Can you post a photo?

Usually Botrytis is very specific to the environment. Overly humid - you get it - not that humid - you do not. And Botrytis - you can have it in your stale box of Strawberries - this white mold is botrytis.

I would take your worst plant to the County Extension Office and ask them to look at it. They do tests - and tests are probably cheaper than chemicals -($5-6), but they destroy the plant.

IMHO - take the loss, discard the plants NOW. S**t happens, every seller tries his best to keep the clean shop. Nobody wants to sell bad plants - reputation is everything. You think you've lost some money - think about the seller who would need to discard the whole inventory.

And i am not thinking Botrytis. I am thinking INSV.

I.

Hi my dear Irina -

Sorry I wasn't clear. Had the "tossed" plant tested (all three show the same symptoms, none of my other plants do) - it is Botrytis. Apparently systemic - nothing shows on the outside of the plant, except in the blooms. The guy who tested said that often the only symptom is in the blooms, and the fact that some plants sucker like crazy (mine did that, too). No other plants show any symptoms, but I'm going to do a preventative treatment, in case. I don't have a huge collection, but what I have are the rarer plants. :( I just decided to toss the other two plants (both are Mellow Yellow - the tested plant was Ness Fantasy Gold). The topper for me is how alike the blooms looked - as if all the color was washed out. So, it is a systemic fungus. The grower is in Florida - I'm in Arizona, which might be why the fungus hasn't spread, *if* it hasn't. Ugh.

The only other plants I have from this seller are babies on leaves. She sent me a couple of leaves - gratis - of "Gold Coins." Question: There are babies on these leaves. Do I toss them, too, or take a chance? :((((((( SOB - I'm tossing them too - probably safer. OMG. Sorry, I am very upset.

I would toss EVERYTHING that came in the same batch. You can replace these plants - you do not want to replace the whole collection.

I chucked 900 plants when I got INSV in 2007-8. Now - if I see something stunted - off it goes. This is a time of the year - you can get thrips from outside - and they will spread the infection. Botrytis or no botritis - they feed on the young leaves and blossoms - and pass it to the next plant.

I am not sure you can cure something that is aready inside the plant tissue. I guess people now use the Mycorrhizae - beneficial fungus to prevent fungal and bacterial infection.

Mellow Yellow - you can get it at Lyndon Lyon - and they also carry several more yellow AVs.

Ness Fantasy Gold...interesting - but really - it is not that good of a variety. More like a curiosity piece.

Do not be upset. Nobody is after you. Bugs happen. To absolutely everybody. Even nobody wants them and tries to do all the precautions - they still happen. I do not think your seller is going to return you the money - and you probably do not want her to replace the plants, no way. There is a time limit on such things - month I think.

But I think you need to send your seller a scan of the report - and say - this is what happened, you have a problem, take care of it. Because - she sends her plants out before they start blooming - and she is not aware that there is an infection. May be it is only in one area - but she needs to know.

Thank you Irina. I tossed everything that came from that seller (I just don't believe she has blooming plants, which she must, to send out leaves, and doesn't see what the blooms are like). And you're right - I don't want replacements, nor anything else. Did a sharp *inhale* when I read that you tossed 900 plants! I would sit and cry. Maybe you did. I get attached as if they are pets!

I sure hope to not see anymore plants come down w/this. Going to treat everything soon as the chemical arrives.

I figure the best way to treat would be to let the plants dry out a few days (they're wicked), then put each in a saucer with treated water until they can't soak up any more. Hoping two treatments 3-5 days apart does it.

omg - 900, Irina! omg

In what part of the country do you live?

Thank you again!

Denver.

It was actually a relief. I was trying to figure out why they grow stunted... may be water, may be bugs, may be pH.. after initially my plants were growing like there is no tomorrow - suddenly they started looking worse and worse... When I saw the light and took the worst ones to the County Extension - they actually asked me to bring more because they needed some affected plants for the class they were teaching.

At that point I knew - I could chuck them, I can sterilize the pots and trays - and start over.

You just clean the bugs - and start with a clean slate. Or soak the whole collection with whatever pesticide you need - and try to hold them off as long as possible. For me - thrips appear every summer. I have blooming roses in a yard - and every time I open the door - something can get in. You see them - you spray the whole collection.

Oh DJ,,,just saw your post. I am so sorry for you. Irina is right of course, but whether a person loses one or one thousand, it still hurts! It is a loss and some people just can't take the financial hit.

I am sure you will be able to rebuild. It may go slow but I wish you luck. I don't have any of the varieties you lost or I would certainly send out leaves. How are your other plants? Wish better luck for you! Rosie

PS Just checked your wish list on your profile page, but I don't know the names of what you are wishing for! Also am following you if you would like to private message me to see if I have anything you would like.

Hi dear Rosie!

Oh - that's not my wish list, but pics of some of my violets. I cannot upload pics directly into a message, and not sure why. But I can transfer pics from a wish list to here - lol, so that's what I do when I want to include one.

I added you, but don't know how to send a private message. 'Splain?

:)

I think it's incredibly sweet of you to offer to send me plants or leaves, but it's 120 degrees here in AZ, so being able to get anything via post is put off until at least late October. I'm kinda stuck with the plants I have, but that's okay - lots of babies coming up! And I'm not sending anything out until I am positive there is nothing going on in my collection. I am raising a bunch of Watermelon Snow, because people locally are clamoring for it. Want to give things a few months to be sure I'm clear of any kind of bug/fungus/virus.

Some for you, below - Rhapsody in White, Ozio, and Lyon's Spectacular.

Hugs,

DJ

Ok, DJ,,,,,I can wait and the offer still stands come October,,,,deal???

You "friended" me, so put your cursor on my name, it will drop a box, click on my name in the box and it will take you to my profile page. Upper RIGHT corner it will say MESSAGE, click on it and type away!!!!!

As far as putting a pix in these posts,,,,after you type something and are ready for a pix (I always make sure I hit enter so my cursor is at the left),,,,,if you click below on Houzz Photo yes, it will pull the photo from your profile page.

BUT if you want to post a photo from, say, your violet folder on your desktop (or anywhere else for that matter) click below on just the word PHOTO. It will drop a box and you choose where you want to pull the photo from! It is really easy. Try it! I do it all the time!

Love your pix of your violets, I am adding them to my very looooong wish list! As soon as I find it, that is! Did I forget anything???? I will post a pix of another one of mine! Rosie

This is Opt. Michelle

Dear Rosie -

Offer is good whenever the weather is right for shipping. I hope we can strike a balance for Arizona and Michigan - we'll be able to, I've gotten plants from upstate NY and Washington state, so, no problem.

Even Houzz tried to figure out why I can't post photos just by clicking "photo" within a message. Just doesn't work. <shrug>

Optimara michelle is really pretty! The only pink I have is watermelon snow, and it's a very soft pink. Oh yeah - I also have Saint Paul, which is almost a shocking pink. Not my taste, but my housemate likes it, so I keep it around. lol

Have a great weekend, Rosie, Irina and all!

DJ

Ok DJ, you and I will figure it out! Michelle is very pretty. She actually glistens! And that deep dark rim around the flower petals just makes it gorgeous.

Happy upcoming 4th to everyone! Rosie

Happy 4th to you and everyone, too!