I put rhizomes and scales in a zip baggie with a small amount of barely damp sphagnum moss and check every so often - to add a drop of water and see when they start sprouting. When they actually start growing - I plant them, usually I fill the pot halfway, spread 3-5 rhizomes, and barely cover with soil. I add more soil when the stems are getting out of the pot. I started adding New Zealand sphagnum milled moss and coarse perlite to the usual 1:1:1 violet mix - and they love it.

Th size, color, shape of the rhizomes depends on the variety - but large rhizomes mean tall plant, and compact varieties have smaller size.

The plants you start from scales usually stay compact this cycle.

I love Kohlerias ;-))

Irina

I've used disbudding and a neem spray before and this time around I started with 'GardenSafe' spray and I'm thinking of moving to neem for the next spray tonight. Use the neem oil 1 tsp per quart mixed with 1/2 tsp dish soap and one quart warm water...put in spray bottle and shake and spray. Keep shaking! Apply every 5 to 10 days. It's safe for the AVs AFAIK and I didn't have any reactions.

Good luck...thrips for me, are not so damaging (so far) as they are pesky and I don't want them all over my other plants!!!!

minibot

Here is a link that might be useful: gardenweb thread

I have several of them - and when you propagate them - they sport a lot. Most often they reverse to EverPraise - the light blue one.

Good luck - and if you are going to make a buck to offset your hobby's expenses - try to grow chimeras - they are always in demand, streptocarpus etc. - it seems to me that the AV market is more than filled.

Good Luck to your enterprize.

I.

Most folks use one cool white and one warm white per fixture.

Try looking up african-violet-brats from the AVSA links and they have a section on lighting, called "who turned out the lights"

Erlyberd

Here is a link that might be useful: where I picked up the tip about warm water

All the other varieties I have in clay are doing wonderfully as well. I find I have to water a little more often, but the plants respond to the extra soil aeration by growing at an accelerated pace, which ultimately means more foliage and more blooms.

Every two months I change off different fertilizers. This is to also get the different secondary nutrients. So I use:

Peters 20-20-20
Peters 15-36-12
Yard Pro 10-52-10 (used right before shows to increase flower count)

Then I return to the 20-20-20. Ocassionally I foliar feed with the fertilizer water. You can also use Bloom Boosters where the number is very high. Superthrive. Often I use Fish emulsion.

Most fertilizers are around $4.00 and it lasts a very, very long time.

Nancy

Good Luck

Irina

My guess would be too dry (a problem at this end of the year, with everyone running their heaters). I hope it's something this simple.

Good luck.

Korina

Here is a link that might be useful: Doctor Optimara

Don't plant more than about 10-20 seed the first time in case the soil dries up or for some reason it doesn't work. Then you can try again.

Use a dark container, green or black so algae doesn't grow and destroy the seedlings. Moisten the soil well before sowing.

Tear open the package with a white paper under it. Crease the white paper. Pour a few seed on the paper. They are very tiny so watch how you breathe. Tap the creased white paper so that the seeds roll down into the mix. Do not cover with soil. Cover with Plastic Bag and put on refrigerator for bottom heat. In a few days, check for moisture. Spray top of soil if necessary and place under lights.

Germination should be from 7-21 days. When seedlings are still quite small pick up a few very carefully and transplant to another container with the same type of soil.

Frequent transplatation is supposed to make them grow more quickly.

Have fun!

Nancy