Mine are kept on shelves in my breakfast room - in a bay window. It faces south but because we have a screened in porch, they don't get as much light as they should. The middle and bottom shelves have "kitchen/bath" lights over them which is probably too much but the leaflets LOVE it!
If you have an east window, that would be the best.
Official Leaf Trade Reports HERE!!!
Rustywoman: Some of my AV's are under the Gro Lights and some are under regular flourescent lights. The ones under the Grow Lights seem to grow better, have better color and just look happier, but that may just be my imagination! Years ago I tried a couple of AV's out on my covered deck .... very bright light, but they didn't survive the heat and humidity, little air circulation out there during the summer because the deck is blocked on one side by the house and on another side by a huge shed. I think you should try taking a couple of them home and putting them in a bright window ... no direct sunlight though. I have my Chirita's in an East facing window that gets early morning direct sunlight, so I just keep the blinds tilted a bit until the sun is higher and they get very bright light all day. I think that situation would work for AV's also.
Keep us posted on how they do!
Lin
I don't have a way to put in lights so mine are in two of those small greenhouses. I put them on old coffee tables from the thrift stores to get all three of their shelves up high enough for the light through the windows. I have miniblinds on those windows but don't ever close them. The AVs and other plants in there have bright light all day and then very late afternoon sun that filters around among them year-round. I bought some heat mats that are really meant for lizards (or something). I just put three mats in each greenhouse down below the bottom shelf and let the heat rise. The mats don't have thermostats so I just open the greenhouses for a while if they start to get too warm. I keep that room cool year-round and my plants did horribly until I put them in the first greenhouse. That went so well that I purchased the second one and expanded. See picture attached.
Edited to say that I usually have the blinds down, just open. Don't know why they were all the way up this particular day.
I also have several AVs in terrariums, both in an old aquarium and in large glass jars (like cookie jar size) that I got from the thrift shops. The aquarium is just lit by the regular tubular light. The terrariums all sit inside windows that get bright light all day. I have to say that all the AVs in terrariums are so pretty and healthy looking that I wish I could put all of mine into that kind of set-up.
This message was edited May 7, 2007 1:35 PM
This is the big terrarium. The lights are probably on 12 to 14 hours per day.
gardengram, that is a totally awesome setup. looks like you could open a nursery!!!
Really neat! Pam
Oh, Pam. I can only dream. My older daughter and I were planning to open a combination greenhouse and bird aviary several years ago. We even had the plans all drawn up. It just never happened.
Gardengram: I LOVE your large Terrarium! Do you have everything growing just in Spaghnum or is that just used as a ground cover? I can't see any soil. Wow! Your plants are so Healthy and look Gorgeous! I have a small 10 gal aquarium hubby got me for my birthday that I planted up .... but it doesn't look ANYwhere near as nice as yours! That ivy you have in the back right corner, is that planted in a tall container? And, I love that huge rock you have in the back left corner too! Really nice job you did of planting your terrarium! I need to make some changes in mine .... :) My husband has a 150 gal Marine/Salt Water Aquarium full of fish and coral .... I would love to have one that size for plants! That would be really fun to plant up one of that size!
Thanks for sharing your Awesome photo's! Whatever you are doing, you are doing it right ... you have healthy, beautiful plants!
Great Growing!
Lin
I am so pleased with what I received today from Kachinagirl / Karen,I had to quick take a pic before I put them down.Thanks so much!! I love all the Tags you made for them!1st a wonderful stained glass trivet with an African Violet on it.Very lovely! Also,I received leaves of
Mindy Brooke
Green Lace
Mosaique
Royal Wasp
Steel Blue
Guelph's Christmas
Alsobia Cygnet Cutting
Also Pictured is my Cockatiel *Emmet* He's a camera ham who just had to make sure he got in the picture too : ))
I am very pleased.I had none of the ones I received so that made it an extra special treat.If all of these wonderful leaves make babies I will soon have a few more shelves full to share! Thanks so much for everything Karen.!
Nancy
Hee hee, I was wondering why she sent the little fake bird........I click on the pictures before I read the text....too cute!!!!!
I am in AV HEAVEN. I got a huge box today from Jeanine/Gardengirl1204. Jeanine, I am amazed and thrilled with a box like I've never received before.
plants and rooted leaves:
ultraviolet saturn
pink endive
silverglade meadow
sweet talker
lyon's pirate treasure
blueberry mint
Ness' fantasy gold ( I love Ness')
bishop
gleeful elf (gorgeous!!)
sassy sister
then on top of that,
bags of leaves of:
Irish flirt
kermit
frosted flames
b-mans allessio
frozen in time
Rebel's splatter kate
Christening gown
ultraviolet meteor
variegated noid (which has very beautiful leaves - pink and green)
wasp - purple (I have no wasps so I'm thilled!!)
Rebel's Raspberry (anyone have a pic of this??)
Simpler times
Ness' Crinkle blue (wow!!)
Leprechaun's dream
Jeannine, I don't have any of these so I have no duplicates. The leaves look excellent and so do all the plants. I cannot thank you for this wonderful box. I had the best time opening it. It took about an hour there was so much in the box.
Plus she sent 3 scented candle tarts (love 'em) and a bunch of plastic containers for growing plants.
I'm in my glory.
Pam, this was the best 'no-stress' trade. I had a great time. My package is on it's way to my trader...hope he likes it:-)
maureen
Lin, You have dmail. Diane
Hey Gardengram ... I just checked and I don't have any new dmail??
You do now. It takes time to write a book! ; ^ }
hee hee .... yep! I just read it and answered!
p.s. I'm a talker and I know exactly what you mean about writing a book .... :)
I heard from Allison today and she got her package, too. She has really enjoyed being part of this!!!
I'm so glad she was able to participate.
Maureen, I'm glad you liked everything. A lot of the plantlets were from leaves I won on eBay. Since most of the leaves took, I had tons to share. Thankfully, I was able to clean out two whole trays - that is, until Allison's box arrived!! ;-)
Enjoy!
Jeannine
Has everyone gotten a package? Does everyone know who sent it now? : ) If not, let me know. Enjoy!
I haven't gotten my package yet. Maybe it'll come tomorrow.
Stephanie
Stephanie, I'll check on it. Pam
Stephanie, I dmailed you. : ) Pam
I got my package from M. Murphy and gave it to my mother as planned. Nice mothers day present. She will get her package out this weekend. She is not feeling too well as she fell and broke a rib . Will be 95 this July.
Thanks a million Ted
I should of stayed on top of it. LOL She was waiting for one to bloom for the color.
Ted, sorry to hear about your mom. Very nice of you to think of her!!!! Pam
Heres the ones my Mom sent. No names, any Ideas.
This one looks like a tulip
another
Sent five pictures and three got eaten somewhere. LOL
Those are really pretty. The first one looks like a bell AV of some kind. Very nice. : )
Very Nice .... The first one looks like it could be Optimara 'Annabelle' of the Southern Belle Series. The color looks different than my Annabelle, but sometimes blue/purple color's don't show up exact in photo's. Here's the Plant Files link to Annabelle:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/156111/index.html
Love that second one too, but I don't know what the name is either. Very Pretty!