Help me get Kee-wee to bloom...

This is my Kee-wee. She is a product of two stolons I saved from my original plant about a year and a half ago, when it died on me. This plant looks great, as you can see... lots of growth, new stolons... but no blooms. It sits in an east window. I have to be honest and say I have put no plant food on it since last summer!

What can you all recommend to feed it, so I can get some beautiful blooms like you all have??? I really don't have alot of time or money to buy something expensive or special order (though I really do want some of Mrsbonnie's Ultragrowth!). Is there anything available in the local market (i.e. local nurseries, Wal-Mart, HD or Lowe's) that I can use? All I have at home is Miracle Grow Bloom Booster and Miracle Grow Regular.

Thanks for your help and advice.

Karen

it looks great!

I regularly have to restart mine, as it always manages to go from good to bad to good.....

I think the timing is right (mid spring!) to give it some food. I don't think it matters all that much what brand of food as my episicias get a random mix of whatever I happen to be feeding with that round. Is the miracle grow bloom booster 10-52-10? That middle number is ultra high, so if you use it, I would use 1/4 or 1/8 strength. You do want a bloom booster as what you want is flowers, but if you haven't fed it in months, it might be good to give it a does of growth type fertlizer - just remember to feed lightly.

I know snowrose grows these things really well - perhaps she will stop by with more tips.....

Thanks Ki... I appreciate the help. And yes, I do hope that Snowrose stops by too! Would a growth type fertilizer be the regular Miracle Grow?

Please check out my "Shared Seed Update too, and tell me what you think.

Thanks again... Karen

Hi VA_Wild_Rose,
Kee Wee is such a nice episcia. Since you haven't fed yours for almost a year, I recommend doing so. It seems to me some episcias are more floriferous than others but yours should bloom especially in the summer months. Try a fertilizer with a higher middle number (phosphorous) such as Peter's for violets (12-36-14) mixed at the rate of a level 1/4 teaspoon per gallon to promote blooming. The big box 'L' store should carry it or check with one of your local nurseries.

Do you grow other episcias besides Kee Wee?

I have a small 'Ember Lace' and 'KD's Glittermagic', that I have recently purchased through eBay. They are healthy, but slow to get going. You can see them in the corners of the photo I posted for Kee-Wee.

I love episcias. They are my favorite Gessie. I started them a few years ago, in honor of my aunt that passed away, as she always had them. I've only had Kee-Wee until these recent purchases. I hope they do well for me... photos of mature plants show them to be gorgeous.

Thanks for your help.

Karen

Karen, on your Ember Lace. That one is unstable and can revert to all solid green so remove any stolons not showing variegation should they be produced. As your plant grows and makes variegated stolons, I would root them to keep your variety going. It doesn't bloom often but when it does, it is so pretty with it's pink blossoms. Ember Lace as all episcias thrive in warmth and humidity.

Thanks for that info, Snowrose... I had actually wondered about that. So far, all new leaves except one have had variegation, and it's not nearly big enough to produce stolons yet. But I will definitely keep it in mind to take the stolons off to keep it going. I just saw a pcture of it, and knew I had to have it... the foilage is so beautiful!

One question to you (any of you...) Do epicsias do OK in terrariums... something like the large glass snifters that you find in crafts departments? How do you regulate the moisture, without drainage.

Thanks, as always.... Karen

You don't have to root all the variegated stolons on Ember Lace, just some for back up and more plants.

Any that might be solid green... just remove and toss or grow if you want. Those will always stay green and never become variegated.

Most variegated episcias like Cleopatra, etc. do like and need terrarium type conditions. Ember Lace doesn't have to be grown that way and can be grown in the open as long as there is sufficient humidity.

Episcias as a general rule do thrive in terrariums and can grow like mad in them and even outgrow them in no time. Terrariums conserve water and can go quite a while without watering. Evenly moist is what you want. The best way to check is by touching the medium. If it's moist, it's fine.

Episcia 'Unpredictable Valley' - one of the easier variegated episcias to grow.

Wow!!! Very pretty! What color are the blooms on that?

They are red/orange. Looks so jazzy...

snowrose, I have 'Unpredictable Valley' but she is too small to even cut at all....i think yours is awesome looking

You will enjoy growing it, Gail. Not as finicky as many variegated episcias can be.

blurry pic but I can see where all the stolons were taken off before the plant sale...that is the jazzy orange bloom

Pretty!

I've been reading some of the info posted in some other threads... I have quite a few stolons on my Kee-wee. Do you think it will have a better chance of blooming if I take those off???

Apparently it will, from what everyone says. I'm going to try taking the stolons off my Episcias to see if that helps them along. Please put your stolons down to root, though...I think I lost my Kee Wee! ;o)

Removing episcia stolons will help the main plant to grow larger as it doesn't have to share energy with all the others. Also, since all life has it's goal the survival of the species, removing stolons might get the plant to attempt reproduction by flowering instead of vegetatively. I just went down to my plant room and it seems most all the episcias are in blossom now. Must be the time of year that triggers bloom also. How do they know being in a windowless room under artificial light? But, they do somehow.

episcia 'Pink Gator' -

Thanks... Pink Gator is beautiful! My latest "want" is a Chocolate Velour. Snowrose, do you have that one? Your plants are always so pretty, I woyuld love to see what a specimen of it under your care looks like! I've been doin' some biddin' on eBay, but no luck yet. If I order from Lyndon Lyon, I'm going to be in so much trouble, as I will NOT be able to order just one plant!

And yes... I will try to root uup all the stolons I get off Kee-wee! ;o)

VA_Wild_Rose,
Sorry, I don't have Chocolate Velour. It gets lavender fleurs, right? I did have it at one time and it went with one of my all out plant reduction rampages. As long as I had it, it never bloomed. Maybe I will try again with it. How is your Ember Lace? I know you haven't had it long. Is it adjusting well for you? Growing some?

I have a Lyons order planned. It just keeps changing though in my mind. I need to pare the list down and can't decide what needs to be crossed off.

Oh my .... Such Beauties! I only have three or four of these Episcia's ... I'm very new to them and love the foliage! That one called 'Kee Wee' is so Gorgeous and ooooh, 'Unpredictable Valley', and 'Pink Gator' .......... I am Loving them all!

RainGazer,

you sent me a Kee Wee that had been rooted.....you sent it in a zip lock without any soil.....it has been in intensive care for over 6 weeks hanging on for life to root again(LOL)......when I saw this thread, I ran back and took a picture of her.....she is well on her way now. I noticed baby leaves coming from the meristem...

I was soooooooooo determined that she could make it.....it is a shame I don't fight that hard for other things in my life(ROFL)....losing a plant is agony for me!!

Hmmm, are you *sure* that was me, Gail? I'm pretty sure I lost my Kee Wee a while back. I'll go look in a few minutes to see if I still have one and have just forgotten about it, but I lost several Episcias when the weather got cold last year and I think that was one of them. On the other hand, I never can remember what I send somebody or what I still have, sooo... LOL

She came either from you or jannich as your packages came the same day a couple of months ago......I can always go back as I take pictures of what people send me....later though....

Well, now you've got me wondering! LOL I'd bet that Jannich sent it to you, though cause she's got all those gorgeous plants and my Episcias just struggle along!

I will look tomorrow and see for sure!!!

OK and in the meantime, I'll look to see if I still have KeeWee.

Snowrose... Ember Lace is hanging on. It doesn't look bad, but it isn't growing by leaps and bounds either. I am thinking about putting her in a terrarium or something to boost her along. I bought Ember Lace and KD's Glittermagic around the same time via eBay. They were approximately the same size when I received them... now look at them. Ember Lace on left, Glittermagic on right.

Close-up of Ember Lace....

And close-up of Glittermagic....

VWR,
You could try pampering Ember Lace and treating her to a terrarium where it may be more to her liking. Glittermagic is so silvery and shimmery.

Yeah... I think that's what I'll do. I know I have several glass things around here I've bought to use as terrariums. Do you recommend the usual soilless mix/perlite or the LFS I've read some people using?

That's what I liked about Glittermagic... it did look a little more pinkish in the photos, but i still think it's pretty.

Hey Gail, I found KeeWee, but after looking at it, I'm *quite* certain that yours did not come from me - if you know what I mean. ;oP

RainGazer.....(laughing out loud very loud)....the Kee Wee you sent me had some beginning roots like you had started to root it.....well, it did stay in intensive care for 6 weeks before it could come out....but now, she is healthy with good solid roots...(still laffin') WRONG!! She is still under the Bio Dome (that IS intensive care for plants)

VA-Wild_Rose....I love your ember lace ....didn't know it had that much pink in it....makes it better!!!!

Chocolate Soldier keeps blooming???

Prelude is still a baby but she is trying to bloom the most wonderful colors of orange and yellow

Chocolate Soldier is a good hearted soul (like you, Gail) that blooms on a regular basis. I wish I could get good at pollinating episcias but I don't pursue it as I should and need to be more persistant.

Pink blossoms on 'Pink Panther' -

Uh oh!!! I love the pink blossoms on 'Pink Panther'......I have that one from the CC av sale......can't wait for it to bloom!!!!

Being home today, I worked on my Kee-wee. I took every single stolon off of her (and yes, of course, set some up for propogation!). I cleaned up her pot, jostled her roots, and gave her a good long feeding, including foliar.

Now we'll wait and see if I get flowers. (Doing a little flower jig next to the plant table...)

Here's what she looks like after her "grooming"...

And a close-up. I put the tennis ball there to show the size of some of her mature leaves.

Come join me in the flower jig...

Karen

Pretty, karen!!!