How Small is Too Small?

8 years ago

When it comes to baby plants grown from leaves, how small is too small to allow to bloom? The idea is for these plants to put their energy into foliage growth, but I have several new babies trying to throw up bloom stalks...and suckers. Everything recently transitioned over the past month or so to wick watering and I do have a decent amount of suckering going on as well -- maybe this is a stress response to the wetdrywetdrywet that was going on before, although it's only the biggest, healthiest ones wanting to bloom.

None of the small plants trying to bloom are minis or semi-minis, but I do have some in the repertoire. Is there a ____ rows of leaves guideline, maybe? I vaguely remember Irina talking about this some time back, but I can't remember anything concrete.

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Comments (4)

irina_co
8 years ago
You are correct on the reason of suckering. You stress the plant - and it goes into "I need to propagate before I die" mode.

If your starter is supposed to be fantasy, chimera, bicolor - I would let one bloomstalk to open early, so you know if it blooms true - otherwise - it is a sport - and you need to get rid of it. After you see that it is blooming true - cut off the bloomstalk and put it in a wine glass to enjoy - and let the starter beef up.

When the starter blooms firs time - depends on 2 things - genetics - and light. Some varieties are early bloomers - and some are not. If you keep them on a windowsill - who knows when they will bloom - if under the lights - a little bit more than optimum light will make them bloom fast. If you put them under 2 T8s - blooms will come early,

Sometimes they send the bloomstalk while still in a leaf pot = and you just need to snip it. Very exhausting for the little plantlet.
Tiffu (Oregon 8b) thanked irina_co
Tiffu (Oregon 8b)
Original Author
8 years ago
These are in two inch solo cups, and the three trying to bloom have reached the point whether they are (slightly) larger than the circumference of the cup. None of the ones smaller than this are trying to bloom, although there have been suckers galore, yikes.

They are in a (very?) high light situation, but I haven't seen any signs of light stress like scorching or bleaching. The shelving has 6 T5 LED fixtures arranged vertically to light four shelves. One of these six is turned off. I can turn off any of the six individually as I desire in case there IS too much light.

Everything seemed to take off in an explosion of much healthier growth once they got moved over to wicks. I don't know why I waited so long!
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Rosie1949
8 years ago
Lookin' good, Tiffu! Wicks are great! As far as transplanting from the mother leaf, I do it when there are enough leaves to sustain growth. If it develops flowers/suckers to soon, I was taught that uses too much energy and the energy should go to the growing and developing plant. I am not talking about trailers just normal violets. So they should come off.

But for every one person who believes that,,,,,there will be another with some other point of view. I guess it depends on you and what works for you. Sometimes you just have to experiment to find your best way. Rosie
irina_co
8 years ago
Usually at the size they are now - they will start showing first buds any time. Peak under the leaves!