This crown cutting started getting multiple crowns soon after rooting, without any encouragement from me. (It's from a 'Rob's Humpty Doo' that reverted to solid blue-violet, so we started referring to it as "Humpty Who?")
thanks RainGazer for the trailer leaves
Here is the same plant a good while later, filling out a shallow oval planter:
People use this same technique of cutting off the crown of the plant when they want to propagate a chimera AV. Chimeras (which have 2 genetically distinct tissues in 1 plant) will come "true" from suckers but not from leaf cuttings. I know there have been threads showing this technique for chimeras, and it's basically the same thing that's done with trailers, except with trailers you let the multiple suckers (or at least some of them) stay on the plant to form multiple crowns.
You don't always have to be this drastic to get trailers to form multiple crowns. Some do it all on their own, and with others simply removing a leaf or two that's near the crown is all it takes to induce suckering. It's like your other AVs... I'm sure you've noticed that some varieties seem much more prone to suckering than others... it's just that with trailers, suckering is a good thing!
Lin, i got the camera out and held up the leaves on this Dresden Doll........it started out with 5 crowns and I gave away two crowns..........she is still big and pretty..........with 3 crowns.......
PS>>>> The instructions i read were not to really 'cut' out the crown, but pull all the center leaves away...pinch them out just like you would a sucker....only leave about 4 or 5 outside leaves.......then the plant will start to sucker like crazy forming more crowns..........I always seem to get suckering with plants less than a year old anyway............
She had just finished blooming in this picture..........
*******I read all this in my new AV magazine.............they really write the articles for people like you and me..........i just assumed that it would be over our heads..........but they always cover the basics that we all need.................all for 25.00 and 6 issues which are fantastic.......would even like to order back copies..........
In this issue, the lady who forgot about her chimera 'Yukako' as she had a sick person in the family..........let the suckers get real big before she started to work on it...........out of the process she got seeds for a sport of 'Yukako' called 'Heartland's Lime Sherbet'..........a wonderful plant I have...(I didn't know the story behind it when I bought it.....)
The article in the latest AV magazine shows a plant whose entire crown has been cut out, leaving a single outer circle of maybe 6 leaves. 9 weeks later, it is full and has multiple crowns. Rob has written some good tips on growing trailers... check his culture pages at www.robsviolet.com. I've pinched out and rooted trailer crowns just the same way I've pinched out and rooted suckers on other plants. Rob has a good page on that, also... look for his instructions on dealing with AVs that have developed long necks by re-rooting the crown of the plant.
Gail, did the crowns on your 'Dresden Doll' result from one plant producing multiple suckers, or did you tuck 5 leaf babies into the pot to start with? Either way -- it's a lovely plant!
No, they came on their own easily..........the pot got so full and I needed two of them for a good trade (LOL)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh Gail ... I love that one called 'Heartland's Lime Sherbet' .... what color are the blooms on that one? Whatever color they are, it will just be icing on the cake ... those leaves are really pretty!
Yeah, I need to join AVSA! I've been telling hubby he can give that to me for Christmas this year!
Ok ... I gotta study this crown and removing them thing. Gotta get it straight in my brain ... although now might not be a great time, I think I've got Brain Freeze tonight for some reason. I need to print stuff out so I can refer back to it!
I sure thank y'all for all the lessons though! I will get it eventually! I have a couple of trailers that I got from Eunice/Starfly at the beginning of the year. No names, but I remember one bloomed for a about three weeks a few months ago and nothing since! That one had real pretty pink flowers and was a decent sized plant ... the others are small. She sent me a bunch of teeny mini's but most did not survive. I am just not a good parent with teensy plants I guess.
Here's the page with Rob's notes on growing trailers, http://www.robsviolet.com/trailing_violets1.htm
Thanks, Critter......i usually read his things.......he had a good question and answer in the last AVSA magazine.
Lin, i don't know who I would share avs with if we didn't have Dave's site...........I have to show you what 'Newtown Shared Ventures' is doing tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I am the lady who said she wasn't going to grow standards and now I have fallen in love with them again.........I may have shown this one when she had a bloom or two.....but now she is covered in blooms all the way around the plant......good golly, Miss Molly.......
She is Gorgeous! I've never heard of that one .... Newtown Shared Venture?? Love it! The flowers resemble my 'Rodeo Country' but RC doesn't have any variegation on the foliage!
Here's that Trailer I was talking about that hasn't bloomed in awhile. Should I cut off the long neck?
I promise to go read that info on Rob's site .... will get there eventually if I can ever get off DG. LOL.
Thought I would post a picture of my little Micro Mini Sinningia Pusilla that Raingazer sent me in a trade a month or so ago. I almost threw it out thinking it had died and she told me not to pitch it, they go dormant and it was just resting I guess. She came back and has doubled in size and there's a tiny little bloom stem on it. I sure wish I could get a pic of that but it's so tiny. Maybe it will show up better when the bloom opens. I LOVE this little plant ... I haven't had much luck with mini AV's except the ones you sent me Gail ... I need to get a pic of them and post too ... one has buds!
Here's Sinn. pusilla:
I love your purple blooms.........and your little sinn. pusilla............i would be so excited if I had your trailer.............I love to cut the neck about 1/2" from the foliage at the top.........plant it in an av and perlite mix in a zip lock bag...........ignore it for a month pulling the plastic of the bag away from the foliage (use a big bag)..........and you have a new plant to put back with the other crowns in a bigger pot...........lucky you..........don't forget to also cut the neck back near the pot,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.it may also grow.........
Lucky you........it is fun to do............
*****************go back and read Rob's tutorial........who knows?? you might be able to use some of the wasted long neck for new plants also????????