Start of a small collection
I got tired of messing with orchids that bloom once a year and require quite a bit of care for the rest of the year...as houseplants. A blue picotee violet from Home Depot has grown very well for me and I renew it with leaf cuttings. So, I threw more than half of the orchids in the trash and bought a selection of eight grower's choice violets, with no names, in 2" pots from Appalachian Violets on eBay. This is the first one to bloom.
I am very impressed because the flowers are large and held above the foliage unlike my cheap one from Home Depot.
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8 years ago- 8 years ago
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wanted: want to start a small collection of av
Comments (1)i have 3 african violets dark purple , light purple and a pink they are very pretty and huge will exchange for a plant of yours....See MoreHello, New to Succulents!
Comments (6)Your new plant is a mutant 'Jade' whose full name is Crassula ovata 'Gollum'. 10 things you should know about succulents: 1. The Prime Directive: Water when dry. If in doubt, Don't! Succulents will tolerate prolonged drought, but prolonged periods with wet feet will promote rot that is usually fatal. 2. The best cultural practice is called Benign Neglect: leave them alone unless you are sure that will kill them. 3. Fertilize 0-4 times a year in growing season. Any balanced fertilizer will be fine at 1/4 recommended dilution. Too much Nitrogen is bad. 4. Repot when the plant absorbs all the moisture in a couple of days, or is obviously too large for the container. When you do repot, use a container one size larger. Using a smaller pot will lessen the chances of plants having wet feet for too long. 5. There are as many opinions on soil mixes as there are growers, but most agree that a soil with a predominance of particulates like pumice, perlite, and gravel is best. Commercial 'cacti and succulent' mixes usually contain too much peat and other water retentive organics that promote fungal rot. Sand is bad because it is too small, and will compact into cement. 6. Common pests are mealy bugs, scale aphids, and mites. There are several ways to treat plants with these infestations. This is a common question on this forum. In some parts of the USA, snails may be a problem. 7. We use scientific names because that is the only way we all know what plants each other is talking about. Common names like 'hen and chicks' can be confusing since there are at least two common types: Sempervivum and Echeveria. Finding out the proper name for a plant is the most common reason for posting to this forum. 8. All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. It is common for folks to use the term 'cactus' for almost any succulent plant. All cacti come from the New World. Sempervivums from Africa and Europe. Aeoniums are from the Canary Islands. 9. Succulent plants have different periods of dormancy. Aeoniums are 'Winter' growers (really Fall and Spring), and do not like to be watered in the heat of summer when they are dormant. Many are 'Summer' growers, and like to the frequent watering during this time. Always remember the prime directive: if in doubt. DON'T! There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. Please ask. Don't answer questions unless you are certain you are correct. A good online resource is DesertTropicals.com Here is a link that might be useful: Succulent Pests...See MoreHello all
Comments (1)Where are you located? I have celeste figs that I intend to prune in February. I am in N. VA....See MoreCan someone help me ID this hoya?
Comments (7)Hello all, I'm new on this forum.But I have recently realized i have a new hoya addiction!!!! I bought a Hoya from Lowes labeled lacunosa and it's a tsangii or bilobata (which i already have)realized it when i got it home & was rinsing it off,it was from EA nursery.They have a serious problem with mislabeling their plants!! I will post a picture of it,the one thing i would say to look for with this plant is the leaves feel kind of like felt they're soft.They have thin leaves not the thick leaves most have.Mine has a lot of leaves that grow in sets of 4 instead of 2. I can't seem to figure out how to post a picture,I will try to figure it out. Here is a link that might be useful: gardenweb...See More
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The buds of another of the eight are just opening. The seller seems to have picked an interesting selection. One that hasn't bloomed yet has heavily variegated new leaves.
According to what I have read, I am supposed to wait for them to bloom in their 2" pots before repotting into the next size larger pots. These will go into 4" pots since that is all I have.
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These colors don't come out right under fluorescent lights. Here is Number 3 again and Number 4, which is a pale lavender.
Of course, the computer monitor has something to do with the colors but these look about right on mine.
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Number 5 is pink which is alright if you like pink. The foliage is beautiful.
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Number 6 is another attractive two-tone bloomer with somewhat variegated foliage. The photo color, in natural light, is correct this time.
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Last comment for me...
The final one is blooming. The seller certainly picked a varied selection of eight plants. They are all perfect.
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