What's blooming for April?

They look great! Repotting them will kick them into high gear on growing. They seem to like to be repotted as babies. I've read that mature plants don't like it, but I've not had to repot my mature ones, so I don't know if that's true or not. I'm anxious to see 'Momo' but don't want you to wake the birdies. Grumpy, sleep-deprived birds just can't be pleasant! LOL

oh ... and y'all ain't seen dust til you've seen my house! We've been in this house almost 33 years ( and yeah, I have dusted in that time, really LOL) It just seems as though the dust is worse as the years go by. I keep telling hubby it's because the house is old and we should have the air ducts blown out. I swear I can clean house thoroughly, dust and vacuum and a few hours later you can see it all over again. The blinds are really bad but I don't remember to vacuum or dust them very often! And, I don't even remember to look at the ceiling fans ... they probably have 4" of dust on them now!

Wow Gail, as usual that's a great bunch of pics! And as always I think the Very Berry is my favorite! Must be a good bloomer or you have a lot of that.

Every time I see a pic of someone's Ptrocosmeas I fall in love again!
I want to place an order somewhere for one of those and a Sinningia anda couple other things I have in mind. But all the sites I find say they aren't shipping until May or so. I'm too impatient for that! LOL

Hi Diane;
email me at fornel8@aol.com, i have pet babies & sinns.
mrsbonnie

Lin, S pusilla is a micro, and there are quite a few other micros out there. White Sprite, Snowflake, Ruffled Wood Nymph, Wood Nymph, Mighty Mouse, I couldn't possibly name them all, but if you'll Google "micro Sinningia" you'll find tons of pages about them.

I've got a leaf or two down of 'Momo', Lin, so if you can wait, I'll be happy to send you one when they're ready. I need to put down leaves of the others, too. I could send you leaves if you'd like and you could put them down. I'm thinking our weather is probably finally straightened out enough that we could go ahead and swap those Orchids, so I can put some Pet leaves in with that. 'Momo' is suckering pretty heavily, too. I tried to get one of the suckers off of it the other day, and I managed to, but it will be easier when they're a little bigger, so maybe in a month or so I could send one of those to you.

Diane, Violet Barn sells all those things you mentioned and they ship year round, but it costs extra until April 15th. After then, though, it's just regular shipping. I got all my Pets except for 'Momo' from there, and 'Momo' came from there originally, anyway. eBay is a great place to find Sinns, too. There are several really good sellers on there.

mrsbonnie, would you happen to have Sinn Snowflake or Stareyes? They're both micros with those great shaped flowers and I want them so much but never can find them! LOL

Not a bloom, but I'm proud of it anyway. LOL Sinningia leucotricha I grew from seed. 1.5 inch tuber.

Isn't she adorable????? This would be sinningia 'Yes'.
jannich and raingazer, where are you?
All my sinningias both of you gave me are still alive and well! I love them!
I can't wait until these get big enough to start new cuttings like you all did for me!

Took me a second to get the name!LOL But OMG that is beautiful! Dark foliage and pink blooms- my favorite combination! Such pretty tones in the bloom too

Oooooh ... You know I love that one! PINK! I'm with Diane, love the dark foliage pink bloom! I like how there's that splash of darker pink in the center!


Well, here's my same old, same old. Chirita 'Aiko' with one bloom:

And, Chirita 'Stardust':

Those chiritas love you, Lin! They are always blooming .........and so pretty, too!

Rain, I missed all your last posts and I love you sinningia l (can't spell ). Jannich sent me one and it is alive but that is all. Encouraging to know that they will get a big tuber and continue to grow......

Can you believe they marked these 2 beautiful specimens of mini AVs down to 2.50??!!
What a deal!

Just kidding!!! I doubt the plants are even salvagable but I can really use the cute little ceramic pots for my growing mini AV collection! They had some regular priced ones that looked OK but the ones I already have look much better than theirs! Here they are- some are in bloom right now.

Ha, all they need is a drink, BOY, those are far gone. Cute little pots though!

The girl at the checkout said-"Man, those must not be good plants- I just put those out Tuesday!" I just smiled and walked away as the water SLOSHED out of the little pots! LOL

This message was edited Apr 4, 2008 11:49 PM

Gosh, poor plants.

Oooh ... and my very first thought was how I'd love to have some of those cute little watering cans! They could be used for rooting cuttings or just looking cute sitting on a shelf! Great find at $2.50!

Fine buy, Diane! I am starting to collect small porcelain cups and any small containers to hold my trailers (both mini, semi mini and standards). The hunt is half the fun of finding them.

**** edited to say that if you could just find one leaf on each plant to propagate, you really have a buy.



This message was edited Apr 5, 2008 10:48 AM

Thanks Ladies! I'm kinda excited for myself too! I don't usually luck out like that.

Yes, it is very hard to find containers that small. I mean the pots my mini AVs are in are maybe 1.5"?
As for taking cuttings, onw of the plants is GONE. The other, I don't know....The leaves are limp but a few are still green. What do you think?

You know me.........I can't stand not to plant anything I can. I would stick a couple of the green leaves and see what happens. Don't do it if you don't want to. I am a tad compulsive about leaves , seeds and cuttings.

Spent the day sticking strep leaves and watching basketball............going back to watch Kansas now.................

OMG, I just looked back and my last post was 4/2.......could that be right? I'm usually so much better about checking in.
There has been alot going on here and changes in living arrangements for an 18 year old son etc. This has been alot on me so I have truly been trying to focus on "playing plants" as much as possible as it brings me such great serenity.
I have SO many things to comment on.......

Gail, I can't wait to see your sinningia blooms! I only have a few sinningias and I think they are mostly species as they are seedlings Pier grew from the Gesneriad Society. I do have one called Ozark Rosy Cheeks from Pier and it has sprouted. I have my fingers crossed for it's first blooms. Gail, your Bristol's Party Boy is stunning! I just love those fantasies :) You certainly can grow those streps!

Mulletman......What a lovely picture of Evergrace. I just stuck a leaf of that and have a plantlet which is domed as I repotted it upon arrival. I cant wait for blooms now that I see yours. Very pretty.

Amy......Love the picture of all your pet babies and other plants :) You are a very good grower and your plants all look very happy!

Nancy..... Your pet babies are simply adorable! I just put down 3 different pet leaves the other day and only hope that my babies grow to be as cute as yours :) Pets are all new to me....I have a baby one. Pier gave me a baby (it's so cute, it's in a creamer cup) of Rossetifolia and so far I'm afraid to do anything to it *lol*. I have it domed and so far it has not needed watering.....walking on egg shells.

Diane......Those are the CUTEST little pots! Even if you have limp green leaves......try soaking them for an hour or two in tempid water with a DROP of Superthrive. After they have soaked, stick them and dome them. You will be surprised :) I love those little pots!!

I don't have alot of blooms right now but thought I would share a few pictures with you all :)

First.....these are my first AV plantlets that are big enough to play with. I went to the Salvation Army and bought all kinds of different size wine glasses. A friend of my daughter's mom works there and I MADE her take $1.00 for the whole box full of glasses. She didn't want me to pay anything (her daughter spends every weekend at my house) but I told her that I needed to give SOMETHING so she said......OK, how about $1.00 *lol* I have to be EXTRA careful with these as there are no drainage holes but I put charcoal at the bottom and I water with a medicine dropper........so far so good.

This message was edited Apr 6, 2008 7:17 AM

This message was edited Apr 6, 2008 7:19 AM

This is a new one for me. It's a TINY plantlet from E-Bay which was an "extra" when I bought some leaves from a lady this winter.

Fire & Ice

I have been removing Chirita babies left and right and truly have to learn to only keep the biggest, strongest ones........I try to keep them ALL and there is just no need.

Speaking of which........anyone need Chirita Hisako or Chirita Dreamtime (I have fewer of these). I will have others in the upcoming months. Here is a shot of 35 Hisako babies *lol*.......some of them I really need to just throw out......but it kills me to even think of it *lol*

This has to be one of my all time favorite streps........I know we see alot of her but I love her ,and thought this was a nice picture........Blue Mars

Here is a shot of my first AV leaves (stuck 2/16) from the ladies at the NEW..........AVGSOM.........African Violet & Gesneriad Society of......MAINE!...wooo hoooo

I LOVE our new group.......it's so much fun :)

AND.........almost every cup in the tray above.....looks like this inside.......oooooh how exciting! I CAN'T WAIT until I have babies to share! :)

I truly had a VERY HARD time with streps and don't think that I will try to grow them from leaf anymore but so far Chirita and AV seem to like me alot better.......I'm SO thrilled!!

Lin.......I meant to say......wow, you have a way with Chirita :) I recently stuck quite a few new chirita leaves and am anxiously awaiting my first babies :) My light stand looks like a pediatric wing right now *lol* I keep telling myself......they'll get bigger......it takes time. Sometimes though my patience is better than other times *lol*

One last bloom in the house *lol* and I think I have shown this one before but liked the variety of pinks in this picture......Bristol's Ribbon Candy.

Wow, OK ladies.......I have written a book this morning (WAAAAY too much coffee *lol*) and just wanted you all to know that I'm ALWAYS here even if I don't post alot and am ALWAYS thinking of you all :)

P.S. Be watching your mailboxes :)

XO
Kimber

Oh Kimber: I would LOVE Chirita Dreamtime! I don't have that one ... need to go look it up!

Your babies are all looking great! I love planting in wine glasses and other containers! When they don't have drainage it is good to be extra careful not to overwater. Not a problem with me though cause I under-water. I know if my plants had voices I would hear them (not whispering) but screaming "WATER ME, WATER ME"! ^_^

Now ... please tell me your secret for growing chirita from leaves! I have tried and the only one I've gotten a baby from is Aiko! I have tried doing the same exact thing with others and cannot for some reason get them to take root!


By the way ... speaking of "watching mailboxes", how's your weather up there? Has Spring arrived yet? I have a couple of things for you. Chirita Aiko being one of them!

Hi Kim! I've been wondering where you were! But with kids- believe me when I say I understand! I go through so much when they leave, but somehow go though it again when they keep coming back! LOL
SO the Chirita babies- are they from the leaves Gail sent in Jan? Mine don't have babies yet. Starting to get discouraged! I keep telling myself that I've gotten babies from AV leaves, so I CAN do these......?
LOVE the Fire & Ice! Don't think I've seen that one before!

Awesome babies and plantlets Kim!! No wonder you are so excited........My Dreamtime is so big she I need to start over with a baby. Please save me one. She is my very favorite chirita bloom..........yellows and purples.....lots of yellow.............

Love those streps!!!!! I don't think I have Ribbons and Candy........what a beauty and Fire and Ice is great, also.

Hi Again Friends.......OF COURSE Gail & Lin I will save you each a Dreamtime :)
BUT, please understand that the picture of my babies above are all in 1 oz. cups. Lin, you know how TINY a 1 oz. cup is right? It's WICKED small. They seem to grow VERY fast and in a few weeks they will be 3 oz. size. I would really like to wait until they are at least 3 oz. size if that is OK with you both :)

Diane, I can't remember if these babies are from the leaves from January or if they were from before that so DON'T get discouraged. You know what I do? I take a little nail file and GENTLY move the area where the starter mix meets the bottom of the leaf and just make sure there is no rot going on.

It takes longer to get babies but I have found the best way for me to be successful is to use just perlite/vermiculite and not use any soil. I don't mind waiting a bit longer for babies as I don't seem to lose as many using just perlite/vermiculite. I also do try to soak my leaves in water with a drop of Superthrive for about an hour while I get pots etc. ready :) So far I'm finding Chirita MUCH easier than streps for me.

I will have more pictures soon. Hubby is using my picture computer to buffer a movie to watch later *lol*

Friends Forever,
Kim

Kim- I checked my Chirita leaves and they are firmly rooted and looking healthy... Did make me more hopeful since they look so healthy. Maybe they'll make babies soon. I was looking at the names- one of them is Dream Time! Last week Gail suggested I start feeding them which I did so maybe that is the mistake I was making.. or being too impatient one!! LOL
I

Diane, I have found also that I take a leaf, cut it in 1/2.
I put one 1/2 in a "community" dome and the other I put in a 3 oz. cup. USUALLY the ones in the cups send out babies first. This is because the roots become confined first. Are yours in a community pot? (I think you posted a picture but I can't remember). If they are, be patient....there is alot of space in a community pot for the roots to fill before they feel the need to shoot up babies. I do a leaf both ways just as insurance. If I overwater the one in the cup, I know the one in the community pot will be OK *lol*
You have them in straight perlite/vermiculite?

OOOOH so glad you have a Dreamtime :) She's a beautiful one :) I love them all :) My Kazu (which is my only "larger" plant) is getting ready to open it's very first flower. I will be sure to get a picture :)

Kim

I have a few blooming in the house... I was hoping some of you could tell me if these are streps or chiritas. I know one is a strep not sure with the others...
Hope you like...
I love seeing all the pretty blooms you ladies sure can grow...
Hugs,
susan

I just have babies from two of the ones I planted and I planted at the same time you all did yours.
********edited to say that you have a pretty strep, Diane............


Would someone start a new thread.........this is waaaaaaaay too long for dial up people>I will start a new thread with a picture of Dream Time in bloom.

This message was edited Apr 6, 2008 3:22 PM

this one is a siliva and I believe a strep?
Susan

I have a new camera and I can't take the best of pictures yet... This one Kim(dimmer) sent me and it is about to bloom and can one of you tell me is this a strep or a chirita.. Thanks
Susan

Here is a boginia I grew from a leaf...
Susan

This is the only one of a Esp. one and I believe Gail sent it to me now sure but it looks like it is going to have and orangish color...
Susan