I am trying to wick the plants do you think that they are to close to each other and that is why my plants are growing up and not spreading out do I need to take some leaves off or just leave them alone, The first picture is all of the plants
KIm
Ok Ladys and Gent's Here is my question?
The second is how it is growing stright up
Good morning, Dimmer.
Your plants while healthy looking from the photo, do appear over crowded and reaching for light. Any discolored small pale leaves at the base of your plants can be groomed off.
How are you trying to wick your plants?
Kim: Your photo looks just like my plant stand when I got hooked on AV's last year! For some reason it seems like they multiply very quickly! LOL. Mine were way too close together as another DG'er informed me and I ended up getting additional stands so the plants could be spaced farther apart .... much happier plants now! For some reason the Optimara 'Annabelle' and 'Isabelle' seem to just have the habit of growing up tall, and I have one named 'Celery' that does the same thing ... grows straight up, but my other plants have settled down and are doing so much better now that they aren't all crammed together on the one stand! I love all the great advice from folks like Snowrose, who have been growing AV's and other Gessie's for so long! Can't begin to Thank Them enough for such wonderful advice!
I'm curious as to how you are wicking your plants also. Are you repotting using the twine as wicking material? Or are you planning on using those self watering type pots, or those wicking trays? I have talked about buying some of those permanest trays but ended up just buying reservoir pots and the polyester twine for wicks. So far, so good for me.
Keep us posted on how your plants are doing!
Wow so many question I will try to answer all sorry about the spelling
1. No discolored leave If I do I pull them off
2. Got the plants from Cedar Creek Violets were in great condiction May 1st 2007
3. I went to a Nursary and they gave me all the tray with holes in them for Free
4. Went to K-mart and had soild trays 1.99
5. I have Purple yarn
6. Some self watering pot not many
7, The plant that is stright up see called ( Nes,s Snow Cloud)
What I do Is put the yarn in pot than a peace of paper towel and some pea gravel than some potting soil I mix please don't ask me the amount it a handfull of this and a hand full of that. I use Perlite, Peat Moss,Vermiculite, Miracle-Gro spelled right I had to look at the bags(LOL) and mix it up.
Than I plant the AV have the yarn hang downand get it thow the hole in the one tray than I put in another and put water in the bottom 1 a week If they look dry I water the plant
I hope that I have all the answer for this test I do hate test
Thanks so much for the information. Lets see what will happen
Kim
Kim: I think I understand what you are doing, but don't quite understand the paper towel and the pea gravel. I know some folks use the gravel for drainage in the bottom of potted plants but I've never known anyone to use it for AV's. I don't understand the paper towel. PT's will disintegrate pretty quickly as will the yarn. I joined our local AV club last fall and someone told me about the yarn .... not to use it cause it breaks down pretty rapidly and then you will be repotting. She told me to go to Wal-Mart to the hardware department and buy a spool of this polyester twine and it works real well for wicks. I have also used old panty hose or knee highs torn into strips for use as wicks .... sucks up a lot of water! If your plants seem to be healthy and don't have any other problem except growing tall I think they are just probably too crowded on your stand. Good luck and keep us posted on them!
I don't know where I read this maybe on Racheals web site with the paper towel I just tryed that seams to work and the pea gravel is for drainning I have put some pea gravel on a few pot this May and they seam to be doing fine here i a picture of some of them
Here is another
one more for good luck
Dimmer, I missed this earlier...............I will dmail you tomorrow