secret DC area meetup update ;-)

You know a few of us in the DC area got together in November? Well, I finally got around to checking the leaves I put down. I potted them up on November 11, closed the lid, and left them there. I looked at them today and half needed water, and a few have sprouted leaves.

The furthest along is the WHOLE leaf of Rambling Amethyst - a second leaf of the same was trimmed and hasn't sprouted yet. So far, all the untrimmed leaves appear to be ahead of the trimmed ones. (If I had two leaves of the same plant, I trimmed one and kept one whole.)

Anyway, here is Rambling Amethyst. There's hardly any green on the young leaves so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.....

And Sinn Freckles has a new bud. (I disbudded the cutting before potting it up). This one is going to be a cutie :-)

Congradulations on your babies. I love to see babies popping up. So exciting. I wonder what why the leaves are so light in color, any ideas? I wonder if it is normal for a variegated leaf baby? I'm too new to know any of this yet.

and sinn freckles is adorable. What a cute plant, love the bud.

So cool ! your cut leaves no babies and top of leaf not cut have babies !
Maureen I just love variegated babies ! Sometimes a variegated Mom plant will lose her variegation for different reasons. I always fount it cool when the baby would be so pretty and variegated.
When rooting variegated leaves you want to use one with the most green. You also need to leave the babies with Mom until they have green. Some babies come out all white. I like the pink babies !

Hey Ki. I am also having success with the leaves and Sinn.

Here is Sinn Freckles in bloom.

Leaf babies

And Sinn Country Crocus

The species plants are also doing well.

Those babies are soooooo cute. I just got a plantlet of Ramblin Amethyst last week.

Debbie

no leaf babies yet on the larger leaves on the kitchen counter.... but.... *rushes off to check other leaf box*

Sinn country crocus is so pretty -- what type of a plant is that? I think I have to try one of those.

Debbie, I'm going to look up Ramblin Amethyst - I'm not familiar with it.

Critter - please tell us, are there any babies?? Good luck, hope some made babies. I'm going to check mine right now. I check every 2 days (I was checking every day but now check every 2 days).

Country Crocus is a sinningia. So is Freckles. These are the first I have ever had.

Critter, Do you have babies?

This message was edited Dec 30, 2006 12:55 PM

Keyring, did you not look at your leaves from Nov. 11 until Dec 29? How did you do that? I look at mine almost every day. : ) I don't have that kind of willpower. : )

Cute babies !

"Keyring, did you not look at your leaves from Nov. 11 until Dec 29?"
Yes, I am the laziest grower in the world.
Actually, I did look once and removed a rotten leaf. I think that was it. I really should have checked earlier and given them some food, but I've been lazy and I've been travelling.... As it was, only half of them needed water yesterday.

nanna - good to see yours are doing well too :-)

Thanks, Ki. Some on the other starts you gave me are getting ready to bloom. I will post pictures when they do.

There are tiny "ears" poking up in a couple of pots, but most of the leaves are just rooted and sitting there (but looking good, LOL). 'Ramblin' Amethyst' is one with ears, which makes me very happy! My Sinn. 'Freckles' looks just fine (in one of the salad containers with the leaves, since I think Key said it would enjoy high humidity), but no bud or flower on it yet. The plantlets from Nanna are doing great, also, and it looks like my episcia and other cuttings have rooted (or at least have not wilted).

Oh, and I have to mention that when Snowrose came by before Christmas to pick up her plant trays (Parks *finally* sent them), she gave me the most gorgeous little variegated 'Fancy Trail', already full and multi-crowned! I've put it in a terrarium globe on my kitchen island, where it shows off very nicely! :-)

I think once established (not just recently rooted), Freckles will be fine out with the AVs.... Hopefully Snowrose will correct me if I'm wrong.

My big AV leaves are rooted and healthy, but none have sprouted leaves yet.

The episcia is in multiple pieces and they are starting to grow for real - I also have one open flower now. I think I have the light level wrong though, or maybe the temps were a bit cool..... Anyway, adjustments needed, I think.

I have all the plantlets from critter in a separate plastic container, which I have similarly opened only once to water... :P

Greetings and all the best in the New Year to you guys....

Yes, sinningia Freckles can grow in the open once established as long as lots of humidity is provided to keep it at it's happiest. It will continue to branch and blooms nearly constantly. Easy to propagate by crown cuttings.

I love the highly variegated foliage on Ramblin' Amethyst. I haven't let mine bloom yet as I am just in the process of growing out the plant but should be pretty with lavender fantasy blossoms.

I so enjoyed our get together and sharing plants.

Photo of my new chimera hopeful. Sort of a coral red with wide purple center stripes. Black green foliage. Standard.

Oh, SnowRose. You have the touch. Love the trailer. Give us some pointers on trailers. How you "grow out the plant."

Snowrose, Love the Ramblin' Amethyst!!!!!!! Hope I can get my baby to look so beautiful.
Your chimera hopeful is beautiful too!!

Debbie

nanna - wish I could say something profound on how I grow trailers. A few things I do as I do all my violets, episcias, etc. is to grow them wick watered with constant feed. On trailers, I do not allow them to bloom until the plant grows out as desired so energy goes to vegetative growth vs. blossoms. I give Ramblin' Amethyst higher light levels under the grow lights for the prettiest variegation. Oh, one more thing is I find growing trailers from leaves myself to be easier as I have control over them from the start. Harder to get a plant in shape later...takes more effort.

Baja...good luck on your plant and have fun growing!

SnowRose. Is the sinningia Freckles in the above picture one plant, or are there several in the pot?

nanna - it is one plant that has branched grown grown covered under a real fancy plastic baggie lol and wick watered.

It's just beautiful. They really do like humidity. Does it branch like a trailer av?

This message was edited Jan 2, 2007 5:13 AM

beautiful plants everyone.

Key - my Ramblin Amethyst baby is the same as yours - no green. I gave it a sprinkle of Osmocote to see if that would green it up a bit. I know that we can't separate the babies while they're still all white, but I can't recall what helps them. I searched back in my AVSA magazines but couldn't find the article from Rob that discussed the problem of all white babies. I'm still searching, I'll let you know what I find and whether or not the Osmocote helps.
Susan

nanna - more like a miniature shrub

"miniature shrub" - lol. The growths come out of a tuber so it won't sprawl like an AV.

I looked up Freckles - registered in 1971, hybridized by Carl D. Clayberg, it is S. concinna x S. hirsuta. S. hirsuta is a hairy floriferous Sinningia that likes humidity. S. concinna, being one of the micro minis, also loves humidity. Freckles is sterile.

Another of the hybrids made with hirsuta is Amizade, which by all accounts is an adorable thing and easy to grow.

Susan - thanks. Let me know if you figure out something. I'm new to these color leaves..... I have noticed that episcia seedlings often start with no green but later the leaves green up so I'm wondering if I'll see a bit more green as the leaves get bigger.

Hi there Ki...The leaves will grow out fine. I have noticed many emerging plantlets on some variegated varieties to have very little to practically no green to them but the plants will develop normally. Those first leaves are what will be the smaller immature baby leaves on an older plant just like on all violets green or variegated types.

I think solid white might be a problem. Coloring, either pink, red, or green will produce the energy the plant needs. BUT I wouldn't seperate it from mom quite yet.

Whew, thanks Nanna - they do have a little bit of pink color so maybe I won't worry until they're a little bigger.