Lucky, the 1/3 is given as a rule of thumb, it refers to the width, however, I think it refers to the depth as well as the height. The smallest and most shallow I have used is a small condiment cup. They work very well for very small plant lets that have come from leaves or suckers. Now, there are plastic saucers you can get in a plant store at times that are quite tall. They are very thin plastic. You can also use those Keurig style coffee cups if you know of anyone who uses those machines, ask them to save the cups for you. I am sticking to my belief that a clay saucer is going to be too shallow and not the right material. Unless you are going to watch very closely and as soon as the plant begins to grow, move it to a solo cup. But then that means a lot of unnecessary moving of the plant. Of course, others suggest you try it out and find out for yourself if it works or not. I have used cardboard seed trays I got at the hardware/plant store. They did not work. The leaves and small plants dried out too quickly. The plastic seed trays,on the other hand, work great. I have looked at egg cartons and thought the styrofoam ones might work well. The roots are like hairs on your head. There are just a few of them per the proportion of leaves, and they are quite delicate. It is because of this root system that AVs are thought to be hard to raise. Optimara have different roots,stronger and thicker and longer, but even those plants can't take too much repotting. More of my plants die from repotting than from anything else. At first, I tired using all sorts of materials that were not meant for raising violets, such as tea cups, or plastic containers that were too wide. Reading this forum and getting advice from others, once I started doing what was best for the plants, using the right size and height of pot, the plants did well. Because it takes nearly a year to go from a plucked leaf to a blooming plant, with all the hovering and concern, why not just start out with what the plant will thrive in from the get-go! The plants need monitoring. The red one that I am so proud of has another that I moved out of the dome and into a window a few months ago. It is very unhappy. The leaves got dull and the crown got miniscule. Now, I have to research throughout this forum to find out what caused that. Perhaps the low light. I hope, nothing more sinister. When a plant is thriving, it is hard to realize how sensitive it really can be if its environment is changed, even a little. Diana, Very nice photo essay! Thank you for taking the time to do that. This is a post to clip for future reference. I just moved two plants from 2 1/2" to 3". Their leaf span was wide but their roots were small. I don't have anything between 3 and 4 at this time. I moved them because it has been a year and they are not blooming. Sticking to the proportion of 1/3, a 4 inch would be too large. By the way, the Jean Pierre Croteau you advised I move to a 4" pot, I did. It is doing fine. It is now blooming. This brings up a question, I might have to do research. I understand that plants bloom from the crown, under the crown leaves only. So if I were to pinch off the blooms, would the plant never again bloom from that leaf, but only from the new crown leaves that are growing out? I decided to leave the blooms on. I might not show it, after all. And just bring plants to sell for the club instead. It is hard to juggle both, and the show has a theme that many are struggling to come up with ideas. I am thinking just to have a great display and sales area instead with colorful signs of AV. I will post my signs when they are finished for Karin's artistic input, if you are also reading this,Karin. Best to all, Happy and PeacefulSunday, Joanne

What about mixing the AV soil 50/50 with a cactus soil I got on EBay that is nearly 85% pumice and 15% 'Supersoil' which is some kind of organic mix.?? It is obviously meant for cacti/succulents..but the pumice drains VERY fast,it is just heavy. Can that be used in place of perlite to lighten up the soil and make air pockets for the roots? Or is pumice to rough for AV roots? Perlite isn't smooth either,it is just light. Pumice isn't smooth,but it is heavy,and they both drain,but the pumice drains superfast. Could I mix it in the soil...OR as you suggested,make a layer on the bottom of the pot with this pumice ladden soil instead of perlite? I AM going to have 2.75in pots in a few days,from EBay. That would be the best size I guess to pot up into. I can wait to pot up into them. BUT would it be a good idea to mix the pumice soil into the AV soil for MORE drainage. It is AV soil,but as we all know it never drains as fast as what 'baby' AV's are grown in,they are in pure perlite now. Or would that pumice be to much on the roots? And I should go get a bag of perlite and add some to the AV soil?

Because we have taken them out of their natural habitat and changed the natural selection process by creating hybrids, we are already "playing God" to a certain extent. The trick now becomes "playing God" with responsibility and care. The first thoughts should be... what growing environment do I have to offer these bulbs, and how much time and effort do I want to devote to them? Protecting them from extreme stresses is a very good piece of advice. The growing environment you offer may have extremes that will require protecting from, or adapting to... such as harsh outdoor conditions, or indoor conditions that require supplement. Hippeastrum bulbs are extremely forgiving, and as long as a few very basic rules are followed, their culture is relatively easy... do not allow the bulbs to freeze, do not over water them, give them plenty of light, and allow them an annual rest period, whether of their choosing or forced. It has recently come to my attention that Hippeastrum bulbs not only shed their leaves before resting, they may also shed some of their roots. A portion of the root system may die off annually as the bulb rests, and may be replaced by new roots as active growth ensues. Due to the lack of a balanced micro-organism system within a container, it may be important to re-pot the bulbs annually in order to rid the medium of the excess dead root matter which will otherwise rest under the bulb, possibly causing fungal and rotting issues. One piece of information I haven't seen yet is what zones these are hardy in... I believe them to be hardy to zone 8, with protection. Hippeastrums are considered tender amaryllids.

Update: Mac's is picking up it's leaves a bit already, and the Trinidad II (pictured only in the tub and on table, not listed in the OP) seems less "squished" in the center of the crown. The rest are... well they're trying their best. It's only been four days so I'm hopeful. The Ness' still looks wilted and droopy and the "sunburned" optimara (I don't know what kind it is) is still crinkled up and sad looking. The Dark Kiss baby looks like it's making new leaves, so maybe it'll be ok. The baby optimara don't seem to be recovering from their brown rings just yet, but I'm giving them more time. One hasn't changed but the other is starting to curl up where the brown patches are and the brown part seems soft. Not sure what's going on, but I'm just going to be patient with them (since it hasn't been that long).