What a nicely grown plant! I have a story... Many years ago - I confess - I stole a leaf from an AV that my colleague was growing on a windowsill. It was my first one that I grew - started it in water myself and it did well for me. So - one day year later- I stopped by and told the guy what I did. And gave him an Optimara Dali for compensation. He is still growing both of them even if he doesn't work in the same office anymore. So - Mr. Dali is very pretty and tough as nails. irina

Hi Begonia Thank you for posting the question. I have found the space violets to be satisfactory in every way--the bloom count is amazing. Along with the Everfloris, seeds from other Optimara varieties were also sent into space, such as the Rhapsodies and some of the States series. I have a few that are in constant bloom, with a full bouquet of blooms that is much larger than any other AVs. Several of my AV friends, who are not collectors, they just enjoy having a few AVS, raise these for the heavy blooming. They are very easy to grow. They rest just a short time in between bloom cycles. I have also had success in raising Optimaras from leaves that I got from Selective Gardener. They are very sturdy, with thick petioles and they grow rapidly from leaves. Having a few of these in full bloom to brighten up the collection is a joy. Joanne 47 This post was edited by fortyseven on Sat, Jan 4, 14 at 1:57

Hi Begonia! Ok glad to hear they are near a window! Let me reach to my way back memory. Anyone else feel free to jump in if I misspeak, after all I am going by memory. Ok, here goes. When I raised violets strictly under lights (just normal 4ft tubes) I believe I left them on for about 12 to 14 hours per day. There was no supplemental lighting from windows as my 3 tiered shelf was in the basement. Now, as you know, some plants preferred the middle intense light of the tubes and some preferred the lower intensity of the ends of the tubes, and believe it or not,,,,,I remember setting up a little table NEXT to and smack up against the end of the plant cart for a few violets that wanted hardly no light at all!!!!! But they did very well that way! I let the violets tell me what they wanted and who was I to argue with them??? In your case, you had some supplemental light from your almost SE window. I would say (gulp here I go with memory) you may do better if you use your flourescent lights maybe just from morning until you get your good window light and at that point set your timer to turn off the lights. You realize that this arrangement will change with the day length as it changes. I don't know how frequent that will be. I haven't done flourescent lighting for over 30 years. Winter may see you adjusting your lights to where they will be on a lot. But the way the day length is now, I wonder if you could just use the lights for supplemental instead of all day. This would be an experiment, but what the heck? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! You mentioned "the Optimara already starting to reach on one side" Ok, when you grow a violet either in window OR under lights (especially in a window) you still have to rotate them a quarter turn every couple days so they don't reach from one side only. It gives all of the leaves equal exposure to light, and they will grow symmetrically. And even when I grew plants (yes I had other things under lights also!) under lights I would rotate and/or change their positions somehow so every plant got equal (as I could make it) exposure. Light doesn't only have to fall on the leaves themselves to have the violet do well and blossom. The light (as I remember it) also needs to get waaaay into where the stem connects to the "neck" or trunk of the plant. This helps promote blossom. That is why we strive for symmetry. Light should get to all inner areas of the violet also. As far as the fertilizer. If you feed your plant for a week, and then give just regular water for a week you have NOT stopped feeding your plant! Bear with me here please,,,,,during the week your plant was "feeding", the "food" was in the soil, stems leaves blossoms and any other part of the plant that there is. Now, you start giving plain water. All of that residual "food" is still being used as the plant is now sucking up plain water. So by the end of the week of plain water your plant should be almost "filled" with the last of the fertilizer and almost with plain water. Fertilizer doesn't just disappear the minute you start using plain water. It went in first it will be used up as the plain water starts entering the soil, stems, leaves and blossoms. Like flushing out a hose that has colored water in it. Color was there first, now use the plain water and first the color comes out then faded color comes out then plain water! Gosh am I babbling or do you (or anyone) understand what I am trying to say? AND I learned this using Peter's fertilizer. It is blue and that is where you learn about color going thru a hose! Rosie PS. We used Peter's to water AV's at the greenhouse and I loved it! Do they still make/sell it anywhere? Ok,,,,,I am done finally. Hope some of this helps. Rosie

Marianne, I have never lived in Florida, but the first thing that came into my mind is this. It is really HOT in greenhouses and to get around that, they run fans (in your case run a small one) and they keep some of the violets that need it (like Modesty) under a black net to additionally cool them. Not all violets love bright light. Variagation wants coolness. Things do work different in a greenhouse, but violets will adapt. Since you grow in natural light as I do, my Modesty was very happy in my unobstructed NORTH window. The least light available. In my east window she wasn't happy. West window either. If necessary maybe try a little lamp near her if you move her back from a window. Your violets are very pretty even without Modesty's flowers! I have Millennia on one of the pages of my wish list ! And did the NOID come from Optimara also? Rosie