Hi,
I am confused. My AV's are doing great, blooming but some of them are getting very crowded up top
I am supposed to pick off the suckers right? From the sides and bottoms? Am I correct that the new leaves should only be allowed to grow from the top?
Some of mine lay down nice and flat and then others have leaves that are curling on top because they don't have enough room to open. They eventully lie flat, but look funny for awhile and the blooms get trapped under the many leaves. I am just not sure what to do.? Any suggestions? They get plenty of light.
How to keep AV' s manageable?
Do you gow your plants under artificial light or in natural? Violets other than trailers should be grown single crown and all suckers removed. Without a photo, it's difficult to analyze the problem. Are the center leaves odd looking in any way such as greyish, fuzzy, etc?
If grown under artificial light, perhaps they are getting too much light and are bunching in the center. Are these violets Optimaras? Please provide more info.
Thank you GoldLeaf,
They are grown under artificial light and I didn't ever think that they might be getting too much light. I have always worried that they didin't get enough. The centers are healthy, just all bunched up. Also, yes those ones are Optimara, is that a tendeny of theirs?
I haven't been able to figure out how to take pictures and put them on the site yet, so I am sorry I can't be of more help there. I appreciate your help.
What is considered a "sucker"? the ones that grow in the middle of the stem or at the bottom or both?
Optimaras many times don't do well with a lot of artificial light. Whenever I have tried them, they ended up way at the end of the shelf or even between two stands on a stepstool where it got softer reflected light and not directly on them. They are sturdy greenhouse grown plants bred for the average grower in natural light. I would try cutting the number of light hours back on them. How many hours a day do you run the lights?
Also, when you touch the centers of the violets, do the leaves feel hardened?
A sucker can grow near the soil line at the base of the plant or in between the leaves. Removing the center crown leaves can cause suckers to grow there also. A no-no except for trailers when you want a multi-crowned plant.
GoldLeaf ... Thank you for all this great info, I've learned some new things about AV's from this thread! I might just have to give them a try again!
Lin, you might want to try again. I know how much you like pink and I am growing many varieties with lots of pink. When I go to the maavs convention in a couple of weeks, my focus will be pretty variegated violets to purchase and any thing else that catches my eye in streptocarpus or any other gesneriad of interest. Maybe you should consider semiminiatures (under 9" across) as they are manageable in size and tend to grow symmetrical or variegated trailers as an option. As I gaze into my crystal ball, I see you with some nice violets within the next year ^_^
BTW, I had a wonderful time in Florida. Perfect weather and lots to see and do. Ate too much in the great restaurants. I kept dreaming of getting a condo on the beach and staying there. I hollered at you facing south on St. Augustine beach. Did you hear me?
LOL GoldLeaf ... you know, I thought I heard someone calling my name a few days ago! It was very faint like it was some distance away ... I bet it was you! ^_^
Regarding your crystal ball showing me with some nice violets in the coming year, hmm ... I might just have to try a couple of the semi-miniature AV's and maybe a trailer or two! I just wish I could downsize all the other plants and stick to one collection but, you know how that goes! My two lighted plant stands are just some cheapy metal stands I bought at Wal-Mart and the lights are not the big ones on chains, just some cheap ones I wired to the shelves on the stands. I think that is one of the reasons I haven't had a lot of luck ... mainly improper lighting. But, I do have a problem with crammed packed shelves too ... the plants aren't real happy with others encroaching upon their space. I do best with plants that thrive on neglect because I tend to neglect my plants sometimes.
I was just looking at a shelf today and decided to clean a bit. I cut these stems off a Chirita Tamiana a week or so ago and just left them laying on the tile shelf ... look at these ugly dried up seedpods with the teensy seeds everywhere! They look like little ants except they aren't moving! LOL. I'm going to take my little paintbrush and try to brush them into a container of soil to see if they germinate.
Look at all those seeds! Maybe take a little fine brush and sweep them up on a white piece of paper. You'll have zillions of tamiana. I like those.
Hello again Goldleaf and thank you,
I am probably giving them too much light about 12 hours a day. And yes they do feel hard. You sure know your AV's! Thank you very much and I will pull them back from the lights some, maybe put them on the table where everyone can enjoy them.
I will look at the optimara and rob site about the suckers Plantladylin thank you.
Yes, cut way back on the hours of light. 8 hours might be plenty on the Optimaras. You'll see when the foliage improves over time and your centers grow out softer and smother.
This past spring I had some Optimara AV's that weren't looking good. I had them under the lights about 14 hours a day! Annabelle and Isabelle ended up looking like palm trees with real long necks. Others had hard little leaves in the crown ... which I thought might be mites although I couldn't see anything with a loop. I still pitched them all! I almost bought a pretty Optimara AV at Home Depot a couple of weeks ago. Wal-Mart had bunches too but theirs were left out in the hot sun and then the pouring rain! Next time I'm at HD, if they have any good ones I might pick up a few.
I have my shelf lights set at different heights and oh about last week I moved a couple of my favorites up closer to the light to be good to them. Well, after your last e-mail I went and took a close look at them and darned if they aren't starting to look a little bunchy at the crown (and so quick) Thank you very much! This problem has plagued me for over 2 years and I kept putting them closer and closer to the light!! I never would have guessed.
MyAV's thank you too.
14 hours a day for Optimaras is waaaay tooo much. That might have been the problem, Lin. In fact, it most likely was!
Rustyswoman...let us know how your violets do in the future. I hope your problem has been solved and your violets will do well for you.
I have learned so much from this thread!
Oh good...we all can learn things all the time. I do know from experience that Optimaras can be the dickens to grow under lights and require much less than other hybrids. Also, species violets seem to require less light than the fancier hybrids.
If I ever buy another Optimara I think I will grow it in natural light on a window sill and see how that works!
Sure, Lin. Why not? If you see one you like, enjoy it.