Sure, three crowns are good. Mother leaf can remain also.

Usually it is better to have them separated - each plant spreads the leaves to maximize an access to the light, while individual plants in one pot will compete and try to kill one another. But - if the plantlets are still small, the mother leaf is still functioning and feeding the brood - you can let them be for a while... until they start pushing each other.

While you need to have several crowns in a trailer pot - if you show them - or just for your own enjoyment - the form is more esthetically pleasing.. in a long run - single plant with multiple crowns will perform better. To stimulate the branching - use shallow pots when you pot them separately.

Have fun

Agreed. The only correction - modern trailers are easier - Rob's are totally self shaping - and some older varieties do not branch that easily. While they all have a branching species in a background - they were crossed so many times to rosette plants - not all of them immeduiately put offshoots.

For these stubborn ones - the recommendation was - pinch the tip of the young plant.

I grow trailers of all sizes. Please separate them to individual pots. Then let them grow for awhile to see what it may do. If it self branches nicely leave it be. If it needs help then as Irina advises, pinch off the tips.

You want each baby to grow into a well branched plant. And every so often, selectively removing leaves to let light into the interior of the plant will be necessary. Also removal of criss crossing leaves or areas where you have bunches of leaves will have tobe pruned off. Remember you can start your leaf trimmings or trade them for other plants or leaves!

You will not get good results by leaving the mother leaf and her babies to grow without separation. Eventually they will crowd each other out causing death to some or all.

I also wick water all of my violets. If you do this, make sure you have a very light soil mix. Go into prior postings for past discussions and advice and believe me there is plenty! lol

Keep us posted on your results! Rosie

Thank you for your advice, Rosie. I don’t know much about trailers, but already I’m in love with the few I purchased. So many buds and blossoms popping up everywhere! They have a wildness to them that contrasts so much to the symmetry of rosette type African violets.

I do have a question, if you don’t mind. How do you determine proper pot size for trailers?

There is a formula for determing pot size but I determine it by top symmetry and how full the pot is with roots. It is said that violets like to be a little potbound. If I don't want to put it in a bigger pot but it needs repotting, I will trim the top and trim off some roots. Then I will put it back in the same pot and add fresh mix. (and of course, plant all the trimmings!)

Remember, you can trim or take cuttings from the top and not mess with the rootball. But if you trim the rootball you MUST trim the top because the reduced rootball can no longer support all of the original growth.

So determine what you want to do. Keep it in the same pot but trim roots and top? Or just pot up one for sure and no more than 2 sizes of pot and not trim anything and let it continue growing?

For me that determines pot size. Did I explain this ok??? I don't mind questions,,,,ask away!!!!! Rosie

I appreciate your response, Rosie1949. And thank you for your invitation for me to ask more questions. I’m very new to this hobby of African violets and I have so much to learn still.

I do I have another question. I recently purchased a Rob’s Miriwinni trailer from the Violet Barn. It arrived healthy, but within a week it was spotted with powdery mildew. I’ve never had that on any of my plants before, so I quickly isolated it and treated it with a milk solution I read about online. It seemed alright for a few days before the fuzzy stuff returned. There’s so many treatments online that I don’t know where to start! Do you have any recommendations on how to take care of something like this? I‘m terrified of trying something too harsh or harmful. Thank you again in advance for all your help!

I am not sure about milk... you can purchase Neem oil - it is non - toxic - but you need to make a solution and spray weekly till summer. Spectracide Immunox - is what you can purchase as well without breaking the bank. Since it is already infected - you need to treat it repeatedly too. Regarding sour milk, baking soda, cow manure solution - i wouldn't bother.

Some varieties are more susceptible - some less. If you do not want to baby this plant forever - you may consider replacing it with something else.

Not everything online is a holy truth... plenty of snake oil there...

i.

Irina just gave you great advice. And when you get time, go to the top of this page in the box and research some of the questions that have already been asked and answered. There is a wealth of information in the back posts that people don't realize is there! May even give you some great ideas! Rosie

I just purchased some neem oil and sulfur online and I’ll give that a go. I read somewhere that Violet Barn uses sulfur so hopefully it works for me just as well. Coincidentally, my AVs that have powdery mildew are both Rob’s...both from the Violet Barn, although purchased at different times and located on different shelves in my home. I wonder if this is merely coincidence or something about them that makes them more susceptible...hmmmm...

It is just a time of the year... in the next month we all be complaining... it is the time when days are warm, nights are cool, humidity is higher our furnaces work less - and even our house plants develop dew on the leaves - and ever present Powdery Mildew spores hatch on the moist leaves. They do not sprout on the dry leaves.

Since these plants are already infected - you need to apply fungicide. The plants that are not infected - think about finding them a dryer airier warmer spot, increasing an air flow - especially in a colder time of the day - to prevent dew. Looking at your setup - you do not crowd your plants - and this helps significantly.

Maybe just run a small fan to help circulate air a little better? Worth a try! Rosie

Very good idea It will save the rest of the plants. The one already in trouble - not so, the infection is already in a tissue.

I‘ve got a fan up and running so hopefully this helps. I’ve never had a powdery mildew issue until I started wick watering a few weeks ago. I’ve been top watering for almost a year. Suddenly, BAM...powdery mildew. :(

Hmmmmm,,,,,,Irina,,,,a little input here? Could it be too heavy of a mix for the wicked plants? I wonder. What type of mix are you using for your wicked plants??? Rosie

Heavy mix is not good for many reasons. It is a remote possibility that because of it the leaves are more juicy than normal and it would be a contributing factor. But usually it is just a time of the year. All my plants are wicked - and there only several plants that give me trouble, PM mildew magnets...

OMG,,,,,so sorry. I should have proof read my comment. Irina thanks for answering the entire post but the question "What type of mix are you using for your wicked plants" was directed to Violets and Bunnies! (my bad).

I had a hunch she may be using too heavy of a mix thereby promoting too much moisture etc. Hoped she would be specific about her mix. Wanted to of course know what you thought about too heavy of a mix, wicking and PM.

Violets & Bunnies, if you could tell us about your soil mix, how far apart are your plants spaced (crammed in tight is no good!), and making sure you run a fan we may be able to solve this dilemma! Thanks again!!!! Rosie

Rosie1949, my wicking soil mix is a 1:1:1 of pumice, perlite, and vermiculite. No peat moss at all. I ran out of store bought African Violet soil and couldn’t find any locally so I decided to use what I had on hand. It’s quite loose and coarse, but wicks well. I hope my plants do alright despite it being a little unconventional.

My plants are spaced about 2-3 inches apart on a plain wooden bookshelf so it’s more closed in and doesn’t have as much air circulation as the wire shelves I often see people use online. I recently placed a fan nearby per your and irina_co’s suggestion and it seems to be helping so far. No reoccurrences of powdery mildew yet. Fingers crossed it doesn’t return...

First,,,is it possible for you to post a few pix of your set up or your plants??? I would also like to see an up close pix of the powdery mildew.

I am a believer that there is no problem using what you have available! You just find a way to make it work!

Ok, here is my view. I have never used pumice. I don't know what it adds or if it is beneficial or even necessary. Maybe someone can answer that for me. I don't even know if it is available in my area! lol

As far as perlite and vermiculite only, the perlite does not hold water and has no nutritive value. Vermiculite does hold water but also no nutritive value. SO,,,,,,,if you have a mix of these two things you must always use water in your reservoir that has fertilizer in it.

Peat moss is not a favorite thing in my world. I don't like it at all therefore will not use it for anything.

You mention African Violet Soil...I don't use that, I use MiracleGro Potting soil for everything. It is my base for all of my plants whether African violets or regular house plants. I have a lot of both so I buy that HUGE bag (4cu ft I think) from Lowe's or Walmart.

My mix for AVs and Gesneriads is around 2 parts perlite and one part MG soil. NO vermiculite. I am a little heavy on the perlite because I want the wicked soil mix to not hold too much water. I want a constant flow of uptake, evaporation of water and good movement of the perlite to keep the growing mix moving. Gosh I hope that makes sense. lol If you feel you have a good "flow" with the pumice, perlite, and vermiculite then keep on using it! Just remember the fertilizer. AND remember to occasionally flush water from top to bottom to take care of any unwanted mineral deposits that will sit on top of the soil from constant bottom (reservoir) watering.

Your bookshelf idea (again,,,,I understand you have to use what you have) will create "stale" air from being closed in but the fan should take care of that. Glad to hear the fan is improving things!!! Your spacing seems to be good also.

Just a thought, I had a bookcase once, not expensive. The back of it was just a piece of something that was just barely tacked on. I spent a lot of time keeping that back on it because it only held books. Now if your bookcase is like mine, your back should pop off easily leaving a great flow of air!!!!! But if it is a better made bookcase then that would not be an option. Just giving another idea! lol

Whew,,,,,guess I got a little long winded again. Let us know how things are going and please post pix!!!! Rosie

Thank you for the very detailed suggestions, Rosie. I’ve finally bit the bullet and purchased some wire shelving online and I‘m impatiently waiting for them to arrive. The old bookcase just wasn’t working out anymore. I’m very excited for the new set up. Not only will it be more open and airy, but It’s also bigger than the small bookcase I have now. And you know what that means...I can get even more African violets! Hooray! :)

Good for you! I just KNEW there was a solution to this problem!!! lol (enabler) Rosie

Hi Rosie1949 this is Trudy. I've found some great a.v. soil sold by Ken Muzalewski on Ebay under name piercedm. He's the hybridizer of Hunter varieties & sells his wicking & a.v. regular soil that he uses. It gets to me in 3 days because he's in Texas & I'm in LA . I've used it 6 months & I'm very pleased with it. Not cheap but per pot is worth every dollar.

Trudy! Hello! I remember you!!!!! Hope all is well in your world! Thanks for the info on soil and hey,,,,,if it works for you it is worth every penny!!!!! Rosie