Sunday, November 28, 2010

First Purple of the Winter

After almost six months of dormancy, my african violets are beginning to bloom again. I have six violets planted together in one large pot; this is the second variety to flower, a pink version flowering last month. I have buds on three others right now. I lost one of these violets last summer, but another one divided shooting off a baby, so I still have the same number. These plants constantly try to get out of their pot, growing outwards, and two of them are actually hanging down the side in a very cool way, almost like a large plant-like "brooch."

8 comments:

  1. I love, love, love African Violets! A longtime love of mine back in my 20s had a father who would breed African Violets and he came up with some of the prettiest ones! I have 2 that need repotting right now. One has a baby and is almost all the way out of the pot now, leaning to the light. When I went on vacation last year, no one watered them for 9 days and when I came home, they were blooming like crazy. That's how I learned I was overwatering them! LOL I've never tried 6 in one pot. I know they like to be rootbound. I may have to try that! :) I suppose you already know, Casey, that if you break off one of the largest healthy leaves and stick it down in the dirt, a baby will grow from it. Then the big leaf will die. It's amazing!

    Katie

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  2. A shared thought for today:

    "Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life."
    ~Dalai Lama

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  3. I NEVER HAD LUCK GROWING THESE VIOLETS. THEIR ONE OF MY FAVOITES.IT'S REALLY PRETTY WHEN I ENLARGED THE PICTURE. HOW OFTEN DO YOU FEED AND WATER THEM?

    GRANNY

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  4. I water them about once a week, always from the bottom, You never water the actual dirt, just put water in the saucer and let it seep upwards. I really don't ever feed them. I leave them in a window that faces west. I know they don't like to move around, changing the light source. I have 2 that I started from a leaf, but I let them root in water first. They both have lots of little leaves coming up so it will be time to plant them soon, probably this week. I've never tried just by planting a leaf. I have to trim mine often, so I'll try that the next time.

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  5. CASEY, MY AUNT ALWAYS STARTED THEM BY PUTTING THE LEAF IN THE DIET. ALWAYS HAD 100% GOOD LUCK WITH THEM. JUST NOT ME.
    GRANNY

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  6. Thanks, Granny. Good to know! I just potted a clipping from a begonia that Mary gave me. She couldn't get it to root in water, and I had it in water a couple of weeks and couldn't get it to root either. I just potted it in loose violet soil, and it seems to have perked up. Maybe it needed the nutrients from the dirt, even without roots. We'll see.

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  7. Casey, thanks for the idea of planting them in multiples in one pot. I'm going to try that. :)

    Granny, one has to be VERY careful feeding them as one touch too much food (fertilizer) will kill them!

    It has been fun talking A.V.s with you guys. :)

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  8. I can't seem to find the post right now, but eventually I will. You should have seen my pot of violets last spring when almost all of them bloomed at once, I must have had 100 flowers, and they were in clusters like mini bouquets.

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