Very nice plants. Now that you've grown one from a leaf, you may want to try another and another & . . . and well thats how we get hooked! I think your second plant is Optimara Trinidad II; you can look for it on the Optimara website although their id section has been on the fritz lately and may or may not be working.

Terri

Oh how fortunate to find Trinidad II!!!!!!!! Aren't those blossoms just beautiful???? Good for you!

I really love that other plant also! I have no idea who that could be, but it is very lovely! Rosie

I'll have to check out that website! I'd love to find out what kind that first violet is! I'm really happy about the first one; it recovered really well after being sunburnt and I've almost removed all the damaged leaves. Plus it has a TON of blooms on the way. The one you guys are thinking is a Trinidad has even more flowers! It's more flowers than leaves at this point!

Question for you guys... the Trinidad and one of my other ones doesn't have very many leaves. Is there any way to promote leaf growth? I'm having trouble finding info since every google search brings back ways of growing violets from leaves xD Hope it's ok to post here again. I don't want to clutter up the forums with 100,000 questions :P

Questions is what the forums are all about - never be afraid to ask! :-) There is one way to promote a larger and lusher plant and that is to prevent it from blooming. That's what show growers do (and I am not one) - they disbud the plant and keep potting up until they achieve the size and symmetry they're hoping for, and then let it come into bloom timed for a show. I know you're not growing to show, but you could keep the bloom stalks removed for a while and let it put more energy into growing roots and leaves...or not. It will eventually grow up anyway, but maybe not as full and certainly not as fast. I know it sounds hard to part with the flowers, but it is one choice. (Just not the one most of us who grow for pleasure take.) Other than that, you can fertilize weakly on a regular basis, re-pot into fresh soil every six months to a year, practice good watering - and have patience.

Endi, never stop asking questions! That is what this forum is all about! Without questions and chatter there IS no forum!

Anne gave great advice. Follow hers or follow mine (or anyone else's) and the end result is you will have flowers. But everything takes time. Be patient. lol

Ok on to the question. First of all when you get a new violet, just let it sit for awhile to "re- adjust" to its new home. Chances are it went from a great greenhouse environment, roughly packaged, stuffed in shipping boxes, unpacked and probably jostled around and plopped on a shelf with no regard for optimum growing conditions! That is called "the availability of buying things at a store!" lol.

Now you buy it bring it home and once again it is put in a possibly bright window, something it hasn't seen for probably a week or two, just guessing.

The short (but in my book incorrect) answer would be to advise you to buy a fertilizer with a high first number. Such as 20-10-10. That number is for Nitrogen and promotes green growth over blooming. The second number, for blooming plants, should be higher than the first. Such as 10-20-10 This promotes blooming over green growth.

If you choose to fertilize at this point, I would as Anne suggested fertilize with 1/2 strength on a regular basis etc. And most importantly be patient! lol Rosie

Thanks so much for the great advice! I didn't even think to disbud the plants... which is good, since my Music Maker was starting to get buds. As much as I like the blooms on that one, I'd rather it get more than roughly 5 leaves first! I'll wait for the other one to finish blooming; the 3 flower stalks it still has are in great shape and I'd hate to remove them so soon! I'll have to just keep being patient lol. I just was curious if there was anything I could do to help them grow more leaves. I also didn't know much about the fertilizer. I have a gallon jug of plain water and then one with fertilizer mixed in as-per the instruction on the package. Maybe I'll have to water that down a little bit so it's closer to the 1/2 strength like you both suggested.

At the end of the day, your leaves are going to grow and your plant is going to bloom whether you fertilize them or not. I am a lazy fertilizer and I can attest to that.

However, you will do much better if you do start out with fertilizer mixed 1/2 strength. etc.

As far as disbudding, I have never done it,,,I don't have the heart! Or the patience! lol. But if that is what you feel is best for your violets then by all means, follow your gut! There really is no right or wrong to doing anything. There is only end results depending on how you manage YOUR violets (and plants!) Good luck and good growing!!!!! Keep us posted! Oh and don't forget pix!!!!! Rosie