I have a chirita Kazu. I let about six suckers grow. It is bushy and gorgeous in a six inch pot. The suckers don't seem to effect blooming either.
Chirita Aiko doesn't look good with suckers in my opinion so I remove them.
I think suckers can be left alone if they are well spaced and look "right".
Debbie in MI

I leave all the suckers on the upright-growing chiritas and remove them from the rosette-type. Although, come to think of it, don't remember having suckers on my rosette chiritas. But as I get older, not remembering doesn't always mean something didn't happen. ;-)

I have never noticed the suckers on the upright-growing ones to inhibit blooming.

Linda

Thank you both for your help! I have too each of several and it occurred to me I could take the suckers off one of each and see what happens. I sure know what you mean about memory, Linda--I should be able to name each one of them but seems like I have to check the labels every time.

Some chiritas are more prone to suckering than others. In general, I think the ones with narrow leaves look better with suckers allowed to grow than the broader-leafed ones. With narrow leaves it produces a much fuller and more floriferous plant; with broader leaves they just get too crowded.

Thanks John. Two of the ones I have I think are yours--'Silver Surfer' and 'Stardust'--and you should know how they look best! Also have some Japanese ones, 'Aiko' and 'Kitaguni', which seem to have a little wider foliage, but I'm guessing would take the same treatment. Don't have to worry about tamiana--haven't had a sucker yet! Just lots of blooms. Blew away a visiting friend when it was about to start another cycle--she thought it was a small African Violet and then saw that big 'thing' crawling out from under the leaves. Looked like a beetle at first she said. Love getting that kind of reaction!

Yes, 'Silver Surfer' and 'Stardust' are mine and I'm happy to know people are still growing them, but they have already been superseded by newer and better hybrids. My Chirita hybridizing was largely experimental--I crossed all the species I had available just to see what would cross and named some of the better ones, but if you want to see the really cool ones, check out some of the Peter Shalit's new hybrids involving Chirita sclerophylla.

Where would I check them out? One of the things that bug me is how seldom growers give credit to the hybridizers. I think I may have seen some of those on the Kartuz site, but I don't remember anything about whose they were. Seems like you guys do a great service for those of us who just grow them, and at least deserve the credit!