A Day Of Gratitude and Love

I am going to start looking (with another lady from Corpus who loves the weird gesneriads) for seeds and plants that we don't often see. As long as I get to grow from seed or leaf I am a happy camper.

Marjorie picked out the avs today that might be ok for showing in 2 months and some days from now and disbudded them. I have forgotten (but I have the information she printed for me) when you stop disbudding and really give them a bloom boost fertilizer.

When I worked in a greenhouse we used the Metro and Fafard mixes, but this friend of mine likes sunshine and there is no difference unless you change the numbers on them..........each mix with a number is good for something. (meaning the germination mix for sunshine I believe is #5 but not sure) I might even ask Helen if she can get me the number 5 and compare.

***edited to say, Diane, if the plant is not exactly centered there will be no symmetry. The plant will be growing to one side..........(I think that is the reason) I sure have a lot of repotting to do. You all will like knowing that she puts perlite in the bottom of everything she grows!

Thumbelina is a small leafed strep with the prettiest blooms. I didn't realize there were so many crowns. When I went back and looked a few minutes ago, there were a lot of them among the 8 I ws talking about which had more than one crown. I will show you a picture of her in bloom.

Lin, the strainer on top of another strainer is to catch anything big. I have a septic tank and have to be careful when repotting in the sinks! It works real well to catch the perlite and other material in the mix.

This message was edited Dec 21, 2007 11:18 PM

The only Miracle-Gro mix I've seen lately is the one with fert too. But you know,Lin, as I always say, do what works for you! Has to work great for some people or it wouldn't be so widely sold! Another option for mix around here is out Texas Tech University. You can buy mix pretty reasonably from them that they mix for you. I've never bought it from them but have heard good things. Maybe a college around you has that offer? If you can't get the Sunshine.

Gail- Is the pic you posted the Thumbelina? I love pink!!!!

Gail, that Thumbelina is so cute!
It sounds like you learned SO MUCH today :)
Don't you just love learning new things?
It must be neat to learn them "hands on" from another grower :) What a great experience.
I'm going to do some real searching this spring and re-do all my soil but in the winter these things are considered "seasonal" and very hard to find. Even Lowe's and HD limit their soil selections to just the common ones. Green Mountain Transplants is in Biddeford and I'm hoping they carry other soils which HD and Lowe's doesn't. I would like to mix up a batch like Al uses and see if it helps :) But for now my babies are going to have to learn to live with what I have on hand to make it until spring. So far they seem to be doing OK :)

Hi Ladies;
Since you are talking about soil, i use pro mix from home depot.it's a great soil, i just add pearlite to it for my streps & most other gessies & they do very well.I have about 50 streps & alot of babies now.Just got them from a friend.I have alot of leaves down & most have babies also.I just had to seperate my strep varigated plum pretty as it had 3 in there. gave 1 away & still have 2 left, very pretty.here is a picture of her.
mrsbonnie

Wow Bonnie, 50 streps? OMG you must be LOVIN' that!
Isn't it fun growing babies?
Your plant looks VERY happy and healthy.
Love the variegated leaves on her :)
Sounds like you will have lots of trading material for spring :)
Plum Pretty huh? Need to look her up........brb............
OK, this is what I found out. I THINK her actual name must be
Snow Plum Pretty as that is the only one that comes up in that name.
This is a GREAT site for looking up pictures etc. They also have an episcia link on the side with some great pictures.
There is no picture of Snow Plum Pretty but the description fits perfectly :)
Here is the site:
http://www.streptocarpus-info.com/

Maybe you could take a picture of yours when it blooms and send it to her :) I'm sure she would greatly appreciate it.
Sure sounds like a beautiful flower :) I love the color of plum :)

Very nice :)

Kimber

Oh wow, why did'ent i think of that. i just had both of them flower & never thought to send it to carlynn's web site, oh well i hope i remember as they are getting ready to bloom again.yes your right it is snow plumb pretty.
mrsbonnie

Great thread Kim! Your plants and babies look wonderful! I can't tell you how far behind on potting up I am, but I have to spend so much of my days job-hunting. How depressing is that? *LOL!*

Anyway... I hardly ever get the chance to catch up on a new thread, so I'm glad I found your thread!

Keep up the great work!

{{{{{Hugs}}}}}
Karen

AWWWW Karen, I'm SO GLAD that you found this thread too :)
Did you see your babies up there? Aren't they cute? I love them dearly!

I sure hope you find the job of your dreams real soon :) I keep praying you will.

Merry Christmas My Friend :)

Kim

Mrs.bonnie, you have quite a collection of sinningias and Kim! Your plants look awesome.

I am trying not to care that I have debudded every gesneriad in the house *lol*. I just want to see if I can help them to bloom the last week of February for the show and sale. I think it is just a stroke of luck if it happens.

Gail- That is SO funny! I would be feeling the same way! So you participate in shows? How exciting!

I never have. This will be the first time. So....I spent the day debudding every plant. She said that the week before the show she will come over and just see if I have anything to enter.

I am just now (8 weeks before the show) reading what the rules are and all the categories. Surely am glad i grew those seeds as there is a category for species plants. (They may not be the prettiest but I don't think other people are growing them right now)

Marjorie did say that our club is not competitive and each person loves to see someone else win a ribbon. It is an atmosphere I am very comfortable in and there are lots of laughs.

I sent Marjorie with a cram packed tray full of small plants grown by leaf as I have to start choosing the best possibilities and now grow like I have in the past. (meaning so much plant material)

Maybe i will have time after all to get a good cutting garden put in this spring and grow everything from seed. I miss a cutting garden so much!!

NoGail! I don't want to lose my fellow plant junkie friend!

Now, Diane, do you really believe you are going to lose this fellow plant junkie friend? I have never seen a plant i didn't love. I have spent the evening on the gesneriad society seed pages *lol*

i think I am going to try the streptocarpus ones.............for sure and don't know what else...........but for sure, a lot of them I want to order! They have Iced Amethyst x self...........sounds exciting to see what happens.

I spent the majority of the day on the front porch whacking back all the hibiscus, Jatrophas, etc.....a little fertilizer and some Bayer's Advanced Tree and Shrub for anything with mealy bugs either on the plant or possibly in the soil.

Never will I only grow a few things..........it sounded good though!!!

Whew! You had me worried there for a bit!

Kim, your plants look great... I am so happy for you... Now I thought mine were doing good but after looking at yours mind look sick....LOL you have done good girl.... Now can you tell me how you took the babies away from there moms? I am afraid to touch mine for fear of killing them...
Gail has said she is going to send me a bunch of leaves and this time I am going to grow them together like I have seen Gail and now you do... I am off work for the next week so I am going to set up another stand for the new leaves when they come and also have one shelf for babies and one for bigger babies...LOL
Thank you for your pictures as they are awsome(sp)
Hugs,
Susan

Susan,
I hate to to tell you but when the lady from Corpus came over to show me how to groom plants, we filled an entire trash can of the leaves she took off my plants. I am soooo sorry I forgot about promising leaves.

You will have to get someone else to give you leaves right now, but this spring i will have lots of leaves again. But, for right now, every unwanted leaf has been taken from all my violets.
gail

That Thumbellina is adorable.

good morning, Sally! I divided Thumbelina into 7 or 8 plants. I bought her last May at the Corpus Christi Mother's Day Sale. You won't believe what you can find for sale at very reasonable prices at the AV club sales, Sally.

Gail,
I understand about not sending me leaves... I know if you could you would as you have been nothing but nice to me.. :-) I also have you to thank for starting me off with leaves to start with.... So thanks :-)
Could you help me in telling me how to take the babies away from there Momma leaves? Also about what size pots? I was thinking 2 inch?
Once again Thanks and no problem about the leaves...
Hugs,
Susan

Here is on of my favorite Christmas pictures so far that I have been able to look at....
These are all the men in my life :-)
Hugs,
Susan

How cute is that picture! Susan, there will be plenty of leaves in the spring........can't believe I just helped that lady take off all the extra leaves on the avs without a thought. I have lots and lots of chirita leaves if you want and I will be getting these out this week to anyone who wants them. Mine are too big as i said.

I am thrilled that your little family is all healthy and happy again. Glad you were there! I am sure your family is glad you were there at the time, also!

Great photo!

Depending on the size of the babies (and on how big their roots are), sometimes I don't go right to a 2 inch pot... I've got smaller pots, and I also really like the little bathroom size plastic solo cups (I'd have to check, but I think they're 3 oz.). I've even been known to use little 1 inch (1 oz) plastic condiment cups for miniature babies. Just remember to poke a hole or two in the bottom for drainage.

What a nice looking bunch of guys there, Susan! That photo's a definite keeper!

Gail,
Oh I would love those leaves if you have them to send... I can grow them as those are mostly what I have now growing... I only have about 4 of them but to me they are my babies and growing so nice... Gail do you grow leaves all together in a box or do you put each one in a solo cup? Also when do you know it is time for them to be taken away from mother leaf ? Gail I am doing the happy dance for the second time today after hearing you are sending me leaves.... The first is when I heard from one of my sons best friends who is in Kewate(sp)... He sounded so good to my ears... He is like another son in this family...
I must say that we have disagreements at times but when one is needed we all pull together... I am blessed to have my family..
Well this lady is off to bed. Thank you again Gail... :-)
Hugs and Love,
Susan

Thanks for the tips on the babies. Sometimes is there more then one plants growing from the leaf or are all the same one? I really don't know how to say what I mean so I hope you understand....LOL
Hugs,
Susan

Sometimes you can get dozens of baby plants growing from the same mother leaf! When you take up the leaf and start looking, you'll be able to gently separate them... look for individual crowns and untangle them. Sometimes I try to just separate off the biggest babies (with at least 4 leaves) and let the tiny ones stay attached to the mother leaf until they grow larger (just repot).

I think Critter just gave you solid advice.....but if pics will help I will tell you that sometimes I cut the big chirita leaves in half (when they won't fit in a solo cup like Critter is talking about)
and plant them in a small flat plastic container from the bakery, etc. and put a dome on for a while.

this is a pic of Aiko when I started a couple of leaves cut up into pieces.

This is how many baby chirita 'Aiko' plants I wanted. They have a dome on them right now as I just potted up a couple of days ago. Sometimes I have to use a razor to cut the mother leaf away (LoL)

Thanks, I do better with pictures...LOL Can you tell me if I should take these out and put in solo cups or leave them with there moms?
Hugs,
Susan

another

This is one I would like to know if I can snip the little L shape one that is coming off the side?
Susan

lastone...lol

I know that this is not a AV but it is one of my begonia's I brought in from outside... She is still blooming away...LOL
I would like to ask if anyone down the road or even now would have any begonias cuttings to share with me? I would gladly pay for postage.
Susan

I'm glad Gail jumped in -- I got mixed up and thought we were talking about AV babies, although I think the process is pretty much the same for chiritas. I don't see any reason not to snip that little side shoot and pot it up the same as you would do for a sucker from a mature plant... I think that would let the rest of the plant grow better. ?

Cute plantlets!!

The first and second picture are ready to be potted up in a 3 ounce or 31/2 ounce cup . If you want more babies the mother leaves look healthy so you can take a razor blade and cut the baby off gently if she won't come off on her own. It doesn't matter if the mother leaf comes out of the soil to separate the baby. You can always plant her again if you want more babies. On the last chirita picture I don't think she is ready to be planted up yet. You could do it but why not wait and let her get a little larger?
On the episica you could cut the Y off and root her in a bag again or just leave her on and pot the plant in a 21/2" pot (square or round).........maybe even a 3" but be sure to put plenty of perlite in the bottoms of the pots for all these. (and as Critter said, don't forget to have plenty of good drainage in a pot)

PS...going to take a nap. My friend goes to bed at 8 and gets up before 5..........I go to bed at midnight and sleep until 8 (lol).....so I got up early this morning to help her get her car loaded.

See you all later.

i thought you had left Critter as you know more than I do! Glad you jumped back in.

Mrs. Bonnie, let me know if you want to be the fourth person to get chirita leaves, please.

Susan, I know it's a long drive, but if there's any chance of your making it up here for the Feb 2 gathering I'll be happy to share cuttings from any begonia (I've got a couple, don't remember if I've shared them with you yet) or episcia etc. that catches your eye.

It's probably about time for me to post an official invitation thread for the Groundhog's Day Tea Party & Seed Swap over in the MidAtlantic forum... you're all invited too, of course!

Gail, those little 'Aiko' plantlets look great!

LOL, not about chiritas, I don't, Gail... I've just got one, and I haven't even put a leaf down from it! *hangs head in shame* With chiritas, all I've got at this point is "book learning" -- and what I read here! :-)

Critter, you never ask for anything so if you ever do see something you want (my shelves are probably like yours) just say so or ask me if I have it.

Goodness Susan, your babies are teenagers compared to the babies I removed recently *lol*. I just realized that I must have posted pictures before I removed them but didn't post a picture of them in their new apartments *lol* I will try to remember to post a picture this afternoon when I get home.

I am SO loving playing with my babies aren't you? It's SO much fun learning new things. There have been some wonderful surprises and some failures but it's been so much fun!

Kim