She is one of twins I got last fall...she is really looking pretty...except the older leaves are looking less green...do I need to take them off? They are firm, just not so green as the newer ones..
My Millenia is blooming its little heart out...
JanetS,
Your Optimara Millennia is lovely! Aren't they great blossoms? Really nice vibrant color.
How long have you had it? Do you fertilize? What kind of light situation do you keep it in?
Yes the bloom color is what sold me on this one...It just sits in a northwest window most of the time....I don't have really good light situations here, but it is a window with no curtain and it gets late afternoon and evening sunlight. I water it when it is dry to the touch or the pot is light and fertilize with regular av fertilizer, the liquid drop type. Hope that helps...lol I am truly not a great av grower, just got started last winter and I have more than few die on me, before I realized I was watering too often...
Seems like you are doing so well with your plant!
Maybe check and see if it might be getting just a touch too much heat and afternoon sun this time of year which can bleach the leaves.
Hi JanetS!
Wow, that is a beauty! You must be doing something right...you are a good mom!
TFS!
Joanne
Just gorgeous, JanetS. Congrats!
Don Ü
Beautiful!!!
MsC
Gorgeous bloomer!
Older leaves do turn pale, I think. If the plant has several "rings" of healthy looking leaves (as yours does), I often remove the outer ring of leaves. This lets the plant put its energy into blooms rather than into sustaining tired leaves that are no longer contributing much to the plant. Removing the outer leaves may leave your plant with a bit of a "neck," but this is probably a good time to repot anyway... just loosen the roots a bit or cut away a little of the bottom of the rootball so you can set the plant deeper and bury the stem.
Great growing Janet ! Beautiful !
Critter...I have such a phobia about transplanting...it seems I always kill whatever I move into a new pot...is there a special trick to making it work? You would think with the success I have in growing other things I would be able to do it without killing the poor things!
Thanks for the help!
Violet...this one is one of my favorite, because it has been such a good bloomer for me!
HOpe you are doing well!
Janet
AVs generally respond well to fresh potting mix, and they don't mind having their roots messed with. Unless you're up-potting a plantlet, you can generally put the plant right back into the same pot... loosening the rootball and teasing away some of the old potting mix will generally make room for a little new soil and also allow you to set the plant lower in the pot to bury its "neck."
I repot in barely most mix. Sometimes I'll add the merest trickle of water if it seems needed to settle the roots into the pot, but generally I don't water a newly repotted AV. I am guessing that if your transplanted AVs keep dying, you may be overwatering them. Especially when you've messed with the roots so that there's now fewer roots taking up the moisture from the potting mix, it can be easy to overwater.
If you have a newly repotted AV in barely moist potting mix that looks a little wilty, putting a tented plastic bag (not touching the leaves) or dome over it will help the leaves stay crisp until the roots catch up.
Thanks for the advice...I am going to give it a try and will let you know how it works. I have several plantlets that I need to pot and I was worried about them since the only one I had tried, subsequently died on me...looked like it just rotted...so now I know not to water at first as well.
Good luck!
Mine never stops blooming those thick, substantial blooms, too. It also has paler aged leaves, (relative to others) but they are not very noticable.
No they aren't really that noticeable, but I was curious as to the reason, in case I was doing or not doing something it needs. Are they just sweet. What size pot are yours in? Mine is still in the four inch pot it came in, I have two others that may need repotting, and like I said in the post above it worries me a little, afraid I will kill them...sounds silly huh...but I haven't much luck in the past..and these are sooo pretty! I have seen them in pots that are eight to ten inches large and they fill them up...do any of you have them in pots that large? Just wondered, wasn't sure when you move them up or IF you move them up or if some just get larger and others don't..hmmm...I have a lot to learn! Hope everyone has a nice weekend!
JanetS
I keep most standards in 4 inch pots, semi's in 2-3 inch pots, minis in 1 1/2 to 2 inch pots. I have a couple of standards that I moved up to 6 inch pots, and they became huge! :-)
It's a good idea to up-pot gradually, judging not only by the size of the plant (which should be 2 to 3 times the diameter of the pot) but also by the size of the rootball... to much "unoccupied" potting mix around the roots means the roots can't take up moisture quickly enough from the mix and end up sitting around soggy and feeling sorry for themselves.
Mostly, when you repot, your goal is to give the plant some new soil and to set it deeper into the pot if needed.
My 'Optimara Millennia' is in a four-inch pot. It has not really grown very wide like others.
Thanks for the info. It is in a four inch pot now...so I may try for the six inch pot and see, with just one of them...LOL that way I still have one in the original pot "JUST IN CASE" I probably won't get to them for a little while though just because I have so much to do outside, it the heat evers breaks so I can get out there!
When I get my camera back I will send pics of a couple of my others in bloom, they are in the blue/purple family and both are just doing great. My niece is getting married and my brother borrowed my camera, so I will have to wait till next week, :( I didn't realize I must use it several times eash day just for my plants! Oh well...
they will wait..LOL
JanetS
Janet
I would not put it in a larger pot. Always remove old foliage and flowers.
Use an azeala pot they are shallow Av's like them. 4 inch is good for plants 12-14 inches across .
If there is a neck trim off some of the old roots, remover soil
still line pot bottom and side with new soil and re-pot plant.
Over potting is not good.
PS ;
Optimara Millennia (8965) 01/31/2001 (Holtkamp) Single white sticktite/purple-red striped lower petals. Medium-dark green, plain, pointed, glossy, hairy/red back. Standard
Under proprer growing conditions is a standard but not a large growing Standard and most times seen growing 8-10 inches across at maturity with perfect growing conditions.
It should never need more than a 4 inch pot and again azeala pots are perfect !
That is wonderful information. It is in a shallow four inch pot and measures 8-10 inches across already. It is in perfect condition! YEAH!!!! I am so thrilled I do not have to risk repotting...lol. I didn't know enough about it to know it will not get bigger, I thought, man if it keeps growing it will really need another pot...but since this is it..then it will do fine right. When do you need to put new soil into the pots they are in? If you keep them fertilized do you need to change the soil ever? See I am a real av dummy! Do you do AV's for Dummies? Like the books! Thanks again Allison for the advice. I will take more pictures when I get my camera home. I have two I want you guys to see!
Janet
Just an added note... repotting is not the same as up-potting... AVs will appreciate being repotted with fresh potting mix every year or so (some like it more often, some will go longer without starting to look stressed). Even if you add fertilizer, potting mix breaks down over time and the plant seems to do less well; I think it may have something to do with soil compaction. Repotting (into the same pot) is also the only way to keep the plant from developing a long "neck" as old leaves are removed.
Thank you, thank you! I just wasn't sure how often, and that really helps! You have both been sooo helpful! I may get good at this yet...LOL
JanetS
Janet, going by the photo you posted at the top of the thread -- you are already "good at this!"
Hi Janet,
I have to agree with critterologist! Looks pretty fine to me.
Joanne
Janet I enjoy using these Azeala pots. 4 Inch are on sale too !
Azalea Pots Azalea Pots 4"
4"x 2.75" on;y nine cents each ! The more you buy the giv a discount and if spend $75.00 shipping is free.
http://www.novoselenterprises.com/products/azalea.asp
The five inch are a big difference and great for larger growing AV's
It is a good idea to re-pot every 6-12 months. Always use a new bleached pot and new soil bottom and sides top. Sometimes it's good to trim a little old roots off. Always keep spent flowers off and any damaged foliage. This will help your plants grow nice but also help keep viruses amd insects...
Your plants sure are beautiful !
Thanks Allison!
Such great advice on this thread! I really appreciate it! I will post a couple more pictures tomorrow of some others I have blooming, just got my camera back!
Good night!
Well, I am uppotting and repotting...wish me luck..lol I did want to ask about the leaves touching the pots...is that a problem...I have some that just lay on the pot edges and didn't know if I should sit them higher in the pots to keep them off the edges? Thanks for any info and I will post pictures when I am done...
JanetS
The only time I've had trouble with leaves touching pot edges was with (unsealed) clay pots, as the salt buildup on the rim can damage the leaves.
Don't use a bigger pot unless the roots have completely filled the old pot.... but going from a 4 inch to a 5 inch pot should be fine. I've got a couple of plants that I moved from 4 inch to 6 inch pots, and they got huge, but I was careful not to overwater until they'd had a chance to grow some more roots to take up some of that extra space. (Too much wet soil around too few roots can lead to root rot.)
Can't wait to see new pictures of your bigger, better beauty!
Beautiful violet. I love Optimara. Good luck on the potting. Is Millennia a Large Standard?
Optimara Millennia (8965) 01/31/2001 (Holtkamp) Single white sticktite/purple-red striped lower petals. Medium-dark green, plain, pointed, glossy, hairy/red back. Standard
WOW! What a looker!
I have been searching for this plant for quite sometime, I just love the colors!
Great job!
Morning Dawna,
I have located that Optimara Millennia for you....will have it next spring.
Joanne
WOOHOO!!!!