Update on violets from Allison

Here is an update on some of the plants that Allison sent me back in March. Most of them are minis with a couple of mini trailers. They are doing quite well and a couple of them have been divided to make new plants. I just washed out the tray with clorox and then washed it with soap and water to get it all clean. I will be doing this one tray at a time since I have so many. But I just wanted you all to see the beautiful plants that Allison sent me. I think I only lost two plants but the rest are doing great. Thank you Allison for your generous gifts.

Jesse

WOW they look great!!
Janis

Thanks. I've really worked with them to keep them growing so good. And they will look even better soon because it is about time for some Optimara plant food. They really love that stuff.

Jesse

Look great Jesse ! I see you got a lot of sucker babies !

One of them I divided into two and the other one I divided into 3. So what was 2 is now 5. I'm learning more and more each day how to do these things, thanks to all the great teaching that I have received here. I appreciate all of you that share your tips and info here to help the rest of us. I've been making a list of things to share when I get finished making my rounds to make sure that all of my babies are all watered and given plant food. It is amazing the things you learn on your own by just jumping in and starting to work with them. But the other information from all of you is invaluable. I think that all of us together could write a great book. There is so much teaching that goes on on this forum plus all of the laughter, the tears, and all of the other things that make us a family. I'm so glad that I'm a part of this african violet family.

So true Jesse !

Jesse, where did you get that tray? It looks great for plants!!!

The plant look wonderful, Jesse. How often are you fertilizing, Jesse?

I think we got our trays at the same place, from Park's. They're called Perma-Nest trays, and they're about the same size as the standard nursery flats, so they'll take the 1020 sheet pot (aka cell pack) inserts, but they're made from a nice, heavy duty plastic.

This link should take you to the description, http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=6116&PrevMainPage=advsearchresults&scChannel=Seed%20Starting%20AS&SearchText=p10.v31&OfferCode=SH1
Park's seems to have the best price on them, especially if you buy them in larger numbers.

Jesse, your plants are looking fabulous!!!

Thanks critter. And that is the correct link for the trays. I got the grid from HD and you can cut it into 4 pieces that will fit in the trays.

Jesse

yep... about $10 for a 2x4 ft. grid in the lighting department. I love your creative use of golf balls to support the grids!

hmmmmmmmmmm I am going to have to try that.
Payday is tomorrow (today?)

I have found that the golf balls will move around if you walk around holding the tray, but so will the pieces of PVC pipe. But the only time I walk around with them is if I'm going to empty the tray and put in fresh water so it doesn't really matter. The grid is great to have around too. My dog always knocks over my AVs that are on the bottom shelf by the door. So I just cut a piece of it and used cable ties to put on the end so his tail will not hit them. Both the trays and the grid serve so many purposes and are nice to have around.

Jesse

I'm also using grid to cover my fish tank.... keeps the tank cooler than a glass lid, but still keeps the fish from jumping out and allows light in!

Thanks Jesse. I just placed my order!!

Oh guess what I'm using it for and it works great. I have been cutting it and placing it in little pots or whatever I want to put it in, and placing my pots on top of that. Let me show you what I mean. Here is the little watering can that I put one of my plants in. The grid has been cut and stacked so that I can put the pot on top and the wick in the water.

Jesse

Here is what it looks like with the plant in it. This is Geisha Girl.

Jesse

I would love to paint this little can. What kind of paint do you reccomend?

Jesse

Good idea Jesse your very creative !

Now that is inventive - and so cute!

Thanks Allison. I have found numerous things to use the grid for. Here is a picture with just two episcias in it. Both of them have just one piece of grid in them and the pots sit on them with a wick. That grid really has many purposes, and a lot of them are for plants. You can do anything with it. Here is the photo.

Jesse

Jesse, I have a couple of AVs in cache pots that are slightly too deep, and instead of the grid I put a canning jar ring on the bottom... nice because a wick can go right through the center of the ring. Although it works to just use a layer of gravel, I like to improvise a solution that allows wicking. I'll be playing some more with my extra grid -- glad I saved even the little pieces that were left over from cutting the panels for the fish tank!

As for painting your watering can.... I'm thinking you might apply a base coat (several light coats, really) of spray paint, the kind that is meant to adhere to metal, and then you should be able to use regular acrylic paint on top of that.... but that's just off the top of my head. You might be ahead to decopague your design if you don't want to use a base coat, as glue may stick better to the metal than paint will. Whatever you do, you'll want to protect the finished painting with a couple of coats of sealer (like polyurethane). The more I think about this, the more I realize I don't know beans about painting designs on shiny metal.... LOL, maybe this is a good question for the folks over at the craft forum!

Critter,

You really make me smile and laugh. And that is in a good way, not making fun of you. I am the same way sometimes when I start talking about things and realize I thought I knew but then I'm not really sure. But at least we can both laugh at our selves in a silly way.

Jesse