If you have a plant you are willing to sacrifice to experiment, you could put a semi-miniature in a small pot and see what happens. Many plants, including the various plants used for bonsai, respond to the space available and will adjust accordingly. It would be interesting to see what happens if you start with a plantlet of a semi-mini variety in a micro-mini pot and keep it in that pot size.

Shallon

Yes, that is a good idea! Instead of planting down a mature plant use a sucker or plantlet and see if it can be miniaturized. I will give it a try. I actually have several plantlets in the tiny condiment cups.

Here's Rob's Pink Buttercup in the tiny condiment cup. This cup measures 1.5" across. I will continue to grow this semi in this small pot and see how it does.

I have gotten standards to flower in a 2 inch pot.

I can't imagine keeping them in that state for long, though, because watering is tricky.

Here is my Optimara Cora baby, in a 2 inch pot (in the pic it is pot-in-pot). It is flowering now. I took this pic this week. I will be repotting it soon so it doesnt get sick.

This post was edited by Lauraeli on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 3:12

Lauraeli, so your experience would indicate that a standard plant would not survive long term in a 2" pot?

I can see how it might be possible with wick watering. I havent tried it that way.

The reason I wouldnt keep the standards in such a little pot is because they do outgrow the pot to a certain extent. That means they dry out quickly. But wick watering uses a water resevoir, doesnt it? So that would take the guesswork out of watering, at least.

This post was edited by Lauraeli on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 3:15

On a relatively unrelated topic, I've been told fish will stop growing if they are overcrowded or in too-small an aquarium.

Lauraeli has a point - it is possible the standard will simply outgrow a mini or micro-mini pot, so if I were you I'd use only a plant I was prepared to lose. From what I've seen with bonsai, I know large-ish / standard plants can be miniaturized (new word LOL) if they are maintained from small size in a small container. That said, I'm sure it is more of a challenge to maintain the smaller container but I would imagine not much harder than a mini in a small container. Either way, there is a minimum of space for water.

I agree, the miniaturized AV would take more care. Wicking would be the way to go. You would need a very thin wick hanging into a reservoir of fert water.

I grow most my starters in 1oz cups. They do better for me in those than larger containers.
Even "standards" will make it to bloom in them. (Good way of identifying plants I forgot to label).
If its a variety/plant I want to keep, I will pot them up eventually, else they just hang in there or go in the bin.
I have a sport if little arapahoe that, when put in a 2" pot will grow as large as Montana in the same size container.
Little crystal was given to me in a sour cream container (5-6" I think) grown as a trailer, but still, larger than expected. The blossoms are the same size as in the cuttings in 1 oz cups though....

Karin

Karin, are the 1 oz cups the little condiment cups like you get in a restaurant? Like the one in my picture above?

Dixie

I've used those, but they seem bigger. The 1oz ones I get are plastic shot glasses from the dollar store....
Now I am looking at the (whoa) coloured 2oz shot glasses for potting up :-p

Karin

your looking at the little red & white ones that come in 22's are you >.I use k-cups and these:

I think the shot glasses may be a little deeper and not as wide across the top, which would make them more suitable. I always put a layer of perlite in the bottom of mine.

Actually, there are transparent ones that come in sets of 6 I think, red, orange, purple blue and green oh and yellow I guess.
I looked at the red/white ones but don't really like how soft they are....
Sure, call me picky :-p

Those bright red shot glasses would give any pale bloomers an insecurity ... or maybe inspire them to greatness!

Your various adventures in propagation fascinate me since heretofore I've been completely unsuccessful rooting leaves. With two going strong now, I'm encouraged that maybe I've rounded the bend (in a good way) and can finally grow babies like everyone else.

Might be an age thing ... I couldn't make a cake until I was thirtysomething, even box mixes turned into crater wafers and now they are succulent delights no matter how simple or complex the scratch recipe. Hormones? Who knows....

As for the miniaturizing, I can see how some container shapes would be best for watering. The bonsai containers are always shallow. I don't know much about it, really almost nothing, but have watched my father do some interesting things with his project plants over the years and an curious about your project.

@froeschli: ah yes, the hard plastic ones ;)

easier to handle
translucent
more color options!

@Shallons: Luckily, I've always been able to grow things ever since I was young (10yrs old+). When I moved out at 18, I lived in rentals and moved 6 times in 15 years (never liked the thought of growing then having to move a collection) until we purchased our first home.
Now I feel like I have some space & time to dedicate to plants (took the wife by surprise, lol as I had not shown a lick of interest until we moved in to the house), then I brought home a Aloe pup from my parents and the rest is history...

@dixiebug: I'd think with trying to Miniaturize a plant I would just end up continuously removing rows of leaves and repotting it...

Best of luck with your experiment!

Same with me and DH! A long story for a winter's eve when sitting cozy by the fireplace! Disposable shot glasses from the Dollar Store, eh? I don't know, you Canadians .... ! ? (I will let you finish the sentence!)

Disposable shot glasses are a great idea! You can switch bottles without having to wash dishes (probably a good idea to avoid washing dishes after being in the bottle). hee hee, she says with a glass of Grand Mariner at her elbow.

In the spring, disposable martini glasses are a more appropriate shape ... catching the sun and all that. :)

Dixie
For a video on miniatiurizing minis--
See Hoover's Hybrids Facebook page, click on "videos" at the top of the page. Scroll down to the 13 minute video in which he is wearing a red sweatshirt.
In it, he describes his method and gives a demo. (Sounds very much like what Anon Cndn suggests,using very small pots). Joanne

Boy, I didn't know about those videos. I spent all evening looking at nearly all of them. Thank you!

He's a fun guy! And so much production! Some of my club members order from him, because the growers in the Rockies and to the west have their own hybrids. They specialize in minis and trailing minis. (My first AVs in California that were locally grown were small standard trailers.
When I see trailers, I want to separate them.)

T looks like Hoovers Hybrids does mostly minis?

Not sure about that!

Just came across this this morning and remembered this thread - Standard optimara in 1oz pot...

Froeschli, that is amazing! Would you say it is the size of a mini or a semi mini?

Well. i think, if i treated it better (actually remembered to water more than once a week) it would grow larger... Right now, i'd say its 3-4" across... blossoms seem about normal size (for the plant).

I'll put it on a wick and see what it does...

Karin

I have a theory. If desired, any AV can be kept as Mini by removing most of the outer leaves.

I have read, now I can't remember where, that is a way to keep them small. Removing the outer row of leaves.

I have also read that the bloom size is not affected very much by miniaturizing the plant.