Annie - do not increase you collection until they will start growing for you. Find a club. http://avsa.org/regionss - you need a mentor. AV's are incredibly easy... after you figure out the proper technique for your home.

You need to start a a trial and error book. Thats what I did, write down when you start something give it a month and see if it improves or not.

But dont try too many changes at once. Because then you won't know which one works.

Eventually you will find something that works in your environment. Velleta

The problem with these so called rules is that everyone's growing situation is DIFFERENT. So you have to use a lot of trial and error to find out what works /for you/ in your situation. The plants themselves also vary in what they like best. Also, if your growing space changes up and down in temperatures, humidity, or available lighting (such as window light) then how you grow them also needs to change with the seasons.

The only 'rules' you need to know in a nutshell is that AV's need enough light to grow (and ideally flower but how much light depends on the variety), they need an airy light soil so the roots can breathe and not rot (because in nature they often grow on mossy light substrates), and they need adequate watering (or in most cases not over watered).

-EVERYTHING- else is more variable. Whether or not you ever feed or how much or what to use, what pot size, what your soil mix is, how much light, and so on is all variable and there are not hard fast rules. There are commonly followed 'guidelines' and these are helpful to grow and bloom them better but may not always be ideal for your situation. Advice you get may even conflict from one person to another.

Irina has the best idea. Find a single person to mentor you. A local if possible with an AVSA club would be the most ideal but even someone online who you like and trust and who's plants look great. Then try their methods, let them help you, and be prepared to adjust their advice as you feel your individual situation warrants. It would help if they are in your area geographically and therefor would have similar temperatures and humidity issues. That way you don't get 16 different people saying all sorts of things jumbled up that may conflict or make no sense.

Instead of looking at failure, spend time figuring out why it's not working. It's not productive to focus on what is going wrong, then expecting it to go wrong again. The only drama to plants is what the person applies to the plant itself, since they are not human and cannot interact with you.

That said, look at it as a nurturing lesson- don't over or under do anything and don't try to skip to the end, because there isn't an end. A plant is slow, relaxed, and doesn't need constant attention- once a day check is good. If it has bugs, spray it. If it needs water, water it. If it gets brown from too much sun, move it away from the window some more. Knowing when to do what, comes with time and experience.

The biggest step you can do is to get some really good potting mix- not Miracle Gro because it retains too much moisture. You want something that drains well, but not as much as soil you would put a cactus into. Find a good mentor, and have some fun.

If you like to collect, then look at it as collecting information :). Keep notes in pretty notebooks, cut out photos from magazines, etc. Then go do!! It's all good.

I happen to use Miracel Grow potting mix, Lily, for decades. So there's one we can disagree on, though I do cut it in half with perlite to make it much more airy for wicking. ;)

Miracle grow potting mix is the ONLY one I can get here so I use 25% potting mix and 75% perlite.

And I wick, with no problem from mix being too wet. Velleta

No fungus gnats? They've been in every bag I've tried.

Thank you for all the comments.

I think I just need to get organized. I need to take one plant at a time and ask myself to keep or toss. Get a new file card going on it. Keep track of when I transplanted last and what kind of soil I used etc.

Some of these are so tight that just bending back a leaf to look for suckers breaks the leaf.

I have 5 sets of plants I started from leaves a year ago and they never bloomed. :(

I cannot say what I did wrong because I didn't keep notes.

I think Ill start wicking very soon. I am currently doing half MG AV soil and half perlite. I may switch to 75 % perlite.

The more someone can tell me about AVs natural way of growing in the wild I think the better Ill understand them. Thank you all very much!!!! Annie

No fungus gnats, no. Because I use a systematic insecticide granule anyway against things like root mealies. But you can get fungus gnats in /any/ kind of mix, or mold, etc if it's stored outside on a pallet in the rain no matter who makes it. Granules like that are good for a couple of months and you may refresh by lightly sprinkling a bit more over the top of the soil after 2 months. By 4 months you generally should be repotting anyway. I reuse a lot of soil but it goes outside in flower pots or garden after getting fresh things mixed in with it - worm castings, composted manure, etc.

Half perlite should be enough for wicked AV's. More than that and you will start having trouble with them drying out, not wicking, nutrient deficiencies, etc. I use a mix of about 75% perlite for my adeniums but it's also mixed with charcoal, MG, worm castings, lime, etc as they are succulents that require super well draining mix.

Good idea to keep it simple. We are glad to try and help. If you have AV's that have not bloomed but had them more than 6 months, there could be a lot of different issues though not enough light or potting up in too large a pot are the two most likely. If you ever want to post photos, we'd be glad to try to help you. But, no stress, no worries. We are a friendly group here and glad to have you join us! ;)

I agree, don't buy more plants till you work out a way to make growing fun. Also, don't be scared to throw it out. This is hard for some people, I know. But if you have a plant that just won't grow well for you, just file it away in the circular file and move on. (This is assuming that you have some plants that do grow well.) There are thousands of AVs, you can't have them all, if you could, they wouldn't all be happy in your growing conditions. So don't fret, you didn't fail, it's impossible to keep them all happy. Removing one frowny face plant from your collection opens up a spot for a brand new AV.

Powdery Mildew is a real problem for many growers. When I grew lots of plants on racks with lights I had PM and it was so discouraging. I added 2 fans to the grow area and the PM never came back. I always recommend fans to encourage better air circulation to new growers. Don't aim the fans at the little buggers.

One well grown plant is worth more than 100 ill grown plants sitting on a shelf. Having said that,,,,,stop collecting until you get your methods under control. Make it a goal to grow just a few to their best potential. Then add another one etc. Your sense of joy will be tremendous every time you look at them! Job well done and you will be so proud of how they look, you will look forward to the next blossom coming, you will feel a sense of accomplishment.

Now all you have is "what the heck,,,why isn't it working?" and asking the forum to "fix" it. No quick fixes. Slow and steady is the key. Sit down and look at your set up. Make a list of everything that needs change or fix. Work on one thing at a time. Give that change at least a month to see if it worked.

I had tremendous failures until I found the wicking method that worked for me. Now once a week I actually hands on "work" on my plants instead of oh, that one needs this, and this one needs that and running all over the place and going nowhere. And getting no results except a headache.

Read back threads in this forum. NONE of it is gospel. ALL of it is information to consider based on YOUR personal environment and conditions. You have to evaluate what you have and then you can start (slowly) amending.

You will always find someone who doesn't like MiracleGro for some reason or another. I have been using it for years. No,,,not straight out of the bag. But I don't use anything straight out of the bag. You plant a succulent in straight MiracleGro it will probably die. But add other stuff that a succulent needs, and you may be successful!!!!! Learn how your plants grow in the wild. Duplicate it within reason and you are half way there. And you always have to consider what is readily available to you locally.

Each time you try something give it at least a month before you re evaluate to see if it worked or not. It makes me NUTS when someone tries several different "anythings" just because they read it,,,,,but don't give the plant the time to adjust and acclimate. Then they can't figure out why the darn plant died. Tend them with basics first and then increase technique as you go.

Enjoy your violets. If you don't want them for your own personal satisfaction, with gifting them occasionally on the side, you may want to consider collecting something else because they will be nothing but a chore. Like cleaning the bathroom or washing dishes. No one likes to do it, but it has to be done. Figure out how you really feel about them. Then decide what you are going to do. But for right now,,,,,slow down! Haste makes waste! Rosie

Lol, I had no idea that mentioning MG would gain so much attention. Next time you open a new bag, before you pot, set a couple slices of potato on top of the soil. Leave it for a few hours and come back and carefully inspect. See if you find any crawlies.

We had such a bad outbreak of fungus gnats a few years ago, within 3 days of using the soil on every plant in the house, I tried everything "natural" as a solution. They got into the sink drains, would fly in our faces etc. Finally asked the exterminator to spray the plants when he came out for his routine visit. Using a systemic in your plants would also work, as mentioned.....

It is not so much the specific brand,,,,in the past I have bought bagged soil of generic brands to similar to MiracleGro to use for houseplants and just to dump in my garden, and I really think it depends on how long they have been at the store, on pallets, in the sun etc. I have seen gnats, flies etc on more than one occasion.

Since I use MG in the house what I have learned to do is open the bag outside and when the first few inches dry a little (if it is that damp or wet) then take a hand trowel and start mixing it up. Then things seem to be ok.

I save Kitty Litter plastic containers and dump my MG into them. Easier to carry than a bag. And I can stack them in my basement. NOPE I don't have a cat, but I will beg and ask anyone I know to save them for me. I will pick them up curbside on occasion, and no I am not worried about if there is garbage in them. I empty it and clean it well. That is why BLEACH was invented.

I think whenever you buy stuff like this there may be a couple "wrinkles" in the cloth so to speak. As for me,,,,,I just "iron them out" !!!!! Rosie

I agree, it's about finding out what works best for /you/. It's not gospel, Rosie is right. I'm not a fan of spending huge amounts of money on fancy 'premium' mixes and my reasons are as long as the decades (more than 40 years) that I've been growing AV's. The real point is we try, we fail or succeed, and we learn. But more importantly, we build friendships here and try to help each other enjoy. ;)

I have found that when I work at anything too hard I do lousy. Bowling, shooting pool etc . I just read up on my "Moth" Orchids and Im doing some stuff wrong but mine are doing GREAT! So point well taken on getting to know your own babies. Its kind of like raising kids. Even in one family what works for one child doesnt work for the other.

I need to practice what I preach. I told myself when I turned 50- 4 years ago that if it wasn't fun I wasn't doing it. I also need to work on guilt. If I bought a 5 dollar boquet of flowers at the grocery store and they died in a week Ild be fine with it. I neednt freak out that a 5 dollar AV died in a year. Especially without me even trying to keep it alive much.

Soon Ill be tossing plants and bringing home new ones, one by one. Ill repot right away and wick them too.

One thing I did want to share was I found for ME the perfect wicking bottom for my 4 inch pots. They are the Ball Mason 250 L canning jars with the rings on them. They are stubby and don't tip over. I am going to use them to hold my orchids too but not for wicking of course but just to get them out of their opaque pots since I learned their roots like some light also.

Try these "stubby" cute little jars. Love them to keep plants from tipping over even if not used for wicking...

Seems like things may be more in perspective for you....good. But can I caution about one thing? Buy a plant, but don't start messing with it right from the get go. Bring it home and just give it a week or 3 to acclimate to YOUR conditions. I have a big long thread about what a plant goes through from seedling to landing in its home with you. It IS a process! Kinda like adopting a dog from the pound. Poor thing needs time to see just what is what. Noooo, plants are not equal to dogs but the dynamic is the same. Getting used to new conditions.

So,,,,,give it a minute and just enjoy what you bought and brought home. THEN decide what the plant needs. Just my opinion. Good luck!!! Rosie

I agree and am not motivated enough to that "right" away. :)

Ive decided one other thing for me personally. No more minis or semi minis. Too hard to find all those little suckers! :)

I cant find any more coarse or larger perlite either so I think I may be adding just a "tiny" bit "more" than half to my AV mix from MG even for wicking...(?)

Recovering from Dentist today. I think Thursday I may be tossing anything with black wilty leaves and transplanting healthy plants with more than one plant inside.

Not sure what to do with these minis in their 2 inch pots and semi minis that have been in there for a year without flowering. Perhaps new soil, wick and closer to the lights.

I had better learn soon as Ive got 5 sets of new standard leaves down from Lyon planted about 10 days ago. Hey, I kept their cousins alive a year! Just need to get them Happy Happy Happy and maybe no more NOIDs from the store!!! :)

Anne, make no decision about the minis and semi's. Not today. Stick with us we will help you over this little hump.

1/2 measure of bagged perlite from Lowe's is what I use with 1/2 (same measure) of MiracleGro (use your favorite of course) for wicking and it works very well. Nothing magic about it. It is fine. You don't need "more" perlite.

Some use coarse, it has never been available to me. Sounds like you are moving a little slower and making more solid decisions. Good for you.

I love mini's and semi mini's. AND I really love micro mini's!!!!! I have 2 Chantaspring that are now blooming!!!! But this was after I killed 2 and many leaves!!!!!

Oh and someone can explain (haha) a (laughing as I type this!!! lolololol) a (roflmao) SUCKER PLUCKER !!!! to you.!!!!!!!! OMG I am losing it with laughter!!!!!!! Rosie.

PS. Nothing wrong with noids. We all have them!!!!!

You are in great hands here with Rosie so I need add no more. You two are doing fine! I'm packing things up for my move and peeking in now and then. You two make me smile. ;)

Btw, lot of minis and semis sucker when they are in their 'teenage' phase. But they /usually/ grow out of it once the plants become full adults. If you relocate them or repot, they sometimes will sucker again. Don't sweat it. I think a lot of them have micro-mini trailers in their ancestory that helped them get smaller in the first place.

Despite that, minis and semis are my favorites. You get practice plucking out the suckers it only takes a minute and then you have babies you can share with others or pot up for trades or sales later. Or toss them. But once in a while you will get some that just won't flower no matter what you do. Toss those or hand them off to some friend and let them have a try.

If you ever feel inspired, we'll be happy to trade and share plants or leaves, or throw up photos of ones that we like best that are the least troublesome, or whatever. But take your time. No stress, only fun. ;)

Not an MG person, myself.

Alas! Fungus gnats are a bit of a rarity in my apartment .... my carnivorous plants have pretty much wiped them out, so no "free range" snacks for my cps over the winter. Heh. ;-)

I teach a lot of classes and do demos on gesneraids with both school children and adults who aren't really serious AV people at all. So when you do that, you have to keep it very simple or their eyes will glaze over. I found long ago that MG works well enough and though I have tried a lot of fancy high end Pro mixes, not one of them really worked better. After more than 40 years of growing AV's, I find it does what I need it to with some adjustment, it's cheap, and it's easy to find. Anyone who sees my plants I think would have to agree that they do very well with my mix.

I just wanted to say Miracle Gro soil works fine too but recently I found "Jiffy's Seed Starting" soil. And I found that it is all peat moss and vermiculite. So I just add perlite to it and its a wonderful soil also! Going to stock up before winter because I doubt it is one that is kept around all season.

stamik not doubting your findings but are your violets/gesneriads on a wicking system? I would think with so much peat and vermiculite (two things that hold water with a vengeance) even though you add perlite it would still not be light enough for the dynamic of wicking.

If you don't wick maybe it would work with a lot of perlite added. Can you explain further? Just curious.

Have used Jiffy's Seed Starter, just not for anything like wicking. Rosie

Nope! Mine are not on a wicking system. Just a busy bee that runs around watering all the time. And I guess I went for this because I have read how they like a soilless mix so its very light and lets the roots breathe. Maybe I am wrong but seems to be working well for me!

Sounds like it would work great to me, Stamik - as said, unless you convert to wicking. Just keep an eye on the PH as peat mixes often, even if PH buffered, will drop in PH over time. Otherwise your plants should love it. ;)