Aw, your Sweetie is such a sweetie for seeing what you needed and getting it for you. My bet is the O's will be happy with their new added "sun." :-)

Nice light! May have to go that route this winter. Don't think I'll have enough "window" space!

Su that is wonderful! Your plants look very happy under their new light!

update on these... i kid you not, the foliage is getting more glossy on these guys! :) :) on one of Annies podcasts she looked at Dr. Jeff Smiths growing area... and he said that he grooms his plants to keep them small so he has room for everything. so i may just have to do that so i can keep all of my optimaras in one place. :)

Your Optimaras are so healthy; I can see why you are fond of them. Light is so important for blooms so I know you will see a difference the new light will bring.

HI Su, We had been talking about leaves in the past. I just found a momma leaf that had kept on growing, it is now huge. I now know to trim the tops of them. Usually the momma leaf just dies off on its own once the babies can be independent, so I usually don't bother to remove it. But this one grew right along with the babies. I will separate the babies and repot the momma leaf and give it another chance. It is from a variegated plant, but the leaf I chose was 90% green. The babies were pure white but now have greened up.. Joanne

That's fun to find a huge mama leaf! I did a bunch of repotting for someone recently, and she had a HUGE leaf set down. The top had been trimmed off, but it was HUGE anyhow! The stem of it was as big around as a tenderette bean! Glad you are giving your big leaf another chance! I was going to just pitch a bunch of leaves after I had separated the babies... but I tossed everything in the trash, and then just looked at them laying there... and couldn't stand it. I dug everything back out and potted them in several big community pots. If they want to live, they have the chance..if not, well that's fine. :-P

Oh Su, I would have done the same thing! I would have dove into that trash! haha!!

But just a question. Why do you have to cut a big leaf in half? Why can't you just let it be? I have never trimmed a leaf. Even a big one. And that includes back in the day when I grew Supremes! NO one trimmed leaves and they produced babies just fine.

Am I missing something??? Somebody explain?? Please? Rosie

Good for you, I would do the same! I never heard of such a huge leaf until you sent me Willodene. Then I got several vintage violets and Cajun's that have huge leaves. Nothing like Willodene but ample. The big leaves are very shiny, not the usual dull gray olive green. More of a bright green color.

I found another huge Mama leaf in another leaf pot today. My club member who alerted me said that if the Mama leaf is not trimmed, it will produce one big fat Mama leaf and one big fat Baby. But if it is trimmed and the leaf stem exposed more, and dusted with rooting hormone, it will produce several babies. My club members always use rooting hormone. I think someone said the AVSA doesn't recommend it. But in actual practice, people seem to use it. It is just easier to make it part of the routine rather than using it one time and not another. Joanne

Oh wait! I just thought of something. I saved instructions on leaf propagation. IF you cut that big leaf in half before you plant it, I read that there is a way to "trim up" the upper portion so you can also plant it! I forgot about that. Has anyone ever tried it? If I have a leaf that gets big I am going to try! Rosie

yup... rosie i have done that! and even with a supposedly persnickety plant. :) it produced three babies i believe.

Wow, do you realize for every leaf you put down it actually means you have 2 leaves to put down!????? Especially if it is one that you really love! Cool!!!!! Rosie

joanne i forgot that i sent you a willodene... how is she doing? i just measured my plant and she was about 13" across... so i actually potted her up! she is kinda resting right now... i dont blame her. :) she produced a seed pod for me, and gave leaves in trades, and bloomed twice... all this spring! she looks so regal sitting there... ;)

Su, Willodene is going well. Both huge leaves have rooted. They were domed until today. They are in a communal pot sitting and facing eaht other like a big pair of hands! Applause! It reminds me of on of those huge Victorian style plants. It will be fun to have an oversize monster violet! Ten Optimaras are going to new homes tomorrow. I just go in some new plants from Lyon's so I am going back to my procedure of new one in, one that I can "live" without out is adopted out. Today, I also donated an Optimara I raised from a leaf. They grow faster than anything else. My specialty leaves are still at a mini nursery stage, whereas the Optimaras are grown up, got their driver's license, are in bloom and ready to leave home. J

Where did your husband get the light from? I think I will need a couple this winter. Thanks. Mike & Bunny