Toss the extras. On non-trailers, I consider suckers a deal, even if I decide to throw them out. More plants for me, your favorite plant goblin!!!

But in all seriousness, yeah, if it's a regular plant, I'd say something to the vendor. That many suckers = not good.

4 plants for $6... wait until they will grow up a bit - split - and you will have plants for sharing and trading.

Exactly what Im going to do. Exactly what I've done and on and on. No big deal on half way decent named plants, just not what I ordered. It wouldn't happen if it was a $25 dollar plant, you can bet on that!

I confess that I LOVE suckers on new plants, but I can see how it would be frustrating. Four does seem like a lot though...

When I buy plants I ALWAYS look for the ones with suckers, reason more plants to share and I also have an extra if one should go sick or worst die.

I am sure you have friends who would love an extra plant or gift one to a friend who would like to start a collection.

Presently I am now deviding suckers from leaves and writing down the names of their new parents.( who are really getting more and more).

This is also a way to get more people intrested in growing these beautiful plants.velleta

On the other side of that coin, I have actually created a couple of AV fans through sheer generosity. Now they can generally keep them alive!

Jeff - what you are doing - is priceless. You are planting seeds of an AV future. And you cannot control that some seeds do not fall on a good soil. What will happen when an older generation goes to the Violet Heaven??? Who is going to replace us?

Keep up with good work!

I.

I love to get multiples! (no shocker there, huh?) Anyway, it is gifting power and trading power!

Embrace it,,,enjoy it,,,and cultivate others to follow!!!!! Good luck!!! Rosie

I'm with Irina .... nothing to get displeased about. (Matter of fact, it is quite possible the vendor thought you might welcome extras as there are many folks who would.)

Once they are divisible, I would do so. As has been mentioned, you have many options should you decide to grow them up:

1. Sell, trade, or gift the extras.

2. If this is a plant off your wishlist, consider the plus that you have an extra (as well as a couple more to do item #1) to serve as backup in case one dies.

3. Perfect opportunity for you to experiment with cultural techniques. Have you been wondering whether fertilizer X or a particular media might work better than what you're currently using? Now that you have 4 genetically identical individuals, you can easily use one or more as guinea pigs to find out.

Paul, we think alike in that respect. I have subjected a good many noids to various experiments and enjoyed obtaining my own results. As a result, I have my process pretty dialed in for the moment.

I guess the point I was trying to make is that I have enough. Not really, I will probably never have enough, but enough doubles and triples. I have no outlet for them other than to force them on friends and family who have been the barely willing recipient of AV plants for quite a while. I have a finite amount of space under lights on the shelves.

Additionally, they take up time and resources that I would rather spend on projects that I initiated, not that some unknown vendor initiates.

In my opinion, if they want to sell "starter plant cups" they should label and sell them as such. I would choose to not buy them. If you sell me a blooming plant of a type that I selected and paid for, thats what I expect.

For some, I can see why it would be ok or maybe even good. I was in that position a long time ago, just not now.

If you're ever near Tallahassee, stop by and Ill give you what extras Ive got. I purge them periodically.

Jeff, it's an opportunity to test a new fertilizer if you want to. It's always should be the same type and the same size of plants and you will feed them with different food and keep in the same environment. Then you'll see which fertilizer is working better.

Polina.

Polina, you are right, as is everybody else who has a means within their lives to use these extra, unwanted plants for a useful purpose. I just changed to Optimara food after some considerable experimentation. I also have an ever growing number of plants due to leaf propagation, crownectomies and rescue plants that come back to me once the original recipient has done his or her best to kill it.

I guess I can't make it any more plain. You guys just need to come to Florida and get what you need for your experiments! Come on, I've got plenty!

In addition to my unintentionaly growing brood, here is a glimpse of my intentional growing brood.

Half of these already have new leaves in various stages. The other half is also in various stages but w no showing leaves. Im ready for my first Round Robin!

What a collection!! Beautiful!

Jeff and all, when does one perform crownectomies? I have two different violets that seem to need them. I have repotted them, removed some rows of both plants, but they still seem to have a lot of lower leaves and a crown that seems to be on a longer neck. I think they need corwnedtomies.

Yolanda

Ha! One of my own made up words showing up. Pretty funny.

As far as when I do them, it depends on the plant. If it's a kind of boring NOID, I would probably just cut the smaller, less developed crown off the plant, doing as little damage as poss to the main stem, basically scrapping the offending piece. (You could try to save it if you just really need a challenge.)

If it was a nice plant that I cared about and once the secondary crown had already taken root, I would probably leave it grow a bit longer just to make dividing the plant up later, a bit easier. Hopefully, at some point, leaving me with two viable plants.

I have had really good success at just taking out the trusty exacto knife and literally cutting the plant in two. If possible, try to have some roots attached to each part, not necessary but helpful. Pot them up in appropriate sized cups. Good luck and enjoy!

No help really but it is what I do.

Jeff,

Looking at your leaf garden, I can't stop laughing. I remember Irina said about your "last shelf". I can see more shelves in the horizon.lol

Very impressive leaf garden setup, Jeff. Due to space considerations the extent of my leaf garden fits into 2 Ziplocks, lol. That takes care of any wild ideas I have about wanting to join any RRs going on :-]

It is my understanding that within RR rules, you only have to replace what you take. Seems like your ziplock situation would work out great within those parameters.

Jeff is right - you only put in what you take. I'll probably only be taking a few out of the one here soon, but it's going to be great fun!