Two new homemade plant stands..Organization????

I am trying to propagate right now the Iced Pink Flamingo..............just got a picture from someone who grew from seed with her recipe for success............just will have to see what happens................
Yes, I wish you luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your stands (and plants) look awesome! Do you like them better than the chrome ones you can buy at Costco / Sam's Club?

~Brenda

NO, I really don't like them any better........they are harder to slide trays, etc......but they look better (not worth much)...........and they are only 18" depth so they are not bulky looking like the others.........

They do look really nice! Or maybe that's all the great gessie's :)))

So by an 18 inch depth your talking about with them pushed up against the wall they only come 18 inches out into the room right? I know it may seem obvious but I want to make sure. As opposed to what depth with the chrome ones?

I have got to get at least one stand up for some organization around here and the chrome are easily assessable to me (when I make my next trip to Boise) at Costco so I'm trying to weigh it all out. Your pictures are a huge help in seeing how I would set them up!

Thanks for any details!!

~Brenda

My personal mistake with my chrome ones is that I placed the shelves too far apart on the top two shelves and too close on the bottom two shelves............I like having 2 shelves on each stand where the lights are closer to the plants or starting leaves.
I discovered that the best number of inches to put the shelves apart (approximately)
top shelf to the top of the stand: 19"
2nd shelf to the top shelf: 19"
3rd shelf to the top of the 2nd is about 15 or 16"
same with the bottom shelf from the 3rd shelf....about 15 or 16"
That equals 70 inches.....you actually have 72 to work with i believe on the chrome ones....just use 20" on the top two shelves so you can wick tall plants like your streps.....and not get too close to the lights....

****have I made this clear as mud??????????

Critter,
Regarding propagating strep leaves...what you you mean you "cut the leaf up"? Did you trim the leaf down first before you cut it in half?
Thanks,
Laura

Adding to my notebook here.....the different spacing makes sense and it will certainly help out not having to go with trail and error :0)) And I also see that I need to lower the grow light I have above my fridge, it needs to be closer to my Fuzz seedlings and the leaves I have up there according to these measurements!!

~Brenda

I used one of the smaller leaves (one that was looking a little "tired"), but even so it was too large to fit into my 6 inch square plastic salad tray, so I chopped it into shorter sections. Then I split the sections lengthwise as described.

I think that when you purchase a "leaf" of a strep for propagating, you often get just a section of a larger leaf.. but that's sufficient to give you a number of baby plants. I should count them I suppose, but there are probably 10 plantlets in my container now... and there were more when they were smaller, before the container went too long between waterings and a bunch of them dried up.

This was my first attempt at propagating from leaf, so I don't know much about it... but what I know, I learned from folks here! :-)

Brenda.........regular plants need to be 12-15" from the top of the plant....the fixtures take up about 5" total space.........

baby leaves and minis can be 7-11" from the top of the plants......

I've had as little as 4 or 5 inches of clearance between the tops of babies & minis and the lights... and most seedlings can handle (and prefer) having the florescent bulbs just a couple of inches from their top leaves.

Your spacing is about what I do with my stand... babies and leaf trays go on the lower shelves, and larger specimens "show off" at eye level. Your plants are gorgeous!

That is my problem though critter..........my fixtures are adjustable except for the bottom two shelves and i don't like having 4" or 5" clearance all the time.....at least space them so I have a choice with the chain of lowering or raising the fixtures..

Chains on the fixtures are definitely the way to go!

Hi Gail! I just had a moment to take a real good long look at all the blooms. On the photo of the shelf of plants, what's she called in the back with the white blooms and dark leaves?

Hi to you , cjolene...........I don't know which stand and which shelf or even kind of plant you are speaking of???? help me a little.....is it an av? is it a mini? is it a strep? is it an episcia? is it a chirita? (just giving you a hard time......but you gotta help me a little)

Thanks critter. :)

http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3683587

Gosh, you are good with the computer, cjolene!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i don't know how to do that!!!
It is called 'Golden Eye'..........the batteries are charging right now on the camera......will take a close up pic.....the blooms are double white with a shade of pink on them with yellow centers and the foliage is a dark foliage with a white variegated edge.........

let me check on this one.........i bought it in Boerne at that AV nursery............

Alright! My nerdiness is showing again! *chorkle* *chorkle* *snort* lol

Is that rain getting closer to your house, gessie? You could probably lower it a few feet if you used it to water your plants. lol You know I'm just kidding. ; )

The ground was already saturated on the weekend......then we got 51/2" yesterday and today the rain gauge says 4" since last night.........good time to stay in........you can tell where it is raining by who is on DG !!

Rob's Violet Barn desribes this as: Fully dbl. white w/mottling of yellow. Dark, TLV foliage. Best of its kind. Semimini (Sorano)

Ooooh .... That'a a cutie! I love that dark pink edged foliage!


hee hee ... I love CJ's sense of humor! I guess I could do the same and collect the rain for watering all of my plants! Wish I had a few rain barrels right now!

................ and I think I would like to have some of that nerdiness too! My hubbys is the computer nerd in this family! He is a College Professor but he can't teach me a thing! It has a lot to do with the Spouse teaching the Spouse thing! And also, the male/female thing. I have to be sitting there doing it myself to learn ... he wants to just tell me and thinks I should be able to get it!
:)

My 'want' list is disgusting...................good morning, Lin...........i said that we can tell who is having rain by who is on DG today!!!

This place in Boerne, Texas is simply the most delightful nursery I have ever visited......not just avs but anything you want!!!!!!!

I am trying to make myself stay home until the state convention in November in Kerrville, Texas................what a big one it is going to be.........i spoke with the owner of this nursery yesterday and he says there will be the very best vendors in the state of Texas selling the gesneriad family there. He will be there also with new hybirds by Hortense Pittman!!!!!!!! Don't know if i can wait until November...........

Oh Yes ... I agree ... I am on DG because it's Pouring here! I am so Thankful for this rain and also very thankful that we aren't having the severe storms with lightning! Just nice, steady, heavy rainfall!

Oh, that State Convention sounds exciting! Is it some kind of Gardening Convention? Is it open to the public, or just for Nurserymen and Wholesalers?
Sounds very interesting indeed! I must admit .... I have no idea who Hortense Pittman is. I'm assuming that she's an AV Hybridizer? Oh, I bet there will be some Beautiful plants on display at that show/convention! You must take pictures if you go and if it's allowed!

Oh golly, I just love Pittman's minis! The foliage tends to have such a neat habit, making them favorites even when they're not in bloom.

I'm a big fan of Rob's hybrids also... got my AVSA magazine yesterday, and I've been drooling over the centerfold photos as well as the descriptions of some of the new hybrids from The Violet Barn (they always do a full page ad on the back of the magazine).

I just searched the First Class database, and Pittman has over 500 registered AVs! I'm betting you know some of her violets even if you don't know the hybridizer.

The 'Alamo' series is hers, and she's also got 17 whose names begin with "Hortense's" as well as a "Jolly" series and a "Teen" series. Here are a few others that caught my eye as I scanned the list (either personal favorites or ones that seem to show up often in award lists or people's collections): Cloud Puff, Baby Moonbeam, Frilly Dilly, Funny Bunny, Honey Blue Angel, Knight Magic, Marion's Enchanted Trail, Mini Papa, Pat Champagne, Peppermint Girl, Petite Blarney, Pride of Columbus, Winnie Woo.

yes, Lin, it does open for the public on a given day............if we pay our national and Lone Star State dues......we get a big discount on the rooms at Inn of the Hills....the nicest resort in Kerrville..........i can't wait........
nice list Hortense has????????????
and I always love Rob's minis...........with all the variegation!!!!!!!!!

I am so new to these named varieties of AV's. I've grown one or two AV's since the late 60's but just your generic little violets that you could buy at the grocery store and such. I didn't even know they had named varieties or that people had "collections" of them until joining DG late last year! I recognize one of the names above "Petite Blarney" just from seeing it on the AVSA website when I was looking through their pic's one time! I am so awed and amazed at the thousands of named, beautiful plants out there! I have the utmost respect for anyone who takes the care and time to hybridize these Beauties! I have to go look at the AVSA photo's again right now to take a peek at the Alamo series!

Oh, I just went and looked .... and realized I have Alamo Gold Rush! My plant is small and just beginning to show a bit of the variegation on some leaves! I love Alamo Sunshine .... and then after the Alamo series the next photo was one called Allan's Fallen Angel that is just stunning!

Lin, if you want seemingly endless stunning photos to drool over, think about treating yourself to a copy of the First Class software, available at a discount through the AVSA site. :-)

Lin, you are sitting in Florida!!!!!!! My oldest daughter just called from Destin......they always go for a week with the kids when they get out of camp..........she said their golf game got rained out yesterday but they are playing today.........Thursday is kids' day on the golf course and hers are so excited.........they love to play golf.........6,8 and 10 years old.....i would love to see that happening......

Oh, I bet that is so cute .... kids day on the golf course! I bet they are having a blast if the weather is good!

Critter: I still haven't joined the AVSA .... was given a couple of older magazines from a lady who's a member of the local AV club .... I am thinking of joining and I've heard a few folks mention First Class software, but I've never checked into it. Wonder if it's Mac compatible?

Lin, i even want to buy back issues for the AVSA club.............learning sooooo much!!!!

That's what my DH calls those big, glossy photos in the middle of the magazine! I'm sure it's because of the way I drool over them, LOL. This issue has a lot of great articles, also -- show plants, growing trailers, watering methods, etc.

I am trying soooooooooo hard not to order anything this summer...........trying to save money for the state convention in November in Kerrville...............and then, i found, but didn't order, the two chimeras Rob offers in minis.......'Rob's Lucky Charm' and 'Rob's Lucky Penny'..................can not order!!!!!!!!!!

Your stands are great. Love 'em!!! I have one like that, only it is silver. You will enjoy them! Pam

Thanks, Pam...............i couldn't decide between the black and the chrome...........am getting overly excited about the state convention.............am trying soooooooo hard to be good between now and in November............will want to buy so many things as the vendors alone are the best Texas has to offer............not shabby either!!!

Gail I went and checked out the Rob's Lucky Penny and Charm, they are awfully pretty but the one that won my heart was Swizzle Stick, ohhhhh....love it!

~Brenda

Was it a chimera , too???

I am so wide awake tonight and no one is around????????? bmedel, you couldn't be asleep this early?????? and Lin stays up late..........sometimes Snowrose does too!!