There are different theories as to what makes plants produce (more) suckers. Some people say happy plants sucker, others insist it is stressed plants. My own observation is that too much light causes more suckering, depending on the variety, of course.

You can "scratch them out" when you first spot them, or let them grow bigger and pop them out when they are big enough to plant.

As to how you stop yourself from rooting every leaf and sucker... Get some trailers. Once you groom off a hundred leaves and a few crowns, you realize you simply cannot keep them all.

I recently decided to grow fewer plants well, rather than a gazillion bunched together.

Of course, I didn't stop to think about space when I sowed two seed pods worth of AVs. What to do with ANOTHER few hundred plants?

Hmmm. Undecided as of yet....

Karin

Like when I walk around in the garden with 4 dozen pepper plants? And 4 dozen tomato plants? And there is no where left to put anything? Like that?

Some of my original violets came from HyVee on clearance. They're in front of south and west windows that have sheers and in the summer I draw the solar shades, too. I would agree about the more light but.....the ones that are suckering the worst now are the ones on the bottom shelf that don't get as much light. So maybe they're mad cause I'm neglecting them.

haha, i have no garden, but i just grew nine(!?!) tomato plants for my window sill.... then i had to decide which three to keep.

noone wanted the others, which was a bit of a bummer. i nearly planted them in the park, but my city has some weird rules about parks and wildlife, and since they are randomly enforced with big fines.... rather not....

as for your AVs, there are a few people who say that if they dry out between watering, that may cause suckering too.

Karin

Hmm. Sometimes they are drier than other times. And it sort of depends on the pot/plant. I've finally figured out I need to water once a week. But now it's summer and humid and oh, rats. Who knows what the little devils really want? I'll experiment with the drying out/keeping moist.

Can you put the plants on the curb with a Free sign on them?

Can you put your extra tomatoes in pots outside? And then later you can put free tomatoes on the curb.

Nah, I'm in an apartment building downtown. Leave anything outside and trust someone will make a mess of it within the hour.... Or let their dogs pee on them or whatever....

I just picked the nicest plants and asked DH to take the others to the bin.

I have a lot of my violets on wicks and a lot of them not on wicks. I purposely let all of my violets go a little dry between waterings. Not a lot dry,,,,not bone dry,,,,,just a little. Then they get a good soak and they are off to the races!!! Seems to work for them. But I rarely get suckers. And a lot of them, like my recent Optimara Modesty, come with several suckers when I buy them!

I depend only on light from windows (for now, am working on flourescent though!) and I rotate them in and out. Just so everyone gets light eventually.

Maybe you could try rotating the violets on the bottom into better light and vice versa just to level the playing field. Just every so often like I do.

I don't know what would make excessive sucker growth! If more light creates suckers, then no wonder I don't get many! I am thrilled when I finally get one, but the bad part is I have not one person to give a violet to! No one (except on this forum) to trade or gift to! So I root it anyway. But I still get excited when babies are "born" and I still put down leaves! I know,,,,,dumb.

In the summer as far as humidity I always run a small fan. Just to keep the air circulating (we don't have central air) for the plants AND for us!

Over all it seems to work out, once in a while someone will take (in my opinion) too long to rebloom but that's ok. I still love all of them. Rosie

loving them and growing them just cause they are pretty is the best way! it doesnt make someone happier to have 300 violets rather than 20 or 5! its all about "putter". if you can just putter around caring for your plants its a whole lot more fun than always pushing for excellence and that perfect violet. i learned that the hard way with dogs. having a sweet family pet is far more enjoyable than going to shows and spending hundreds of dollars on a $1500 dog!!

Putter. OMG you are so right Su! And when I am into one of my many hobbies putter is exactly what I do!!!! It is so much fun and that is all that counts! It is about putter. I love to putter. Rosie

OMG are you my long lost twin?????? Only 20 projects? hahahaha Wait,,,,isn't that what the kitchen table is FOR?????? Rosie

haha! you sound like me, too! ;)

I will never admit to more than 20. At a time.

giggle giggle yeah, ugh no more than 20,,,,that sounds right! Rosie

20 … per room.

lol - y'all are hilarious. i only have three, but it all depends on how you categorize! i group my hobbies into categories. i have Pets, Plants, & Creative.

Never mind the sub categories.

Yes! 20 main categories. That's what I meant to say ;-)
Can you imagine if we all lived in the same neighborhood!

the street of obsessive hobbies... hmm. sounds scary! :-P

Oh, it would be fun!

Oh wait though,,,as scary as it sounds if we all lived on the same street,,,we would have more fun than the law allows! AND not just 20 per room,,,,make that 20 per SHELF per room. But it has to be a really, really big room!

Do you think if we all wish HARD enough we could make it happen???? And I think our street would be named Obhob Drive. roflmbo! Rosie

Click your heels!

I'm clicking! Is it working??? Rosie

Maybe. I'm having a terrible thunder storm.

It is beautifully calm here, don't feel the house relocating just yet! Rosie

Don't they have to be red heels with glitter? Joanne

Who doesn't have glue and red glitter laying around?

Well, maybe in the real movie,,,,,but you see,,,,with us growers just our normal, dirty, gardening shoes will do!!!!! But if you want to hedge your bet you are right! Everyone has glue and red glitter!!!!! lol Rosie

You guys are on your own today. I'm taking the truck for an oil change so as long as I'm in town.....................I'll stop at the second hand store to see if there's a treasure there waiting for me. Bet there is! Fortunately I started rearranging one of the outbuildings and moving some things from the house garage out there. It won't matter what size the new treasure is, I'll have space!

Is it safe to say there are no violets in your future today? Rosie PS second hand stores are my favorites also! Rosie

I putter a bit like this but my horses are right here
putter

And the next thing I know the day is half over.

Forgot to tell you No treasures today :-(

I did buy a few more picture frames to add to my collection in the garage. And a blanket for the church quilts we make.

Sigh,,,,no treasures. Well,,,,as Scarlett O'hara would say,,,,"tomorrow is another day!" Rosie

Hi, Ms. Putter, Is this you? What fun!

Stephanie

Stephanie L. Church, Editor-in-Chief of The Horse, received a B.A. in Journalism and Equestrian Studies from Averett College in Danville, Va., and has worked in six positions at the magazine since 1999. Her equine background is in eventing, and she enjoys photography, cooking, cycling, swimming, and traveling in her free time.

- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/horse-sense-and-sensibility/archive/2015/05/20/the-sacred-art-of-puttering.aspx#sthash.Led7WBar.dpuf

Others on the Forum can relate, I hope they see this.

Joanne

so... imhappy&iknowit is Stephanie?? wow! we have a celebrity in our midst! that was a great article... thanks for posting the link. :)

I clicked on the link in the post that was labelled "putter" in green. It took me to that site. Well, if not, or if she does not want her other connection linked here, we can edit the posts or delete them. I know that many violet growers have fluffy white dogs, or other types of dogs and many cats. However, horses are extra cool. Joanne

lol! i always thought it was Quilters & Cats! but yes, i have a lil white dog... and a cat... and my mil (who got me started in violets) also has a lil white dog and a cat! thats too funny. what about chickens? and rabbits? anyone around here love them too? :-P

I'm not Stephanie. That article was in The Horse this week. And when I got to the "putter" part I thought of you guys!

Do I have to list all the critters who live here? You'll know I'm nuts. But I'm WAY down on numbers compared to a few years ago. I did take in a starving horse last fall but I'm trying not to have so many to support. Social Security only goes so far and he ate me out of house and barn last winter. He's on grass now and I'm trying to regroup. One of my ancient barn cats is in the house being treated for an abscess/eye infection. I always keep a course of antibiotics on hand because no one ever needs to see the vet unless it's Saturday night or Sunday. She's doing better and I've contemplated making her a house cat but I'll have to see how she feels about that. Maybe for next winter. She's so old I don't even remember when she was born. And I know my Cockatoo will not be in favor of that idea. I'll have to watch like a hawk so the bird doesn't kill the cat.

Today I am puttering in the garage. It has gotten way out of control these past couple of years. I don't know what the attraction is but the chickens are determined to be in there with me. I've shooed them out a hundred times and they just keep coming back. Close the door, I guess. I start cleaning house and everything I don't know what to do with ends up there "for now". There's a genealogy webinar at 1 so I thought I'd stop for lunch and watch that while I eat. I came in here to click the link; they want you to sign in half an hour ahead of time and if you wait until the last minute sometimes it's full. And there were all the new messages on this post!

ummm,,, I am a little more than lost. I don't understand. help please? Putter, green, does someone play golf that is famous and belongs to this forum? Rosie

Rosie, in I'm Happy's post above, one of the words was highlighted in green. That indicates a hyper or hot link to another website, that is how they are indicated on this Houzz format. So when I clicked on that, up came an interesting blog. So I was just asking if she was Stephanie.

I'm Happy, have you noticed that many on this forum do live on farms and those who don't have lots of dogs and cats. Especially fluffy small white dogs are popular around here.

Su, I no longer have pets, so I am "allowed" to have more violets. Now the only one to knock over a plant is a human. It used to be embarrassing to give away plants covered in fur. There are no cats sunning themselves on windows. Only violets. Or dogs demanding time. Only violets. And grandkids adore them and love to putter.

Now I am truly late for work if I don't leave this minute!

Joanne