I'll post a picture tomorrow, but I currently have a standard blooming in a 1 oz cup. It won't remain happy in there indefinitely, but yes, a small container will stunt the plant's growth....

Karin

David,

If I am reading this correctly-a 3" pot will not limit your plant to just 9''. The 1/3 rule-pot size to plant size- is a standard for good growing, not a way to regulate growth. The smallish pot size is to help prevent over-watering and to encourage blooming.

Like Karin says, keeping a plant in a smaller pot will help limit its size but not to a standard 9" or 6" or a standard any size. Some violets are aggressive growers and will battle their way to monster-size in spite of the pot size.

I also have a few very large violets that are still in solo cups. I just didn't get around to re-potting them. I will have to soon as I cannot get them to stand up on their own anymore!

Also, you should not be planting a cutting into a 3'' pot. You need to start small and work your way up as the plant grows.

I hope this helps!

Linda

Thanks guys, looks like I'll have to resort to the mini av. Any ideas where I can find them in common places like Home Depot?

Minis are harder to come by than standards at stores, but I have ocassionally seen them at Lowes and local garden centers. I've never know a store to always stock minis, even if they always stock standards.

One of the grocery stores i shop at has them (loblaws) and a few of the garden centers/nurseries i go to as well...

optimara just announced they are re-visiting some of their minis (little jewels series) so you may see a few more of them around than you normally would....

Are you working with a size restraint?

Linda

You can buy minis from the fancier garden centers. Depends on where you live. A store called Orchard Supply has minis. You can go to the Flower Mart in a nearby major city. That is where the wholesale sellers go. They will usually have a section for "The public " to buy a few plants. You can go to a florist near a location where there are office buildings where people sit in tiny cubicles all day. Such florists have great demand so they stock minis. Finally, you can place an order with actual growers if minis such as Lyndon Lyon and Violet Barn in upstate New York . Their minis are more likely to grow just one plant that does not sucker. Optimara brand is more likely to sucker and grow multiple crowns because minis have trailer genes . So , if you have limited space, then buy just one or two or three minis from either Lyndon Lyon or Rob 's Violet Barn. Other high quality minis that don 't sucker were developed by Kent Stork but are harder to find. Also, George MacDonald.
You can also get small standards and semi minis if you have limited space . The plants often cost the same or more as standards.
If money is an issue, buy leaves and be prepared to wait.
If a mini gets older and you move it to a bigger pot, it will probably grow larger leaves . If you buy minis in a local retail store, they will be Optimaras.
In my experience , they eventually grow three crowns that I then have to divide. If you order on line, read the fine print to see if it says "grows symmetrically." Then it won 't sucker or spread out.
More info than you wanted ... Joanne

I am looking for the leaves, or small plant, of The Vintage African Violet "ANN". Please contact me if you know where I may order

Everyone is looking for 'Ann'.

Linda

Ann never lived up to photos or expectations. It was hard
to grow, slow to grow, skimpy on blooms, not even sure I have it any longer.

I got it from Violet Barn. Try email writing them to ask if they have it or write to Fancy Bloomers in NJ and ask her to try to get it from a grower for you. Donna Brining once offered to do that. But don't know if she still has the time.

There is a reason these vintages disappear, they are difficult.

I may have transplanted it, not sure. It took more than a year to grow then had only one or two small blooms. They were lovely, but did not last.

It could have been my water, at the time, I was using
water conditioner that stunted everything. Especially the difficult variegated plants with fluffy pink blooms.

Don't believe those photos you see of Ann, they were probably taken at a show where the plant was cultivated
by an expert. How many photos of Ann do you see? I only see one, that spectacular one.

As someone had suggested years ago with print flower
catalogs, the best use for some of those
catalog photos is garden fodder because no real life plant every resembles the photos.

Cynical Joanne

Joanne,

I think you're right about 'Ann'. I got five leaves from convention and every one died. Slowly... while everything else is flourishing.

And believing those photos of violets is like believing that outfit on the cover-girl is going to look like that once you get it on. Those photos are just not real life!

That said, if you have 'Ann;, a leaf or plantlet would be appreciated in our next trade!!!

Linda

Here's my standard in 1oz cup:
{{gwi:374983}}

I've had a look at Ann, and nah, not my thing :-) I might reconsider if it fell into my lap though ;-p

Karin

Linda, you got it! But with my haphazard labeling, I have to wait until they bloom ... so keep your fingers crossed! J

Okay, do I have this straight? You want a plant to grow in a 3" pot?

Some standards will stay happily in one. That is not such a small pot. I have what I think is Optimara myLove and it is in a 3" pot and so far it doesn't seem to be a large grower. If you watch, places sometimes have the Optimara minis. These vary in size although they all come in the same size pot when you get them (I bought 13 because I don't usually see them.)

Another variety you might find are Anthoflores. They will say "Grown in Canada" and generally you just have to guess. Some Optimaras are grown in Canada too. I've had a couple of red Anthoflores that seemed to be small. When I was working, I got a nice mini/semi at the grocery store. Some of these are perfectly fine plants.

If you want to order, several of the Mac's semis tend to grow like small standards and are happy in a 3" pot.

To some extent, pot size does influence the size of the plant. Some miniatures will grow too large if they are overpotted. However, this only works so far. I cannot miniaturize Optimara Texas by keeping it in a 2" pot for example. Nor can I turn Ness' Crinkle Blue into a standard by putting it in a 4" pot. However, sometimes you have a little wiggle room - those sizes are guidelines.

If I misunderstood, say so.

Diana

my reg HD/supermarket NOIDS happily grow and bloom for a long time in 3" pots. since i get lazy from time to time and i grow on wicks - so the soil is pretty moist at all times, i intentionally keep it in a small pot to prevent crown rot. very often i don't repot until it reaches 10". but they are on constant liquid feed - so they get what they need, just the roots are confined, they flower profusely and grow new and larger leaves.
i think you can keep them in 3" pots, but perhaps will need to remove the outside older leaves (2-3 at a time, slowly) - to keep plant a little smaller to continue in 3".

This post was edited by petrushka on Fri, Oct 3, 14 at 13:35