eaj -

you are getting the results of the relocation shock.

Your gloxinia was grown in a greenhouse with high humidity and cotrolled temperature, got sprayed and fertilized on time. It started blooming - and got packed in a dark box, moved across the states, was displayed in a store - in less than perfect conditions - may be was not watered for some time...Got infected with thrips - and they got into the bloom and into the unopened buds. Then you sprayed it.

So basically it is suffering from the shock.

You take care of your plant, I would remove the blasted buds so the plant wouldn't spend energy on them. Fertilize it with a weak solution of AV fertilizer. Eventually it will go into dormancy - and after it wakes up again - it will be happy to be adjusted to your house - and will be blooming its head off.

Since you grow AVs - just imagine - you went to a Show, saw a gorgeous show plant 20" diameter, 100 blooms, you fell in love with it, found the owner - and got yourself a plant.
Do you expect it to stay gorgeous for you? The peak of bloom was achieved at th Show - now it needs to rest. What you got - a florist gloxinia forced to bloom its best at the moment of sale.

Good Luck and next time - get yourself a tuber. gloxiniane.com sells tubers - so you can plant it at home - and you will have a star performance and no thrips.

Irina

I find Sinningias to be very different from AV's in that they definitely want to dry out between waterings, and like a lot more sun than Saintpaulias. That's because they have a tuber for water storage, whereas the violets have no such adaptation to cycles of drought. I grow my best Gloxinias in almost full sun outside during the summer, storing the dormant tubers nearly dry in the unheated garage over the winter. I'd let this plant gradually dry out and exhume the tuber once dormancy occurs. If the tuber is firm, I'd repot it in a barely moist, freely draining mix (potting soil with additional perlite would work), leave the top of the tuber uncovered, and put it on a shelf in a cool, dry, shady place. When you see small, fuzzy leaves beginning to form again (timing of this can be unpredictable), top up the pot with mix and begin to water more, always allowing the mix to dry between waterings. Put the pot in full sun, or at least bright light, and it should produce a good show next time. Don't worry if the leaves wilt a bit during the heat of the day, and don't use this as an indication of when to water; it's best to see how the plant looks first thing in the AM, then water accordingly. It's even better to gage watering on the weight of the pot or by sticking a finger down into the soil.