Hi Korina,

I'm not sure if I'll be of much help but some of the minis(in my experience) tend to develop smaller crown areas as they age. This is one of rhe things that makes me prefer growing standards. It may or may not have anything to do with zinc deficiency. I guess one key factor is how long has it been since last repotting? If within the normal time, then you should be able to hold off for awhile before repotting to see if it is a zinc problem.

If these are your first seed pods(and important to you) then I wouldn't do anything to bother the plant, but I'm not speaking from any experience. Maybe put down a couple leaves, leave the plant alone and let it mature the pods. I'm guessing you are using fertilizer with some micro-nutrients so that should help.

I'm hoping someone with more hybridizing experience will jump in and give you their advice. Good luck and happy podding!

Elaine

I kind of doubt that zinc deficiency is the problem. Maybe the crown is getting smaller because it lost its roots, or the stem is weak, or its overwhelmed with the needs of the seedpods. Seedpods on AV's take many months to fully ripen (8 I think). But, viable seed will form in four months, just not as much. If harvested early the pods should be left to fully dry before opening. I've never done this however. Thrips are known to cause flowers to set seed sometimes. Normally AV's do not set seed on their own, to myh knowledge anyway.

Jon

So *there*. I repotted Cherry Soda into a coir mix last week and the crown is already greening up and getting bigger. I'm going to gradually switch everything to coir. I'd do it faster, but I don't know how to pronounce 'coir'. Koyr? Kor? Kwor?

Korina (Koh-ree-nuh)

Do you mix the coir the same as the peat? 1:1:1 Coir/Perlite/Vermiculite?

Feegle
(Fee-gel)
still not over Monday

Yeppers.

I thought it was Fee-gl. Hmph.

There there; ::pats Feelge on the back:: you have a whole week until the M-word comes around again.

Korina

Crivens, I think you're right! 'gl' is more accurate. I wasn't very awake when I wrote that, just feebly (feegly?) trying to keep up. (feeble smile)

I'll try the coir thing. I used it on my garden this year because it's renewable and peat isn't. My mom and I got into this whole discussion about how although sphagnum moss and peat moss are basically the same plant, sphagnum moss is grown in realtime, and peat is from ancient bogs and can't be replaced.

Coir isn't as acidic as peat. I've been working on ways to naturally increase (oh, the pain of the split infinitive) the acidity in my acid loving plants. So far pine needle mulch seems to be the long term solution, but you have to keep adding it. Do the AVs need the acid? (There will be *NO* acid jokes now! Really.

Also, how do you make sure your AVs are getting the micro nutrients and minerals they need (speaking of zinc deficiencies) with a soiless mix? I use the MG AV food. Is that good enough? Is there better food? What a stupid question. Of course there is! (Now I'm talking to myself! What will be next?)

Do I need a better food than MG?

Always with the questions,

Feelge
(Fee-gl)

Fee-gl, coir is pH neutral; it also doesn't break down as fast as peat (hence the -- er -- over-acidity of my mix, or something. What was I saying?). Oh yeah; over on the Gesneriad forum is a recent thread about the whole acid thing. Link below.

With a soilless mix, all of your micronutrients, etc. come from the food. Well, except there are *some* in the mix, at least at first.

Yes, there is something better than MG. However, I can't find it around here. The trouble with MG (and most plant food brands) is they use urea for their nitrogen. I understand this can burn the roots (hot foot!). Pete's I think doesn't have urea; neither does Optimara's. The only brands available around here are MG and Schultz; I had one source for Optimara, but it dried up after I bought the last of it on clearance. The idea is to switch between two or more brands every once in a while so that whatever one is lacking will most likely be made up by another. Got that?

Korina (where am I?...)

Here is a link that might be useful: Acid, baby!