrow. lemme look and I'll be right back.
Here we go.
KeikiGrow A Guide To Chimera African Violet Propagation Using Keikigrow Plus
http://www.geocities.com/rachelsreflections/keiki.htm
ok, not exactly what you were asking, but this is also related
http://home.so-net.net.tw/jacko/lucky/lucky.html
All the links below are from the sticky
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tisscult/chimeras/Valprop/Val.html (Texas A&M hort web site)
http://www.plantsonpurpose.com/CULTURE.htm#Propagaing%20chimeras (From Plants on Purpose)
http://www.geocities.com/rachelsreflections/keiki.htm (Keiki Grow Propagation)
http://home.so-net.net.tw/jacko/lucky/lucky.html (Excellent Photo How-To Propagation of Lucky Penny -Crown cutting)
http://www.rosebudm.com/lavg/lavg_chimera_propagation.htm (LAVG chimera propagation)
http://www.rachelsreflections.com/chimera.htm (Chimera Propagation with Nice detailed Photos)
Begonia, have you used keiko(I forgot the name) on your AVs?
Bloom Stalk progation is so simple and easy ! Lali glad you fount links in stickys ! We had some thread about them to. And Bob and I had one we had both posted pictures.
I don't really use them except for Chimeras. And my Chomeras were kinds and gave me five bloom stalk baskets. This is where instead of the bloom sltak having two little leaves it has a tiny baby, crown growing and it is called a basket :)) They were very tiny about the size of a dime. I cut my stem short . I used thumbprint pots. Each one I filled with soil-less mix. topping over. I cut stem short enough so when I push the bloom slake leaves or basket into the soil-less mixture they can touch right down into the soil. The thumb print pots I use each have about 5 little holes. So when I water them from the bottom I give them enough to drink and dump the rest. I started out a day / half a day covering them. lol Off came the cover I don't like covers. Their in a sqaure plastic like clear pastry container holdes about 16 of these pots. I like using these pots for suckers and micro mini's.
Ok sorry back to my little bloom stlak baskets. Whith in 4-7 days they are well rooted and within a month the pots were stuffed with root and even flowering
I never used keiko ( SP) or rooting hormones I see no need to. Lali has a Chimera bloom stalk basket baby that was less than the size of a dime Gosh maybe in Mid Jan I'd have to look up date. I gave her and Lorry a baby and two others alive. Lost one.
I think I have an old picture .
Here is a picture of five of them. See the smallest on the right it was at least half the size or smaller when it went into the pot. They were all potted at them same time grew next to each other but each grew at different times. The one way to the left died.
Look how little this bloom stalk basket is. Blooming away :)) It's very tiny in a little one inch. pot. They filled up the pot with roots so fast I could not beleive it. Lorry and Lali have one of these .
Here is one of those bloom sltak baskets in 2 inch pot !
Maybe lali has this one ! I should have taken pictures of the five bloom baskets and took notes and pictures. Next time !
What if there isn't a 'basket' yet forming. Can you encourage a basket to form just by potting up the bloom stalk with the two leaves?
and no, I've never used KeikiGrow (not sure if the company intended this, but Keiki in the Hawaiian language meand kid/child or baby)
Well my understanding as I never put down the bloom stalk as I was Blessed with baskets :)) When you put the bloom stlak down it is going to root and grow a baby plant :))
Only I was a step ahead the baskets already had 5-7 tiny leaves just like a tiny crown :)) Mine rooted and grew really fast. I like to use fertilizer with the first number higher growing babies :)) I have a bloom sltak on one of my non-chimera plant maybe I'll take it's picture date pot it up and take pictures so people can see !
Hope these pictures help. The first is a bloom stock on the plant showing the lateral leaves.
Next is the stock cut from the plant with blossom removed leaving just a bit of their stem attached to the stock.
Third. Trim the end of the stock to about an inch with a clean fresh cut.
Last. Plant the stock in the medium you use to pot leaves. Make sure the stock goes into the soil enough that the lateral leaves are nestled into the soil.
You then proceed as you would with a leaf cutting by either putting it into a bag or under a dome to make sure it has enough humidity until the roots form.
Not all plants produce lateral leaves on the bloom stock. The one in the picture is Optimara DaVinci. Right now, most of my plants are in bloom and only two of them have lateral leaves on the bloom stocks. Babys from bloom stocks almost always exhibit the traits of the original plant. That is why it is one of the proven ways to propogate chimera blooms.
The next time you are trimming your plants and find a stock with lateral leaves, give this a try.
Thanks Nanna gosh did you go to bed last night ? I have a basket on one of my trailers will take pictures :))
I love the link to the Chimera Propagation. So interesting. They had a link to the website that sells the Keiki and I found that interesting too! The whole process is so amazing!
Actually, I went to bed at 8:30. That's what I was up so early. We have a wedding this week-end and I begin baking the cake today.
Nanna, you're a rock star! thanks for the photos.Does it matter what size the two leaves are? Some of mine are teeny tiny and others are about half as big as the one you show.
Yes, it does. They have to be large enough to supply the needed nourishment for the plant to develop leaves. Now, just how big that would be, I don't know. I assume the bigger the better. The leaves on the bloom stock that I just planted were about 3/4 inch long.
The leaves will continue to grow even if the blooms die. My guess would be at least 1/2 inch long.
My bloom stalk babies were pretty tiny . Each about the size of the tip of my baby finger no larger than a dime the whole basket. Little baskets are cute thy look like little babies with no roots. They can even bloom !
nanna are you making the Wedding Cake ? WOW your amazing :))
I'm going to take basket pictures after my Nurse leaves. My social worker from Hospice he comes to visit almost every Tuesday . Tuesday with Alley :)) He just left.
I have a cute little basket on one of my trailers and will log the growth !
Can't wait to see the baskets.
Nanna,
Thank you for all the pictures. I have several blooming now and am anxious to check them all :-)
thank you for the info, that is so interesting. Pelargoniums produce baskets but i do not think peeps propagate them.
What are Pelargoniums produce baskets " ?
Sorry I did not get basket baby pictures today just could not hold my eyes open tommorrow is a new day!
Violet, pelargoniums are the other name for the geraniums you see in summer. The ones with round zonal leaves. They are similar to AVs in that peeps collect them. I had about 150 different ones before I came here. They also produce the little plantlets on flower stalks just like AVs but I do not know if peeps propagate them.
Nanna, I was thinking of you all day, wishing you great baking success! You're awesome! (Great propagation photos too -- thanks!)
Allison, hope you have a better day tomorrow!
Thanks, Jill
The baking is done. The frosting begins. Tomorrow the decorating.
Anna sounds fun ! I have never progated them .
Ali, the geranium I sent you is a pelargonium (zonal) -wait a minute, did I send one for Robert? I can't remember.
I think I sent him 'Apple Blossom' (my all time favorite) but now I don't have a clue.
I know you sent one for Robert not sure what kind. But it's growing well in a 4 inch pot blooming , outside soon to be potted int the ground :))
~ I posted the Bloom Stalk baby Basket progate info in a new thread in order not to caryy this one on too long.
I checked my AVs last night, and my Optimara Anika has leaves on the bloom stalks - probably about five different stalks!! The blooms were pretty well shot, so I trimmed them off very carefully and will let the leaves grow a little - they are tiny. Optimara Miho just had one stalk with leaves, but I am excited to give this a try when they grow some :-)
Sharon
That's great Sharon ! Fun :)) Good luck baby growing !
Please keep us posted. Take pictures.
Bumped
Nanna
thank you Nana. Oh yes, i remember that. But I thought you did not need the leaves on the stalk. silly me!
bumping up
Not the one I was looking for but has bloom stalk info..
These babies are all bloom stalk babies
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2143549