Trailer Troubles

Well,it seems I post nothing but trouble with my av's ...LOL

First is Champange Pink...growing beautifuly but seems to have trouble blooming. It will start bloom stalks only ot have them dry up before getting big enough to open.

here's Foxwood Trail on the left and Redwood Trail on the right. Both were started at the same time from leaf. Foxwood grows and blooms like crazy but as you can see Redwood is sloooowww to grow and has never bloomed.

This message was edited Nov 7, 2008 7:39 AM

I don't always have problems with my av's. Here's a Optimara mini blooming nicely

bigred - I don't know alot about trailers, even though I do have a few of them myself. I think all your plants are looking good.

I will research the blooming problem, though, once I get to work.

Do you think the pot the Foxwood Trail is in may be a bit big for the plant?

I've noticed on alot of my AV's that some grow/bloom faster than others. I have an Optimara Millennium that I rescued from HD in May. It was looking a bit sad, so I debudded and removed some leaves before I repotted. It just this week started blooming again. 6 months it took to bloom again! The rescue from Walmart I did the same thing at the same time, and it's bloomed almost constantly starting just a few weeks after repotting.

What is the name of your Optimara? It is very pretty!

Foxwood Trail was repotted back in early summer and it's grown a lot and already starting dry out too quickly between watering even though it's on a Watermaid. Redwood Trail on the other hand might be in too big of a pot.

Lot of my av's look good...just hard headed about blooming....and some certainly are slooooowww growing. I do fertilize at each watering and flush about every 6 weeks or so.

Don't know the name of the OP mini keep meaning to go to OP webpage to try to id but I just haven't gotten around to it

Doh! I meant the Redwood Trail may be in too big a pot . . .

Back to the Optimara . . . how big is it so far?

Maybe it is:

Optimara Meg (6963) 11/19/1988 (Holtkamp) Semidouble pink two-tone/lighter center. Medium-dark green, glossy, wavy, serrated girl foliage. Standard

or

Optimara Little Cherokee (7489) 02/09/1991 (Holtkamp) Semidouble-double pink/darker center. Medium green, heart-shaped, hairy, serrated. Semiminiature

it's in a 3 " Kord pot. I put the stapler in the picture in hopes it'd give an idea of it's size

Don't really know about the dried up blossoms. Usually that is caused by low humidity or too much heat, but if everything else is blooming that can't be it. How much light are they getting? Each individual plant is genetically different. Some like more light than others. Try putting the Redwood trail closer to the source of light. You could always try turning a 4 inch pot upside down and sit it on top of it. Just something to try. : )

Your AV looks just like my Optimara's Little Ottawa. It's a sweetie.

it certainly does look like Little Ottawa.

I'm going to see what I can use to get Redwood Trail closer to the light.

Here is what Dr. Optimara has to say: http://www.optimara.com/doctoroptimara/20922-21604/20928.html

Well,I turned over a 4"pot and set it closer to light. If that doesn't help,I'll pot it back down.I 'll trying weakening the fertilizer too. I forget sometimes,these mini's don't need as much as standards and they get watered from same watering can.