You are too kind, Irina. I am also glad to see you are still active here and helping others! ;)

Oh Hyn,,,,to bad, but at least you are back! YAY! Rosie

The season is almost here.. Etsy is missing you!

Hehe you guys are cute. Thank you so much Patty for your advice as well! =] Once it gets a little warmer towards the end of march I will separate them. I just get paranoid because it's so close together I hope I don't cut off too much root on one of them and kill one half >.<. Wish me luck lol! Will update.

When it comes to separating streps, I feel the way you do. I am afraid to try to separate all that mess & tangle. Course I only had one strep like that and I wish I would have known how to do that because it might have saved it! I didn't know you should not let them stay in a potful!!!! sigh,,,,well maybe another time. Rosie

hmm, what do you mean by potful?

The entire pot was filled with strep plant. Potbound. No room for anymore growth. Not just a single plant but a LOT in one pot! Rosie

Nothing wrong with usig an old knife to cut a rootball to 2-8 pieces... SLICE IT - no dicing!

You know Irina, I wanted to propagate by separation, but that root ball was so compacted I just became afraid to do anything. I didn't want to kill everything by damaging roots with a knife although I did think about it. I even tried to take the plant out of the pot (it held its shape) and soak it in a bucket of water thinking it would separate by itself nicely. No dice. I guess grown in a greenhouse like that maybe it was too root bound and I should have just whacked it as you suggested, but again,,,,I was afraid to. I thought I would lose the entire plant. So by doing nothing, I did lose the whole plant.

I didn't know about the different methods of leaf propagation at that time. I only knew to take an entire leaf and put the cut end in a pot and hope it would root. I had done it before a long time ago and it sort of worked. But I didn't even try that and I should have. Well, my thoughts could go on and on about my beautiful strep but,,,,,,you get the pix.

Now I know better,,,,,,, the first thing I do is start a back up so if I do lose the original plant I will still (hopefully) have a backup baby!!!! (regretful) Rosie

If you would save and propagate every single plant that ever entered your door... you would long as be living in a shed on the edge of your property... the house would be taken by a jungle.

It is better to slice the roots - they will just branch more with new young and vigorous ones - than try to separate and preserve them all... you will end with a lot of bruised and broken roots that will be thinking if they live or die.

Lesson learned!!!!! Thanks! Rosie

I agree with Irina. I go at them with an exacto knife and just slice them up to separate the plant into sections, each with a growing tip, of even two (one on each side) and slice right through the roots too, if they won't pull apart. I keep and pot up the best looking ones, maybe even a couple or three to a pot if they aren't very large, and sell, trade, or give away or toss the extras out.

I recently had to cut up my Little Kan and restart it because like my DS Katja Tjuta, it had gone to a gazillion 'suckers' all around and become very crowded and disorganized. I kept some of the new growths but honestly, I simply pitched most of it into the trash. It was more hassle than it was worth to sort out and repot all that mess.

Boy,,,,,I wish I could turn back time to when I bought that strep. But I would want to know then what I know now! sigh,,,,thanks for input! Rosie

Rosie, the only thing is that if 'you from 2019' told 'you from 2002' what you know...you'd probably go 'what do you know...idiot' and ignore the advise. :)

I respectfully disagree. I love learning and I am never above being corrected. And I really did want that plant to live but I had no clue what to do and then when I researched it I was too scared to do anything about it! Stupid on my part, AND I didn't know about ways to start a leave. I was afraid to try and it cost me my beautiful strep. (sad face) Rosie

Well the good news, is you can reacquire it. Was this because you didn't do research ? :)

No I can't. I was invited to a road trip to a greenhouse very far from my house. I went just for grins & giggles. Who knew all this would happen? Who knew I would buy something?

As far as research,,,,,again,,,,,didn't know what was at this place so no prior research necessary. Until I got home. I posted about it and received good advice, but I was afraid to hack, slice or dice! I did nothing. <:(

So,,,,,I thought I would just leave it and let it fill up the pot further! Maybe just put it in a larger pot at some point and have this huge pot of beautiful strep! Beautiful dreamer!!!!

Now I have nothing. She is long gone. heavy sigh. This place is too far away for me to just hop in the truck and drive there. Rosie

I think I remember that Rosie..when I first met you. Yeah, understandable.

However, I meant, online ordering...there's plenty of choices.

My first foray into streps was bad too..I over watered and it mildewed and rotted. Course now, I have 7 year old streps..no problem. We tend to get better.

Well,,,,there is always another chance. Rosie

Rosie, surely you can find a lovely strep to purchase at the Ann Arbor sale on the 30th? If I remember, there is one lady who always sells the most beautiful plants. It won't be your large pot full, but it may do better being a young starter plant that grows up acclimated to YOUR growing conditions, and not an older full up pot that goes into shock moving from the greenhouse to your house. Just a (wickedly enabling) thought...

;-)

I whole heartedly advocate young fresh streps (as growing so much more vigorously).

Hey Rosie, the strep I have now was hard to find and I killed it 3 times T-T i finally got it right with this one! I also posted here a few years ago and irina was super helpful.

I found the variety i have (KAHINTA) only through ebay. Maybe googling around you can find a picture of the flowers.

That's a nicely colored one. I have a very similar one as a Polish #'d release (no name).

One step ahead of all of you !!!! I am going to buy a smaller strep this year and see if I will be succesful this time. You know me,,,,I am like a dog with a favorite pull toy,,,I don't quit til I get it right! And YOU and the rest of this forum are so adept at enabling! Shame on all of you,,,,,,,and thanks!

dbarron and AnneC. you are both right. I smaller one maybe would have survived. But when I was on that road trip all of their streps were in the 6in pots and full, full, full!!!!!! There were no small ones.

Before I forget my Dale's Polar Lava is still living but remember, she is only living because I have her in a terrarium type container. I almost lost her several times before I stuck her in there out of desperation. Her leaves are so thin. Not thick like some streps I have seen. And I know there are different types of streps but at least she is still alive! Rosie

And is she performing, Rosie ?

I had Dale's Polar Lava for quite a while... it is interesting, the variegation is gorgeous,,, but it is not a super vigorous plant. I kept it on a wick and it did OK.

Well Irina, I am kind of afraid to put it on a wick again. I had it on a wick and it didn't do well. When the pot was almost empty of growth and just a little crown of leaves left I found this terrarium thing for it. Yes I do like the variegation and the flower is pretty. I don't want to lose it so for now,,,she will stay this way.

dbarron as far as performing (blooming?) Haven't seen a flower for quite a while. sigh. Rosie

Mine should be coming into bloom as spring comes along...they are in a cold enclosed porch (probably around 50F) and blooms stopped about mid December. They love cool, just that much kinda put them into dormancy.

Rosie - I use this mix only for streps - 2/3 Primix HP biofungicide + mycorrhyzaw, 1/3 coarse perlite, half inch of coarse perlite in the bottom - Tony from 'World of Streps' has it as his go-by. Only for streps, not for AVs or other gessies. And I do not think this flimsy thing ever grew in a pot over 3" size, I didn't try it in Oyama - I will probably dry it.

At some point - you need to decide - if the high maintenance plant deserves the real estate and care you give it. If it doesn't grow and doesn't bloom....SEND IT TO DBARRON while it is still alive.

;-))

Don't get excited dbarron,,,,I am not done trying to grow it yet. BUT if I get frustrated to no end, you may be getting a new "guest"!!! lol

Irina, I dad always said I was born a stubborn cuss just like him. He always said that was the Russian in me and considering that is my only nationality,,,,well,,,what can I say? I am determined to grow that darn thing come he-double hockeysticks or high water! For me it is a challenge.

Sorry I can't try that mix for just one little strep. It is looking a little stronger though and I will probably take it out of its pot this late spring, repot with my 1/2 MG, 3/4+ perlite with maybe a small layer at the bottom and repot back into the same size pot. Then if it doesn't improve I will reassess. (did I spell that correctly? hmm).

I do like her. I just wish she had thicker leaves. Those thin leaves seem to be my undoing.
sigh,,,,,,Rosie

I tend to avoid variegated stuff like the plague, though occassionally something slips in.

I had no idea. I do like variegation. And plain, and girl leaves, and boy leaves and all the rest!! Ok,,,no Dales Polar Lava for you! lol Rosie

Large variegated streps do well - they just do not bloom that often. But the foliage is super pretty. This one is challenging. Dale produced the Polar series of miniature streps - and I find that green leaf ones are quite tough and very pretty. Mini and variegated in one package - a little too challenging for me.

Thanks Irina, so this is what they mean by miniature strep? And because at first sight I fell in love with the variegation I got a double whammy,,,,add in a lot of ignorance and there you have it! Way out of my league!

But,,,,,since I still have it, I will try till she draws her last drop of chlorophyll!!!!! Rosie

It grew and bloomed quite well - but the leaves were very thin and the whole plant didn't look sturdy.

Exactly! That is how I feel about it. Very unsturdy. One leaf would grow and one might die. Very thin leaves, BUT,,,,,,I will try til it is over. Thanks! Great description!!!! Rosie

Yes, Irina, I think it looks like it's chlorotic...maybe some epsom salts (*lol*). Nope, not sturdy at all.

sigh,,,,,,,,,,,Rosie

Hi All!!! Tomorrow is the Ann Arbor Sale and I am going to try to find a smallish strep so I can start again.

The name of the strep I started from a leaf is Gina. I got 2 babies and I just transplanted the larger one into a kcup but no wick. I put some aquarium gravel in a condiment cup and I try to add water every day for humidity. I have a large clear cup over all of it now just to keep it going from the transplant. Don't want it to wilt and die. I started it in an enclosed type terrarium. So far it looks good. (hopeful) Rosie

It doesn't need extra humidity... It a large Polish strep - very sturdy and floriferous. As soon as it perks up - you can take it out.

Thanks Irina! I noticed it is still perky so I am hoping it will not require the "extra" for very long. It is just for a transition from its humid start to every day living! Rosie

So umm, what did you come home from the show with Rosie? (maybe start a thread)?

Well dbarron I think you (and others???) may be disappointed. No strep. BUT,,,,,,,,,,,Rosie

A full trunk of plants...

Come on, Rosie - don't be a tease. 'Fess up! They're only going to think you bought more than you did if you don't. ;-)

Alright everyone,,,,fessing up here about the Ann Arbor Sale this past Saturday. First and foremost I had a great time being there with my club (Wayne/Washtenaw) and also seeing the gang from the other group Town and Country!!!! Loved talking with customers, talking about violets, our two groups, and our upcoming Sale (in October).

OH and if anyone should come, we have a club member, Becky, who gives a presentation at each sale on starting a leaf from scratch! How awesome is that?!? And a lady walked in and said she came last year and didn't know too much about growing a violet and she attended the presentation and learned so much that she just had to tell us!!!! So another club member took her to the room where the presentation was and had her tell Becky in front of the people attending kind of like a testamonial. She was so happy to tell Becky how successful she was, and I am sure Becky was happy to have that information!!!!! Congrats Becky!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok,,,,,,now to give you the information you seem to want! No sense taking pix, I bought LEAVES!!!!!!!!!!!!! And here is what I bought:

Broadway Star/Opt. Juliana/Princess Trail/Ramblin' Amethyst/Mac's Rouge Rogue/Bashou/PT Anzhelika/LE Delskaia Ulybka/ Cherokee Trail/Biscayne Trail/EK Socialite/Mag's Standing Ovation//Lavender Magic/Amour Elite/Carolina Elegant Affair/Episcia Pink Petite (OK,,,this was a plant!)/Episcia KeeWee (large amount in baggie/Episcia Chocolate Velour (large amount in baggie)/Strep Dale's Polar Ballet (I know,,,I didn't learn my lesson from Strep Dale's Polar Lava!!!!)/Miniature Begonia Prismatocarpa (again,,,a plant).

So now you have it. No violet plants. Just an Episcia Pink Petite plant and Begonia Prismatocarpa plant.

Maybe our next sale I will buy plants. Maybe. It's possible! I am happy with everything!!!! Rosie

Ok, so you should soon have about a thousand babies, right ?

hmmmm,,,,,let's see. One kcup per leaf,,,multiple babies per kcup,,,,,several months go by,,,,,YEP!!! 5,682 million babies in a few short months!!! (now realize,,,I didn't count fatalities,,,it does happen to the best of us!!!) (happy with her leaves) Rosie

If you bought 2 of each leaf (dunno if you did or not), that's insurance enough for me usually.

Oh yes,,,,I forgot,,,,each baggie had a minimum of 2 leaves. One baggie had 4. Another one had 3. YAY!!! Plenty of insurance! Rosie