Need diagram of African Violet plant

I VERY new to plants. Around february I bought a shevling unit and added grow lights. I purchased four African violets (I could not resist the colorful blooms!), and a couple of cyclamen. I did not know that "cyclamen mites" were a pest for AV's! Someone please tell me that the Cyclamen mite that AV growers are referring to has to do with the Cyclamen plant (I'm just now thinking I could be wrong!) being the main host and nearby AVs' "catch" them by proximity? Is this correct? Or did I make an Assumtion? So much to learn.
Well, what I have learned, is that it is hard to kill an African Violet, but you can very easily make it a neurotic mess!! I have 3 in need of therapy! I am just now starting to research how to care for my sick AV's. They didn't really look "sick", ya know? But they started growing differently (it took me a while to notice) and did not look the photo's of happy AVs. So I hit the internet in search of answers.
AV's are not what I really want to grow (but maybe with success I will fall madly in love! There certainly seems to be a lot of love for these guys!), but I feel a need to understand what my AV's need from me. Here's where I'm having trouble. When I read online about their care, I don't understand the different "parts" that they are refering to. I know what a leaf is, and even "the crown", but when they say "petiole" "sucker", ect...I'm lost. Photo's are unclear. All I see is a arrow pointing towards a green mass, and I'm thinking, "that looks like stems" or the photo is too close (for my needs) or too far. I need a hand drawn diagram (if that's even the right word!) of an AV with all the parts listed! I've tried to google images and it's such a waste. You guys are creating your own hybrids! So I know you could probably "diagram" an AV in your sleep! Would anybody here be willing to give it a try?
Stick figures are fine with me! I know people are very shy about drawing, I completely get that! But I bet your worst diagram would still do me more good than all the reading, photo's, and "definitions" I've come across. I just want to learn (without joining a society, or paying 30.00 bucks for a good book) the parts and their names, so I can correct the problems my AV's are having. It reminds of when I used to work in an exotic pet store (please no lectures...I probably agree with everything you would say...maybe more!) and everyone wanted an Iguana as a pet. They really did not want to understand this living creature's needs (what? I thought iceberg lettuce is what they ate?...what? They need pure sunlight to synthesize D-what? for strong bone?) so...a lot of iguana's suffered. I'm not saying my AV's are "feeling" sufferning (but we don't know everything), but I do think it's good to understand anything you take care of.

If I'm just dense, and there is a diagram on this site, could someone point the way? Or if they know a site that is pretty good about showing what parts are called what (even photo's if that's all there is).

Thanks in advance for your patience to teach,
eponagrrl

First off, love the iguana rant. We see exotics at the vet hospital where I work, I've sung that same tune once a week for 15 years. LOL

I personally learned a lot from the botanary here, and from this site: http://dallas.tamu.edu/weeds/anat.html

Latin pronunciation sometimes still evades me, I have nuns-with-rulers trauma from taking Latin in junior high school :)

Does this help?

http://www.violetpatchofsouthflorida.com/violetparts.jpg

That's an awesome link, Kim!!!

I love you, Kim!! I hope your box is there when you get home!

Good morning, celene..........are your episcias rooting? I never did go over to the begonia forum for you and ask what kind of begonia that is. .......but I will do it today....I always know and then my short term memory is bad.

Celene & Kim: Thanks for both of those links ... I am bookmarking them for future reference ... great illustrations!

Sure hope it was helpful :) Sometimes I get lost as to what is what too *lol* I just know where to put the pollen *lol* (not on AV's though, I don't pollinate AV's).

Kim

My episcias are rooting, I think when they grow out a bit I'll be able to ID them if you don't know what they are for sure. They're in a little deli container with some perlite :) Thank you very much, you're soooo sweet and generous!

Celene...........some I will know and others I won't........I am the worst at losing names of anything! I enjoy just cramming them in any pot........and then watch the blooms

Hi girls,

Thank you for the links. I have bookmarked them.

Gail, your plants are gorgeous! what height do you keep your lights from the plants?

Eponagirl, for some easy diagrams and explanations i find that easy simple children's botany books can be very helpful, especially the ones dealing with plant reproduction.

I have a confession to make. I ordered (about a month ago) all new wide spectrum bulbs from Indoor Gardening Supply. When you order a lot you get big discount.........I can really see the difference in my plants.

Depending on what I am growing determines how far away the lights are. On my small sinningias the lights are only 6" above..........but am hoping to add another set of lights to several shelves for just my sinningias......I have ordered seed from The Gesneriad Society for the really big gloxinia (or sinningias). They need a lot of light.

I keep the big African Violets about 12" from the lights. Streps can go about 16" from the lights. My leaves stuck and minis go about 9" from the lights.

Thank you Gail, I am going to check them. I don't really like my lights and have stopped using them. They are not bright enough for my plants.

Where the lights are listed, they would be the very last one called WS and are 4feet long. I feel like I have new plants using these.

I just got home from running around in the Houston heat. I'm wupped. I wandered in here to identify something...and whoa, the posse is on it!

Celene and Kim - thank you for the helping hands!
Celene - Yes! People will buy ANYTHING, and yes, there will be people who will sell to them. If my bosses only KNEW how I much time I spent talking someone out of buying something...so fired! I would love to hear about your job sometime if you have something you want to share.

Spider - yes, I DO need to go over it. I guess I think of AV's as "different" than other flowering plants - like they have extra arms, or two hearts, lol. I think I was in the 4th grade when we covered flowers...duely noted!

Jessiegail - what lights did you buy? I bout the OTT-Lites, and then added standard plant for the red spectrum - for my flowering plants. When I was doing reef - lights are your backbone! If your tank is happy, your coral instantly comes alive, and you see "happy". Plants are much harder (to me). I wish I had time lapse. I was snooping at petsmarts lights, and they were SO expensive. Were they better? I have no idea, lol. I wish I did! So enlight-en me, please.

Thank you guys, and I know my post was long - sorry (even this one is!)

Kim and Celene. Those are great sites! Just what I needed to "SEE".

don't ever apologize for a long post! (LOL) We can beat you with our post in length.

I started out for two years with the gro lux from Walmart for lighting and my plants did just fine. But they are about the same price (6.50 compared to 7.00) as Indoor Gardening Supplies for the wide spectrum.

I can't discuss it intelligently because I don't understand lighting well..........I just know that my plants lit up the sky when I ordered the wide spectrum ones for about the same money from IGS>

Thanks, I don't feel so embarrassed now, lol.
And hey, I feel the same way about lighting because of the math. I just don't want to do it.

Yes, I added Eco-Lux to the full spectrum to my OTT - LITE Natural Light Spectrums, and the red spectrum was clearly evident. I think they were 18.00 (OTT). The packaging made some pretty strong claims about superiority over others. I looked them up the night I bought them, and I kind of questioned if I might have been a victim of advertizing. They didn't provide a lot of data. Maybe they were a new company, and in fact, I'm going to check them out after I post and see if they have updated.

I bet the people to talk to are all the people growing marijuana. I typed in "Grow Lights" on YouTube and you would not believe the number of videos that came up about growing Marijuana!!! All of them! It was so frustrating! Maybe I should rethink that, lol.

I think (and this is my guess) that for optimum benefits light should probably be changed every six months (I think I just heard my bankcard shriek), but who does that? People with lots of extra ching! I'm still buying lights and fixtures.

Did you notice any changes in how your plants are responding yet? Please share anything you find out. I don't care how small. Those little notations help so much. I will be sure to do the same if I notice anything myself. It can't hurt.

You still have some red spectrum lights on your plants, right?

All I know is that wide spectrum means you are getting exactly the right light for mature plants. You can get by with all kinds of light for seedlings but a mature plant requires the wide spectrum I have been told. But what do I know........I just copy people who are good growers.

I can't imagine paying 18.00 for a light??????????? Although these on Indoor Gardening Supplies are priced at 8 something, when you order a lot of them the price keeps going down. I needed 72 of them and the shipping was about 30.00 in three boxes UPS........but the price of each bulb came back down to 6 dollars and change.

The biggest difference is that the foliage is very nice and firm (as opposed to limpy looking) and the blooms are coming from nowhere............just bloom and bloom..............

72 lights???

*thud*

*Spider faints*

I am very happy with my shelves and lighting/fixtures from IGS. I love what they do for my plants. It is always so nice to find what works for us!

Gail fainted , too, but it was worth it! That is how many indoor units I have (LOL)
Getting a tad bit carried away with propagation which is my real passion in life.

OMG - Spider said it, lol.

Wow, very cool. Yeah, I guess a 20.00 dollar bulb would make me flinch, too. And I'm happy that they are doing what they said they would do! I'm taking notes, too :) Thank

Now here is some of my logic in life.......good example coming forth!

The only reason I had to go to Corpus today was to get my oldest daughter a black leather handbag for her birthday. I just knew they would be on sell at Dillards since this is July 15th or 16th. The bags were only 25% off and I was furious living in this 'podunk' area of Texas with no good shopping. I didn't buy a handbag for her as I know that I can find something wonderful at TJ Max at the Forum in San Antonio or the outlet of Neiman's in San Marcos.

Thinking that I might grab a pair of sandals (mine are really worn out) as Dillards always has good sales on shoes. I ended up with 4 pair at half price..........really feeling good about this buy.

Then I think about how few crop pants I have and that they always have to be ironed.......I decide to buy 2 pair of crop jeans that don't have to be ironed when in a hurry. Next I spot a couple of dynamite cotton white shirts (my favorites).

I came home feeling very narcissistic with new clothes for me and no handbag for Ashley. She won't care as she loves me coming her way to shop..........

I just took a few pics to show you what these new lights are doing for my plants. The first picture is Sinningia Tinkerbell cutting trying to root. It has blooms on it! It is a tiny cutting that Bonnie sent me in a trade.

Everything is in big bloom. Sinningia HCY's Lady Lady

Sinningia Playful Porpoise hasn't stopped blooming.

Nematanthus, Columneas and Aeschyanthus never ever bloom for me inside under the lights. I always have to take them out on the front porch in the fall for cooler weather to set buds. Check out this Columnea Alladin's Lamp,. my first one to bloom in the house. She was just a 2" square pot that I propagated only a few months ago.

How far are your lights from your columnea? and how many bulbs? how many hours?
They are the new brand bulbs, or another full-spectrum? Would you like a cigarette before I fire another question?

epona

Gail, your plants always look so happy and healthy!
You are such a good plant mommy :) And such a great friend too :)

What is that pretty silver baby behind Sinningia Tinkerbell up there? Is that an episcia of some sort? Very cute foliage :)

As always, Playful Porpoise just makes me sigh.........I sure think she is one of the prettiest of all. I don't know if it's the double calyx or the light lavender coloring that does it for me but that one sure does :)

So pretty Gail!

(Hugs)
Kim

Hello there, Kim......how is the waterless household doing tonight! (LOL) Sorry to be teasing about such a sore subject!!

I am the happiest person when I get a box of nothing but cuttings , etc..........behind Tinkerbell is a stolon of Episcia Silver Skies. Won't be long before I can take stolons from her.

If my siningias would quit blooming I would have the nerve to take more cuttings......but I so enjoy the blooms.

Epona, how did you know that I smoke? I need a cigarette whether someone asks me a question or not (LOL) The new wide spectrum lights 40 watt IGS are about 12 inches above the columneas. The episcias can stay on the outside of the lights and still do well and bloom. They don't need as much light.

I always say that I leave the lights on 11 hours a day and that is a lie! They are on 12 hours a day (totally unnecessary for avs, episcias, etc.......but very necessary for the sinningias and columneas. In fact, if you read about columneas, nematanthus and Lipstick plants, Rob recommends 14 hours a day.

What I am planning on doing is: Our violet show is the first week of February..........so, I am going to put all of these plants out on my front porch in November for some cooler weather, bring them back in the middle of December...........and then keep lights on them for two months at least 14 hours a day and see if I can get blooms the first week of February. Who knows what will happen. It is all a gamble about blooming.

I will probably start debudding every African violet and other gessies the first part of September in hopes they will have a big flush of blooms for the show?????????

Do I know what I am doing? NO! I have only been doing this for not even 2 years. It was January of 2007 when I bought my first noid african violet and have been hooked on gessies since then.

I think I will have another cigarette.....sorry, Kim....Kim quit smoking. How many days do you have 'clean' Kimber?

Precious plants, Gail. So pretty and happy. I just have no idea if I can bring myself to take off the blooms to show, ha. I know I should try it. I may have to stick with the arrangements! I am WEAK!

Sally, you were the one giving me a pep talk about doing what I need to do for the violet club. Participation is their only goal as a club. For every plant you enter, we do better as a club. Last year I only entered 9 plants. So, my goal is to have enough pretty plants to increase that number. Did you know that the professionals start debudding at least 9 months ahead for a standard and 4 to 5 months for a semiminiature or a mini?

Hi Gilrs,

Gail, more precious plants from you. I love looking at the photos.

Do sinningias need more light than streps? I always thought that they were plants that thrive in the dark. They have that look about them.
But then, i don't know anything about sinningias.:o(

Gail, everyone is so happy you are in the club. I have heard them talk! You bring SO many plants to sell, enter etc! I remember Marjorie saying wonderful things about your streps. I am newer than you, but I know the club was way diff. without you. I enjoy all of the members, they all seem to love the plants and have been sweet.

Yes, I think I knew you have to disbud so early! I just enjoy my plants so much, don't think I can do it. It sure pays off though!

I thought about skipping the first show just to watch and see what I would do next year, but when I learned participation is so important I did it. I can see why you don't want just a couple of people doing it. It sure was fun to see plants and designs from each person! I think the judges liked it too.

I had fun being part of it too. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of a room full of Gessies! I had never seen that before.

That sure is a pretty episcia Gail :)
The foliage is so striking.
I have SO many things yet to learn. I have been growing only since last October when I found the family here and have really had some ups and downs with it. There have been many tradgedies/failures but also some wonderful joys/successes. Right now I'm learning that summer growing is MUCH different than fall/winter growing and I'm struggling desperately but when fall/winter gets here I plan to make a few accomodations so that hopefully next summer isn't as bad. Lots of my things are still in 3 oz or 1 oz cups so it's really difficult to keep up. I find the bigger pot something can be in the less you need to water it. So hopefully everything in 3 or 1 oz cups will be bigger by next spring and I won't go through this again with as many babies *lol*

Gail, I haven't smoked in 17 days today :) NOT EASY! Some days I just want to cry.........so instead we go walk the beach. We are also not drinking coffee so it's a double wammy for us. My poor kids have no clue who these parents are (hubby is doing it with me) but I think they are happy we are doing it even if we are a little edgy right now *lol*

XO
Kim

Good morning ladies and gentlemen!
I have to get ready for the gang of granchildren coming in after lunch. Haven't even been to the grocery store so I need to race there, get home and unload and then wait for them.

Glad you are still making it Kim!

Sally, I won't give you a hard time about debudding as it kills me, too............that is why I am trying to grow some other possible plants to enter for the club...........It is verrrry hard for me to disbud or debud african violets and everything else.....

*puff* *puff* I didn't. *puff* It's what I'd offer me! *puff*

hey, ya dodged a bullet...how many lights do you hang from each shelf?

Kim,
Congrats! Just think. No more stale smoke smell. No more looking at people make that "face" - from 80 feet away. No more being banned to the smokers corner.

I'm a compulsive smoker. I can't stand it. I quite for a year once. I replaced it with a "bottle" water, and a gym membership. I miss it. Not the water part...just the moving without collapse.

Have a great time, Gail!

Epona,

when you said running around, did you really mean running? Are you a runner?

Hey spider,

No. Even when I was in tip-top shape, running, or actually jogging was never a good experience. I never got the "runner's" high I always hear about. I was a great sprinter though.

You a runner? or anything else?