Anyway, after a rough summer on the plants, I’m anxious to see them in tiptop shape again. A huge part of my problem this summer was with my inconsistent watering practices. I typically bottom-water in community trays, and the plants are not always at the same level of dryness. Some will stay wetter longer or dry out quicker. Over-watering dry plants will rot them quicker than you can determine how to save them, and I did lose a few plants to rot this summer. Also, when the plants are dry, you should never fertilize them. Needless to say, my plants went a good portion of the summer without food. They are hungry!
What a rough summer my poor plants have had. I’m anxious to get back into the plant room and undo the neglect! Already, I’ve been tackling repotting and cleaning, weeding and purging, restarting leaves, etc. Just this week alone, I’ve repotted nearly 40 plants and set quite a few leaves down for propagation. I routinely like to restart some of my favorite varieties from leaves so that not only can I keep a duplicate, but also to be sure that they are still producing true vegetatively. Plus, isn’t it just fun to grow more plants from leaves? No matter how long you have grown violets, seeing little mouse ears never really loses its appeal. Anyway, after a rough summer on the plants, I’m anxious to see them in tiptop shape again. A huge part of my problem this summer was with my inconsistent watering practices. I typically bottom-water in community trays, and the plants are not always at the same level of dryness. Some will stay wetter longer or dry out quicker. Over-watering dry plants will rot them quicker than you can determine how to save them, and I did lose a few plants to rot this summer. Also, when the plants are dry, you should never fertilize them. Needless to say, my plants went a good portion of the summer without food. They are hungry! This is why I don’t feel as though bottom-watering violets will give you the best results. I do it because it’s easier and quicker, and I’m generally conscientious enough to avoid problems. But if I had fewer plants or were growing specifically for show, I would wick water my violets. I think the even moisture and regular, hands-on care of each individual plant really will yield the best results. <--- So, I decided to set up some of my plants on reservoirs again. I chose a few favorites that I want to see beautiful again, and I also chose some new ones that I’d like to evaluate. If I give plants on wicks my best care, I will know very quickly how well they will do and if they’re worth keeping in my collection. I’ll try to keep you all updated on a few of my newer varieties. We’ll check in with them periodically and see how they’re doing. A brand new one for me is Celina Elegance by Hortense Pittman. I received a leaf from my friend Andrea almost a whole year ago! And I’m just now separating babies! Yes, that is really how behind I am this summer! It’s terrible, I know, but I really want to watch this one and see how it does. A couple other new ones for me are Imp’s Christmas Wrap and Tiptop. Tiptop is an older semi-mini, also by Hortense, but it’s showing great promise and really nice form. The Imp’s series by J. Jackson is relatively new, so I’m curious to see how this miniature plant will perform for me. So far, it’s looking a little big for a mini, but it shouldn’t take long now to see how it matures. Happy Fall, everyone! I hope the new cooler season is inspiring you to tidy up, repot and rejuvenate as well. Think of it as “spring cleaning” in the violet room! Until next time, good growing.
2 Comments
Squizon
10/13/2012 01:57:50 pm
Wow! What a purty and clean plant stand -- looks great!
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10/14/2012 07:23:21 am
LOL. You wanna come over sometime and help me clean the other two? :)
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