Advice on Strep cultivation and care

Evening everyone!

I've always thought much of the group of people on the gessie forum (and still do!), and while I've become more of a lurker this past year, I still grow and love my plants! There is quite a large group of you that grows streps, and obviously really well by all the beautiful photos! While episcias have always been my favorites, and I have no problems growing them... I dearly love the streps for their big, colorful blooms! I have tried and tried and tried to grow them, and nearly always end in failure! :o(

A little while back, I bought a number of leaves from Nancy on the DG Marketplace and stuck them down. They have come along, and most now have babies. I really don't want to mess them up this time. All you experts out there (and you know who you are!) please help! Please post any and all advice on this thread... when to detach the babies, the best growing medium, to wick or not to wick, etc., etc. Don't hold back.

I'll give and example. Streps I've had in the past, they do OK for a few weeks and then all of a sudden the leaves go limp and seem to get... mushy? It's hard to put an exact word to it... they don't dry up... they stay green... but they get soft and feel... mushy. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? What is happening to them and what am I doing wrong???

More than a year ago, when it first came out, I went wild for 'Spin Art'... had to have it! Bought one, a baby... babied it along... the same thing would happen! When it would do that, I would quickly pull off the best leaf or leaves, and stick them down real quick, and would start new babies. The original plant would die, but I would get a few babies and try again. Just this fall I thought I really had it down this time. 'Spin Art' was growing beautifully, and I had a couple of leaves that were over four inches long. And "Woo-Hoo!"... I even had a bud develop! I was so excited. It would be my first bloom! Then.... yep! It happened again! So I took the two big leaves and stuck them down... just a week ago in fact. Below is all that is left of my little plant! I am trying to baby it along... but I don't know.

Please, please help me! I kind of consider myself to have a pretty good green thumb, but these streps are hard!

Thanks alot!!!

Strep 'Spin Art'... pitiful, huh?

Here is one of my leaves... 'Fancy Pants'... with babies.

Now, that does not look pitiful to me at all! It really doesn't! I can't see anything wrong. BUT ... LOL, I can't keep a Strep alive for more than a week or two at most! So, unfortunately I can't give you any advice. I will be watching this thread though for tips ... keep saying I will some day get Strep's to like me! ^_^ I just haven't figured them out yet.

Your soil is too wet,make sure your soil is light,i would go 50 50 with perlight,and then add charcoal,if that doesnt work use more perlight,streps dont like to be kept wet,
and they love to be kept cool, your babies look good,and your spin art should be ok
if not ill have extras come spring get ahold of me,if not i at least should have leaves
JIM

Thanks... so far like the advice. Keep it coming!

I will definitely keep you in mind JIM!

My plant light shelf is in our bedroom, and that is the coolest room in our apt. We also have a fan on in there. The soil mix is one part peat, one part perlite, and one part vermiculite, with a bit of charcoal for sweetness. Still too heavy?

yes cut out the vermiculite,and use more perlite then soil,and the charcoal is a good idea

JIM

When should I separate the babies from the mother leaves?

Yay-- I was just going to post that question!! I have my first babies ever--now what??? How big do they need to be before "weaning", how & what do I pot them in?

id wait till they are a few inches tall,if thats what you want to do,wanna know what I do,
unless Ive got lot of babies from a leaf,ill just let them grow,and pot them in a bigger pot
but i dont do that until they are at least 3 or 4 inches or better,or theyve bloomed
I dont seperate them (unless someone wants babies )then Ill share)

That is what I needed to know!! I haven't been feeding the momma leaf-- just plain water--can I do that now? Can I feed leaves that have rooted but no babies yet? Also-- I read somewhere that liquid kelp is a good foliar feed for streps--at what ratio would i dilute it?

once the mother leaf is rooted, I start a light fertilization .................even before the babies...........I just use my 20 nitrogen orchid mix..........don't use a high second number on babies or leaves..........they need more nitrogen.
I don't let mine get as big as Jim but I also don't live in North Dakota..........I am in zone 9 and start potting them in solo cups when they just look healthy and maybe an inch and 1/2.............although it doesnt hurt anything to let them grow bigger..........

remember how shallow the roots are and use a solo cup or a very tiny pot like 1"..........those babies don't have big roots.....it looks like you have a mighty big pot you are using..........

This message was edited Dec 7, 2008 12:23 PM

Here are some babies growing in their solo cups.........I will not move them up to a 21/2" square until their roots fill these solo cups............