Ok, had to share, I won these minature Sinningia's Bonnie's Baby & Glory Be on ebay- my plan is to put them in a terrarium; any thoughts?
mini sinningia
Congratulations ! Terrarium is good, Humidity and laods of light needed. I was reading a lot about these and will write more soon...
Here are a few tips on those cute little Miniature Sinningias !
hese are the smallest of the sinningias and seldom grow over 4 inches spread or 9 inches in height.
They are from Brazil
Which is in the tropical zone of South America.
Size;
The smallest back when I'm reading " 1986" is the S. pusilla which seldome spreads over 1 1/2" and 2 1/2 " tall. while S. ' Dollbaby" is the largest with up to a 4" spread and up to 9 " tall.
Their leaves grow well into a rosette and the types vary from ovate to round and from a light to dark green.
They are propagated by seeds, leaves, top cuttigs and tubers. Plants will go dormant after blooming. Keep just damp and they will start up again.
The blossoms are trumpet or slipper shaped . Everblooming . Coloers are white, pink, lavender and blues. Some have freckles in the throats.
Some plants are sterile and can only be reproduced through leaves, tubers or top cuttings.
They like temperatures between 65-to 85 degrees is best.
They love humidity 60 % to 80% the higher the better !
They like as much light as possible without getting direct sun. If you grow under lights 6 to 8 inches below . Don't gorget 10-16 hours each day they will be happy.
The ideal way to grow these minis is in terrariums. In the bottom of the container put a sprinkling of charcoal, next a layer of sponge rock, sprinkle with more charcoal, now add about 1 1/2 " of soil tapping down to eliminate air pockets. Place a tuber in the cneter of the container and moisted with a B-1 , VF-11 solution.
Soil they like a very good mix that is light. This book says 2 qts. peat moss, 1 qt. vermiculite, 1 qt. sponge rok and 1 tbspn. of ground limestone. Either plant right into contain or place pots in terrariums.
They chose some of the most popular varieties as S. pusilla, " White Sprite, " Snow Flake", Cindy, Freckles, Bright Eyes, S. coninna, Dollbaby...there are many new ones on the market all the time.
Sinnigia " Dollbaby " ( R. Katzenberger, 1964) sure is a cutie. Picture in my Gesneriads journal !
In our second sticky you will find lots of info about these cuties. And the Gesneriads Referecne Web will be many pictures and more information ~
I sure Kyering and others here know a lot about them !
April~ Have any pics???
Allison, thank you for the information!!! Very good to know and I appreciate it very much.
Have just won the plants so no pics yet, will send them as soon as the plants arrive!
Thanks to Allison I am more excited that before.
April
Wonderful fun plants ! for your terrarium !
Thanks, I am going to use the info that you provided!
I wish you guys knew when you grow Sinningia in Terrarium you don't water them like you should in time the plant will began to stare for what it need to live off like fertizilier (food). The best way to grow sinningia is out on the open shelf and use NZ sq moss to add the humility for them to grow at their perk, I use potting mix for most of i have here the next line will tell what else I do. Or the other methods is to put plastic around the shelf you grow the sinningia that way you have extra humility and the plant will get regular watering like it should be getting.
David
Thanks David !
You are so right , not all need terrarium care, but they sure look cute in them..lol
Most of mine are in terrariums, but I do have a few that are grown out on the shelf. The biggest reason I put them in terrariums now is because my atmosphereic conditions are not the best & everything seems to dry out faster that I can keep up with it.
MsC
Ms Critter & David
Would it be reasonable to keep them in their own pots inside a terrarium?
I know a lot of people grow them in terrarium ! Every New and old Generaid Journal I pick up tell how and all about this ! Along with many Gesneriad and AV books ! You can water and feed them in terrarium settings. I think Lorry maybe Key have some growing in terrarimu settings.
April the information above I did not just make up. lol
I got it from reading some great older Gesneraid Journals.
You should play around and experiment to see what's best method for you and what method is going to be fun too !
I have so many win's with micro, mini and standard doing mine methods.
I just telling you why for the most part the mini or micro sinningia grow in a terrarium does not reach its full growth. they do look cute with very few blossom. Many of these people grow sinningia in terrarium that wrote in these books they though it was the best way for the people that starting out to keep them alive and remember back in those days their was not that many people growing sinningia. If you just growing them you can use terrarium methods, but I try the other method at first in the terrarium but I came out and try it the mine way and I saw what the micro and mini could look like and have not look back at all.
putting it in a pot in a terrarium would be a good middle ground.
Although I grow some micro miniatures in terrariums, I have others in individual pots in sweater boxes and such. The enclosed growing is is my way of making sure they get enough water and humidity - winter here is superdry, and my watering schedule is about 1/10 of what is "normal". In the summer, when my growing area is humid, the lids come off the sweater boxes. I could arrange other setups, but the orchids get first dibs on space, light, and my time.
The ones that are planted directly into terrarium floors are cycled out from time to time - I usually get one good long round of blooming, and then when they slow down I take them out for a rest.
The miniatures (everything that is no more than 50% micro miniature) are grown in the open next to AVs.
Some thoughts about terrarium growing generally:
- all that space for roots to wander is counter to getting lots of big blooms. Generally, a tight pot is better for maximizing blooms.
- all that dead air is not the best for anything (unless you have fans in the terrarium with a humid air intake)
- fertilizing in a terrarium is tricky because you don't want the salt buildup (but if you constantly wick, and never flush out the salts or change the medium, you'll have a similar problem in the long run)
- on the other hand, stable humidity can save lives :-)
Well thank you all for your input and advice- all of you have made good suggestions and points. Maybe since I have 2 I will try both ways to see what works for me.
That's a good IDea April ! I will also look in my new books and Jornals and see how people are growing them now different from the olden days.
Here is Florida I can grow anything any where . No covering or bagging needed . Plus me I'd rather have a cute little terrarium than a bunch of bagged plants on my shelves.
Miniature Sinningias !
hese are the smallest of the sinningias and seldom grow over 4 inches spread or 9 inches in height AND they need and like . They like temperatures between 65-to 85 degrees is best.
They love humidity 60 % to 80% the higher the better !
They like as much light as possible without getting direct sun.
David can you share picture of you many plants and growing methods you use with us please !
Allison you are a bit warmer than I am, but our hummidity is pretty high as well- hmm finally a benefit to living in a sauna! I agree would prefer to have my plants seen rather than in plastic, etc. I would love to see David's photos and more of Key's as well. and as always, I am open to suggestions.
Thanks all.
i think has web sight with her plants. She has posted many links and may have some in our second Sticky on growing them !
Amy I bumped up one trhead from our sticky by Keyring ! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/569379/
April look at this cut mini sho plant !
Shown at the 1998 AGGS Convention. While usually grown in an enclosure in order to ensure high humidity, this specimen was shown in the open, unprotected, and held up very well
http://www.gesneriads.ca/sinni090.htm
Oh April looks so swwet three micro mini Sinningia 'Little Tiger', S. 'Bright Eyes', and
S. 'Ruffled Wood Nymph' (l to r) ))
The microminiature Sinningias are very popular for their diminutive size, floriferous nature, and ease of culture. If grown in a humid environment such as a terrarium, these plants require little light. If kept evenly moist moderately warm, they will bloom over a long season. These plants are probably growing in 1.5" pots. http://www.gesneriads.ca/sinnin41.htm
I have read new and old that Micro mini Sinningia grow very well in terrariu,s and can bloom all year.
I have several mini's grew with Av's just me I could not get into so I gave them away. Can't wait to see your's !
I have couple that have won on the web site. If you been following on the Gesneriads list laterly you have noticed mine lastest win was at the AVSA in the commerical Division with one of newest Sinningia seedling. Its won "Best other Gesneriads" in the commerical division this is second win I have this year with "Best of Gesneriads" the other win was with sinn Little Tiger.
David
Wow congratulations David ! Do you pictures to share with us please ! Have you been growing a long time ?
There are lots of sinningia photos on his website http://davesviolets.com/. And the email list he mentioned is Gesneriphiles http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gesneriphiles - I don't think too many people from DG are signed up on it. It's mostly longtime gesneriad growers and the newbies mostly lurk.... but a wealth of info.
April look at these cuties for sale ! I like this one in a little Tea Pot !
http://www.kartuz.com/c/1GES14/Miniature+Sinningia.html
Sinningia pusilla
Micro-miniature sinningia. Tiniest of all. Miniature lilac-bluenodding flowers. Half-inch oval leaves veined dark green. Always in bloom. Needs terrarium
http://www.kartuz.com/pc/10733/1GES14/Sinningia+pusilla.html
Thanks Keyring !
This is first time I try to load a picture here if does not work I need to load on the web site then send the link.
This is plant that won for me its one of mine new sinningia seedling, right now its call MALxIs P05-06 Best other Gesneriads at the AVSA convention. Just to give a idea its in a 2 1/4" pots to size.
So cute ! Congratulations ! Do you have any of those micro mini's blooming in a 1-1.5 inch pot !
I grow all the micro sinningia in 2 1/8 osi round pots, that is also the size I shown the micro sinn in also.
David
Hi David,
Lovely picture of the S...is that the first bloom? If not, how do you keep it so neat? Mine always has little dead thingies from the flowers and they get to looking pretty ratty. I have a S. that is about 40 years old and the tuber on it is HUGE! I will send a photo along here and then I will send one of my white sprite and pusilla that are mixed together....I think the white sprite sported back to pusilla.
Thanks for sharing that great photo and congrats!
Joanne
Hi David,
Here is my S. Pusilla and S. White Sprite.
Joanne
Joanne your plant is 40 years old. Wow . The first picture is
different ! So pretty your flowers S. Pusilla and S. White Sprite.
Can't wait to hear what David says.
Joanne
I have saw picture of big tuber myself and I have one tuber that grew about 6" across I gave it to step mom now its in sinningia heaven, so many sinn she get from me goes to heaven but she does keep about 60% alive. Would you knew the name of it of the sinningia its more than likely a big species sinn being that big. Their is another person up in Canada i think put his bigger sinningia outside also in Canada I think he selling his home right now. I have saw picture of some sinningia collect in wild that have big tuber also. thanks for sharing the picture of the tuber, you have that tuber 40 years congrats.
David
David that is a beautiful sinningia! Very lovely. Thank you for posting the photo of your winner!
Allison & Key thanks for the sites, they are all so cute. I love them. I would like one of each, but better see how I do w/ these that I have 1st, since I have been only moderately lucky w/ my indoor plants. They are all so pretty.
Hi David,
I have only had that big tuber for about 15 years and a lady gave it to me and I have no idea what the name is....it does have pure white flowers and I keep it in a clay pot as I don't want to kill it.
Otherwise it would be where your step mom's is...LOL! I really love it and cherish it as it is so old.
Thanks for your kind words Allison and David.
Joanne
David ,
That seedling is a beauty! I love anything pink & especially Sinningias.
Has it been named ~So has it gone to market yet???:)
I wannnnt one...
MsC
Well if you can be that brazen (sp) why not, David, ME TOO!!!
David how many sinningias have you created? and what got you into them? If you don't mind me asking.
April
April
Since you live in Texas their is not reason for you not to attand the lone star Violet show the first week of November. (I'm not for sure if they have the information on the show on the their site yet I will look tomorrow) If you like to learn about sinningia I was ask to give the talk this year at their show on Sinningia their you can ask question and learn as much as you like on them. The talk I think began 10:00 on saturday Morning its will go for about 2 hours I will have free cutting at the end to gave away for the one's attend also. You can see some of the "New" sinningia seedling and I might bring in some you have not saw from other hybridilier. At the talk I tell how and what got me starting in sinningia in detail.
I will answer more question tomorrow been a long day getting mail orders out.
David
Oh David, thank you for the information! I would love to hear you speak on Sinningias!!! I appreciate any information on the show that you can provide!
April
When I saw this post I saw their was only one way to grow sinningia I not asking anyone to switch what I was doing was giving you all a different way to grow like I do and I win with the sinningia at show mine way. Their is several others that grow and show their sinningia and raise their sinningia about the same way i do. In one of post their was + and - in growing them in terrarium also.......Only thing I was doing was opening you eyes up to their is other ways to grow the sinningia different parts of world is a little different but the keys is to gave them what they need to live and the basic require and one thing I feel in a terrarium you don't water them enough. I been growing sinningia for many years doing mine method and its work I have many Best in class, I think I have 4 Best sinningia in Show and I think 7 maybe 8 on Best other Gesneriads one on Strep all the other on Sinningia. What got me start in Sinningia I saw one in a show and fell in love and growing them for several years now.
David