I cannot thank you enough for your videos. As someone new to growing African Violets, all the reading in the world doesn't teach me as well as showing what you are doing and explaining why. You have taught me so much. Thank you!
This is one of my favourite jobs at the light shelves. For good shape, get those suckers when they’re tiny, but for propagation, wait until those suckers are big enough for you to handle. I like to propagate to share with others at the AV club! I think removing old baby leaves stimulates new growth. Unfortunately those leaves won’t propagate well, but no harm trying.
Your video is the best one I have seen on African Violets! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! You make it simple and understandable and your camera work is excellent! I learned so much from your grooming video. I will definitely keep following you.
I love how tender and efficient you are with the grooming. Your plants are amazingly beautiful and healthy. You inspire me a great deal! Please continue your fantastic tutorials! Love them! 💚
I only have three very small African Violets, but I do so want them to be happy and healthy. Thank you so very, very much for such detailed, clear instructions! I have watched other videos on YT, but this one has helped me understand so much! I am now following!
Good morning, a lot of precise work, studying and removal of unwanted leaves and then the suckers. This video was most informative and will guide us "how to do" for our plants in future. Many tanks, take care, kind regards.
I just found your channel a few days ago. I've been bindge watching your channel for a couple days.Honestly love everything thing about your channel.Lol, especially the "hot mess violet 😊 . Learning so much following you,Thank you so much for the info and laughs.I tried the wicking system today on a few of my violet,so we shall see how I did.
Just subscribed to your channel!! What is more exiting that I heard some Russian accent , and then reassured myself when you pronounced some Russian names!! Hello homegirl!! I am not an experienced violet grower like you, just have my windowsill full of African Violets and trying to learn some tips !! Thanks for your videos, very informative and helpful!!🤗🤗👍
Hello and welcome! Thanks so much for subscribing! I am still learning, too - it's been 3 years since I started my new AV collection. I figured why not share my progress with fellow AV enthusiasts, so here I am - learning together with everyone else on here, and sharing the beauty of these special plants with the world. Happy growing!
I found your Chanel today and had to subscribe. I’m very pleased with the information presented. I see that you reply to questions❤️. I was curious about the plants need for reporting to new soil and do you have algae forming in your water chambers? I have cut off pop/soda bottles with a few stones in the bottom filled with rain water and sometimes bloom fertilizer. The bottles hold the pot/wick. I cut different heights in the plastic bottles so I can squeeze the wide plants closer to each other on my plant table. So, throw out algae water?
These are all great questions, thank you! Yes, I do have algae forming in wicking reservoirs, most of mine are clear glass, and water gets exposed to light, causing the algae growth. I used to add hydrogen peroxide, and later stopped as I didn't see significant improvement. Now I just discard the algae water, wash the reservoirs, and add fresh water with fertilizer when the algae starts growing out of control. Here is how I repot plants growing on wicks: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u1YOsTJ5_sE.html. I do not use bloom fertilizer because the high ratio of phosphorus used to kill my plants when I was using it. More about fertilizers here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qqmRHHf3NNw.html and here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YbAROKrhDW0.html. Happy growing!
I always look forward to new videos on your channel. You are a wonderful teacher and videographer! It looks like you've changed from your Promix potting mixture (which I started using) to 50/50 peat moss/perlite. Do you use this just took get the suckers started?
Thank you, appreciate your feedback! Good catch - just started trying out using regular sphagnum peat moss instead of Pro-Mix BX in my mix, for all AV sizes, keeping all other ingredients the same as in my Pro-Mix BX recipe. Pro-Mix BX being mostly peat moss-based (75-85% sphagnum peat moss), I figured why not. Also because I wick water, didn't really care for vermiculite and wetting agent that Pro-Mix comes with. So far so good - will observe the results for a while, and keep everyone posted.
Great video. Nice selection of different tasks. I learned a lot and feel better about going ahead with my violets in their care. Do you recommend waiting until spring to repot? Some of mine have necks that need to be taken care of.
Thank you, appreciate your feedback! It depends on the growing environment. If you grow in natural light, and the growing temps are lower in the winter season, then I'd wait until spring to repot, whereas those growing in a controlled growing environment, e.g. same temps and light settings all year round, can be repotted anytime. Happy growing!
Excellent video - thank you. What is the reason for the suckers being removed please? I hear a lot of people talking about suckers but am interested to hear more about their origin. Thank you.
I’m so new to AV’s .. I see you have a see through pot to hold your potted plant. Is that something to do with wicking. I’ve heard of it but I don’t know about it. Have you made a video about it please? Sorry to be so ignorant & thank you so very much for your channel x
Hi! I am a newbie, and have a question about a miniature trailer, Chantaspring: it has a growths on one side. I don't think they are suckers ( they are not in the main plant) so would they be new crowns? 🤔 They are somewhat disfiguring. Should they stay, or should they go? And, what is the relationship (if any) between trailers and these crowns? TY 😊
Great questions! I noticed Chantaspring has a tendency to grow sidewise, it grew the same in my conditions. I stopped growing this variety after it sported, producing plain blueish white pansies instead of yellow bell-shaped blooms. As far as trailer growth habits, check out these two videos on my channel, for more info - Rob's Vanilla Trail & African Violet Trailer Basics: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wxYwchrbWIg.html and African Violet SUCKERS - Removing and Potting Up: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-woHaCMjRuA8.html
Trailers like Chantaspring have a different “growth habit” than single-crowned varieties, they’re supposed to have multiple crowns, and instead of the radial symmetry of the single-crowned varieties, trailers ideally grow in a balanced way, with at least 4 crowns for show. They’re usually heavy flowering, and they can grow to a huge size, many make terrific hanging baskets. I have just completed one class on trailers, and I hope to show a couple little ones next month at our local judged show and sale. Shallow pots are best, saucers with holes drilled are ideal to grow impressive specimens!
They don’t dry out with wick-watering. Some growers do let them dry out a bit before refills. I tried it, and in my conditions, it caused the capillary action failure, and the need to repot the failed plant with the new wick. Check out my Top Watering vs. Wick Watering video for more info: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YrzAJonzYE8.htmlsi=rEAIbWtdOppHCEWS
If the variety is a cascading trailer, the stem will keep growing, ok to leave some of it exposed. Otherwise, cover it with potting mix and it will grow some new roots.
I used to buy them from my club when we were still meeting in person, now I buy them online from Amazon, Violet Barn, and Enchanted Gardens Plant Supplies.
You say African Violets don't like to be pot bound. I have been watching many different websites on the care of the African Violet family, and everyone says the opposite?? I don't know maybe I misunderstood? Can you please advise?
It depends on the watering method. I use smaller pots with my wick-watered plants because the potting mix in them remains constantly moist and the plant needs to be have well developed root system to be able to process all the moisture. With my top-watered plants, I can use larger pots. You can see the latter in my channel’s Shorts features. Happy growing!
I have a separate video explaining suckers, and when and why they need to be removed, check it out: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-woHaCMjRuA8.htmlsi=iJ4T8bRSB-KX5eJt
Great question! Single-crown varieties grow faster with suckers removed because suckers also consume the plant's growth energy/essential nutrients that plant needs to grow, just like the main crown. The sooner suckers are removed, the healthier the main plant will grow. Check out my AV Suckers video, for more info, in the AV Care playlist.
