Here are my round robin leaves and plants.
Cork

Got the box today, lovely selection!!. George, thank you so much for the tremendous number of leaves. I am not a huge standard collector, so just kept a few of those. The leaves I kept are:

Optimara Little Crystal
Ramblin Dot
Alsobia
Hawaiian pearl
Mermaid
Ever Joy
Optimara Evelyn
Michelle
Romance
Optimara Michigan
Buckeye Legal Tender
Looking Glass
Rebels Beck

There are a total of around 30 leaves and 4 plantlets.

The box will be shipped out tomorrow to Vikki. The tracking # is

9405 5096 9993 9244 1591 09

thanks Deb for a great fall round robin,

Minal

Minal,
Glad you found some neat selections!

George,
Thanks for posting the VISUAL pic! Wow, nice plants, leaves! It's fun hearing about what's in the box and what's picked! :)

Go RR--- Go! Weather's been perfect lately! Fall is here!

Deb

Kinda last call if anyone else wants to start a Fall RR. Just checking-- no pressure. ;) IF you were thinking/debating- now's your chance, post a new thread. It's already the 20th/Sept. The box would travel, through October- and that's really about it for 'safe' violet shipping. Major violet shippers end shipping in Nov. And do- heatpacks/fiberglass anytime after the end of Oct.
Also, if you do a swap, limit the participants. Usually 2 per week- (2 box stops) and 4 weeks left- 8 participants to do a safe shipping swap. Temps dive super bad in November. Frozen violets = not happy traders, LOL!
So- just a quick thought, reminder...

Deb

I'd love to start one, but I don't have enough named violets to do a box. Maybe I can in the spring though. I have lots of gorgeous things growing! :)

George, thanks for sharing the fun! I'm happy to see your well-cared-for selections.

Thanks for sharing your choices with us, Minal. I couldn't find descriptions for buckeye legal tender or rebels beck though.

Hope all things go well for Vikki tomorrow.

Sue

Surgery went well yesterday and my husband now knows how to snip AV leaves for me. :) Anyway, the box is off to Brunilda today. Tracking # 9405903699300258525956.

Excited already to see what's coming!

Next-
Brunhilda
Chiqui
Eileen
Kaity
Back home to Deb...

Vikki,
So glad your surgery went well! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

I hope there is/was a really good selection of leaves, plantlets in the box! I want Everyone to really enjoy our RR's! This one is going fast- the weathers cooling off in most areas, Fall's here!

Please Everyone- be generous in packing the box, it's fun to get it when there is a good selection!

Deb

I kept Girelda but can't find any info on her. Or is it Cirelda? But it looks like a 'G'.

This post was edited by vivey on Wed, Sep 24, 14 at 12:23

I had to replace the box because it looked like an elephant sat on it, picked it up, turned it on its side, and sat on it AGAIN!!!! The leaves came through it just fine for the most part (some snapped off stems but I attempted to plant what was left), but sadly 2 of the 4 Little Crystal plants didn't. There were also a few baggies of brown liquid that looked like they used to hold Rob's Zipper, Michelle, Jolly Eyes and strep Atsy Hama.

I did keep one of the Little Crystal plants and leaves from Rebel's Beck, Ma's Toxic Spill, Rob's Ruff Stuff, Royal Baby, Rob's Silver Spook, Buckeye Sketch Artist, Buckeye Love's Caress, Little Ebony, Blue Eyed Russia, Looking Glass, Wrangler's Dixie Dawn, Grandma's Love, and Buckeye Legal Tender.

There's 30+ varieties in the box, so enjoy Brunhilda!!

This post was edited by vivey on Wed, Sep 24, 14 at 12:24

Good, I'm glad there is still a good selection. Wow, nice choices!
I never heard of Rebel's beck (and I thought I knew of all of them!) I love Rob's Silver spook, it can get really highly variegated! I have little ebony- really cute! Wrangler's have neat weird foliage- I like them too! And good old Buckeye's! Another one of my 'oldie' favorites!

Cirelda! A trailer.. I purchase it, lose it, find leaves of it in the back of the plant shelf, lose it, lol! I usually lose it because of plucking too many leaves at once for boxes! I usually always have it somewhere, hidden on a shelf!

Deb

OK got the box and this is what I kept:
Heritage Frolic
Grandma's Love
Buckeye Legal Tender (two pks in the box)
Ian Minuet
Looking Glass
Little boo Peep
Wranglers Dixie Dawn

Added 8 new varieties.

Chiqui - its on its way to you tomorrow! There's lots of minis in the box - tiny ones!

Enjoy!

The tracking number is 9405903699300261050735

Chiqui
Eileen
Kaity
Back home to Deb...

Wow- three more stops- and then the box returns, I can't wait to see what's in it! I'm sure it will change/empty out totally by the time I get it! :)

Deb

I received the box this afternoon at 6:00 p.m., too late to reship today. Some of the baggies were in pretty bad shape. It's still very hot here and the box must have been in the postal truck for a while because it was warm when I received it. Will repack it in the morning and send out tomorrow to Eileen. Will post what I kept and provide the tracking number.

This is the new tracking number going to Eileen this morning: 9405503699300386032267.
There were some very nice Buckeye's as well as other leaves. This is what I kept: B. Love's Caress, B. Extravaganza, B. Scrumptious, Mac's Westwind Whispering, Rococco Rose, Opt. Little Crystal (didn't think it would make another trip), Primulina Aiko & Opt. Romance (on my wish list!), Thanks to Deb and everyone else who shared their plants and leaves for this RR.

Chiqui,
I'm glad you found some neat varieties in the box! Buckeye's are always a neat 'treasure' to find! I'm so confused as to what's going on with boxes- and contents arriving in poor shape/dead! I'm not sure if it's because either the packages get passed on, or the stuff was in the box too long and just wasn't chosen? Or if it's from too much tossing- and leaves get bruised/rot?
Several RR's are having problems. One of them had LOTS of rot due to someone adding soaking wet paper tips. I'm sure the intention wasn't to send soaked papertowel tips, but the leaves rot when moisture's added, so when they start to rot, more moisture ends up on the tip/leaves. Bags and bags of leaves needed to be tossed! You can't save a leaf if it's totally rotted (unless it's just beginning on the tip or small spot in the middle, end of tip, etc.) rotted parts cut off easily with a razor blade and then get dipped in a cinnamon. Leaves shipped dry- can last for weeks! Seriously, I've had leaves come back to me from the RR's I start and they are FINE! A little dry, but if soaked in warm water, pinch of sugar, they usually plump back up and are OK. Also, when I purchased the Silverglades from Sylvia Harrison, the leaves were in transit 15 days by mail (in a brown envelope) the entire collection! ALL survived! I didn't lose one leaf! Some were soaked overnight- by morning looked great. So my question to Everyone- what are your thoughts? How can we make the RR's better? Any suggestions?
It's so disappointing to open a package of rotted leaves, and know you have to replace most.

Send dry- #1 if you feel the leaf is delicate, a dry papertowel can be added. I've done that before... I've also washed a leaf if it needed it and then wrapped it with a dry to absorb even more moisture. Again, adding nothing to the papertowel. Primulina's can handle a tiny bit of moisture, probably because the leaf is so thick, streps too. But- if in a box for weeks, I'm not sure? Usually they are the first to get 'picked' again, any suggestions, observations?

I don't want RR's to be a thing of the past, where no one feel's like it's not worth it. Let's try to make them better. Post some thoughts....

I know leaves get stressed in the heat, so I try to put the warmer states last. Our temps in Chicago came way down last night. 41* low for Saturday!

Deb

Deb: I agree that leaves should be sent completely dry. They seem to last longer and have less rot. I am way down south, south of Miami, and our temperatures are still pretty high (high 80's and low 90's). I normally get my mail before noon but my regular mailman must be on vacation so my mail is being delivered very late in the afternoon, around 6:00 p.m. By that time, the box has probably been in a hot truck for hours and that may have contributed to a lot of the damage. I was in that other RR that had the leaves in baggies with water. A lot had to be thrown out. But even so there were still some good leaves left and for the cost of shipping a box we can still get to add new varieties to our collections so I do think the RR's are worth it.
The box went out this morning to Eileen, I think she is in central Florida. I added styrofoam to the new box for extra protection and they are covered with an insulated bag as well. Hopefully, this should help with a little more protection for the contents.

I started the box out with a silverlined type of insulation. Many have used it in the RR's before. Hopefully, it was in the box, for some sort of protection. Lined styrofoam's great- thanks!

That's how I feel too- there usually are so many leaves that you'll always get some varieties. And lose some too. For some reason, this season- Many are going rotten, seems more than usual! We lost an entire box at VV's RR. That was due to some sort of accident. Not really sure- I'm assuming the box was smashed, because nothing made it alive!

Rot-- anymore suggestions? Comments? Ship dry! That's all I can really think of!

Deb

I also think that sending leaves dry is the best bet. Sometimes the leaves are wrapped in wet tissue. The last RR had a some of these. I took a few and when I unwrapped the damp tissue, the leaves were turning mush. I trimmed off the rotted part and stuck the top of the leaves in my potting mix. If they make it, so be it. I think we still get a bargain with these RRs. Where can you get such a selection of violets for just postage. I think the Spring RRs ended up will less loss because of the milder weather. This summer has been brutal in most of the country. Even with the problems we've had, I will still participate. Love a challenge to get the leaves to send up plantlets. And thanks to you, Deb, for starting this one off with great selections.

I love RR as it gives me an opportunity to get a wide variety of different types of AVs. The last round robin I was in there wasn't much that were still in good shape as I was at the end of the lost but I faired better in this one. Are the minis' more delicate? I don't grow any but they didn't look in the best of shape.

In my very limited expierenc

Avs do tend to be more fragile than some other plants but I also agree that you can't beat the price for building up ones collection. I understand the risks I'm taking and am willing to take the risk of getting a box of mush in return in hopes of getting some nice new plants out of it.

I for one don't want to see these rrs end and will keep signing up for them.

As far as how to send leaves, I've had the best luck just slipping a DRY leaf into a bag (wet or damp leaves sealed up in a bag will cause rot everytime). I've gotten them with just the cut end wrapped around with slightly damp strip and of paper towel and the damp end wrapped in plastic or foil to keep the moisture away from the leave and they were fine. But I've also gotten them where the whole stem was wrapped in wet towel and the dampness did in the whole leaf. The only time I wrap is if there are roots involved and I wrap them so that the moisture is confined only to the roots.

This post was edited by vivey on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 19:45

I remember reading somewhere that a vendor shipped leaves dry and removed all the air so leaves seem vaccum packed. It kept the leaves from breaking and rotting - has anyone tried?

Brunilda

I wish I would have known this before I added my stuff. I don't think I added moisture to the leaves, but I know I wrapped the plantlets roots in damp paper towel. Is that the right way to send plantlets? I've sent leaves to a few people, wrapped with damp towel pieces, but they said they were fine. I'll stop doing it that way. Thanks for this info.
Deb, where did you find the silver insulation? I thought it was neat.
Thanks again, all of you, for teaching me things I wouldn't learn anywhere else.
Sue

Double post.

This post was edited by SueOK on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 21:52

If they have roots (either leaves or plants) they seem to do better with moisture around the roots. I rip about a 1" strip of paper towel, moisten it and then squeeze out as much water as I can. I wrap that around just the root and then wrap that in either a strip of plastic wrap or foil. But that's the only time I add any moisture to an AV I'm shipping. 'm in SC and have successfully shipped all summer long. I just make sure I don't let them sit in the mail box and always take them to the post office for mailing.

It seems like mini leaves are the hardest to keep alive in shipping. I think it's because they're so small that any rot at all makes it almost impossible to salvage the leaf.

Brinilda: I actually like to add some air to the baggie because I think that it provides some cushioning for the leaves. But I guess everyone has their own way of doing things.

Hi Everyone,
Here is my two cents. I think I was 2nd or 3rd on the mailing list. When I received the box a lot of the smaller leaves were in bad shape. I have already lost two of the leaves and one plant that I kept, which does not happen to me very often. I loaded the box with a lot more leaves than I removed because I had them to spare. I did ship them dry.
Over the past month I have shipped more than 500 leaves with no problems, but they were only in transit 3 or 4 days. Most were Buckeye which are larger and more sturdy.
PLEASE DONâÂÂT STOP THE ROUND ROBIN BOXES. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
Starting in the northern states and then the southern seems to work, which is what you did. Was everyone at home when the RR box was delivered to your home? Do we need to limit the number of people on the mailing list? Just some if my thinking.
George/ Cork

Aw shucks, George. Was it the little Modesty that didn't make it? I've lost 4 leaves already, and one more is on it's last lap. However, I feel like I still really got a great selection of goodies, and hope to participate in more RRs in the spring.
If I can replace something you really wanted, please let me know.
Sue

It's threads like this one that teaches others what to expect with a RR. And how to pack and send leaves. It allows you to vent a little- make solutions. Plus, it helps new traders out- it kind of prepares them that sometimes leaves do die, expect some loss, usually all the fantastic varieties available in the box outweigh the few that were lost. You can seriously build a gorgeous collection, just from doing RR's. With varieties that are lost- hard to find! You never know what's growing in someone's basement, or shoved in the back on a shelf! ;) A month or so ago I received a box with Lunar white lily in it! That one went for $200 something on ebay! I don't remember the exact amount! What's so rare about it, ? LOL! It's a white wasp bloom. I'm going to have to look it up again. I was so excited, grabbed
it because I just read about it on facebook (that it was going so high) but never really looked up the specifics.

See you never know what you can receive- for just POSTAGE! I think it's also the best way to pick up vintage ones. Many vendors went out of business over the years, and many of these older plants are lost. But- some are on shelves still, just waiting to be shared. So, to me- it's worth it. UPS and DOWNS.

Thanks for the suggestions, and feel free to post more. We need to talk about it, make solutions.

The post office has a commercial that said they are delivering on Sundays (boxes) I've never received a box yet on Sunday. Wonder when that's going to start. That would be really nice!

I picked up the foil like insulation at Home depot. I received a box from Rob's violets with it one time. I'm not sure if they still use it, it was a long time ago. It comes on a small bundle.

One of the biggest things to making a RR successful is communication. Tracking numbers posted, so others can make arrangements to be home when the package comes so it's not sitting in a hot/cold truck. Or have the PO hold the package for pickup if the temps are unstable.

Thanks Everyone for any thoughts posted!

Deb

Eileen
Kaity
Back home to Deb

Two more stops! ;)

I hope you find some great varieties Eileen!

Deb

Box came today and I was able to go thru it and get it back in the mail. A few bags of leaves were mush and thrown out, and the rest looked OK. I took the leaves that looked like they wouldn't make another trip. Box is filled and on it's way.
The tracking # is 9405903699300264938085
It is scheduled for delivery on Monday.
This is what I kept:
Caribbean Blue
Jean Pierre Croteau
Rumbal Red
Opt. Delaware
Buckeye Summer Wind
Buckeye Scruptious
Buckeye Sketch Artist
Bob Serbin
Episcia Looking Glass
Episcia Little Lemon
I never seem to have any luck with Episcia, so I thought I would try these two again.

Nice selections, Eileen!
Get ready Kaity! I hope you find a lot of neat varieties too!

Deb

Looks like Cherokee Trail and Harmony's Hot Flash also bit the dust....

Here is what I am keeping.

Rob's Match Point
Rob's Humpty Doo
Neon Fantasy
Geisha Girl
Senk's Alchemy Morning Star

Deb: I will try to replace as many of the dead ones as i can with new but i'm not sure I have this many varieties! But on the plus side, they will all be fresh for you!

TRAGEDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No the box did not get squished.... but I pulled out Little Ebony all excited and it had died! :-( That's alright... There is a lot for me to choose from still. I'm still going through the box but first off I will share what died in transit. Deb - I hope you like Miniatures because that is about all i have to replace these guys with!

Little Ebony
Episcia Leaves
Primulina 'Kazu'
Rob's Hopscotch
Twist N Shout
Primulina 'Tsu Ann"
Opt. Little Aztek
Girelda
The Madam

I'll post in a few what i kept! I will mail the box out tomorrow to Deb. What fun!

Deb: Package is on it's way to you tomorrow! The tracking # is 9405 9036 9930 0266 6896 88. Expected Delivery is 10/9.

Thank you everyone for doing this RR! It was a lot of fun sifting through the box!

Question: a couple of the leaves were pretty limp that I kept. Is there anything you guys do to try and increase your chances of success with these? I put them in soil under a lid for now.

When I get limp leaves, I make a solution of warm water with a little sugar. Then soak the leaves for a few hours. If they still are limp, I leave them overnight and pot up in the morning. I took some from the RR that were badly limp, but after a day soaking, and then potting up in moist mix, they look OK, so far. I wanted to take more, but didn't have enough to replace, so took the worst looking ones. I have done quite a few RRs and get pretty good results from the limp ones. Sometimes they don't make it, but it's always a chance they will survive and become spectacular plants.

One of the leaves I picked out was Rebel's Beck. Anyone have a description for it?

Jumping in here because I've seen Rebel's Breck listed on Bluebird Greenhouses site. Its possible someone forgot the "r."

That's probably it. Thanx!

This post was edited by vivey on Fri, Oct 10, 14 at 8:41

Our RR box arrived back here... The swaps over! Some perished/older stuff, and the last varieties that Kaity put in look great! I'm not going to go into a list- because more rotted than survived, and that's depressing. It's been a ROUGH trading season. Many swaps are having problems- cold is just as bad as heat.

Thanks Everyone that added- to the box! I'll be ready by spring (hopefully) to do this again. For now- I'm tired of m u s h y dead rotten leaves--- and tired of half dead boxes! ;(

Swaps over!!!!!!!!!!

I hope all of your leaves do really well- wishing you tons of blooms over the long winter! I'm going to hibernate! See you in the spring!

Deb

Oh Deb, I'm sorry it didn't end well. I did a trade this week, and the violets arrived here all mushy and gross too, so I understand. Such a disappointment!

Thanks again for starting this off, and for including me. It was a great experience! Some of my leaves and starts are doing well, and some are just keeping me in suspence. :) It's part of the fun.

Sue

Did we have too many people on the trade list?
Should we date the leaves we put in the box?
Maybe we should have two boxes (northern states and southern states)?
Anyone have some ideas to add.
Thanks
George/Cork

Seem the minis seem to suffer most, perhaps the boxes for those specific types limited to a small group of people.

Dating the leaves sounds like a good idea. Do leaves fair better than babies?

Sue,
Watching the leaves grow is really exciting! I'm sure they will do well for you! I'll do this again in the spring! :) Maybe this time with 2 boxes. This Fall trading season taught me that leaves really don't last much at all if water is added, so many neat leaves were lost to rot. And if in the box too long- stuff should be dated. That way you can decide what to 'save.' Know what to replace. Smaller swaps (less people per box) would be better for the varieties- quicker turn around.
George,
Good point! I followed someone a couple of times in a swap that lived in an area colder than mine- and then sent the box to a warmer area! More than usual rotted. So, it made me wonder if chill to heat stresses the leaves out terribly! Maybe doing the box (in the same climate) makes a lot of sense!

Brunhilda,
Yes minis/semis rot first, that's really true! Also, variegated leaves go quickly!
The variegation starts to rot! Always try to catch it with cinnamon. Use a sharp razor to cut it off. Scissors smash cells-

What I've learned the most this year, is you can't please everyone- eventually someone's going to complain-and be unhappy with your box! Take it lightly- always do your best! Pack a box you would love to receive- that's really all you can do! :) Lastly, if you receive brown cold dead leaves- don't blame anyone, it's the weather! Or the leaves are just delicate, and bruised during shipment! Stuff dies, be willing to take a chance! Replace what you can in each box, and have fun! We all grow violets because we love them! You just never know what 'must have' leaf can be in that box! :)

Deb

Deb, I was not complaining, but was hoping we could all work together for a better result.
I am still in for next year. I like the surprise of getting something new, or something I would not have ordered.
George
ps Deb
Watch for a box to arrive for you, Thursday or Friday. Surprise!!!

George,
((Hugs)) I know your not complaining! I'm just trying to bring up topics to discuss, the ups and downs of RR boxes. And yes, talk about with all of you to try to find a solution, get ideas, thoughts. To make all of our RR's go smoothly... Everyone makes this RR work, it's not only me- I just start them. :)

More ideas? Thoughts? I think if we go in the swap with an attitude realizing that this is live plant material we are dealing with, no guarantees. The plants/plantlets/leaves are in the box- take what you want, replace with whatever- for just postage. Everyone will always be happy with each box!

Deb

George,
Thank you sooooo much for my gift/box! George sent a really nice box to replace some of the mushy swap leaves. This was such a nice gift! :)

George sent...leaves, and a plant!
A really pretty no ID- with dark/wine mottled lighter/ wine blooms, very pretty!
and leaves from- Baby's breath, Buckeye best friend, Gillian,
Ma's midland fantasy, Maverick's faded jeans, Rebel's peppermint,
Buckeye love caress, Apache blanket, Ethel's wild side, Buckeye ballet master! I had many of these previously, so am so happy to have them again!

Thank you- George! I'll share leaves in the spring from all of these for our next RR!

Deb