So glad you posted these Rosie. Not only was it your turn to do a little show and tell about your collection, I learned something new about how to bag. A couple of questions if you don't mind answering:

Are those snack size bags you use or 1 qt? You don't seem to bother inflating the bags, do the leaves get wet touching the sides of the bag? Guess I have 3 questions -- what size condiment cups do you use in the bottom photo? I just bought some at Publix yesterday but they were tiny 2 oz. things. May be good for nothing, lol.

Your collection of starters and babies are really something (and nice to see a few other plants thrown in there to keep things interesting.) Thanks for sharing!

Thanks to both of you!!!

Lily the funny part is,,,,,it has been dusted. The poor table was to the curb but I could see potential and honestly I was too lazy to paint it and too in a hurry to use it for my violets!!!!

Dviolet, those are snack size baggies. I use a kcup or a 2oz. cup and put them in the baggie on the short side. I used to zip. Sometimes I do, but then I found out if I don't zip and wrap the sides of the baggie to the kcup, then get another kcup (or 2 oz. cup) and stick the "baggied" (sheese is that a word???) one into it,,,,it holds everything in place. The 2nd cup allows the whole thing to stand without tipping over.

If you look in pix #3 from the top, toward the left you will see a plastic container with a lid holding a bunch of cups. Can you tell that those cups are actually creamer containers??? You know,,,,,the ones you get in a restaurant and you peel the lid back and you get about a tsp (or less) of cream for your coffee????? And that plastic container they live in is from Yoder Potato Salad. Go figure they fit just perfectly!!!!! In those little tiny creamer cups I cut up spaghnum moss real fine, dampened it and THAT is what I root my micro, miniature and semi miniature leaves in. A kcup I found to be too large for that job. These eensy weensy creamer cups are perfect! I do cut off the tab if it has one, so I just have a round creamer container.

As far as other things mixed in with the violets,,,,everybody has to jockey for space. That is my only light fixture, so I give everyone a turn to have flourescent light once in a while. Gotta share!!!! Rosie

Wow Rosie! That looks great! We just had 2 guests for a couple of days, and they were intrigued by my babies, too. One of them was sitting on the floor opening up my spinach boxes to see what the names were on the cups! LOL

Just had to bookmark your explanation. Some really useful stuff Rosie!

Thanks Sue! Don't you just love when people like your babies?????

dviolet, glad you understood my explanation. Sometimes I wonder if I explain it right! lol I know I get it, but,,,,,,,. It is a simpler method than trying to make baggies stand on their own! Course it does take double the kcups or solo cups but it is worth it. Rosie

I've enjoyed seeing your set up. Thanks for sharing. It would be fun to snoop through all your baggies to see whats inside!

Terri

Thanks Terri!!! hahahaha Yeah I think i would be great if we could snoop thru each others collections!!! Wouldn't that be a fun afternoon???? Course then we would start trading and trading and trading and oh no!!!! I can just see Irina shaking her head now!!!! lol

By the way,,,,the table in the pix above is only 4ft. long by 18in. wide. And there is a bottom shelf. So that means you are looking at 2 shelves, a total of 8ft. of growing space long and about a yard wide if you would make one big rectangle!!!! Rosie

OK, well I don’t really have a collection even close to Rosie. Mine is more along the lines of a few violets. Here are the ones that are blooming. The first is my favorite for being kind of luscious.

This next one is the half that I had split from the third plant, because there were too many suckers. Here is the first half:

Here is the other half, which had more roots than the plant above. I think it’s cool one is purple and one is variegated. The original plant looked like the one above:

And here is my successful baby. The other leaf has not produced leaves, but there are roots. But this guy is going crazy. I’m growing them in a tomato 6 pack container from the store, lol. Oh- and this does not have drainage. (I know, shocking isn’t it)

Nice plants! They look happy and healthy.

Oh don't worry,,,,keep going and you will soon have a large collection! lol Plants and babies look great! Rosie

Thanks! I know, that’s what I’m afraid of. Lol. I have tropical plants up to my eyeballs already. My husband has just given up in trying to fight it. Now he says I need more plant stands.

The other night he was walking through a dark room trying to be quiet and knocked over a plant. He felt really bad, but hey, life happens, right?

I have to give him a lot of credit for putting up with it.

Bless his heart! I have one like that. I probably don't give him enough credit!!!! Although he doesn't offer plant stands, he doesn't say anything when another one comes in the house. Mainly because he cannot tell one from the other! Rosie

Nice collection Rosie! When friends come to visit they walk in my kitchen and are kind of speechless with seeing the stand and all the lights. lol. Ms. Rosie where did you find the little cups that you are using for wick with the babies? I am going to switch mine over soon to wick and not sure where to find the cups!

Those are nothing more than the condiment cups from when I go out to eat!!!! Or you can buy them in a Gordon Food Service. uhmmmm,,,I am not sure where else they sell them, but I never leave my condiment cups behind. And if they bring me something in a condiment cup and it doesn't have a lid on it, I just very politely ask for the matching lid!!!! Last spring we went to fish frys during Lent and they put the coleslaw in them! Took our cups home! Get the idea??? lol Rosie

PS. I don't know if the dollar stores carry them. Anybody know of sources???

Just checking my Gelatin Shots cups with lids from Publix and I can see they're not very deep. May be alright for coffee creamer cups though.

Rosie, silly question, but what are you using to cut the holes out in the lids? Guess I'm not very creative when it comes to resourcefulness, lol.

Edit...er, on second thought, who the heck would wick a coffee creamer cup? Yipes!

dviolet, if the jello shot cup is the clear one on the right, the kcup looks as if it will fit on top perfectly!!!! For my kcups I actually cut a circle just a bare hair larger than the bottom of the kcup. Cut it too large and the kcup sits too far down. But don't get rid of that lid if you mess up. Somewhere along the line you will find something that will fit it perfectly!!!! Learned THAT the hard way!!!!!

Also, I use the same push up cutter (see paragraph below) but I don't move the cutter. I place the tip (after I trace it on the lid) on the lid and I move the LID in a circle. And take your time. Go slow. Perfect!!!!! If it is a perfect fit I keep that circle I just cut out, use a marker and label it so I can just trace it again without having to line up the cup again!!!

The reason I want my kcup or pot to fit tight in the lid is because I have a bad habit of knocking the plant pot off of its reservoir!!! My old arthiritic hands get pretty clumsy.

Now to answer your question:

Edit...er, on second thought, who the heck would wick a coffee creamer cup? ME !!!!!! Micro minis don't need that big of a pot. Gotta think small !!!!

As far as cutting holes, I cut triangles. I turn the container over, and usually there is a small triangle already printed on the bottom for recycle. I follow those lines but only on 2 sides. I use one of those plastic cutters that you push the razor up a little at a time. The reason I only cut 2 sides of the triangle is this. I push the cut part up and thread my wick thru, then I push it down just firmly enough to hold the wick in place. I don't know why I do it that way. I just do, although it does stop soil from falling thru. Just one of the dumb things I do! Rosie

Thanks Rosie, awesome ideas!

You're welcome,,,,,,necessity is the Mother of Invention!!!!!! Rosie