the alsobia cygnet allison sent me some time ago is showing off its frilly lace...
alsobia cygnet showing off
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Oh WOW Bob Out of this World ! This plant has been one of my favorites sense I got a tiny baby a couple years ago !
Do you have stunning flowers ! Your plant must be getting large ? Have a picture of the whole plant please ? Do you ever take babies off to grow new babies ? Left to hang after the plant matures they will bloom also !
The foliage of Alice and Chocolate Soldier next to the blooms look so colorful, soft and healthy and happy !
Thanks for sharing Bob :)) Made my day !
Sweet Allison...your plants that you sent me are doing well..but i do have them all bunched together on my little kitchen counter with the one flourescent light...i am outside so much that i just haven't done much to /for/them...but they just keep on going...always like smiles from you...Bob
Bob, you plant is gorgeous. Allison sen me one that has babies hanging from it and I found a flower bud. i love this plant. The flower is one of the cutest I have ever seen.
Anna..how wonderful...they are very special..
aLLISON...here's the full photos of the cygnet
geeze..
jand..
and here's Sako chirita...got some water on leaf..
Se' looking mghty happy their in her Window :)) They like moist, lots of food and ligfht. She must be happy blooming like this for you :))
Is that Chirita sinensis 'Hisako' ?
I am good for spelling it wrong
Chirita sinensis 'Hisako'
My favorite :)) When I saw a picture I just knew I had to have her :))
Hisako makes a outstanding symmetrical rosette when grown as a foliage plant. Mine is doing pretty good even though I've taken a dozen or more leaves off of her to share and grow babies. lol
Chirita sinensis was the first of the Chiritas with the silver and green leaf patter to become widely available.
Chirita sinensis 'Hisako' is a variant with broader leaves and a lacier silver filigree. I am sure happy I have mine :)) She is filling up with a whole bunch of buds again !
allison how pretty.yours is....here's another pic
does the chritas get suckers...i think i noticed one on mine?..or are those new little plantets growing from the bottom stem?
They can et suckers of new Plantlets . You can keep them or take them off. They root real fast by leaf too.
It love to be on the dry side. And food just a little. Lots of light.
I don't know why but I got mine as a small baby last Fall. And I have taken off a dozen or so leaves off to put down and send to people. And it has grown so large and bloom stalks always coming up. I use to grow it under lights until it was full of bloom stalks. ( they take a long time to form ) but now I don't have room for it. I need to measure it as it must be about 20-24 inches across ! It has a whole bunch of bloom stalks forming. She has to live on a small stand about 3-5 feet from the window. But she must be happy she is doing good.
I have given her no special care. She just sit there and I enjoy her ! When I bought her I took lots of leaves off cut heavy soil off and put her into a five inch pan pot. . By mid October she was a perfect shaped plant in a little basket with bloom stalks of dozens of flowers going all around her. Now she has more than trippled her size. I don't know why ? I am just lucky .
Here she was mid-Octotber 2005
Here she is about a month ago. In between I'm always taking leaves from her. lol Maybe she get's scared so she grows more ! Or she knows how much I love her.
As soon as some of her new bloom stalks come up I'll take new pictures.
allison..you have hit upon one of the great horticultural observances....the principal is "the more you take the more you get"...this is especially true with roses and most people leave them on the plant much too long....so the energy goes to seed pods and not new blossoms..and when we "injure" a plant...take cuttings etc...the plant gets the message...to send out new growth to survive....this is also a great reason to HIT...PADDLE our trees..with a broom stick....(not baseball bat)...it shakes the tree up and they bloom more....in greenhouses where they raise tomato plants...every day at 130pm...they take electric toothbrushes to the plants...go up and down the rows.."brushing" the plants...this gives them the message to bloom etc....and for outdoor gardeners...if we "shake" the tomato plants at 130pm (they found out 130pm is the correct time)...there is significant growth in blossoms...amazing how plants react to stimuli.....Love your pics allison..
Your so right Bob ! Many of my AV's I have taken lots of leaves off they grow larger prettier leaves right back and more of them !
How you doing Bob ! You have email and dmail :))
Allison & Bob:
Thanks for posting your beautiful photos! Now I know what to expect from the little babies I purchased from Rob's Violets last month! I got 3 Chirita's: Stardust, Silver Surfer and Vietnam. I also bought a Streptocarpus, but it is still just one little leaf that isn't doing too well .... I'm hoping though. I've taken y'alls advice and keep them on the dry side. When should I re-pot them from the little pots they came in? I haven't wanted to disturb them in fear that they will go into shock! This is my first try at Chirita's, Had never heard of them til joining Daves two months ago! They are really pretty plants! I am also contemplating purchasing one of those Alsobia's too .... that is a neat looking flower and I just love the coloration in those leaves too! I was going to buy the Chirita 'Hisako' but they were out of stock on that one! Maybe in the spring!
Thanks for all of your knowledge! I am learning so much on DG and really having fun! I've made about 14 trades so far! And, can't wait for spring to make more! My already HUGE houseplant collection is growing by leaps and bounds!
Lin
LIn
Chirita S. 'Hisako' I have a baby growing :)) I took picture today :)) When it is big I will give it to you. It's my favorite Chirtia !
If a plant is doing well a new one that is when I get it I wait a month or so to re-pot. But if soil is old, green, not in proper size pot, or soil to heavy ...what ever reason not right for our home eviroment then I re-pot . I always use new bleached pots that soak over night in hot water , strong bleach in bath tub ! Proper size is important.
Streps rooots are shallow and like to be close top , Chiritas like small pots too.
Do you have pictures of your plants !
Here's a photo the day I got them 11/09 ....
Allison,The Hisako you sent me is doing really well.It is growing nicely.I still have it in the pot you sent it in.I wonder if it might be time to repot it? It is the first one I have had so I am kind of a mother hen with it : )
Very Nice Plants Lin : )
Here's a photo today:
The little Streptocarpus in the front isn't looking too good .... I haven't re-potted or anything, and just water a little, not very often .... I keep them on the dry side. Here's a photo I took just now. I was a bit disappointed in the size of the Streptocarpus they sent, it was $7.50 whereas the Chirita's were $4.50 each. You can see that the one leaf on the Strep fell off .... I planted it in hopes that it will root .... but I don't have much confidence in this plant at all. It just didn't look that great upon arrival and when the one and only leaf fell off, I figured it was doomed. There is a teensy green sprout coming out of the soil, so maybe .... I've got my fingeres crossed. LOL.
Lin
Lin
It's hard for my old eyes to make everything out in the photo's. The prices you paid were real good !! Rob does send small plants in most cases . But also healthy plants too ! It is hard for the novice grower getting small plants to keep them alive so I always try to send people larger babies or only miniatures to people who want them .
I bought a plant from Violet Barn/Rob's last order a standard so small just about dead and I called him and he gave me credit no question asked. She could call him and let him be aware of your concern with your Strep baby. I'm sure he can give you some helpful growing tips and if it does not make it will replace it for you :))
The Chiritas look like they will be fine in their pots for a good 6-12 months. They enjoy small tight root bound pots . You can trans-plant them once a year or even every 2-3 years and their still happy :))
Just incase take each plant gently out of their pots and make sure in the middle and roots are not soggy wet. If so I would leave them on layered paper towels to dry out some then re-pot and only water when pot is light and they are dry. Then just keep doing what your doing I'm sure they will do good for you :))
PS Nancy glad your plant is doing well :)) That's my favorite Chirita !
Thanks Violet_Treasure! I figured I would leave them all in the original pots for quite awhile, just to be sure they adjust to their new environment!
I didn't mean to sound like I was disappointed in Rob's at all .... the Chirita's are very healthy and the Strep looked okay upon arrival, I was just surprised that it was so small with only one leaf and then when that fell off, I was a bit disappointed. I will buy from Rob's again in the Spring! The plants were packed very well and the box was even heavily insulated with real thick foam! The prices seemed reasonable as well as shipping too, and they shipped very quickly! So, all in all I am very pleased with the company. I hope in Spring to be able to get a couple that they were out of stock on now. I might give one of those Alsobia's a try as well as especia, next spring!
Thanks for all your great input! I am loving this website with all the great information available from other DG'ers!
Lin
Oh that's OK Lin I'd most likly be disapointed if I bought a Strep with one leaf too. I do hope yours will be OK
I have a baby Chirita sinensis 'Hisako' growing !
By the time it's warmer I can send it to you most likly I will still have an extra Alsobia Cygnet too :))
Chirita 'Chastity'
She likes to bloom.
I bought all my Chirita from Bluebirds Greenhouse
here she is again. They really are the easiet plants to grow no care needed :))
Happy Alsobia Cygnet
another view :))
only one little flower hiding in there. It does not get much light buts its pretty :))
Oh, I think I'm going to be a big Chirita fan!! And, I really like that Alsobia Cygnet too. Are the Alsobia easy to grow too? Violet_Treasure .... Thank you so much! I would be honored to "adopt" one of your Chirita 'Hisako' babies!
Lin
Lin their both the easiest prettiest Gesneriads to grow. They grow like weeds mine know they get very little care .
Wonderful! The easier the better since I have a GAZILLION houseplants to care for .... I've learned the less you fuss with them, the better! Many years ago I used to water my plants to death! Now, they seem to thrive on neglect ...... well, maybe not total neglect! LOL. But, I like plants that aren't too "fussy"!
Lin
I think sometimes people love their plants to death. One reason African violets die is from over watering. Their really easy to care for ! Simple I always say go back to the basic's :)) Have fun !
Oh my goodness Lin I was just looking at picture above of leaf pot with C S. Hisako Dec 1, 2006
6:27 PM They are each in their own pots now and many leaves on these babies now ! I imagine they could be with Mom another few months I like to keep them with Mom until they grow big . This Chirita grows large even larger if wicked and has a lot of light !
I am going to send you some in Feb . you most likly have more light than I and it will grow real fast for you !