Linda, you got it! Congrats.

You've mentioned a Bucket Cart a while back..What prompted you to get one?

Can these carts be hauled up and down stairs?

Last month, I purchased two sprayers at HD. One is (Flo-Master, 56 oz,) specifically for spraying, cost 7.00.
The second, (Round Up 2 or 3 gallons?) 18.00, has a wand. The wand comes with 5 end parts..one part allows watering.

One day I hope to get a Bucket Taxi, but have to wait..other priorities come first.

How long does the cart take to fill? Toni

Toni:

Cart is made for a five-gallon bucket. It does not come with one. I didn't time how long it took to fill. ;-)

Sure they can go up and down stairs but I don't think it would be wise with a full bucket. You'd need to wait until you got upstairs to fill.

I love mine. It has made watering those 100+ Oyama Planters I use for my African violets, begonias, streps and small foliage plants a heck of a lot easier. When I flush them I no longer have to take all those planters to the sink. Can run water through into the bucket and roll it to the back door to empty.

Linda

PS: I still water and flush my large foliage plants in the tub.

Any chance you could post some pics of your AV's and other gessies?

I just bought 2 streps, 1 kohleria and 1 episcia last month...I've never tried growing them before.

I would love to see the ones you have. Which type are your favs?

I agree with Elkay. Please post pics.

Elkay. I don't have Streps or Kohleria, (though I'd love adding Kohleria,) but I have one, Chocolate Episcia. It needs a LOT of humidity.
Up until last week, it sat in a small fish bowl.
While carrying groceries, a bag hit the shelf, knocking down the fish bowl..What a mess! lol

Episcias cannot survive direct sun either..especially in summer.
Last year I set mine outdoors, but it was placed on a center shelf/tier, in-between taller plants. It did well, getting fresh air and high humidity.

Good luck..Episcias are so, very beautiful.

Oh, do you have pics of your new plants? Toni

I took pics, but PhotoBucket is screwed up right now and I can't load them. :(

Oh, do you think a humidity level of 57 to 66 is ok for the Episcia or does it need higher?

Elkay:

The best place to get advice about your episcias and streps is the Gesneriad Forum.

In my experience, the only episcias which are fussy are the ones with pink foliage. The others I have grown quite successfully the same as I do my African violets, streps and other gesneriads in Oyama Planters or Volkmann waterers. You don't get as much humidity from the Oyamas as they are closed. Sometimes I set my episcias on humidity trays.

You can find my plants (both past and present) at webshots.com. My id is PlantsandDogs. Or you can search "stonesriver" on the AV forum.

Linda

PS: I also have a PhotoBucket album but like WebShots much better.

Here is a link that might be useful: PlantsandDogs

love your plants & dogs, Stonesriver-

I have similar set up for my 'computer-dog crates & plant room' with shelving, lights.

I am considering buying couple of a.v.'s. I've used violetbarn before, for mini begonias, and think I'll try his 'sample' package for minis . . .

Linda, thanks for sharing your albums - I enjoyed looking at your plants and dogs. I love dogs and have 4 of my own.

I wish I had the room for the shelving with lights like yours.

Toni, here are the plants I got last month. They're still small, so they don't look like much, altho the strep "Bristol's Cat Dance" has a flower stem already.

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Were you able to save your Episcia?

Morning Linda,

I'd have to see a good pic of yur taxi. I typed in Bucket Taxi, but it's difficult making out.
I wasn't aware a bucket needed to be bought seperately. Where did you find a 5-gallon bucket? lol.

Reason I asked about time. Don't know if it's our water pressure, but it takes a good amount of time (never timed, either, lol) filling up the humidifer side containers. Each side holds 2.5 gallons.

Linda, do you top or bottom water plants mentioned above?

Linda, I'm looking at your pics, now. I LOVE your Champagne Pink, 'looks' pure white!!!!!! It is AV?
How long have you had this plant?

I also love your Chimera. What a beauty! So compact.

Linda, I have a problem distinguishing the differences between Columneas and Aeschynanthus, eg, Lipstick Plant.
Other than buying a labeled speciment, how can you tell the two apart?

Your Can Can Begonia is beautiful..nice colors.

Is your Comtesse, Begonia growing as a Bonsai? Shallow pot?
You'll have to explain how it's done.

Linda, I have a Begonia that was labeled, 'Begonia Bonsai,' lol. I'm assuming, when mature, it's thick-trunked.

Your B. Helen Teupel is gorgeous, too..WOW!

Ever hear of B. luxurians? It can reach 6'. Leaves are super-pinate. I want one so bad.

Linda, all your plants are gorgeous.

Sherry, Violet Barn sells really nice plants. There's one I want called Happy Harold. Not so much for flowers, but foliage. I'd also like one Large AV.

Elkay, Very beautiful collection. I see the flower stalk on your Strep.
I've never grown Steps, for some reason I don't think I'd have luck growing one.

Nice AV..What's its name? The pink variegation is so pretty. Never saw pink edges, only white/cream, or pink in the center, but never as an edging.

All 3 of your Episcias are pretty, but my favorite is the third...dark purple foliage. Beautiful!!

Saving my Episcia. Yes and no, lol.

I bought the little guy as a cutting on Ebay. What I didn't know was the seller grew Episcias in her garden, picked and sold them as semi-unrooted plants, on Ebay.

When it arrived, it was healthy, but oh, so small.
I placed in a window, 'no tank.' A few days later it started looking bad. Oh, to top that off, upon arrival, I didn't notice the tallest stem was cracked. Think that's the reason one stem browned and died.

I cut it back and placed pot in the fish bowl, off the side of a west window. Light isn't direct, so no chance of burning foliage.

At the time, I thought the plant history, but suprisingly grew into a nice, colorful, Chocolate Episcia.

It's now in another terrarium, open top, sitting atop another plant. I have to buy another terrarium/fish bowl. This Episcia does best growing alone, 'in a small container.' No room, in the house for a large terrarium.

Before the accident, I bought two nice, glass containers at Walmart, under 15.00. Both are being used for high-humidity plants.

So, as for the Episcia, some parts are doing well, others have browned. I bet there's another break. It's the only Episcia I have, and like to keep.

Pinks are lovely, but no luck on this end. I bought a pink, Cleopatra a few years ago..didn't last long.
I agree with Linda, pinks need more humidity than others.

Elkay, good lucks w/your new babies. How will you keep them? Toni

Toni:

Don't let Champagne Pink fool you. It is a variegate which received too much light and lost its green. Soon after it kicked the bucket (pun intended).

Elkay:

Take your post and photos over to the AV Forum. People there would love to see them and you'll get lots of good advice on all of your gessies. I'll look for you there. :-) BTW, I see by the labels your streps are Bristol varieties. They are extremely hearty growers. I've included a link you might enjoy....as you drool!

Oh, and when you repot, make sure you plant the streps on little "hills" (like you do squash). And let them almost dry out before you water. Mine get close to wilting.

Sherry:

Wait until Summer shipping rates are in! I, personally, order from Lyndon Lyon. Just placed an order for 18 chiritas (also gesneriads) and requested Summer shipping. They don't charge until they ship so put "Summer shipping" in the comments section.

Hope to see you guys over at the AV and Gesneriad forums.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Streptocarpus

thanks for the tip!

I surely will wait-- just a few more weeks . . . .

For Toni:

Don't know how long it takes to fill five gallons but I do know it takes four of them to water all the plants in my office (except six foliage [2 Xanadu, 2 selloum, scheff, Red Congo]) that go to the tub. I think I would have stopping buying plants a long time ago if I had realized it took 20 trips to the sink with my one-gallon watering can!!!! :-)

I am using a three-cup measuring cup to dip water from the bucket and refill the reservoirs. Because the measuring cup isn't as heavy as the watering can there's no discomfort for my hands and wrists. And it doesn't take any longer.

I hook a plastic bag to the Bucket Taxi handle for dead/dying leaves and blooms so I can groom as I go.

Linda

Linda,

Enjoyed your pun, lol.

Depending if I have surgery, and after CC is paid in full, I plan on looking into a Bucket Taxi.

I like the fact water can sit overnight. And like you said, who'd have bought so many plants if we knew the number of trips to the sink/tub/shower we'd be making hauling 2-3 gallon milk containers/watering cans, and/or saving water in milk containers, hiding containers behind large plants like I've done for years. lol.
At one time I had 18 milk containers filled w/water, prepared when a plant/s needed a drink. LOL

Back in the 90's, I bought a 60' or however long hose, (on sale for 7.00) that attaches to the faucet. It's never been used..Reason: I prefer room temp water.

But, who knows, one day it might come in handy.

The day Rentokil, 'nursery I used to work,' closed, we were allowed to take anything we wanted..I WANTED the watering machine..
Instead of a bucket it had a tank. Water was added by attaching a hose to the faucet, the other end of the hose went in the reservoir until the tank filled.
It also had a reservoir for fertilizer, etc, and different type hoses..
On top, under handle were cloth pockets to carry plant supplies. I LOVED this tank.

Of course, someone from another branch asked for the watering machine months before I thought about asking. 'Main IL office.'

This machine couldn't be hauled up stairs unless one was Arnold Schwarzenegger, lol. I discovered the cost was over 1,000.00, so buying one was out.
The reason I asked you if the Bucket Taxi could be hauled up a flight of stairs.

Your new BT sounds wonderful though.
What's your pro/cons opinions? If cons apply.

Toni

Only con would be putting the @#$%^ thing together! I am not mechanically challenged and neither is Gary but we wound up with four "extra" parts.

Linda

Four extra parts, hmm..lol

Sometimes they toss extra parts in a bag in case one is defective. This is the good news.

Or, four parts might need to be attached, somewhere. As long as your Taxi works, you guys did something right..I'd keep the extra parts though.