I just ran across this while looking for AVs and thought some of you might be interested in it. I know that most of us use the little solo cups but I just thought I would share this with you guys in case some of you might like this method better. I use the little cups myself, but I'm thinking about giving this method a try to see which one I like best. Here is the URL: http://www.bluebirdgreenhouse.com/html/prop.htm
Jesse
How Bluebird propigates their AVs
Thanks Jesse I've read this a lot and posted and shared it. This would not work for me I'm not a nursery though. Their whole set up is different soil is heavier for Nursery growth... They are set up to grow thousands and thousands of plants ! Under control enviroment. It is very interesting.
When ever I buy their plants I have to re-pot into light soil-less mix and most times smaller pots for my enviroment....
If you do this take note and pictures please.
Jesse you know they only do this for standard violets not miniatures ? Plus you will have to be really careful not to over water.
This method is good for them, different than Rob's or other growers but it works for them. I do highly recommend not skipping sizes in pots the average growers are going to over water.
But if it works for you what ever method is good , that's the perfect method for you !
I think a lot of people on this group put leaves down in simular trays but I don't think they go right to 4 inch pots. I myself enjoy growing minis and they never need a pot larger than 2.50.
This is an excellent method fro Bluebirds as they sell zillions of plants !
I just found it interesting and I think I will try a few leaves this way just to see how I like it. And I repot everything anyway in order to put a wick in it. So I will use part of their method and part of my own. It is sort of like the 100% perlite method I tried. It was okay but I think it was slower. But next time I do it I need to use the exact same leaves and keep all of the growing conditions the same. I want to see which method is faster, just as in experiment. But I think that my normal method will be the one I stick with. That is using the little cups and a mixture of ⅓ AV soil and ⅔ Perlite. So far that has been the best method for me. I think it has a lot to do with your climate and humidity. I just lost several leaves because I left them covered too long, but it was something that helped me learn for future use. So losing some is not all that bad if you learn a lesson in the process.
Jesse
I actually tried this once. Allison is right about the soil. For it to work you need heavier soil. The heavier soil keeps the roots from getting all mixed up. That is actually a good thing. (for me anyway) I decided to go to cups because it was easier for me to keep track of which leaf was what.
At our last Baltifmore Club Mtg. It was suggested to use those plastic salad trays. The ones you get at the grocery store in the ready to eat salad bars. That would work on the same principle but not so many different varieties in one tray.
If you decide to try it Jesse, let us know how it works for you.
Sure thing nanna. I think part of the fun in all of this for me is charting my progress and taking lots of photos. I love my camera and would be totally lost without it. I'm trying to make my own little program to keep track of all of my progress. I have not finished it yet, but when I do I'll be happy to share with any of you that might want it.
Jesse
Good for you. Sounds like you are having fun. AND after all that is what this is all about.
Yes nanna. I totally agree. If I were just growing these for myself only, they would not be any fun at all. But growing them to 1) take photos of to show to you guys, 2) swap and trade with you all, 3) give them to some of you that can't afford to buy them and, 4) give them to newbies to help them get started on their own collection, makes it all worth while.
It is also great because it helps me learn new things. They say that if you don't use your brain it is not good for you, especially as you get older, which I am doing. So learning all of the neat things that I learn from all of you really is good for me, not to mention that it is very fun. I am so happy that I will be able to share my own plants very soon. Now people in my neighborhood are coming over to see them and I will be giving a lot of them away to my neighbors. It is so fun growing these to give to others to brighten up their homes with something that I grew. Don't you agree?
No one on my street, or in my neighborhood grows plants. All of the lawns are just barren. But now that I have planted all of the ones that I planted in the containters outside, I think it seems to be getting other people motivated. The lady on my right is thinking about getting some flowers to plant in her yard. And yesterday her sister came over and brought me a bunch of cuttings that have already taken root. I can see the plants really doing a lot of good in the neighborhood. And I've already promised her some of my AVs once they get a little older. Since I'm so new to this, I want the babies to grow a little bit before I give them away, just to make sure they are doing okay. I would hate to give away the babies and then they just die. That will make them feel like they did something wrong and I don't want that. So I'm letting them grow a little before I give them away.
With all of that said, I am just so happy sharing with all of you and learning from all of you. You are my AV family and I love you all. Keep up the good work and happy growing.
Jesse
Wow! You really are doing a great work. Bringing happiness to so many people. Sounds like you are bringing the neighborhood together as well.
I really am trying. I am hoping to get my friend across the street to plant some flowers outside. And the one next door is thinking about planting some flowers too. So hopefully we can strart in one little spot and branch out to a lot of houses.
I sometimes propagate in trays, using the same mix as I use in cups (equal parts perlite, vermiculite and peat). It's much easier when propagating lots of the same plant.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki/sets/358706/
It looks like you cut the stem off of the leaf. Why do you do that? Does it take less time for it to grow babies like that?
Jesse
I think the stem is in the soil, Jesse.
I'll bet those plug trays are easier to keep watered evenly than the little 1 inch pots (1 oz. plastic cups) I've been using for plantlets!
I've got some leaves down now in plastic salad trays with holes in the top & bottom for ventillation & drainage. They're the same containers I've used for wintersowing. I've had pretty good luck with mini leaves rooting in the little 1 oz cups, so I think an inch of potting mix is a good depth for starting leaves. The little cups can be hard to keep perfectly watered, and I've lost a bunch of leaves/plantlets to underwatering. I figured the salad container would help me keep the soil evenly moist, not too wet & not too dry. In my conditions, a vented lid seems to work well on leaf pots and suckers that are rooting.
Here are some leaves I just put down in a salad container. There's an inch of moist potting mix (50-60% perlite, plus a little charcoal and some moisture crystals) that I packed down firmly into the container before inserting the leaves.
Here is the same salad container with the lid closed. The slight mist of condensation on the inside of the lid tells me the moisture level is just perfect. If there's a ton of condensation with big drops, then the potting mix is too moist and the excess water can lead to rotted leaves. If you don't see any mist on the lid, then the potting mix is getting too dry. For me, the holes in the lid help to regulate the moisture, and I also start with potting mix that's just damp, not sopping wet.
Very nice Jill nice pictures and explaining . I did this little container like yours for my bloomstalk babies but had the baskets in little thumb print pots. But it was so humid my lid could not be closed. I did it with all perlite and strep leaves and lost them too :(( It's nice for people that can closed and forget about and come back a month later to babies !
I know we have all in one way or in other set leaves down in these methods....Bluebirds step one up to the last step is simular to what we all do one way or another maybe not in those weeks time periods.
What part I question myself doing it the last step..
one room, and their soil and enviroment is different but most people taking plantles of 18 weeks of age and potting them into 4 inch pots are going to have problems. ~~
" 18 Weeks Old When the plants have overgrown the plug trays they get popped out and are inserted into their own 4 inch pot. They have been in these plug trays for 6 weeks which means they are now 18 weeks old." ~~
I have always gone from 2 inch pot up in steps...
and all other teaching show ehis method. This is the method I would question not the leaf setting and other steps many and most of us do in way way or another...
Just now I have about 300-900 babies coming up and if I put each one in a four inch pot I'd need room and a whole different enviroment. Like today I took one solo cup Mom and babies of Pink Sensation . There were five babies and couple little babies on Mom with toots got potted up together again ! I would have never thought of putting each one of these babies into a four inch pot. This is the only step in question for me.
I think I've had more success since I've started up-potting in increments, from 1 oz to 3 oz to 6 oz solo cup and then to 4 inch pot (for a standard). But I've also had trouble from time to time with the smaller pots drying out too fast. I'm going to start putting them on a capillary mat the way Nanna is doing, and I'll bet that will help.
As with any "how to" description, I think you can read through the info from Bluebirds and take away the suggestions that you think will work for you. They may well have some losses potting plugs right into 4 inch pots, but the savings in time over gradual up-potting may make up for the losses on the scale at which they're working. Also, if they are using plug trays with deep plugs, that may make a difference. I think I've noticed that even if the root ball on a plant is skinny, if it is longer it can go into a bigger pot without trouble.
Jill I think the capillary mat would be good.
I was just reading a story about a rooting leaves. They lived in the state of Virginia. I have no idea what the enviromant is like.~
In rooting leaves, they selected leaves from the second row from the bottom as they do best. They filled a sweater box or plastic shoebox almost full with coarse vermiculite. Dampen it and insert leaves with stem cut 1/2 inch long on a slant. Make a hole for the leaf stem and set. Be certain to place a name on the mother leaf. Then cover the plastic box with plastic bag or plastic lid and set where it will get light but not direct sunlight. In three weeks take the lid off and water with weak solution of fertilizer. After 8 to 10 remover the plastic topping permanently . In 4 to 5 more weeks plants should be large enough to separate and to plant in 2 to 3 inch pots. ~
It's fun to experiment and find the best way for you..I've grown babies on a damp paper towel in a large zip-lock bag ! The goal I think it to find the easy fun method for you ! Or if you like just keep trying different fun ways ! ....
I've often though of getting rid of the 2.25 and 2.50 inch pot steps I use and use only 2,3 and 4 inch pots as these I can get cheap and other sizes cost so much. Put mini babies in 2 inch and standard size in 3 inch . to save money. 2 inch pot is great for miniatures for life or plants to 6-7 inches I thought and semi-minis never really need a pot more than 2.50 inches. Then I think if I even put the babies into 3 inch pots and send these out to new growers chances are they will be over watered and die. Everything except for a few stories they say don't skip pot sizes ..and I also have grown better and more plants doing so.
So far even though the 2.25 and 2.50 inch pots cost more I still have not been able to mentaly skip pot sizes and take the chance yet to lose babies that took so long to grow. ....
If you are a new grower I would reccomend staying to the correct pot size and not skipping sizes .
Oh yes when I joined my local AV group I thought my plants were in good size pots. I had to pot all my plants into smaller pots !
While it's all about having fun !African violet to me are fun to grow and share fascinating, incredible.. But I also enjoy having success in order to have blooming plants put sunshine and cheer in our home but also for the FUN of sharing African violets ))
I think that skipping the smaller pot is not a good idea either. I think I will take part of what I read and use it and then use the rest of what I know from what I have learned here. It is kind of the old thing that says, "don't throw the baby out with the bath water". Take the good stuff you like and throw away the rest. That is what I am trying to do. Plus I do like to experiments and learn new things from from my experiments.
Jesse
Good luck
Thanks. And this time I will document everything with journalling and photos. I just think it is fun. And that is what we are supposed to be doing is having is fun, so I want my share of it.
Jesse
Jesse , The way Bluebirds grow their plants work excellent for them and their enviroment and for their business. This is great for them ! Just like all of our enviromants are different we have to do best for us. Like the one story I worte about the lady growing her plants there are thousand more fun stories ! I enjoy them all and seeing fun ways people progate and grow their African violets ! Always enjoyable when someone share pictures and stories ! Keep them coming!