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African Violets

My violet blooms are never the same....what's up??

16 years ago

I have at least 5 or 6 AV's that have re bloomed about three times now, and each time they bloom different. Some that are singles change to semi doubles and vice versa, on one particular AV, my named one at that, it is going lighter, as well as losing the white edge. Is this normal for them to mutate every bloom period, to a certain extent? Can this be blamed on fertilizer, light, watering?

Thanks for everyonesopinions

Tracy

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Comments (6)

fred_hill
16 years ago
Hi Tracy,
More than likely the plants are unstable and sporting. Are they named plants? If they are and u purchased them from an AV dealer I would contact them and let them know about the problem. Maaybe they will exchange them or send u some that are stable.
Fred in NJ
johnnyb
16 years ago
I would think that would be kinda neat...always wondering what will be next. Is there any problem with them being unstable/sporting and what do those terms mean?
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trace00969
Original Author
16 years ago
I guess in a way it is neat, but I didn't realize this happened so much. The changes I am seeing is for instance a blossom that used to be a single pansy is now a semi double pansy, the white edging on another is fading. Some of my double blossoms turn to single or semi doubles, I had one blossom that looked like a wasp type AV.

So in a way it is kind of cool, I was just ignorant to the fact that they sported/changed like like so much.

Tracy
stonesriver
16 years ago
If I am wrong, someone please, please correct me.

I define "unstable" as a plant which blooms one color one time and then another the next time or same plant blooms two colors at once; and a "sport" as a plant which blooms true in successive generations but not as the mother plant.

If you buy a named AV, you should expect it to bloom true. If it doesn't, then the hybridizer needs to know the plant is unstable.

As an example, you wouldn't want pay good money for and then breed Golden Retrievers and have their offspring look like Chihuahuas in one litter and Greyhounds the next. :-)

Although, come to think of it, you could probably make more $$ (and the record books) if your Golden produced Chihuahuas and Greyhounds!!!!

Linda
fred_hill
16 years ago
Hi again,
The plants that changed of sported were as I had said before unstable. If you like the changes just sit back and enjoy them. However, as a grower and shower unstable plants are a disaster for me. AVSA descriptions are listed in the Master Variety List and on First Class 2. If a plant does not measure up to what it is supposed to look like, it cannot be entered into a show using the original name given to it by the hybridizer. If it is entered the judges have the power to eliminate it from consideration. There is hope for a sported plant however. Many clubs have a class for sports and mutants. They would be shown with the label "Sport of (original plant name). The other problem I have with sports is that they cannot be used in a collection class where plants have to match the desciptions of registered hybrids.
Fred in NJ
johnnyb
16 years ago
I understand now...the dog analogy was perfect. Thank you for all the new info!!

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