Jeff - better to bid - and then ask for extras- than just email the seller afterwards and tell him - Oh - my computer was off and I didn't have a chance to bid at the very last second. Reason - ebay doesn't permit any sales from under the table. So the seller needs to post one more listing just for you with a fixed price. And it is extra work. If you are buying several plants - you can ask for leaves of the one you missed - and very often you will get them as a gift. Good buyers -- are treasured, schmoozed and spoiled.

Yes, I always bid, but I have been known to use a sniping tool. Regardless, the "Second Chance" option has been my saving grace for some time.

Most of the Ebay sellers that I use, know me. They know I wouldn't have bid if I wasn't serious and like you said, they want my business.

I am still very fond of my "King" that I got from an Ebay vendor.

Cheryl,

Following up on Aegis' advice, with big vendors like LLG, you can place your order now. They will hold your order until spring shipping rates are in effect. In my experience, AVs shipped in spring from the east coast named vendors are more vigorous and recover faster. The plants come back to life in spring. I prefer to have thriving plants shipped rather than dormant ones because shipping takes an extra day or two to reach me as I am at a distance.

Regarding EBay, you can ask the sellers what they will have. They will often work with you. (If not, move on.)

Joanne

Thanks all! - sigh relief. I’m still working to keep some of what I bought alive. Most are good however a few are not adapting as well, I can spend my efforts on them and breathe a sigh for the one I’m hopeful to add. So much learning going on. Very humbling, but still so happy with them.

They're HERE!!!! My order from the Violet Barn!!!! Incredible packing. Each plant is beautiful and perfect! Like a little jewel, really perfect! And it looks like there is an extra!!!! I carefully unwrapped them and put them up, the grand baby is on the way to stay over at Grandma's. Tomorrow when Daddy picks her up I will unwrap the final covering that is rubber banded around each pot. I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!

Hi Cheryl, As Irina noted, some of the "must-haves" in one season can become "has beens" in the next. The reasons why are varied. It could be because the hybridizer comes out with "new and improved" releases. Or a new release wins prizes and is unique enough to be registered with the AVSA. Everyone wants it. So then prices drop for the ancestors, which become second tier violets, so that is a good time to buy them.

Other older varieties are expensive because they are maddeningly fussy. Then, if or when they come back in vogue, they become even more costly. It is not because they have not become easier to grow. They simply got noticed again.

That is an example of how prices fluctuate as a function of market supply and demand, rather than because the AV is a rare variety.

One reason I like LLG so much is that they offer selections within price ranges.

I learned to do research and select carefully.

I learned to grow out some second tier choices first to make sure I liked the plant. Or I let "the dust settle" on a new introduction and pay attention to reports from the experts as they grow it. Another approach is if a "sport" is offered of the high priced AV I was condidering, I usually pass it by as I don't want to risk a sport. That can mean the genetics are too complex to be stable in my non-greenhouse environment.

Hybridizers keep on tinkering and offering new intros. If I find an older plant is too hard to get, I look for a newer version that has similar traits and is available. Chances are, the older AV could be one of the genetic ancestors of the current, more available AV.

Joanne

Hi, Cheryl,

I just peeked at Ebay to see what they are offering. There are many hard to find and some rare AVs. It makes sense why you want to bid now.

Would you want to ask us for opinions on some of the AVs? Of course, I understand if you prefer not to disclose to avoid a bidding war. I will just say, some of the higher priced AVs are notoriously difficult to grow. Maybe try your hand at a couple of the moderately priced AVs you can easily replace if they do not thrive.

If the plants come from any of the reputable sellers noted above, then why not take a chance and bid?

I am contradicting what I said above ... if it makes you happy, have fun, splurge a little.

Some people prefer to buy leaves. I do better with plantlets, especially for plants that are slow growers. Examples of slow growers are heavily variegated, and/or triple blooms. If it was me, I would not order those now.

Good success! You can always try to donate what you don't want to make room for new ones.

That is what I am doing. I placed an order with LLG for spring.

(I live too far away to buy from most other sellers, except for LLG or Optimara. But you live closer, so you are probably ok.) Joanne

Beginning growers should consider starting with plants that have won many awards and stood the test of time. Often varieties grown for show are somewhat plainer, but they are proven performers. I.e, easy to propagate, adaptable, and consistent bloomers. Good place to look is the AVSA best variety list and honor roll

Honor roll violets : source AVSA.org

2014 Rob's Fuddy Duddy. Rob's Chilly Willy
2013 Harbor Blue
2011 Plumberry Glow
2009 Bob Serbin
2008 Blue Dragon
2007 Aca's Red Ember
2005 Rebel's Splatter Kake
2004 Frozen in Time. Orchard's Bumble Magnet
2003 Rainbow's Quiet Riot
2001 Windy Day
2000 Powwow. Rob's Sticky Wicket

A very good list. None of these plants is fussy, They make a lovely collection to start with - green leaf, variegated, trailers,minis and semi-minis.

Joanne gave great advice on selecting the plants. And yes - often people bid high on ebay on especially fussy plants - which will not survive in their conditions. beware of highly variegated plants, especially minis and semis - they do not do well on the windowsills and they suffer more in shipping,

Alabamaav, thank you for the list and I will order some of those in the the future.

We will get 7 inches of snow tomorrow - hate shoveling - and we will have 2F tomorrow night.

Irina, I hope that you are doing OK in all the snow, I lived up north as a child and have not-so-fond memories to having to walk through snow to get to school.

No snow in North Alabama right now. Weather is warm and spring-like. Hope spring thaw comes for your area soon. One of the reasons I moved here was to get away from most of the snow and ice. I also did not like shoveling to escape the driveway to go to work in KY. Best regards,

Strangely the spring in CO rarely feels like spring - it is more like non stop jumps between winter and summer. Can be 80F one day - and snow next. Best time - fall.

Wow!!! Amazing info. When does the AVSA do the registering? Is it in a specific season?

agis1000 ..........“new release wins prizes and is unique enough to be registered with the AVSA. Everyone wants it. So then prices drop for the ancestors, which become second tier violets, so that is a good time to buy them.”

Fortyseven_gw........ what source do you do your research from? How would I find a “second tier” of a “ genetic ancestor” AV that I am interested in? And certainly, I will ask in the future of AV choice advice. I believe my, “ oooooh that’s pretty”, “ gonna buy now phase” is passing. I also want them to live. Which can be more challenging.

My want list has some standard stays, Watermelon Snow, Kentucky Gooseberries, Buckeye Seductress, RS Green Lagoon, Lituanika,

I like the double bloomed Russians.

The list expands, but I a learning to watch. Opera doc I am unsure of the white blooms. Afraid the will become dirty as they age. Also I need hearty AV’s currently, as I am still learning to keep them healthy and stabilize my growing conditions. Not only for my AV’s but all my green lovelies. I really jumped in this winter and turned my home into a green park! Lol, my hubby wishes he could “Lol” too! He likes the AV’s, and turnes the lights on for them. We look at them together and discuss their care and growth or lack there of. Research would be good. Thought I was prepared for this but it is certainly more complicated.

Cheryl -

Lower left is done. If you pop it up out of the cup - I think the stem is rotten...

Registration. The way how it is done - you email to Joe Bruns - the Registrar. He will send you a special acid free paper to fill the forms - you send it back to him. He creates the writeup, gives it a number- and submits it to the AV magazine. 6 months (or a bit less) later - it is published. Your hybrid is registered. Woo-Hoo! The rules are - it is only can be counted as registered - when it is printed in journal. According to AVSA rules - the parentage is not published - so the general public will never get this information. It is a legacy from times - when the AV life was very competitive and you could sell your exceptional new hybrid for good money to a commercial nursery for propagation and distribution.

Pure whites will not look dirty until blossom is done. Cream colored or "blush" ones can become less attractive at the end. But you can always remove the bloomstalk when they start looking yucky,

Out of your desirables - I have some doubts about Watermelon Snow -it is a highly variegated plant - and these guys can show a break in culture if you talk too loud. The rest should be cast iron.

Awesome!

You were right, lower left totally done.

Crown variegated Violets and variegation in general can be a bit tricky. If the plant is too white and not green enough, water it a few weeks with 1/8 teaspoon Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) per gallon of water. I have tried 1/4 tsp. and it produced faster results. Without sufficient chlorophyll, the plant will die. I waited too long to use it on a white plantlet of Lillian Jarrett variegated and lost it shortly after removing the browning mother leaf.

If a plant is overwatered, a more effective solution is to use toilet tissue or paper towels. Just remove once they are saturated. I would think a heating mat may not produce the results you were hoping for.

Cheryl, Watermelon Snow is extremely difficult to grow. As Irina noted, it must be grown on a warm shelf with perfect lighting. Also as Irina noted, the lineages of AVs are closely guarded secrets.

A good source of info is the AVSA magazine, Jeff Smith's column.

Eventually, you pick up info from forums like this, or clubs.

Or "Ask Irina." I just invented a blog name for Irina.

Russians are delightful to grow. Lots of bang for your buck. Big, fluffy blooms that last forever.

Joanne

Yes, I concur. I lost a Watermelon Snow a year or so ago in spite of my best efforts. I always thought I had gotten a lemon. Surely, it was not my fault! I may give it another try soon; I really like the plant.

The NOIDs arrived, one has blooms. This shipment too was wrapped with tender loving care, not one leaf out of place, everything beautiful and healthy.

Lucille ... Glad to hear it.

Enjoy ...

So happy for u Lucille! Will we get to c the pics soon?

Thx - everyone! No gooseberries for me now. What I’m older n wiser. - haha! Will try both the tissue n epsom salt. I think I may put in a hotline to irina’s house. She’s awesome n patient, so patient!

Jeff, I will not admit on a public forum how many Watermelon Snow I have lost. Most likely, you did not get a lemon. Maybe Irina will grow some out and let us know her tips. They have very precise requirements. I tried growing it more on the green leave, pink bloom, rather than on the white side. Irina said they must be on a shelf under a light. I think they need a constant room temperature.

Probably no pictures for a while, Cheryl. Patience, grasshopper.

- haha, ok but u created the anxiety. ; ) lol patiently waiting, patiently waiting..... ; )

fortyseven_gw I will definitely want one. One day, would b nice of irina to help us out some tho, would’nt it? Someone knowledgeable who can start us with healthy babies and motherly advice. - hehe!

Leaf prices can vary depending on the grower. A fair price is between 2 - 4 dollars per leaf; any more is too expensive in my opinion. Moreover, some growers sell starter plants at 4.00 and up so keep this in mind. Some will sell you two leaves for about 2.75 (Fancy-bloomers.com). At josviolets.com, leaves are 2.00, and Bloomlovers.com leaves start at 2.00. All three vendors have a good selection and reasonable prices.

There are of course other good sources for AV leaves. Sometimes you may get two or three leaves or even an unrooted crown of a trailing variety. Have your pots and soilless mix ready before your order arrives and you will have a good head start. I like to use plastic 3oz. Solo "bathroom" cups with holes cut out with an x-acto knife. For minis and semis, 2.x oz. condiment cups (need holes) from dollar tree work great. the more shallow cups from other discount stores can be good for mini saucers. If space is limited, very large leaves can be cut across the top third or so. Plant the top piece as well if you want to try for more plantlets. Good luck!

Also use zip loc plastic bags, you can put 2 solo cups in each bag. Irina has suggested community plantings. The hormones from the sprouting leaves stimulate growth in each other. Often, leaves will be sent from the same plant, which is a good thing. They often grow in tandem, like twins.

I prefer leaves from the professional growers named above as well as Lyon's and Optimara because their own hybrids root very easily. You might need to freshen the leaves in sugar water when you get them, even if they still seem crisp. And will need to recut them. I use Rootone bought from Lyon's as well. And often their own potting mix. Some people slice off the top of the leaf. I do not do that right away. I think it shocks the leaf. I wait a few weeks until the leaf has become well rooted and then only if the leaf is growing itself rather than developing a plantlet. Joanne

@Cheryl

"what source do you do your research from? How would I find a “second tier” of a “ genetic ancestor” AV that I am interested in? "

Check out Alabama's post about the ancestry project at https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5154518/saintpaulia-ancestry-project?n=2

The information you're looking for seems to be in the online list and I've just posted the link to it.

Fortyseven, I don't use rooting hormone for violets, as they grow very well for me on their own! I can see why you might use it for some difficult varieties. It normally contains a fungicide. As a natural alternative, I have read some will lightly dust the cut end of the leaf with elemental sulfur. You are correct about shocking the leaf. Some varieties can tolerate the leaf area being reduced and more delicate ones might not. It is good to wait a while, since that has worked well for you. Also, blowing air gently into the plastic bag or container will help the plants grow since they need CO2 and it is in our breath. I have grown whole sets of leaves in those seed starting plastic greenhouses before. I stopped because if one or two cuttings start to mold, the fungus can spread quickly in the humid environment. In separate containers (no more than two leaves per bag) any possible pathogen can be more isolated and dealt with better.

I would be cautious with sugar water, though, as this could encourage the grown of fungi or bacteria. However, I have soaked wilting leaves in aged tap water (room temp. with chlorine bubbled out) with good results. I prefer rooting in soilless mix, but water is sometimes necessary for a leaf that won't perk up well. Put In plastic or glass container with foil on top with holes for the cuttings. I use a weak fertilizer solution. Once roots form, you can use a small plastic pot or cup and add perlite. Once that gets growing in the water, the cutting can make a better transition to soil.

Great tips, thanks! I will skip the sugar next time. I will try foil on the glass to prop up leaves or cuttings. It is good to know the Rootone acts as a fungicide. I have filtered water or use bottled water. I mostly buy from Lyon's. They do not wrap the leaves so they have to be freshened when they arrive. The package is in transit an extra day or two because I am at a great distance from Lyon's.

The woman at Lyon's suggested the Rootone. I discovered if I put a drinking straw in the plastic bag when the bag is mostly closed then blow in, I get a big puff.

I used the seed trays for several years. They are worn out now. I made a version of my own with containers from the Container Store when I was growing out a large quantity of leaves. It worked well but takes up space.

I usually root directly in the potting mix with 60% perlite. Water works, but it slows the process, I discovered. I sometimes root an "iffy" leaf in water to see if it will "take." When the first root nubbins show, I then plant it. But if I wait too long, the leaf develops long, bloated water roots that do not "take" when transferring to the potting medium. The leaf has to start over and grow a new set of thinner roots in the medium.

Learned by trial and error.

Joanne

I have some long stem leaves I stuck in water just to keep them fresh until I got around to putting them down. Sort of forgot about them, and now they have roots. If I want to propagate in soil now, am I correct in thinking that because the stems are too long I would cut them down and forget about the water roots they grew? Also, understand that water roots are of no use in the AV potting mix.

Those are beautiful leaves!

Thanks Lucille. Harmony's Cripple Creek...Here's the plant a month ago before I pruned it. Something must be off with my culture to have lost the variegation on that middle row.

Thank you guys for all the nice words.

I didn't try Watermelon Snow yet - I will may be get a leaf or a starter and I know where and I will report.

We have an AV Council Show and Sale in 2 weeks - lots of work for all able bodied members - but it is usually a great event. So - anybody who is close enough to drive to Tagawa Gardens in Aurora CO on 10-11 of March - please join us. The best sale is usually on Saturday morning.

Regarding heavily variegated plants.. What a pain in a tush. There is always a chance they will go totally white and die, They react unfavorably to a rude word, They take forever to start, grow and bloom And then they go into skulk for no reason and waste away. Good light and warm conditions help, The usual trick - keep variegated plants on lower shelves so they stay variegated - can be dangerous.

I had several Rose Bouquet plants last year. Was not that bad - i grew them on a top shelf under T8s and eventually - like in 8 months - they all bloomed and kept flowers forever, I put leaves down - I probably will have a couple this year - but if they bloom- it will be late summer at best. I only got 2 babies out of two leaves. Still - I think it is a good plant to have and not that picky, just slow. Trailer Alan's Fallen Angel. Heavily variegated white - I think semi-mini trailer. When I put it under T8s - it finally started growing instead of wasting. Not a window sill plant at all.

One more example - Ian-Caprice (or Ian Kapriz) depending on a spelling. I had 2 gorgeous ones in bloom. I left one for myself and put some leaves down. Made a mistake - took it to the basement - where it is a little bit colder. No babies - and the plant looks scrunched up and tight - and smaller than in a fall. (&^%)*&!!!

Ian Caprice - last year

Dviolet1 and Irina, your plants are just magnificent!!

They react unfavorably to a rude word

Irina do you talk bad to those poor plants? LOL.

Nope. I do not. But every so often I let my plants dry - and they are cursing me.

Thanks for the insight as to leaf prices, folks. Just got back from the orchid show. I enjoyed the show and even made some "pin money" as Rose calls it.

The vendors I help out generously allow me and another gent use a bit of their table space to sell our plants. (He brought ant plants and cacti/succ. I had a couple "jewel orchids", a little over a dozen carnivorous plants, and a few AVs. So in that regard we aren't selling in competition with the vendor.) AV-wise, I took Kentucky Little Sister -- my mother plant + 3 baby starter plants (each of which had at least 6 leaves .... btw, is that a decent size for being called a "starter plant"?) -- and my mother plant of Rob's Combustible Pigeon. I had the babies priced at $3 each and offered leaves off the mother plants at a $1 each. Wasn't sure what kind of interest there would be. Sold the three babies and a few leaves. Doubt I could have gotten more than $1/leaf which was fine (though obviously more would have been great, heh) as I wasn't expecting much. Almost all of those who did buy leaves didn't realize AVs could be started from leaves. After talking to them about it, they decided "what the heck, it's only a buck" and to give it a try.

You are a good ambassador!

D violet, Yes, correct. I suggest recutting them to your desired 1" and potting them as soon as you can.

Violet, if you feel like experiementing, you could use a leaf or two to play around with hydroculture and/or semi-hydroponics.

My new minis and a few baby standards on their new acrylic tiered shelves. Only one is blooming but they are new and still young.

Nice setting. The water in the reservoirs is blue?

No, those are glass pebbles.

They look great! Fantastic work Lucille!