how exciting--don't ya just love a surprise^_^
May Flowers 4
Nothing too exciting, it's Optimara "Annabelle" I don't have any violets with the bell flowers, and I just felt like buying something, so here it is. They also had a pink one, same bells, think it's "Isabelle"...It was a tough choice, but I went with Annabelle, because the pink looked kinda pale and washed out.
Does the center crown look a little crowded? I just repotted it and removed alot of scrawny new leaves growing around the bottom.
The center does look crowded and there is small one leaf headed towards the center that looks like it's a leaf from a sucker and needs to be removed. Annabelle is nice with it's bell flowers...blooms heavily.
Back to Lynn's fantasy strep. If Susan has ever had Ako Happy Splash (very rare one), she would know it I would think. It would sell for a high price. Personally, I have never seen it offered. Has anyone?
Someday I would like this Dibley's strep 'Jacquie'. Photo from Dibley's website.
sometimes ebay does,i had an idea about that but i wont post it on here,next time we talk remind me GL,ill let you know what it is
JIM
Jacquie has been on ebay several times. I got one from a vendor on ebay but was so small she passed away...............even being domed.
I followed that leaf to it's origin, looks like a new little rosette is coming up practically from the center of the plant. I always expect to see them on the sides, and I hadn't noticed it when repotting, just noticed that alot was going on in there.. it's ok to just remove it at it's base?
Ok, JIm.
I do know what you mean, Gail, all too well.
Jmp25...yes, remove anything that doesn't belong. Look carefully for the proper center leaves and do not remove them.
ok - pretty tight in there, but I use very thin manicure tools. It looks like there may even be more than one sucker. Thanks!
I never had that plant.. I did get leaves from ebay and I don't remember that name from them either... I would remember the odd ones better then others... Sorry but happy for you... Could it be one of say Neils Strawberry or just Strawberry?
Ok I have a picture of a Sinn Jan sent to me and boy I like this type of Sinn... Is this as big as it will get or do they grow bigger? The flower is beautiful... Thank you so much Jan....
Hugs,
Susan
AHEM! Of the few streps I own, Jacquie is one! :-p
it is very small though...
It just jumped off the screen a grabbed me one day when I was surfing ebay.
Jennifer--I saw at least 2 leaves that looked like suckers--willing to bet there are more smaller ones lurking under the bigger leaves. I love bell flowers--And I love that particular plant. Very pretty!
I just got a new florist's gloxinia and want to grow sinningias again..............Jan and I grew from seed the kind you have, Susan and I think they are great!!!! The new one I am getting is 'Paula' from DT.
cool
save me some cuttings this time gail lol
JIM
Lucky you for Jacquie, phoebesviolets. I have to admit I've seen it too but my wallet zipped itself up real tight and said no way!
Susan, what a beautiful deep dark sinningia.
I didn't realize that David Thompson is hybridizing big streps............I paid an arm and a leg for her, but I hope the new ones he puts on won't be so expensive.........
My wallet needs to be zipped up tightly, GL>>>>>>>>>>
Thank you I think it is pretty also... So is this a florist's gloxinia? On the tag it says Sinn Sp Early Giant. I hope it does now grow to big...LOL I have one more and it also has buds coming and it is diffrent then this one... yeah...
Can someone here tell me how if you have a name of a seller you find them on ebay? Thanks
Hugs,
Susan
Gail,
I have purchased about eight Streps. from David Thompson lately on Ebay.All have been at very reasonable prices,considering he sends blooming plants,not tiny starters.The second bloom on my possible sport is the same as the first.
Susan,
Your Sinn. will need a rest after it blooms and each time you regrow it the tuber will be larger.
Lynn
HUH? you mean I should pinch it back or what??? Sorry I am a little stupid at times...LOL
Hugs,
Susan
I bought some of DT's streps, too................beautiful strep material.........like I have never seen from a vendor.
Susan, Early Giant will get very large............needs lots of light but you seem to have accomplished that real well................
David said that after they bloom you take all the leaves off except the bottom ones...........no one has ever told me that...........they always said to take all the leaves off the tuber and store the tuber for awhile in a dark closet.........David had different instructions but his are not seed grown like yours and mine, Susan............
I think on the seed grown ones, you can pinch all you want.................?????????
So I will let the four blooms bloom then take leaves off except the last two? They have plenty of light where they are so I am going to keep them there... I don't know if mine were seed grown or not...LOL Thanks for the help.
Hugs,
Susan
Susan,I think yours is a seed grown one from Jannich.I have one ready to bloom in a few days.They are much like florist Gloxinnias.When they are done blooming,if the foliage starts to die back,reduce water and let it die.I always just leave them in the pot,without light, and throw on about 1 tablespoon of water every week or two,until you see new growth.Then move them to light and water and feed as normal.
I pinched the baby one Jan sent me and it keeps the plant a little more compact.I have never heard of the technique Gail mentioned,but it makes sense to me.
Lynn
I had never heard of it either.........I can't go back and copy and paste those instructions, but I bet I get an instruction sheet in the mail for it.............when it arrives..........
Insructions from David Harris?
I'll prolly end up giving it away
so glad I haven't been bit by the strep bug...YET....
Phoebe, you are right about Annabelle. There are a few new plants trying to get started. Will not be easy cutting them out, pretty crowded in there. I should have done it before repotting. I'll probably do it today.
Lynn, no.........instructions from David Thompson.......the great hybridizer of streps. He also hybridizes all kinds of plants...........
Oh, I guess I didn't realize he was the hybridizer on the other plants.I only knew about his lovely Streps.
Gail - does he recommend one type of fertilizer over another? Orchid vs. AV food, etc?
I just remember that he said use any fertilizer......20-20-20 and don't use bloom boosters on streps...........he also said not to make your own mix......always use a standard mix (like AV mix or whatever) because you won't get enough trace elements without a good packaged mix made professionally.
This was on the sheet in the box of streps i got.......
I wonder what his mix is? It looks very peaty and can look extremely dry on top,but still be moist.Also,his leaves are sometimes very shiny.
Lynn
I am highly suspicious that he is growing in Miracle Grow with a lot of perlite, Lynn................a friend and I are going to try a few in this mix and see what happens.............I do know he adds trace minerals to his mix like (STEM)..............He may also be growing in peat but he knows much more than we do about amending the plain peat and perlite..............
I can make my leaves look so shiny with neem oil....................spraying it on.....................
Hi Peps,
First I want to say about Miracle Grow soil, when I used it I had more fungus gnats then ever... I use a different type of soil/whatever it is called now and I do still get them but by no means as many as I use to..... Second, I thought neem oil was not good to spray on streps? I would think it would not let them breath... Although since you use it Gail and grow much more then I and also much better you would know... So how do you use it? I have it but never opened the bottle...LOL Thanks for any help.
Hugs,
Susan
The truth is Susan..............I actually use that 3 in 1 fungicide more than I use neem oil to make them look shiny............I didn't even know that Neem oil is not good for them. Thanks for telling me. I can't think of the 3 in 1 but it is primarily for powdery mildew.......which I don't even have but the leaves shine so much when I use it to spray them.
Maybe someone else will come along that knows something about neem oil and streps..........when I do use it I use 1 tablespoon per gallon of spray................which is, by the way, too much for all the streps..................
I noticed that when DT's streps came on several occasions there were tons of gnats (but they are harmless......just annoying).....which makes me further think he is growing in Miracle Grow potting soil..........in some way................I have changed alll his soil by now.
I am not saying that neem is bad but I know someone told me that to much is not good and really better to avoid altogether... I am not sure if it was Terri, or someone else about the Miracle Grow and low and behold it was the MG that had the stupid eggs in it... I have traps/sticky things up and they use to catch tons of them now I hardly see any on the new ones... I love when the leaves are shiny and allot of yours always look that way when you take pictures... Maybe one day I will get brave enough to try it on my leaves...LOL
Thanks for the help.
Susan
I have never tried neem oil,but some leaf shine stuff I have probably has that in it.I never use it,so it's getting pretty old by now LOL.
I'm not sure if DT uses Miracle Grow or not.Maybe.....the texture reminds me of Jiffy Mix with perlite added or a mix I buy called 3B.
I sometimes just wash the leaves under the kitchen faucet...............(but always let dry before they go back under the lights)......
Lynn...........you might be right about the jiffy mix with perlite..............it is darker and heavier than any mix I have..........
I can't quite figure it out either.