Hello Everyone, Not sure if I am allowed to post this kind of info here. But I am giving away 10 free African violet plants. 3 lucky winners will get a chance to each win 10 free plants (free shipping too!!). All you have to do is enter my african violet photo contest on my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BabyViolets

Thanks for the input everyone!=D aegis500: I was wondering if it was just meant to grow like that. It's fine for me if it does, cause it's still cute in it's own way to me!=) I'll just let it grow out for now, cause it does have many old leaves left, and the new ones have been crowded out by the flower stalks! Perle_de_Or: I wish I had thought of taking a proper picture of it in full full bloom!=0 Somehow I went ahead and disbudded before doing it!=( *kicks herself* Though I do have pictures of non-full full bloom, and one of it hidden behind my spring onions in full bloom (not a good picture or angle, but you might see it if you squint hard!=P). I also took a picture of it now!=) Hope you guys don't get too disappointed by the photos though!=X Preparing to bloom: Blooms beginning to fill in: Really hidden full blooming at a bad bad angle (sorry if you can't see it guys!=(): Disbudded (hopefully it's healthy enough?=/): P.S: It's always had the old curly leaves since I got it, and the new leaves curl at the edges too... Do some plants just do that? Or could it be a pest or disease? I've always wondered that, but the flowers were perfectly fine, nor did I see any spilled pollen, so I've just been leaving it alone...=0 I do hope there's nothing seriously wrong with it though...=( But if there is, hopefully someone can help me identify it!=)

So ... you're looking to give your plants 10-12 hours of sunlight ... or fluorescent light or LED light ... per day. I keep my plants blooming with a combination of window light and fluorescent light. You can use cheap desk-lamps with CFL or LED bulbs. The light source (and/or window) should be no more than 1 foot away from your plants. P.S. To start a new thread, select the appropriate discussion category (in this case, African Violets) and start a new question/comment ... Desk-lamp CFL bulb

I tried some Silverglades - 15 years ago - decided that the rosettes are not that great - long petioles and kind of floppy. If you feel this amounts to carefree - fine with me. Blossoms are interesting. I do not think that from another country means different genetic material. It still comes from Original 10. But good hybridizers develop their own line - and the plants are recognizable. Vintage violets are usually a good bet - because they already passed the selection - whatever was not up to par - is already went out of culture... and they are pretty stable.. Chimeras - you are absolutely correct - they are NOT stable. To keep them going you need an excellent culture - stress makes them sport to solids - and constantly grow suckers just in case. Old plants sport to solids - yup - because old age stresses them. (We all know that getting old is not for the weak..). Regarding chimeras being small, dull, unsightly, skimpy - this is not always true - there tons of chimeras - and there are good, bright and floriferous ones - and there are plenty of boring ones, stingy ones etc - just like the rest of them AVs - some are better - some are not. Absolutely all AVs look better under fluorescent lights. Reds and corals - look like dead meat under the natural light, but can be very attractive under a shoplight. Red in chimeras tends to bleed... in any bi-colors as well. Yucky, Blue/white shows well under natural light. You are correct - chimeras do not pass the same selection as other hybrids - just to have a pinwheel pattern is so rare and nice - you overlook the negative features. I was thinking - what will show well on natural light- Neptune's Treasure - lovely white and dark blue chimera. Lousy rosette though. Old chimera Chimo - large flowers - white and light blue - grows symmetrically, very floriferous - doesn't sport - xlarge one - will show well.