Good Morning All,
I introduced myself on another thread (couldn't figure out how to post a new topic:).
I'm a New newbie, by that I mean I've got a total of 7 streps and two leaves that I'm trying to nurture.
(More questions on those leaves in another post:)
A few months ago, I accidently grew some babies. Now it looks like my little ones need help.
There are 5 new leaves growing, I was waiting for them to get to the two inch mark, which I've read is when they should be potted up. The largest leaf is about one inch and the others are about 1/2 that size.
The trouble is, I've noticed that they have stopped growing!! They are in a mixture of perlite and spaghum moss, under my grow lights.
Can anyone give advice on what to do now?
Thanks,
Marlene in Georgia
Intro & Question
Welcome, Marlene!
Do you have any pix of your babies?
Welcome!!!
Welcome to the forum from another lurker.
I was drawn into this by all the beautiful pictures that these gals and guys post. I look at
the posts everyday, and love the pictures. I'm growing a few AVs, Streps, Episcia and I have a charita Nimbus in bloom.
I remember when I started reading all the posts, that I thought there must be some very strange characters on here because they kept talking about "wicked" plants. I couldn't figure out why they kept growing them if they thought they were evil. Finally, someone posted a picture of their trays and I laughed at myself for a week.
Hope you post regularly . Lou
HEHE, EVIL plants!!! It is funny when we start something new and have to learn about what people are talking about! :)
Hello Sallyblooms, Syrumani and Dispatcher1,
Dispatcher Thanks So Much for the Best Laugh I've had in a while:) I'm still smiling:)
I have a phone that takes pictures, (a friend gave it to me after I dropped my cell phone on its head and gave it a major concussion plus lots of broken bones:)
But I don't have any cords or anything else to go with it so I'm not sure how to upload pictures to the net.
I've got lots of questions though. Can anyone tell me why my babies may have stopped growing? Should I attempt to repot? I should tell you that they grew "accidently".
I was trying to get some baby streps and just when all leaves appeared to have rotted, I was throwing the leaves out when I noticed that one leaf and a few small fine roots growing, so I popped the leave into a container and voila 5 babies came. The problem is, as I've said, they haven't grown in about 10 days.
Advice?
Thanks,
Marlene
give them time,they will grow,i dont separte my babies until they are good size,3 or 4 inches and theyve bloomed,at least once
jim
Streps are just slow. there are some varieties that are faster and some are really slow. I've read if you take a toothpick and just jiggle the roots a little, it encourages them to grow. Worth a try. Congrats on your little ones. I have been trying for a couple years to grow them from leaves and had very litle luck. Right now I have three that actually have babies!
Welcome to the forum! I'm from Georgia too! The local Dixie African Violet Society is having their convention in Chattanooga, TN in May..you should drive up and see the wonderful violets and streps, episcia, etc that people grow and show.
tish
Hi, Marlene! I just wanted to say hello, I'm new and just learning about streps.
Alexandra
Hello All,
Thanks for your feedback.
Jim, I'm confused. You don't separate the babies from the mother leaf til they have bloomed???? I thought I had to wait til the leaves reached about 2 inches?
Tish, jiggle the roots huh, I'm going to give this a try. It sure can't hurt!!
I won't be able to make the trip to Chatanooga, where you planning on going?
Hey Alexandra, Thanks for writing. And welcome to you too!!
Welcome to the gessie forum Marlene4!
marlene by the time the babies bloom the momma leaf is long gone,for me as a rule the momma leaf starts to rot not long after babies are up, so i dont do much with them , im finding when i do take babies off , they dont do so well or they are stunted and shocked,
so with me i plant my cutting,wait till the babies are a few inches high,then i bring them out of domes and let them bloom
now if they get tall,(over 6 and hasnt bloomed,ill transplant them and they bloom shortly after wards,
JIM
Jim,
Let me see if I understand correctly. I have about 5 small leaves (babies) coming from one leaf that I placed in a domed perlite/sphagmum moss mix.
You are saying that I should remove the whole kit and kaboodle; repot it wait til bloom then retransplant???
If so, I think I really like this idea!! I'm going to look for a suitable container now while I wait for your response (to see if I've read your directions correctly:)
Thanks!!
No just leave them alone till they are really good size,or are blooming,if you mess with them now,they might get stunted,
JIM
Thanks Jim,
The leaves have still not grown:( Is it possible that they are stunted now? I checked this morning and one of the leaves is starting to turn brown.
Thanks Again,
Marlene
If I go to the Dixie convention in Chattanooga, it will only be for one day. Saturday, to see the show plants and visit the venders. I'll drive up and back. It will be a long day, but I'll have someone go with me. I would have loved to go for the full convention, love the train and they are having Benny Goodman type orchrasta and such, would be nice as I'm into the big band and all, but I'm going to the gesneriad convention end of June outside DC and I can't afford to do both. This will be my first gesneriad convention and I'm pretty excited about it. Next year the Dixie convention will be in Athens, GA and our clubs are help hosting it, so I guess I'll be there for that....hope as much fun as it will be a lot of work.
I have only once been able to get a strep leaf to a plant. One other time it sat 1/2 inch tall for months and months and then turned brown and died. Guess it was stunted.
Thanks for that info about keeping the babies together. I put down 3 leaves a few months ago and they have a lot of little plantlets as I've only gotten Echo a couple years ago to a plant, I can use any help! I keep hoping I'll have success! And I keep trying, so I have a chance!
tish
Whoever does go to convention in TN, can you keep an eye out for a Playful Dreamer for me?
Hi All ,
Marlene and Alexandra , I too welcome you both, I am new here as well and have found that everyone here is a delight to talk to and read the posts of , just really wonderful squishy ( huggable ) people , they offer all the help they can and offer friendship as well , they are all just such nice to know people and Lou you just made me laugh so hard , the giggles took awhile to settle so I could see to read more , you are a gift , a gift that brings joy , thank you , Jim is a dear and Gail is so very sweet , Carolyn was the first to contact me to say hi and offer seeds as a welcome gift and planted the seeds of friendship as well , all are so very nice here .
As far as your babies go I planted my leaves by removing the rib and really didn't have any expectations as I had never done this before , I found the instructions on line and just did what it said , I did this with Tar Jar Roger and Spin Art and now Serendipity and the first ones have more babies than I can count so it worked but to get to the next step I haven't a clue , I just assumed when they got big I would move them to their own apartments and go from there . I was not clear on if you have already separated them from mom into their own pots ? if so maybe they aren't showing growth because they are trying to fill the pot with roots and just not making leaves much yet ? I guess I am in the dark myself but the bulb comes back on when someone turns on the power with advise and that is what we can have here , I hope things are getting better with your babies and keep on asking if you need help cause you will find it here :)
Thank you to all the friends here and I hope all the moms have a wonderful Mother's Day :)
Connie Lynn
Welcome everyone!! I haven't been around much lately--still fighting with the internet satellite--It is always nice to see new faces!!! Looks like we have to cut a tree now for things to work right. It was spared by the ice storm--but is no longer straight so leafing out in the "line of sight" according to the satellite folks--the good thing--according to DH is that ebay doesn't load worth a whit-LOL--whatever-hope they hurry up with DSL down here, all the money i'm not spending on ebay can help pay to get a landline brought in^_^
Nice to see you Gran...been sitting on my ebay clicking fingers myself! Hope your internet probs are resolved soon. Happy Mother's day!
Same to you!!!