I had Cerelda, but it died. I started it in a 3 oz solo cup. It was doing great so I repotted into a shallow pot. From there it went downhill. I had put a layer of perlite in the bottom. I don't think it got enough water. It was wicked over a grid. When I emptied the pot after it died, the perlite was like cement on the bottom of the pot. I don't think I will use perlite on the bottom anymore.

I don't use the perlite in the bottom method either. I agree it seems to make a cement like layer. I flushed the soil with a weak fertilizer (dyna gro) solution and put it under a dome. Hope to see something happen! I think I might have been keeping the soil too dry for some reason. I was also thinking maybe I shouldn't have disbudded her. I am new with trailing varieties, so I am probably making mistakes. But I also have Rob's Sticky Wicket, which to me is a similar plant, and it seems to be a very strong plant. I rooted from a leaf and the babies are looking great.

I think when we start plants with leaves in our own environment, they do better. They acclimate themselves to our conditions. just about every mini violet I've gotten as a plant, does not do well. I take leaves off as soon as they are old enough and pot them up and hope for mouse ears. Those do 100% better that the original.

I am here with ima_digger. Your own starters will always do better.

I always put a perlite layer on the bottom and it works great for me - but - I use x-coarse perlite - and try to remove the perlite dust out of it - and when I use the wick - I make sure that it is curled in a circle in a soil, not in perlite - so the water will bypass the perlite and go into the soil.

Cirelda is a great plant, show winner and it seemed to love my conditions when I grew it.

I would say - sometimes you get a stunted plant and no matter what you do it never grows out of it - so sometimes it helps to get it again from another source. Second thing - if you got a plant from somebody else - restart it from a tip cutting, not from a leaf - MUCH faster. Mature plant does good in 5" bulb pan. In my experience if the trailer is old - and developed thick stems - it doesn't take repotting well and sometimes rots and dies. It is better to take good size (3-4") tip cuttings and restart it.

Good luck - it is a great variety, worth your efforts.

Irina

Irina, those are great tips about the perlite layer, I may try it now. Rinsing it does make sense and I saw a video about that. I did root a leaf when I first got it and it is producing. Taking a tip cutting is a good idea too. I seem to be getting some response to flushing the soil with a weak solution of Dyna Gro and putting her under a dome. I know it is supposed to be a great variety, so I am hoping for the best.