As they say,,,,necessity is the mother of invention!!!!! Rosie

I have accidentally killed a few mama leaves. I can't remember a single time where an inspection of the crime scene didn't reveal too much water applied to the subject.

In the past, a few of my wicks have decided to perform at an accelerated rate for no apparent reason. This resulted in rot and a lost opportunity. Ive changed wicking material so hopefully my overwatering days are done.

Otherwise, i usually can get them through to fruition.

Yes they all receive light. I've also put babies or leaves in a bagged or dome method. Ive had 50/50 luck with that.

Ive noticed whenever I leach the soil I lose something as they stay too damp for too long. This last round I left them out of the wicking reservoir for a few days. But put them back in cause water was just everywhere.

I have noticed some have picked up a lot of water. Ive started to change my mix so that there is more perlite. Id rather need to refill more then things being too wet.

Heather you say you are changing your mix. What was it before? Usually for leaves I put down I use the 1/2 perlite 1/2 soil. I am a little generous with the perlite. And I don't water my leaves. I find if I do, they rot. The soil mix is moist enough to get the leaf to root and make babies.

I also use a baggie to root leaves. I zip it up about an inch, put the mix in the short end (about a tablespoonful you don't need much) cut the leaf at an angle and put it in and zip it up the rest of the way and just wait!

Make sure you write the name and date in magic marker across the top. Or put in a plastic marker. I really hate when I forget to do that!!! lol

As far as babies coming up and then dying with the mom leaf, sometimes that does happen. It is frustrating!!!! You would figure if it went as far as to make babies it should be good to go.

As Irina pointed out though, sometimes the mom leaf will produce babies and when they are up and running, the mom will just go poof!!! And sometimes the mom will just keep producing and producing etc. The leaf decides what she will do and when she wants to do it! lol

I realize I got away from the basic question you asked. If the leaf produced one or more babies and started to die I would try to save the baby/babies. I would cut the mom leaf off and get rid of her. And then I would keep an eye on the youngins' ! It may or may not survive without her. But that is just the luck of the draw. Sometimes we win and sometimes, well, bad does happen.

Also, are you leaching a mom leaf with a baby? Or a full grown plant? And what is the reason for leaching? I am not a fan of leaching because it gets the soil ball too wet. There is a big difference to me, of a plant being well watered and too wet from leaching. Leaching has its place but I would rather let the plant dry out a little and remove some of the offending soil and replacing it with fresh.

I know this is long, I am just trying to answer the question thoroughly. Let me know if I missed something! Good Luck!!!! Rosie

okay..hope i answer all of your questions rosie..

i've been doing 50/50. when things started to die..i was thinking they were too wet and needed to add more perlite..not thinking that i just leached them and thats why they are wet..i'm still going to add more perlite to my mix. But I dont think I'm ever going to leach again. I leached because they recommend doing that..and I am still having brown spot issues..even babies are getting them. But from leaching..they get so wet...that i lose avs..i've lost two leaves...and currently, a larger av plant that i hope i have saved enough of it to grow again.

for leaves..this could get a little confusing..the named leaves i put down months ago..i used 50/50 and they are wicked..but pretty sure the leaching is the cause of the death of a few..i've been doing several propagating methods. i do like the bagged/domed ..they seem to grow mouse ears easily and not having to do anything. I do have a few av's that i'm trying to save in bags. Thats the first thing I do is fix them up the best I can then take them out of their reservoir and put them in a bag..50/50 results for that though..which i understand. The two leaves that were killed by leaching. One i separated the babies and they are still bagged, alive and kicken..the other one..i'm losing a few babies..but wished i didnt separate them.

I did have a leaf fall off while watering etc and i just planted it in straight perlite, bagged it and kinda seeing what it'll do.. if anything..I hope I answered everything rosie :O)

I am too lazy to leach. I kill them like anybody else by overwatering - I water with a garden hose... It is connected to a sump pump which is in a 33 gallon trash can which has water with fertilizer added. But - garden hose is not exactly a precise tool. I know I have a couple of trays I need to drain NOW.

Anyway - if you leach - after leaching put them on a stack of newspapers. For an hour. It will suck all the excessive water out. You can put the on a stack of paper towels... but it is kind of wasteful.

Off to drain the trays.

Irina

Heather one thing I notice within the forum is when bad starts to happen, people take action. (Not just you, we all do it.) But they expect instant results. Everytime we do something to correct a problem we need to understand that we have to WAIT. Then we have to EVALUATE the result of the action we took to correct the problem. And this could take a week or two or more to see the results.

For instance if you treat a violet for, let's say brown spots. The spots didn't happen overnight even though they just appeared visually to you. The problem is INTERNAL. It has been "brewing". And by the time you SEE the brown spots,,,,well you are just seeing the "tip of the iceberg"!!!! So now you have treated your violet for its problem. And a week later those original brown spots are still there. Because just like the problem takes invisible (to you) time to happen, now it will take invisible (to you) time to fix. It may not show being fixed until the new leaves start to come out. Those NEW leaves are the visual that your cure worked. And that takes time.

But,,,,,,,we want to see more of an immediate "cure" so that we know we did the right thing. And by not waiting long enough (maybe until new growth starts up again for example) we throw another cure at it. And pretty soon we CURE it to death.

It kills me to treat something and then just sit and wait. I look at that darn violet and stare at it hoping for some evidence I did the right thing and what should I do next? The answer is NOTHING. Just wait. See what happens. This could take a couple weeks.

Now the reason I went to great lengths to say all of this is because I want you to "listen" to your violets. Let them have time to absorb whatever medicine you give them. Don't rush the process. WAIT. Again, could take more than a couple weeks!

Now, let's address a couple things. LEACHING---in my opinion a very last resort. There is a place for it, but it is a last resort.

If a plant is too WET---use Irina's method. Set on newspaper to draw the water out of the soil, then let plant get just close to being dry, and only then water it but when you do don't flood it. Water it in small amounts every few days until it is back up to normal dampness. Remember, "too wet" kills roots so your plant has to grow them back. It takes time.

A possible side effect from too wet could be brown spots. As roots are destroyed the plant goes into survival mode and will sacrifice parts of itself to keep the last of the healthy tissue to sustain life. Treatment doesn't immediately stop the damage that has started. Everything has to run its course.

Wow this is long. I hope this helps you, prevention is the key so you don't run into the "tip of the iceberg" !!!!! Rosie

Hear hear! Rosie - you are GOOD!

If you have brown spots, discoloration from cold water, bleaching from sun, nicks and scratches - nothing is going to restore this leaf and make the spots disappear. The leaf is marred for life of it. Just as Rosie said - you can cure it to death and the spots will be still there. You just make sure that you will have less of them on future leaves.

Leaching is important if you have fertilizer crystals on young leaves. If not - repotting will do the same refreshing action. If your 3 years old grandson poured his milk on it... I would unpot it - and wash all the soil off the roots.

Besides the conventional piece of wisdom that you need to be quick if you are catching fleas or fooling around with the neighbor's spouse... there is another thing that needs to be done in an expedient manner... If you see your mother leaf caught rot - immediately cut the rotting piece off - and dust the cut with a ground cinnamon. It will prevent the infection from spreading. But make sure you do the cut through the healthy tissue - and do it with something sharp - like X-acto knife. Scissors mash the tissue and prevent healing.

I.

Thank you Irina,,,absolutely true. Honestly I wanted to address a couple other things but I already wrote a novella. Didn't think I should write an actual novel!! Rosie

Leaching.. The cause of too wet for me

Brown spots are showing up on newer leaves as well.. Ive been dealing with that for months now.. I do not use cold water. My artificial light isn't bright enough

I dont expect immediate results.. I never said I did.

Ive always wanted to write a novel

OMGoodness Irina! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't it funny how some threads take on a life of their own? All in the quest of trying to solve a "how to keep my violet alive" dilemma?

ok,,,here is my suggestion for a title, "Idiosyncrasies of the African Violet-The Pain, Pleasure and Pursuit !"

Anymore titles anyone??? Rosie

Maybe you are correct about the leaching being the cause of the brown spots. Is your violet dry now? Or at least in the process of drying out from leaching? Sometimes the actual visual damage (caused in this case by leaching) cannot be reversed, and the plant is just going to have to keep growing until it outgrows the process of damage. When we use a cure we have to wait possibly a long time (in our world longer than we want to) for the action to stop, then the plant will have to repair roots and in the process of it all, keep on growing to try to sustain it's life. If it turns out leaching wasn't the problem then we have to refigure what else could cause the brown spots.

I am not a good one to ask about brown spots specifically, but sometimes just having a discussion gives good ideas.

Oh I just thought of something, I had more than several solo cups of violet babies that were treated with a chemical because of suspected mites. Apparently the treatment was worse than the problem. All of the centers just turned brown and died. The outer leaves seemed to be ok but geeze,,,,all my centers were dead as doornails.

I started throwing them away little by little. Then I was diverted and a lot of them just got left alone. After about 2 months of not doing anything to them except fill their reservoirs you will never guess. Everybody was starting to sucker! Mind you there were as few as one and as many as 4 pitiful chemically treated leaves left on each one. But I figured as long as they are suckering, I may be able to save something through those suckers.

Well the little suckers are slowly growing. I am cautiously optimistic.

I know Irina! You think I am nuts, but I have to see where this takes me. It has now turned into a challenge. Much like that darn Chimera of mine that lost her "head"!!!!

Had I not been too busy they would have ALL been in the compost pile.

I am not saying you have mites Heather, I am saying that you may just have to do a little more reading about violets online/library and really dig into what the heck is going on not totally, but maybe all of the different parts to the jigsaw puzzle.

I have given about the best I can without seeing the violet up close and personal and I wish I could help more. Good luck. Rosie

Brown spots started before any leaching... Its been like 2 weeks or maybe 3 since then and they are all wicked. So they dont dry out unless wicking stops or there's no water

Ive dug around a bunch.. I'm the type that sees any little spec of a possible issue and I spend hours trying to find any help with it.. Even days.. And even if I know the issue.. I still research.. I come here as a last resort.

No other then spring tails there's no mites etc.. I check them weekly.. Having succulents taught me to be diligent in checking daily. Plus it gives me an excuse to sit with them all for an hour or so.

I think we sometimes panic and think we have all pests in a world. But only after you get each type of bugs once - you get the experience to say - it is NOT IT. SO - think about pests as some kind of a viral respiratory infection. You get it - you take the medication - you develop resistance... for some time... and then you get another one. And your nose is running again.

You cannot promise - that you will take all the precautions, be very sanitary, cook everything at home, wash your hands and never ever get the stomach flu. Sooner or later - it will be your turn.

Learn, get prepared - show photos and ask what to do. We are here - with a combined experience. Most of the cases - it is culture issue. You do not need to doze everything with an expensive pesticide. Only if it is really pests. If it is pests - go for the serious stuff. Safer soap is not going to eradicate the problem. It can reduce the infestation - but they will come back.

Rosie - there are special places for AV nuts. One of them is called GardenWeb. We are all very nicely nutty.

i.

I knew there was a reason I was so comfortable here! Thanks Irina!!!! Rosie

I'm probably going to regret this.. But I have shown pics.. And posted here.. And sometimes I just feel like I'm talked to like I know nothing and clueless.. And then start questioning myself.. Why I even have these plants if the basic care is questioned. Then usually end up feeling dumb and still have the issue unsolved.. It could very well be me.. Most things are my fault anyway.. But I have a hard time responding. I even try avoid posting because I get so hurt sometimes

Heather, we address, to the best of our ability what is asked. It is hard sometimes when you cannot see a person's face to accurately interpret their meaning. There are times I have wondered what in the heck does that person mean? Then I wait for more posts or I ask for clarification. That is my way of handling it.

Just ask if you don't understand. I cannot find your first postings, but at that time were you a newbie? It is really hard for people jump into a forum with brand new (to them but answered many times over in the forum) questions sometimes. If you look things up, good. That is the first step. But just as cold or flu symptoms can be similar..... so can violet problems and the symptoms that cause them.

We all lose violets no matter what the problems raising them. No matter how many cures we use we do the best we can. Do we get off topic a bit? Get a little nuts? Yep we do. Breaks the tension. Keeps things fun. Just in case you doubt that, visit some other forums. Most of them are dead. No one is there. Old posts and no answers offered. The begonia forum is good though.

We are still alive here thankfully. I just spent the better part of an hour looking up other forums on different hobbies I have. Nothing. Not worth my time. No one to answer.

We offer the best answers we can. We hope and want you and everyone else to be successful also. But we can only offer suggestions. Enjoy your violets. Don't worry about every little thing that goes wrong with them. Some things that go wrong are ok. Fixable. Not deadly. And sometimes in spite of all of the advice and our best efforts, some die.

Relax and enjoy the forum, post, giggle and grow and enjoy your violets. That's what it is all about. Good luck!!!! Rosie

Say no more.. Its just me

Heather - we like you! We do not try to discount your worries and your knowledge... It just we all go through the same motions - you and me and Rosie and everybody else. Them darn violets never grow perfect. Most of the time I cannot figure out WHAT it wants. It is always an attempt of troubleshooting to the best of my and everybody else knowledge. And we joke around. Every single post - it starts with something - and ends with an irrelevant chat.

But I looked back - and I think your question was answered. You had a problem - a mother leaf catches rot - and the babies die. Can you save them - If the cause is overwatering and the rot started from roots - probably not. They are connected with a mother leaf - so the infection spreads fast.

If the rot started from a top of the mother leaf - happens when it is bruised - you can cut the rotted piece off, sprinkle with cinnamon- and the babies will go on.

Part of your problem was leaching - the soil gets way too wet - and I think we decided not to leach leaf pots at all. Keep them until you are ready to separate - and at that point the babies will get fresh soil.

It was kind of hard to fish out the relevant information - but it was there.

I.

Heather ... for years, I accepted that I just didn't have the KNACK for propagating AV's from leaves ... even though I was pretty good at caring for already established plants.

Then ... I found out, that unknowingly, my water provider had been putting Chloramine in our water, ... a chemical which can be toxic to AV's.

So ... it wasnt'/isn't me, ... it's something that I could never have guessed.

OTOH, I lost perhaps 8 plant starts this past summer to crown rot. I think that it was because I didn't use NEW potting mix to pot them. I used some from other plantings that I had discarded.

Of course, I may also have been tending to overpot (i.e. placing the separated plantlets into 4" pots). That's because I'm lazy, and don't like to repot.

Finally, I ignored Irina's excellent advice to avoid watering from the TOP in the summer.

Any one of these things could be the reason why I lost these plantlets. I'm probably fortunate to have any starter plants left. But I do ...

I don't know why the results of your leaf propagation methods are so mixed.

But ... given that the basics are good, ... you'll get better and better at it.

I'm pretty laid-back and undisciplined in my efforts ... and I'm still doing much better than I was before.

I, basically, just cut the leaf stem at 45 degrees (or so) on the top side of the leaf, leaving about an inch of soil, ... then I stick them in a pot of NEW soil, ... and water a little. I try and keep the plantings damp, but never overly wet. Also, I tend (NOW) to water them from the bottom (I don't wick).

If I follow this approach faithfully ... I get pretty good results.

The first time I had tried propagating I stuck ieaves in soil mixture, squirt a little water and poof, healthy babies. (Maybe not poof, it took almost 3 months.) I noticed when I took them out their greenhouses I hadn't poked holes in the cups for drainage. Took a sharp 'hole puncher' to the cup and water just poured out the bottom. But everything is growing good. No rot. Lucky break I got on those I guess.

Wow,,,,you were lucky. But you reminded me of something.

There was a thread a while back about rooting leaves in water vs soil. They were talking about converting thicker "water" roots to fibrous "soil" roots. Here is how I learned to do it. Cut the slant on the stem of the leaf like normal. Let the leaf root in water. As soon as it makes a few roots add a little soil to the water. Not enough to make mud, just enough to dirty it up. Wait about a week, add more soil to the water. Keep doing this until you end up with slightly damp soil mix. In the meantime, your leaf has been converting to "soil" roots and by the time you get to having normal soil with your leaf you may even have a few babies.

Sounds weird, but I have done it and it does work. If you choose to use a 50/50 vermiculite/perlite mix, no worries, do it the same way. Doesn't matter what your mix is, this will work.

You just made me remember it! Rosie the rememberer!

I never did take the leaf from water and planted.. I have quite a few babies and decided to plant it in soil... So far still alive

Maybe that's actually what I have on them, water roots!

Glad to hear that Heather. My babies are still too small to separate but that will be a first for me, too. I'm hoping some of these NOID babies wind up being one or two of my more remarkable Optimaras...I don't know since they didn't have blooms and I hadn't starting cataloging and labeling them yet. I don't really have room for more NOIDs but -- I think I found a taker for these baby plants! My friend didn't like it when I told her they were headed for the trash! heehee Good gifting strategy on my part!

:D

I had to laugh when I read through this thread. Every time I read any of the posts from some of our more experienced growers, I just have to shake my head and wonder how the heck they know that! I have taken to nicknaming one of them SIRI just because she know the answers!

Humbling but helpful. Someday, in a couple of years, I may have the ability to help a few folks w some of their technical AV issues. Now, I can only share the things that worked for me and perhaps comment when I see people struggling w the same things that kicked my butt.

I may as well be marooned on a desert island as here in Tallahassee when it come to African Violet enthusiasts. Were it not for the internet and forums like this, I would probably have a whole kitchen full of dead plant matter!

I like you, Heather! Some of the "big names" (lol) around here can be very intimidating. I always feel a rush of "Oh thank god, someone like me" when I see your posts because while I've been raising AVs for literal years now, I am so, so busy that I know there are things that I'm missing, probably SIMPLE things, and that it's likely the reason for my abysmal long-term track record for keeping AVs alive. Gotta be strong to survive in my household, apparently.

Also, for the record, all y'all need to keep talking about wicking because I'm using you for research. LOL

Sometimes there are so many options based on experiences I just have to sift through it all to decide on what works best for my situation. On this subject I really like Irina's answer summarizing it all in one neat little package!

dviolet1

Sometimes there are so many options based on experiences I just have to sift through it all to decide on what works best for my situation.

Very wise of you. That should be every person's action, my dear, no matter the type of plant or advisor. As someone who helps out an orchid vendor at several orchid shows in my state, I am forever talking to folks who want to know "How often/many days a week should I water my orchid?" They are all seeking a hard and fast recipe. Trouble is, one is not making chicken soup or a baking cake. (And even with baking, as anyone who has made yeast bread from scratch can attest, one often can't follow an exact recipe every time -- the bread just won't cooperate.) You are dealing with a living thing and everyone's growing conditions are a bit different. If my home is more arid and warm than yours, I may have to water more frequently and/or use a more water retentive media.

I, for one, very rarely water root any plant that is not a bog plant or cannot be rooted any other way. I do not wish to have the plant set back by needing to grow earth roots to replace the water roots.

I ignore the "AVs don't do well in terraria", nonsense. They can grow extremely well in a terr. I have had them directly planted in the sphag I use as a substrate and typically get adventitious roots galore. Had one Optimara death row inmate from Lowes at one point. Within around two years, it went from a 5" diameter plant to being 12" across. Bloomed really well too. I had to rip it out as it was smothering my other plants. Sent it down to live with a forum friend in Florida.

I do not subscribe to the "don't water AVs from above" balderdash with mature plants. What do these plants do in the wild? Carry umbrellas? However, I do make sure not to water with cold water as -- particularly in the winter -- the water coming out of the pipes is cold enough to shock me not to mention a tropical plant. The AVs I have grown in my terraria get water dumped on them from above. Nary an issue. It is a good idea, if watering from above to make sure you have good air circulation. Molds do well in stagnant damp conditions. Now with plantlets or seedlings I might be so inclined to water from the bottom, but that is more a concern of washing them away or burying them as the soil settles.

Speaking only for myself, I tend to write just like I talk. For the people who know me, thats not a problem since they know Im just a big teddy bear. For those that don't, I could at times be considered a bit of an ass.

Cant help it. 64 years old and been a cop most of it. I like people but generally call em like I see em. Not the best perspective for a guy talking to strangers about flowers!

Everybody here is really nice and I enjoy trying to be helpful when they ask questions. Sometimes to an annoying degree. Sorry.

At any rate, if I ever offend any of you with my blunt style, I apologize in advance and would hope you would bring it to my attention so I could fix it.

jz

I love water wicking.. I will never go back.. I have tried to keep a few ave in their original soil.. And just bottom water.. But I eventually convert it to wicking.. I just got 4 new 6inch ave and as much as I just want to water them as normal.. I know I'll be wicking those big mamas.. Plus I love perlite.. I never realize just how awesome that stuff is.. Even if I didn't wick them with the wicking soil mix.. I know when they need water.. I have a harder time with just the soil they come in

Jeff.. Honestly.. I would have never thought you we're a cop

Heather, where'd you get the 6 inch AVs? Are any Space Violets by chance? I would love to have a true constant bloomer if I had the room the room for it.

Lowe's.. I have signed up for the alerts. I'm honestly confused at what they might be.. I looked up their 6 inch pot options. On myviolet it only shows one collection.. And none of what was there or picked up was any of them. But I cannot find what would match them. Unless these are just the 4 inch standards on steroids. Which is kinda poopy of them.

Here in Delaware our selection is very sparse.. So I don't get the nicer options as other states.

dviolet - There are no true constant bloomers, ... whatever the size of their pots. Plants go through "cycles" of blooming and recuperation. Blooming takes a lot of plant energy ... and that energy must be replaced/replenished at some point, ... or the plant will ultimatrly decline in health. Many times, after one of my plants has had a sustained period of bloom, ... I can visibly see that the plant itself, is worse off for the effort expended.

That being said, there are some varieties which I've grown which are more floriferous than other (i.e. they naturally bloom more). So, although there are still some periods of rest and recuperation, these periods are shorter ... and less frequent.

Some of my my near-constant bloomers are ...

Cool Mint

Easy Breezy Day

Evensong

Heaven's a' Callin'

Picasso

Pow Wow

Private Dancer

Red Rocket

Silverglade Plums

I don't know about the EverFloris Series (i,e. EverLove, EverBeautiful, etc.), because I've not had any success growing any of them until recently.

Heather - The longer you grow African Violets, ... the less likely it is that you will be impressed with Big Box store offerings. These plants are marketed to the general public, so they just need a pop of color to sell. The key is getting to them quickly, before others pick and choose the best plants ... and before the plants are compromised by Thrips and other pests, ... and poor care.

Typically, you will see nothing that you you really want, ... but occasionally, you will find some gems. Optimara doesn't put their entire inventory into the big box stores, just what they think will sell quickly. Once again, you'll have to get to the plants quickly. The Violet Alerts should help.

P.S. Optimara can grow their plants so well that they can put them in 6" pots, sometimes.

I have a few of the ones you listed aegis. Mine of that type also bloom more often than not. I have quite a few Optimaras, new and old and if they ever stop blooming Ill let you know. I have actually de-bloomed a few of my old standby Optimaras just to give them a break.

On another note, I recently purchased a couple of "New Variety" plants from Selective Gardener. When they arrived, I was caught off guard. They are huge! SG ships them in 5" pots!

I got Rocky Mountain, Crater Lake, Fiji and Smokey Mountain. These will be BIG plants. I hope not too big.

Aha! False advertising at Selective Gardener?!

So are you saying the EverFloris series are finicky and hard to grow?

Thanks for sharing your list -- I'll probably wind up looking them all up now lol. And good to see what's on your list -- My Heaven's a'Calling plants have just come into bloom for the first time for me since I planted them as suckers. I'm surprised at seeing any flowers on such a little young plant. So now I get to sit back and enjoy the show for a while. Nice!

I noticed the flowers are heavy and fall over after a while. Wondering if that will stop when the plants get larger.

Ha Ha - now I've got to look up Heather and Jeff's lists too, lol.

Heather, I try to get to Lowes right away after a delivery like you. One box they opened for me had 1 out of the lot of them that stood out from the rest -- a myDream. Had to get it. Just had to. Almost makes up for accidentally giving away the prettier myLove :( (Not really!)

(It's still in quarantine in a low light area so, as you know, the leaves won't flattened out yet.)

I think it might be safe to take out of quarantine now -- been almost 2 months and the plant look alright to me.

So far I've been very lucky with plants from Lowes!

Haven't received a MyViolet notice in a long time now -- since before Irma. They must be sending all ours to Delaware right now. ;-)

Very pretty plants, dviolet ... I don't have any particular problem with the flowers on Heaven's a' Callin' falling over, ... though the plant does stay relatively small. It's one of those which will bloom for you ... without requiring special care or attention.

I've not been particularly drawn to many of the Space Violets, though, being an engineer, I love the concept. Good on Holtkamp for sending their seeds into space.

I finally decided that I wanted to try EverPrecious ... and I probably got a couple starter plants for it at points, ... but had no success growing it. I then tried EverLove, which survived my care, ... but stayed very small, ... and bloomed in a really off-color way. My most recent attempts have been with EverBeautiful ... and I got a leaf 11 months ago, which has yet to offer up any plantlets.

After that, I was sort of done with the whole lot of the EverFloris group, until I happened upon the specimen of EverBeautiful I have today ... purchased from a Lowes, and still blooming after 6 weeks or so.

So ... it's just that my very limited experience has been more negative than positive, ... though that may ultimately change. And, as I said, I haven't had enough experience with a successful plant, ... to determine if they really do stay in "constant bloom".

Jeff,

i got Rocky Mountain and Sequoia from Selective Gardens too. I also get leaves for Smoky Mountain, Puerto Rico, and Cezanne. I had to kick myself as soon as I saw the Rocky Mountain. It is exactly the same as the one I have at home. I bought it just to see if mine at home is truly Rocky Mountain. Now I got 2, and one of them is expensive.

Julie, I guess your plants were on the large side too? They are beautiful and hopefully will be just like all the other Optimaras as far as blooming goes. The plants I received are all a little leggy (big, healthy and leggy). Im hoping after a couple months under the lights they'll settle down a bit.

Mine were blooming when I got them and they're still hard at it.

Heather - Another thought on your original question. if a mother leaf starts to die off, go ahead and clip it off at the stem, so any associated rot doesn't get to the babies ...

Jeff,

My plants are in perfect shape, not leggy at all, large and full of blooms. The leaves are in great shape too.

Dviolet.. We don't get anything fancy.. I think the fanciest one ive gotten is Michelle and shes currently my favorite

Aegis.. Don't see that happening anytime so although I may have everyone they send to DE. Small state means less options and less fighting to get their hands on them. They arrive Friday here but cannot get to them till Monday.. The car broke down just before we got to Lowe's.. I was in a not so lovely mood until the car was fixed.. I needed an av fix and something good to erase a few of the bad things that have happened.. Idk what I'll do when they stop sending them.. Which I get the hint it'll be soon.. These new ones we're outside on the reject section. Or hiding them from me.. I usually clean them out lol

I'm rambling. . .

Your Michelle is lovely.

Usually, all I ever see when I go are the basic African Violets (i.e. single blues, violets, reds pinks, and whites). I used to think that they didn't ship their better plants to the outlets, ... but then I found a Modesty, and I saw the MySensations, ... and EverBeautiful. There are many of the Optimara Violets which I haven't seen at outlets. But I think that they, occasionally, mix a few of the gems in with the usual offerings.

On a positive note, I don't note if I remember that Optimara ever STOPS shipping, and even if they do, there will be Poinsettias and Moth Orchids to tempt in their place.

The fancy ones I got from Lowes are Optimara Sensation, having a full bloom crown for 5 months now with no sign of deterioration, a dying Yellowstone, and a rotted Crater Lake. I managed to save the Yellowstone, and also saved a sucker from the Crater Lake. I got the Rocky Mountain from a local nursery. The last plant in a fancy pot. I asked if I could buy the plant, they told me to take the plant out of the fancy pot. I thought I got lucky because I asked. Others probably just assumed it's not for sale.

Julie, sometimes all you have to do is ask! You were lucky!!! Good for you! Rosie

Aegis. Here they might.. I didn't see them in the winter. They love sending the usuals here to. I'll have to maybe make an order for some tgat ive been eyeing...

Speaking of gems.. One of my big box noid has decided to show it's true colors. I may of had it for a months or two.. And had the strangest red color.. When it bloomed it just looked half dead. But when I took my usual gander at my flowers.. I was shocked.. Didn't know they we're suppose to be red and white

Very nice ...

Looks like you are picking up some gems ...

One thing I noticed is the bloom size increases a lot after in my home for a while. I have several blooming right now, their blooms are all much bigger than when I got them.