Irina will come up with the best answer, she knows alot about growing. Sinningias, I have a lot of trouble with them coming back...each one has its own idea when to grow again, some right away and others take months of rest.

Now achimenes dormancy I'm good at. Once the tops started dying off, you should just quit watering and let them go dormant. You did that. Put them away in a cool dry dark place (I put them in my cellar). You can just leave them in the pots they were growing in. In the spring, bring out the pots and sift thru them to see if there are too many rhizomes (you can start some in another pot to keep or give). As this was their first growing season for you, you probably don't have to worry about too many rhizomes. Then just start watering again and they will start sprouting up. I really like achimenes. I bought some different colors I didn't have at a convention this summer but most of them did not have enough time to bloom this year before they went dormant.

tish

Tish - hi - yep - would I know what I was doing - I would not lose every single S.leuchotricha I ever started. They just do not wake up for me.

Since Dustin is in Nevada - let's presume it is drier than in Denver - so trouble is to preserve sinn. tuber and not let it dry or rot.

When sinn. is looking ratty and can benefit from rest - I would cut the stem above the first node - so the buds would be preserved, wash the tuber off the dirt and old roots and put it in a thick zip baggie with a barely moist sphagnum moss better near the lights - and watch for the growth to come. When the growth will be let's say 1/3 or 1/2" - I will plant it into the fresh soil according to "brazilplants.com" - some of them need denser soil, some like the tuber above the soil etc.

If it won't hatch in a year - I will toss the tuber.

Irina

Here is a link that might be useful: brazilplants

Great information. Yes it is dry but not sure how it compares to the Rockies. It has been foggy for about a week now since the storms left and the humidity is only 50%. Low humidity is always a problem especially in the winter. With the cooler temps and low humidity my plants really stress. The violets think its a bad joke. Last weekend I wrapped the entire plant stand it a big piece of plastic. I cant see my plants unless I open it but the humidity is up to 75 - 80%. Hopefully they do better this winter. Now to find a night time heat source.
The sinningias are some plants my daughter picked up at the convention last spring and she will be thrilled if they come back. I will do my best. Thanks Dustin

Dustin -

I kept lights turned at night when it was cooler - the season when it is too early to turn the furnace, but nights are chilly.

Most of my collection is in a small room in a basement - so the humidity there is 60%. If I need to spray my plants - the whole humidity goes through the roof - and the family starts complaining that I am going to rot the house.

I think sleeping sinningia tubers will benefit from the lights. I stick the baggies with tubers and moss between the orchids - I have a dozen of phals and paphs under 4 lights - and check the baggies every so often for the growth of if they need a drop of water to keep the moss humid. But sometimes the buds die - and that is it - the "potato" is there - but the "eyes" are gone.

Good Luck

Irina