AVSA Information FOR CONDUCTING BUSINESS WITHIN YOUR SOCIETY FOR ACCURATE SERVICE, SEND YOUR INQUIRIES TO THE CORRECT PERSON. ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. MEMBERSHIP DUES INCREASE EFFECTIVE OCT. 1, 2002: Send check payable to AVSA for new or renewable membership to AVSA Office, 2375 North Street, Beaumont, TX 77702 ; phone 409-839-4725 or 1-800-770-2872. Individual $25.00, USA only; Individual, all other countries - $27.50; Commercial USA $37.00; Commercial International - $38.75; Life (USA) - $300.00. International Life $375.00. Remit in U.S. Dollars with draft or check on a USA Bank. See Membership Application. Master Card/Visa accepted. AFFILIATES: Chapter - $27.00; Council, State or Region - $27.00. MEMBERSHIP AND PROMOTION: Send ideas, offers to help, requests for assistance to Carolee Carter, 10947 SW 71st Circle, Ocala, FL 33476. E-mail carolee37@earthlink.net AFFILIATES: For information on Affiliates or how to organize a chapter, write Bev Promersberger, 7992 Otis Way, Pensacola, FL 32506. E-mail AVSA OFFICE: Jenny Daugereau, Administrative Coordinator, 2375 North Street, Beaumont, TX 77702, 1-800-770-AVSA; 409-839-4725; FAX 409-839-4329. Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CST. E-mail AVSA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION: Dr. Elmer Godeny, 7004 Government St., Baton Rouge, LA 70806. BEST VARIETIES: HONOR ROLL COMPILER Floyd Lawson, 20719 Madrona Ave., Torrance, CA 90503. BOOSTER FUND: Send contributions to Shirley Berger, 4343 Schumacher Rd. - 196E, Sebring, FL 33872-2639. BOYCE EDENS RESEARCH FUND: Send contributions to Marlene Buck, 17235 N. 106th Ave., Sun City, AZ 85373-1958. BUILDING MAINTENANCE FUND: Send contributions to Maty Walbrick, 5235 Kingston Dr., Wichita Falls, TX 76310-3029. COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES: Kent Stork, 2501 E. 23rd Ave. S., Fremont, NE 68025. COMMERCIAL SALES & EXHIBITS: For information on convention entries or sales room, contact Pat Richards, 15105 S. Seminole Dr., Olathe, KS 66062-3004. CONVENTION AWARDS: Jan. issue. Send suggestions or contributions for convention awards to Sue Hoffmann, 801 N. Vlllier CL, Virginia Beach VA 23452. LIBRARY: Order AVSA slide programs and packets from AVSA Office, 2375 North Street, Beaumont, TX 77702. List in September issue. If you have ideas for a library program or slides to donate, write Ann Nicholas, 3113 Deerfield Dr., Denton, TX 76208-3428. Requests must be in writing. List top 3 choices. MAGAZINE: Copyrighted 2003, The African Violet Society of America, Inc., aQ rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission is prohibited. All articles are property of AVSA and must not be reprinted without Editor’s permission. AVM EDITOR: Ruth Rumsey, 2375 North Street, Beaumont, TX 77702; 409-839-4725; 1-800-770-2872; FAX 409-839-4329. E-mail rtumsey@earthlink.net ARTICLES BY MEMBERS, COLUMNISTS AND MEMORIALS: Send to Editor. Please Note: Deadlines - Articles and Columnists: Jan. issue - Oct 1; Mar. issue - Dec. 1; May issue - Feb. 1; July issue - Apr 1; Sept, issue - June 1; Nov. issue - Aug. 1. COMING EVENTS: Send to Editor. Coming Events Deadlines: - Jan. issue - Nov. 1; Mar. issue - Jan. 1; May issue - Mar. 1; July issue - May 1; Sept, issue - July 1; Nov. issue - Sept 1. ADVERTISING MANAGER: Advertising rates and information: Judith Carter, 1825 W. Lincoln SL, Broken Arrow, OK 74012. E-mail avmads@valometcom ADVERTISING DEADLINES: Jan./Feb. issue - Nov. 1; Mar./Apr. issue - Jan. 1; May/June issue - Mar. 1; July/Aug. issue - May 1; Sept./0cL issue - July 1; Nov./Dec. issue - Sept. 1. “AND THE WINNERS ARE...": Send show results to Mary Corondan, 7205 Dillon a, Plano, TX 75024. BACK ISSUES: Complete your set now. Request price list of available issues from Beaumont office. Send SASE for list. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send new address at least 30 days before it is to take effect, along with ok! address, to AVSA office in Beaumont. QUESTION BOX: Ralph Robinson, P. 0. Box 9, Naples, NY 14512 and: Dorothy Kosowsky, 712 Cunningham Dr., Whittier, CA 90601. MASTER VARIETY LIST: MVL SUPPLEMENTS: will be published in the AVM. Send any correction and/or description of new cultivars with hybridizer’s name to Joe Bruns, 1220 Stratford Lane, Hanover Park, IL 60130. MEMBERSHIP CARDS: Sent to Associate Members and New Members only. CONVENTION PROGRAM: Send special requests for workshop programs or interesting speakers to Linda Owens, Convention Director, 1762 Stemwood Drive, Columbus, OH 43228. If interested in sponsoring a national convention in your area, contact Convention Director. FUTURE CONVENTION DATES: Tucson, AZ - April 11-18, 2004. Cincinnati, OH - April 17-24,2005. CULTURE FOLDERS: (postpaid): 100 to 400 - $10.50 per 100; 500 to 900 - $9.25 per 100; 1000 and over - $7.00 per 100. SHORT VERSION OF CULTURE FOLDER: (postpaid): 500 to 1,000 $23.00 per 500; 1,500 and up $21.00 per 500. JUDGE’S DUPLICATE CARD: Send self-addressed stamped envelope to Bill Foster, 3610 Gray Dr., Mesquite, TX 75150. JUDGING SCHOOL: To register a judging school, send request to Elinor Skelton, 3910 Larchwood Rd., Falls Church, VA 22041. A registration fee of $15 is required. OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE: AVSA Secretary, Nancy Hayes, 9 Cobblestone Rd., Bloomfield, CT 06002-3003. PLANT REGISTRATION: Janice Bruns, 1220 Stratford Ln., Hanover Park, IL 60203-2667. E-mail janice@qwip.net RESEARCH: Send suggested projects for scientific research or names of interested, qualified potential research personnel to Dr. Jeff Smith, 3014 W. Amherst Rd., Muncie, IN 47304. SHOW ENTRY TAGS: 100 - $8.00 postpaid. Order from AVSA Office. SHOW SCHEDULE APPROVER: For information on Shows, AVSA Awards and Approving Schedules write to: Patricia Sutton, 1707 S. 77 E Ave., Tulsa, OK 74112. E-mail sutpa01@worldnet.att.net. Do not send Show Schedules by E-mail - this address is for information ONLY. QUESTIONS ON HYBRIDIZING: Dr. Jeff Smith, “In Search of New Violets" The Indiana Academy, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306. Web site: avsa.org Prepay your dues for up to 3 years and receive Membership Discount: $25 Individual (USA) 1 Year $27.50 Individual (International) I Year $49 - 2 Years $73 - 3 Years $53.00 - 2 Years $79.50 - 3 Years POSTMASTER: Please send change of address form 3579 to African Violet Magazine, 2375 North Street, Beaumont, TX 77702 African Violet The Magazine exclusively dedicated to the growing of beautiful African violets. March • April Volume 57 Number 2 CONTENTS e ~ 3 W 4 ' GAF) 0£\ L Tips From the Experts - Carolee Carter & Elmer Godney-5 AVOCD, A Spouse’s Guide - Amy Cash-Allison.11 Some Implied Rules for Judging - Greta Durand.15 Keys of Life - Shelby Dixon.19 Why You Should Isolate New Plants - Zelda Owens.21 Judging the Show Plant - Bill Foster & Mary Ann Corrigan.22 What Does It All Mean?.24 Placement of African Violets - Nancy Robitaille.30 New Cultivars from Mutation.31 AVSA Categories of Judges - Joyce Stenger.34 Some Violets are Bom Winners - Fred C. Hill.35 Fertilizing - Sue Gardner.39 FEATURES ^o SffAf)y Mather No. 2 - An Alternate S. (tifficilis done - Dr. Jeff Smith ... 41 Planting by Moon Signs.45 Thrips - Ruth Coulson.46 Watering Methods.48 Propagation by Bloomstalk - Mary Walbrick.49 How Many Ways? - Betty Thpping.50 Root Pruning - Joan Halford.52 Disbudding Streptocarpus for Show - Dale Martens.53 Is Your Membership in Drive or Reverse? - Carolee Carter ... 54 To Show - Know Your Plant.54 Sunday Morning Friends - Leonard Re.55 “Strictly Streps” - Carolyn Conlin-Lane.56 DEPARTMENTS Index of Advertisers. Officers & Staff. Editor’s Notes - Ruth Rumsey. 4 In Search of New Violets - Dr. Jeff Smith.6 AVSA Building Maintenance Fund - Mary Walbrick.7 AVSA Booster Fund - Shirley Berger.7 For Beginners - Kent & Joyce Stork.8 Boyce Eden’s Research Fund - Marlene J. Buck.10 Vintage Violets - Barbara Elkin.12 AVSA Most Wanted - Barbara Elkin.12 Question Box - Dorothy Kosowsky.14 A Family Portrait - Georgene Albrecht.16 Thinking Small - Pat Richards.18 Registration Report - Janice Bruns.20 “And the winners are...” - Mary Corondan..23 Thlly Time - Anna Jean Landgren.26 Showcase.28 Showcase.32 Showcase.36 Coming Events. 42 Affiliate Update - Bev Promersberger.49 Membership Application.33 AVSA Advertising Guidelines - Judith Carter.58 CONVENTION Bird Watching in TUcson - Susan Polleys.17 Invitation to Affiliate Club Meeting - Bev Promersberger-21 Donations Still Being Accepted for the Annual Convention Auction - Edna Rourke.35 TUcson, a Nice Place to Visit - Susan C. Merski.38 COVER Chicago Flair Best Standard Best Variegated Standard 2003 AVSA National Show Exhibited by: William Sugg Hybridized by: D. Hoover Winston ]. Goretsky March • April 2004 African Violet Magazine 1 Index of Advertisers African Rainforest Conservancy.60 African Violet and Gesneriad News.59 AGGS. 62 Alannah’s Greenhouses. 59 American Orchid Society.63 Annie’s Violet Supplies.64 AVS of Canada. 59 Bayou Violets.61 Belisle’s Violet House. .59 i Beverly’s Violets & Gifts. Bluebird Greenhouses. .61 Cape Cod Violetry.Inside BacrCover Cryptanthus Society. 59 Donnie’! Violets. 61 Growing to Show. 59 Hobf^lsreenhouse. 61 Indoor Gardening Supd^s ..I; 61 Jan’s Workshop... 61 JoS Violets.61 Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses.63 NeptfiM’s Harvest. £1 Optimara/Setective Gardener. ^5 Out Of Africa. A 1 Pit's Patch.. m .. ^0. [ 64 P&t^Pets. ..... ji7^1 .... .. 62 Physan 20 .|f.62 Pleasant Hill Violets . • 60 Prairie Violets.;_61 Rob’s Vioteti.Back Cover Shjijey’s House ^Tiolets.60 Smith’s Country Cottage.64 Sonja’s Violets l .. Travis’ Volets.. Violet Gallery.62 Violet Perfection.62 Violet Showcase.61 VioletsFun Photo Journal. 6 0 Volkmann Brothers. 59 OFFICERS Janet Riemer, President 256 Pennington-Harbourton Rd. Pennington, NJ 08534-4007 email: J_Riemer@comcast.net Linda Owens, 1st VP 1762 Stemwood Dr., Columbus, OH 43228 email: Ldowens215@aol.com Joyce Stork, 2nd VP 2501 E. 23rd Ave. S. Fremont, NE 68025 email: kents@tvsonline.net Ron Davidson, 3rd VP 941 F. M. 2377, Red Oak, IX 75154 email: chiefrond@aol.com Nancy Hayes, Secretary 9 Cobblestone Rd., Bloomfield, CT 06002 email: john.hayes@snet.net Gary Gordon, Treasurer 5202 Links Lane, Leesberg, FL 34748 email ggordonl20@aol.com John E. (Jack) Wilson, Immediate Past President 114 Pine Valley Court, DeBaiy, FL 32713-2300 email cagmo@aol.com STAFF Ruth Rumsey, Editor 2375 North Street, Beaumont, TX 77702 email rrumsey@earthlink.net Judith Carter, Advertising Manager 1825 W. Lincoln St., Broken Arrow, OK 74012 email: avmads@valomet.com Barbara Pershing, Publications 8134 Buck Ridge, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 email barbara.pershing@uni.edu Floyd Lawson, Best Varieties, Honor Roll 20719 Madrona Ave., Torrance, CA 90503 email floydIl@earthlink.net 135 N. Main St., Yardley, PA 19067 email: hmenzel@erols.com Every attempt is made to keep articles technically correct Since the growing of fine African violets can be achieved in many ways, the methods and opinions expressed by writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of AVSA. 2 African Violet Magazine March • April 2004 (j^^ 'e ,ears ' Prospective advaiced judge must take a Judging School renewal exam and recetve a grade of 75 or above. The exam " point-scoring two or more African violets. Three additional earned blue ribbons are required. The advanced judge may take a renewal exam anytime 34 African Violet Magazine '(( STUDENT 11 ADVANCEdI L IODM Jj JUDGE l| ™ r E ¥‘ after the first year of receiving the advance judge certificate. Six years as an advanced judge is required before being eligible to move on to senior judge. Continued AVSA mem¬ bership is required. It is possible to remain an advanced judge indefinitely. SENIOR JUDGE The senior judge should be accomplished in procedures, schools, and exams for at least nine years. (Three years as a student and six years as an advanced judge. This judge must have scored 90 or above on three AVSA judging schools and judged at least five affiliate or convention shows.) Three new blue ribbons are needed during two of the three annual exams. Separate senior judges exams are completed annually by mail for three consecutive years. To pass, a score of 93 or higher is required. A permanent gold card is given to the senior judge after successful completion of the third exam. Senior judges must now grow 50 or more varieties with 25 being registered. Continued AVSA membership is required. Tb remain a Senior judge, it is necessary to take renewal exams every three years and provide three additional blue ribbons. Fifteen years as a senior judge is required before being eligible to move to master judge. MASTER JUDGE This class was created to honor judges who have given long years of service to AVSA. A master judge’s certificate is valid for a lifetime. The only requirements are continuation of AVSA membership and having served as a senior judge for 15 years or more. No further exams are necessary; this judge is a master at last. If you meet a master judge or are privileged enough to judge with one, be revered of their dedication and effort. It is indisputably a significant feat. In addition to the above, all judges must keep informed of new rules pertaining to shows and judging. These changes are published regularly in the African Violet Magazine. To learn more about the qualifications, duties, and rights of a judge, please read the judges section of the AVSA Handbook For African Violet Growers, Exhibitors, and Judges. Some Violets Are Bom Winners by Fred C. Hill • Columbus, NJ I have been growing African violets now for over twenty years and still have lots to learn. I am by no means an excel¬ lent grower. My violets survive in spite of me. Still, during that twenty-year span, I have managed to get my share of rosettes from shows when I exhibit. I have won the gamut of rosettes from AVSA collection classes to Best in Shows and sweep- stakes. I will say that I am no newbie to the violet world. With all this said, I still find that there are some plants that want to grow in spite of me. I was checking my collection of one hundred fifty or so plants (you know how that goes, we don’t count them exact¬ ly because it will tell us we have many too many plants) to get some of them repotted for my local spring show. I discovered a plant on a bottom shelf of my stand all the way in the back that I hadn’t touched in over a year (hanging my head in shame). To my surprise, it was in bloom, and the symmetry was very nice. The plant was ‘Mark’. ‘Mark’, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is one of Mr. Max Maas’ older hybrids. It was registered in 1976, so it easily qualifies as a Vintage Violet. I just couldn’t believe how good the plant looked. If it wasn’t for the dead blossoms and some dry hanging leaves, I could have entered it into a show today and won a blue ribbon with it While repotting ‘Mark’, I took stock of some of the other Maas hybrids in my collection . Another large plant that has great symmetry is ‘Mary D\ ‘Maas’Gail’ does not seem to grow as large as ‘Mark’ and ‘Mary D’, but it has a great shape as well and has a lively pink blossom. ‘Maas’ Edna’ and ‘Maas’ Robert’ are two others that I found grow well for me in spite of my neglect. About three years ago, I picked up a semi-mini at the Union County Chapter of AVSA show in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Union County is the club in which Mr. Maas was a member. It also happens to be the local dub of our current AVSA President, Janet Riemer. Union County has been maintaining and keeping alive Mr. Maas’ hybrids since his passing The plant I am refer¬ ring to is ‘Maas’ Angela*. It’s not registered and has been the center of some confusion lately; however, I am still growing it because, like Mr. Maas’ other hybrids, it’s a winner with beau¬ tiful double mauve booms with a darker mauve edge. All this and clackamus foliage as well. Those of you on the internet can check the picture in the photo section of the AVSA.org site. So, what is all this rambling about? 1 guess I just wanted everyone to know that there are some older violets that are still worth growing. I know how everyone drools over die new introductions at our annual convention, but I think it's time that we did some of that drooling over so many of our beauti¬ ful vintage violets. 1 would also like to see more of Mr. Maas’ hybrids on show tables when I visit local shows. Donations Are Still Being Accepted For the Annual AVSA Convention Auction To all members, affiliates, hybridizers, and commercial members - it’s not too late to make violet-related donations to our seventh annual luncheon auction. We really can use your el P- Donations such as crafts, supplies, or newly introduced Plant material of all types or any other violet related item of a unique or desirable nature are still being sought. fr you wish to donate items, please notify me as soon as P 0 ^^. Kindly provide me with information regarding the 1 111 s description, its approximate value, and whether you 316 ending them on ahead or bringing them to convention. * 4arch • April 2004 just a reminder, you must attend the luncheon in order t< ^Woin youjoirTusat the luncheon and consider donating an item to help AVSA? Please send notice of intent to donate Edna Rourke 99 Old Stratford Road Shelton, CT 06484 -6129 1-203-926-9716 African Violet Magazine 35 Suncoast Winter Skies Exhibited by: Louise McPherson Hybridized by: S. Williams Standard Photo Credit: Winston J. Goretsky B-Man's Raqusa 2003Cultivar Exhibited & Hybridized by: Bruno Curcuruto 36 African Violet Magazine March* April 2004 March. Bob Serbin Exhibited by: Tony HuUeman Hybridized by.-). Brownlie Standard ’ April 2004 African Violet Magazine 37 Tucson, A Nice Place to Visit by Susan C. Merski With its blue skies and bright sunshine, TUcson is one of the top vacation spots in the country, especially in the winter and early spring. Every year visitors flock to this desert city to bask in the sun, enjoy the magnificent views, and relax in the casual lifestyle. Many visitors like TUcson so much they decide to stay; the city grows by approximately 13,000 new residents each year. The AVSA convention offers a perfect opportunity to visit this unique area. The site for the convention is the DoubleTtee Hotel located in the heart of the city. This lovely hotel hosts many events and is staffed by professionals who do their job well. The hotel is easy to reach whether you drive to TUcson or fly into TUcson International Airport. Parking at the hotel is free. The hotel provides a complimentary shuttle to and from the TUcson airport for those who don’t want to rent a car. You can call for the shuttle at the kiosk in the luggage area of the airport. Depending on flight schedules, it might be more conven¬ ient to fly into Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. From there you can pick up a rental car and drive the 115 miles on the free¬ way southeast to TUcson, or you can catch the Arizona Shuttle at the Phoenix airport. Once at their main terminal in TUcson, you can take a taxi to the hotel which is about three miles away. Fares are $48.00 round trip with a 24 hour advance reservation. Contact the Arizona Shuttle Service at 800-888-2749 or on the web at www.arizonashnttlp rnm The Doublehee Hotel is well laid out with ground level rooms, many with parking right outside the door, as well as a tower featuring rooms with a view of the city and sur¬ rounding mountains. Each guest room is equipped with a hair dryer, an ironing board and iron, and a coffee maker. Both smoking and non-smoking rooms are available. The hotel offers a sparkling outdoor heated pool with a toasty whirlpool spa nearby as well as a new fitness center. There is a gift shop and two restaurants, the Cactus Rose (open for break¬ fast and lunch) and the Javelina Cantina (open for happy hour and dinner). Across the street from the hotel is the 131-acre Reid Park. With its large shade trees and green grass, it is a lovely place to stroll and enjoy the weather. The park features two public golf courses and a driving range. (Make reservations by calling 520-791-GOLF.) There also are tennis courts avail¬ able on a first-come basis. In April the roses should stffl be blooming in the lovely rose garden. The Reid Park Zoo is also located in the park. From anteaters to giraffes, the zoo is home to over 500 animals representing 167 different species. The Doublehee Hotel is located right on the city bus line so even without a car it is easy to explore the city. And there is a lot to see. TUcson has many museums and galleries and lots of shops, with everything from antiques to upscale cloth¬ ing and fimiishings. The University of Arizona is just three miles away. The Arizona State Museum, the Center for Creative Photography, and the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium are all located on its campus. TUcson has lots of places to eat, and several are within walking distance of the hotel. The lifestyle in TUcson is very casual. Shorts or denim jeans are accepted attire almost everywhere, so pack your comfortable clothes. Be sure to bring a sweater or light jacket as the temperature drops quickly once the sun sets behind the mountains. Bring a swimsuit if you would like to lounge pool side. Remember that the rays of the desert sun are strong, even in April. Don’t forget to pack a hat, sunglasses, and sun screen (at least 15 spf). The AVSA convention in TUcson promises to be a perfect blend of southwestern charm, great weather, good people, and, of course, gorgeous African violets. You won’t want to miss it! FERTILIZING . Plants that are unable to obtain needed nutrients from their potting mix are stunted in growth. If only one essential ingre- by Sue Gardner Potassium - Scorched leaf margins and lack of vitality. Calcium - Yellow leaf margins and poor root growth. Iron - Ups of new leaves pale or yellow and leaves tu blotchy then brown. dient is missing, plant growth is poor. For African violets we use soil-less potting mix which has little or no nutrient value, so we must supply the needed nutri¬ ents by means of fertilizers. What is needed in fertilizers? Fertilizers contain several elements necessary for plant growth. These are: 1. Nitrogen - main factor in leaf and stem growth. It is needed for good leaf color. 2. Phosphorus - needed for all aspects of growth and flower production. 3. Potassium - produces strength and vitality of foliage and resistance to disease. 4. Calcium - needed for strong growth of roots and foliage. 5. Magnesium - needed for healthy green foliage. 6. Sulfur - needed for healthy green leaves (supplied as sulfate). 7. Trace elements - iron, copper, zinc, manganese, boron, cobalt, and molybdenum. How to read the labels on fertilizers On a fertilizer label, you will see an N:P:K value. This tells you the % amounts of these three elements contained in the fertilizer. A “balanced fertilizer” contains these three basic ele¬ ments in the correct proportions. African violet fertilizers usually have the three basic ele¬ ments in approximately the same amounts. They also contain trace elements. How do we use fertilizers? If you use a solid fertilizer for African violets, dilute it at the rate of 1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer to one half gallon of water. This is for use in wick watering containers or for top watering. Liquid fertilizers contain lower levels of nutrients. It is suggest¬ ed to leach your potting mix every 4-6 weeks to prevent exces¬ sive build-up of unused fertilizer salts. Fertilizer deficiencies If the potting mix has incorrect pH, the nutrients will not be absorbed even if supplied in the right quantities. Make sure all other factors (light, temperature, and potting mix) are correct before blaming nutrient deficiencies for any problems with plant growth. Remember a good root system is needed to absorb nutrients. What do nutrient deficiencies produce in African violets? It is usually retarded growth and lack of flowers. Symptoms of deficiencies: Nitrogen - Yellowing of leaves and spindly or stunted growth. Magnesium - Leaves turn yellow but veins stay green; drooping foliage. Phosphorus - Leaves lacking luster, outer leaves discol¬ ored, poor root growth, few flowers. March • April 2004 If you notice any of these symptoms, check your potting mix for pests and check the pH. If these are all right, re-pot your plant, then start fertilizing with an African violet fertilizer at the rate of 1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water. Too much fertilizer! Too much fertilizer can cause problems. It can “bum” our plants. An excess of one fertilizer can also upset the balance between different nutrients in the potting mix. For example, excess nitrogen can cause a potassium deficiency. A fertilizer with too much nitrogen will cause dark green lush foliage - often too soft and floppy. Toxicities can also be produced by adding too much of some trace elements such as iron. Plants absorb any soluble mineral from the soil, whether or not it is essential to plant growth. They can absorb toxic levels of nutrients if they are present in excessively high quantities. So don’t be heavy handed with fertilizers of any sort. Fertilizers for specific situations For baby plants, some people use a high nitrogen fertilizer to promote quick growth. To promote flowering for a display or show (or just for your own pleasure), some growers recommend a “bloom booster” fertilizer. This has a high phosphorus content. Rules for Fertilizing 1. Never fertilize a dry plant 2. Do not over-fertilize. You will bum your plant. A good rule of thumb is to use 1/4 teaspoon per 1 gallon of water for powdered fertilizers. 3. Leach every 8 weeks with tepid water to remove build-up of salts in potting mix. 4. For variegated plants, use a high nitrogen fertilizer when young to produce growth, but a lower nitrogen one later to produce variegation. What about organic fertilizers added to soil? Organic matter has to be broken down into elements avail¬ able to the plant before it can be used. This occurs through bacterial and other microbial action which increases with temperature. The decomposition, how¬ ever, increases the acidity of the soil and can cause problems. Potting mix containing peat moss becomes more acid over time because of this. So plants must be re-potted reasonably often to avoid low soil pH. From the Newsletter of the Early Mom AV Group, Australia African Violet Magazine 39 40 African Violet Magazine March-April 2004 Mather No. 2 - An Alternate S. difficilis Clone Dr. Jeff Smith Indiana Academy Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306 Jsmith4@bsu.edu Another nice species clone from the Mather collection is the plant labeled as S. difficilis No. 2 or Mather No. 2. This plant is recorded as being collected from the Usambara Mountains, but the collection notes do not indicate if it was the East or West Usambara Mountains. This plant is also recorded as S.A. Robertson specimen R6672. Cuttings of this plant were sent to Iowa State University in 1993.1 obtained cuttings of Mather No. 2 from Iowa State University in 1996. Seed of this plant was placed in the American Gloxinia and Gesneriad Society seed fund, and leaves may now be avail¬ able from some commercial growers. Dr. Bill Bum discussed the existence of several different clones of S. difficilis in his 1960 monograph of the Saintpaulia species. Only one of those clones has apparently survived or become commonly available in the United States. This is the clone that has been sold through the Cooks at Cape Cod Violetry and other commercial growers. The Mather No. 2 clone is similar to this clone, but has some differences in appearance and flowering. Mather No. 2 is a standard rosette plant, but does have a tendency to sucker freely. The leaves are light green in color and may sometimes have a decidedly yellow-green cast. The leaves are elongated ovals and may reach 7-8 cm (2 1/2 to 3 inches) long and 5 cm (2 inches) wide. The margins of the leaves are shallowly toothed when young, but the teeth nearly disappear in the mature leaf. The veins of the leaf blade are somewhat depressed into the upper surface of the leaf, giving the leaves a slightly wrinkled appearance. This vein characteristic is a good diagnostic characteristic for the species S. difficilis. The underside of the leaf is silver or light green in color. The leaf petioles are long and thin and may have a reddish tint. The petioles also have a tendency to twist and present the leaf blade at odd angles. This characteristic can make this plant difficult to shape for show. The hairs of leaves are long appressed, short appressed (LASA) as in others, difficilis clones, and are usually easily visible to the naked eye. The flowers of Mather No. 2 are about 2 cm in diameter March • April 2004 and are usually found 5-11 per peduncle. The flowers are medium to dark blue in color and are presented in nice clusters above the foliage. The plant can be very floriferous, sometimes producing two peduncles per leaf. A mature well- grown specimen may have 30-60 open flowers at one time. Mather No. 2 is one species clone of two that have frequently self-pollinated and set seed in my growing conditions (the other is S. shumensis). The seedpods are elongated narrow ovals about 2 cm (3/4 inch) long and 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) wide. Many seedpods are often set on the plant, allowing a large amount of seed to be produced. I have found Mather No. 2 to be an easy species to grow, but a bit of a challenge to grow well. The leaves are sensitive to damage, and care must to be taken in exposing the leaves to sprays. The twisting petioles sometimes make the plant a challenge to shape into a flat rosette. The plant does sucker easily and could be grown as a multiple crown plant. However, the number of flowers is greatly reduced under these conditions. I would recommend that the plant be pruned to a single crown for show purposes. This clone grows well as a warm species, but will tolerate cooler conditions. Under cooler conditions, the leaf color is often slightly darker and the flowers are a deeper blue-purple in color. I have not used Mather No. 2 in hybridizing. It would be an easy plant to cross with; however, care might be needed to avoid self-pollination. If the twisted petioles are inherited in the offspring, it might be difficult to get good show quali¬ ty hybrids using this species clone. However, the high bloom count is a plus and might be used to develop hybrids with good blooming characteristics. In conclusion, Mather No. 2 is an excellent alternate clone for this species. It grows well in a variety of conditions and is very free blooming. With a little work, it has the poten¬ tial for making a good species show plant. If you have enjoyed growing or showing the standard 5. difficilis clone from the Cooks at Cape Cod Violetry, I think you would also enjoy Mather No. 2. African Violet Magazine 41 March • April 2004 African Violet Magazine 43 Iby Moon Starts Moon In 0rles Barren and dry, fiery and masculine. Used for destroying noxious growths, weeds, pests, etc., and for cultivating. Moon In Tofcfpfcrs Productive and moist, earthy and feminine. Used for plant¬ ing many crops, particularly potatoes and root crops, and when hardiness is important. Also used for lettuce, cabbage, and sim¬ ilar leafy vegetables. Moon In Gemini Barren and dry, airy and masculine. Used for destroying noxious growths, weeds and pests, and for cultivation. Moon In Cancer Very fruitful and moist, watery and feminine. This is the most productive sign, used extensively for planting and irrigation. Moon In Leo Barren and dry, fiery and masculine. This is the most barren sign, used only for killing weeds and for cultivation. Moon In ^90 Barren and moist, earthy and feminine. Good for cultiva¬ tion and destroying weeds and pests. Moon tn LUbra Semi-fruitful and moist, airy and masculine. Used for planting many crops and producing good pulp growth and roots. A very good sign for flowers and vines. Also used for seeding hay, com fodder, etc. Moon tn Scorpio Very fruitful and moist, watery and feminine. Nearly as productive as Cancer; used for the same purposes. Especially good for vine growth and sturdiness. Moon in Barren and dry, fiery and masculine. Used for planting onions, seeding hay, and for cultivation. Moon tn Capricorn Productive and dry, earthy and feminine. Used for plant¬ ing potatoes, tubers, etc. Moon tn fj^uarltfs Barren and dry, airy and masculine. Used for cultivation and destroying noxious growths, weeds, and pests. Moon In Pisces Very fruitful and moist, watery and feminine. Used along with Cancer and Scorpio, especially good for root growth. Reprinted with permission from L l ewellyn’s 2003 Moon Sign Book, published by Llewellyn Publications, ISBN 0-7387-0124-6 African Violet Magazine 45 March • April 2004 THRIPS by Ruth Coulson What are thrips and why are we worried about them? Most gardeners know thrips as a pest in gladioli and other flowers. Only occasionally have we been troubled by these thrips on indoor plants, and if they did venture in, they were mostly eradicated with the simple spray of a pesticide of low toxicity. But what we are dealing with now may be a different thrips - the feared Western Flower Thrips, more formally known as Frankliniella occidentalis. Western Flower Thrips is endemic in North America and has been established in New Zealand for 60 years. It is also found in other countries including Japan, parts of Africa and central America, and more recently Europe. It has been seen in Australia for several years. Many of our members have experienced a thrips infestation of their plants which led me to believe that the thrips troubling us is Western Flower Thrips. None of us have, so far as I know, had these thrips formally identified. Personally, I have been more interested in their eradication than in preserving some for identification by an entomologist. According to experts, they are impossible to distinguish from other thrips species with the naked eye. Any small (1mm long) pale yellow or buff colored thrips could be Western Flower Thrips, and only with the use of a microscope (>50x mag) can the distinguishing long black spines on the front edge of the shoulders be observed. The small size of the insects and their thin narrow shape also makes it very diffi¬ cult to even tell their color, because what one grower sees as brown is likely what another calls buff. I feel that identification is not the most important issue. Other thrips which may infest your violets will do similar damage, and they may be eradicated in similar fashion. The big difference is that WFT is resistant to many pesticides and thus much more difficult to deal with. So what do thrips look like, and what damage do they cause on African violets? As already said, they are narrow in shape up to 1mm long and pale yellow to buff in color. The accompanying drawing gives some idea of their appearance. 46 African Violet Magazine They are not easy to see on your plants because they have a retiring habit and will usually shelter in the mote hidden parts of the plant and the flower. You will soon know that they are present, however, because you will see the damage which they cause, particularly when they feed on the pollen of the flowers. Our club members have reported the following damage caused by thrips: • Flowers dying prematurely, becoming soft and mushy • Flowers rapidly becoming dried out and paper-like • Pollen spilled on the petals of the flowers | • Visible damage to the pollen sacs where thrips have been • An all over dusty look to the flowers caused by to spillage of pollen • Flowers becoming brown along the sides of the petals and sometimes all petal edges • Buds failing to open, or if they do open, having no stamens • Semi-transparent spots appearing on the flowers • Flowers never reaching their expected size. Some leaf damage has also been attributed to thrips, but as none of our members have seen the thrips actually eating the leaves, it is hard to know whether this was the result of thrips or of one of the multitude of other possibilities. If your plants have some of the above symptoms, then you may have an infestation of thrips, especially if you there is hardly a fresh, healthy flower to be found. However do realize that each and every one of these symptoms _ have other causes. Flowers can become dried out and refuse to open because of very low humidity. Pollen sacs also be nibbled by cockroaches, mice, and other pests. So you will have to examine the flowers carefully sure. Use a good light and a strong magnifying at the flowers carefully. Sometimes, flicking the w your fingers will send thrips running, and you will be see them. You may have to pull some flowers apart the thrips may well be hiding right in the base. Vxy ^ also be clustered on the back of the flower. If you are sou convinced, break open some buds. If there is damage,, pollen sacs even before the flowers have opened, it is a certainty that you have a thrips infestation. How do African violets become infested i m y Probably the first thing you will ask is, & plants get thrips?” The answer is, “All too easily • > ^ from the illustration, thrips have wings. They can_ & can also be wafted long distances on air currents, , to stop them from wafting right into your African vi ing area? Probably nothing. . on your As with other pests, you may bring them in hands or your clothing. They can hitch a ride on the family pet, or on plants that have been taken March- APRIL 2004 or a show. Once they are among your African violets, they proliferate rapidly. I must mention here that the word “thrips” is used as both the plural and singular, although it always seems an odd form for the singular. But now I know why - they increase just so rapidly that there is no need for a singular form. There is never just one thrips. The thrips life cycle takes 30-50 days. The mature WFT lays eggs in the tissue of the plant. These hatch out in 2-4 days. The larval stages take from 3-6 days, and in fact, the larvae may feed on parts of the plant, including leaves and on the pollen in the buds. After this follows the pupal stages in the soil from 2-5 days. The adult thrips then emerges and moves up the plant to the flowers and buds - where the whole thing starts over again. In warm, humid conditions, that is to say, conditions ideal for growing African violets, the time from egg to adult can be only twenty days. The importance of this sequence relates to the way you may spray the plants to kill the thrips. It has been found that the thrips is only vulnerable to insecticides as an adult, or in the larval stages, and only then if in a position where the insecticides can reach them. So obviously, one spraying will not do the job. Eradication A chemical fix is what we all we tend to think of to kill the insects. This is rather a difficult proposition with WFT. They are resistant to many insecticides, and as already mentioned, they may hide in parts of the plant where sprays cannot reach them. Because of the complexities of their life cycle, spraying should be done three times at no longer than five day inter¬ vals. Types of sprays used should be rotated to avoid resist¬ ance in the thrips. T\vo insecticides are effective for the eradication of WFT - Malathion and another chemical probably not available for home use. In practice, our members have reported a number of differ¬ ent sprays which they have found useful in dealing with their thrips problem. There has been some discussion as to effective¬ ness of these systemic sprays since systemics may be only poorly transported to the flowers and buds - the normal area of infestation. Flowever, some have a contact action as well, and do seem to work, though not always, and not for everyone. If you decide to try spraying to get rid of thrips, remember the following. Spraying must be frequent (at least three times in 15 days), regular (no longer than 4-5 days between sprays), thorough (spray every plant, all over, every time) and persistent (don’t give up too easily. You must spray the full sequence after the last live thrips are sighted). Warning: Use insecticides responsibly, with personal pro¬ tection, as per directions, and just as importantly, never with¬ out need, and never at less than the recommended strength. Either of these practices can lead to thrips which are immune to the sprays you are using and make final eradication more difficult for you and for others. Sure, most sprays will damage some flowers, but then so will the thrips. In fact, you should • April 2004 remove all visible flowers and buds before you begin your spraying campaign, since they probably show some signs of damage and could be harboring thrips. Some members have reported that the use of “flea bombs” for the eradication of fleas and cockroaches has the side ben¬ efit of killing thrips. Others report that using several mini-pest strips with infested plant or plants, in a large lidded and sealed box for several days will kill thrips. These are “off label” usages (contrary to the registration shown on the label) and therefore cannot legally be recommended. However, it seems possible that some of the chemicals being investigated for thrips may be similar to these. In the meantime there is one non-toxic method which I believe is what we, as hobby growers, should be using. This is the method of removing flowers and continuously disbudding, possibly for up to eight weeks. This deprives the thrips of their hiding place in the flowers and of the pollen which they eat. It is fairly simple to do, and your plants will not suffer from it in the least. Remember that any flowers or buds on the plants will be damaged by the thrips, so you may as well remove them. Keeping flowers and buds off the plants for a period usu¬ ally encourages the plants to grow large and strong, so that when you do let them flower they should be really delightful. You should be absolutely rigorous in your disbudding; how¬ ever, take off even the smallest buds as soon as they appear. Dispose of infested buds and flowers carefully. You don’t want leftover thrips to re-infest your plants. Since a combination of methods may work best of all, you may want to spray once or twice early during the disbudding period. Deterrents Naturally, we would all rather keep pests at bay rather than have to deal with them when they appear. It seems that it will be rather difficult for us to protect our plants completely against thrips. They are so small that they can come through ordinary screens (finer mesh is available but is not at all what you would want in your home), and they can come through open doors, etc. As already explained, they can also come into your growing area on plant material and on your person. The only advice I have been able to glean on this sub¬ ject is to be as careful as you can, isolate or spray all new plants and plants that have been out of the growing area, until you are sure that they are not carrying any freeloaders! Though screens will not exclude all thrips, they may dis¬ courage some. The other real protection is the vigilance of the grower. It is important to look at the plants regularly and see the infes¬ tation when in an early stage. Numerous suggestions have been made to me for deter¬ rents. Most of them will do no harm so you might want to try them, but I can give no guarantee of any effectiveness at all. • Hanging sticky yellow fly traps near your violets. These probably won’t catch enough thrips to prevent or arrest an infestation, but are great to indicate whether thrips are present. Check the traps regularly. African Violet Magazine 47 Burning mosquito coils. Placing tablets of camphor, naphthalene, or bathroom deodorizer among the plants. Spraying doorways, windows, ventilators, and all screens with surface spray. Hanging mini-pest strips among your plants (avoid breathing fumes especially in an enclosed area). certainly not be my aim. And yet, in a sense, I am trying to frighten you - just enough to alert you to the danger. Once aware of it, we will be able to deal with it much better. But remember, it will be an ongoing fight. We will need to watch for the earliest signs of thrips on our plants. If they are dealt with early, it is probable that they will be easier to get rid of than if we wait until they become established. The Future I have not gathered all this information in order to frighten you from ever growing African violets. That would From The African Violet , Official Journal of the AV Association of Australia, Inc. Watering Methods What watering method do you use? There are almost as many methods as there are growers. These are the most popular methods. 1. Wick watering - This method calls for a “wick” to extend from the pot plant soil into reservoir of water. The reser¬ voir usually contains a weak solution of fertilizer and water with an algae retardant. The reservoir can be an individual container or a tray in which more than one plant “wick” form a platform above the water. The wick is usually a strip of nylon hosiery, a length of nylon twine, or knitting yam. Cotton materials are not acceptable because they rot. This is a good method for a beginning grower or someone with many plants, as the plant can usually be left unattended for a week or more. 2. Capillary matting - A method where a mat of some type, carpet padding, blanket material, or material sold espe¬ cially for this purpose is saturated with water, and the pot with a wick sits in direct contact with the mat. Perfectly flat bottom pots can be used without a wick if the bottom of the pot and the soil are in contact with the mat. This method increases the humidity around the plant and works well with young starter plants. The downside is the same with capillary watering as with the community wicking trays. Pests and disease can spread quickly from plant to plant. 3. Top watering - the all time stand-by watering method. Pour water into the soil from above, making sure that the crown on the plant doesn’t get wet Allow the water to drain through, and after about 30 minutes, pour off any 48 African Violet Magazine water remaining in the tray. Never let a violet stand in water. 4. Bottom watering - this method protects the crown from water damage but can cause an accumulation of fertilizer salts on the top of the soil. Pour water into a saucer, and after 30 minutes, pour out any the plant did not absorb. The fertilizer strength is greater in the water used in die top and bottom watering methods than in the wicking method. 5. Texas Potting Method - this is a method of potting made popular by a Texas grower where the bottom section of the pot is filled with perlite, holes are punched in the bottom and sides of the pot just above the perlite level, and the pot is then placed in a tray of water. The water level should come up over the bottom holes in the pot. Some writers say pour off any water the plants don’t absorb, and others say to leave the water level to go down as the plants use the water. When the tray is dry and the top of the soil feels dry, the water with fertilizer added is replenished. 6. Self-watering pots - the name tells the tale. The pot has a compartment for water beneath the rootball. A section of the pot is filled with perlite, the water seeps into the perlite level, and the roots drink from that. Several types of pots are available, and you will need to see what works best for you if you are interested. From the Newsletter of the Victoria, TX, AVS March • April 2004 PROPAGATION BY BLOOM STALK by Mary Walbrick Have you ever used a bloom stalk for propagation? If you have not, give it a try the next time you are putting down leaves. It is easy to do, and requires no special equipment. This method is excellent, with many hobbyists reporting great success with reproducing chimeras and fantasies. Some of the benefits for using bloom stalks are: you don’t ruin the symmetry of your plant when you take a leaf for propaga¬ tion, you need less room for propagation, and you are using plant material that is usually discarded. When you are ready to begin this project, first gather the materials you normally use for propagation with a leaf. To save space in the propagation box, you can plant four or more stalks to a container. When searching for bloom stalks, keep these things in mind. Choose varieties that have large bracts and are heavily marked with the desired traits and coloration. The stalk should be fresh and mature. A mature bloom best exhibits its characteristics. Variegated plants with very light bracts will not root, and miniatures have such small bracts they are not recommended for this technique. Occasionally, the plantlets will not bloom true. Be sure you use a sharp razor blade or knife to make a diagonal cut about one inch below the bract Carefully, remove all buds and blooms as close to the bracts as possi¬ ble. I allow my cuts to dry for 10-15 minutes. A small amount of rooting hormone can be used. You are now ready to plant the stalk. Lightly moisten the soil with fertilizer water, and then place the stalk into the soil. Cover the container with a plastic bag or clear cover to main¬ tain a slightly moist atmosphere. You are now ready to put the prepared bloom stalks on the shelf and wait for results. They should be placed about 10-12 inches under fluorescent lights for eight to ten hours per day. The development time of the new growth will vary. It can range from 4-12 weeks before you see tiny leaves start to form in the middle of the bract. When the plantlets are about 1-1/2 inches to 2 inches across, harden off, and plant in your regular soil. Now that my prop box is full of bloom stems, I wonder if this method will work on some of the other gesneriads? From the Lonestar AV Council Newsletter AFFILIATE UPDATE Bev Promersberger Affiliate Committee 7992 Otis Way, Pensacola, FL 32506 mail: Promers22@hotmail.com Congratulations and welcome to new affiliates in Massachusetts and Washington: Patriots African Violet Club President: Eleanor Maclver P.O. Box 2073 Littleton, MA 01460-3073 Eastern Washington African Violet Society President: Ellen Lyman 31741 N. Chipmunk Road Chattaroy, WA 99003 Lyman@povn.com The Violet Voice (Internet Club) President: Debbie Stout Funandfancyflowers@hotmail.com Ma Rch • April 2004 New clubs are organizing in Florida and New Jersey: Space Coast African Violet Club Contact: Marian Roth 321-724-9277 gametviolet@yahoo.com First Saturday each month, 2:00-3:00 Melbourne Library 540 E Fee Ave Melbourne, FL Donna Gendusa 2723 Learnings Mill Road Millville, New Jersey 08332 856-825-8648 oldpaint421 @hotmail.com African Violet Magazine 49 How Many Ways? by Betty Tapping For whatever reason, for yourself, your club’s monthly sales table, or for a friend, you want to ensure that your method of propagating gesneriads is successful. Some methods are specific to a plant type (rhizomatous, tuberous, fibrous rooted) while others apply to many genera, regard¬ less of root structure. Culture - It goes without saying that the success of any method requires close attention to individual growing envi¬ ronments, such as humidity, warmth, light, etc. The level of humidity may be raised by enclosing the specimen you wish to root in a clear plastic bag or sweater box. This is especial¬ ly critical when dealing with fragile plants such as Gesneria. Even those that are less demanding should have relatively high humidity. Temperatures should ideally be 21-24° C. (70-75° F.) Cool temperatures result in slow growth while high tempera tures cause problems with rotting and a spindly growth pat tem. Good light is essential for plant health and growth Fluorescent lighting provides an adequate substitute for day light when hobbyists do not have the luxury of a greenhouse to provide ideal lighting. Fibrous Rooted Genera - Remember that these meth¬ ods also apply to rhizomatous and tuberous genera. Single Leaf - Propagation by a single Saintpaulia leaf is a familiar one. Select a leaf in good condition. Cut the petiole one inch in length at a 45° angle, and plant in a starter mix; cover with a plastic bag to maintain humidity. Roots and plantlets will form around the end of the outer layer of the stem. The yield by this method is variable, resulting in two or more plantlets depend¬ ing on the species or hybrid. Allow the plantlets to reach the size of an inch in diame¬ ter before trans¬ planting. The clump of plantlets can then be carefully divid¬ ed to avoid damaging the delicate roots and placed in indi¬ vidual pots. Leaf Wedges - Remove a healthy leaf and cut it into sections. Using a sharp razor blade, trim a leaf into small shaped pieces following the contour of the main ribs. You should get at least three sections from a small leaf or five on a large leaf like Chirita sinensis. Each section can then be handled as a single leaf. Insert the leaf sections point down in the rooting medium. Leaf Halves - This is commonly the method used for Streptocarpus but is also applicable to many other genera. After removing the :v Halved Streptocarpus leqfwith plantlets at each rib. Chirita leaf cut in wedges, ready to place in s 50 African Violet Magazine mid vein of a leaf using a razor blade, the half sections are placed on a starter mix so that the cut part is buried one quarter inch. Firm contact with the mix is important so toothpicks may be needed to hold down the leaf. Plantlets will form at the ribs. Leaf Pairs - This is primarily used for epiphytes which have a space between each leaf pair (the intemode). The stem is cut between each leaf pair and placed in a starter mix. A plantlet will form where the petiole joins the stem (the node). Leaf pairs seem to work for just about everything as long as the leaf is attached to the stem. Plantlets form in a shorter time than with the single leaf method. Up Cuttings - Nematanthus, Aeschynanthus, and Columnea, etc., are easily started from tip cuttings. Cut a sec¬ tion of stem and remove the lower leaves before inserting the cuttings in starter mix. Roots form at the axils where leaves were removed. It is best to pinch out the tip of the cutting to encourage branching for fuller plants. Suckers - A sucker may be an underground shoot orig¬ inating from the mother plant. Some gesneriads, such as Gloxinia, are constantly sending out suckers. It is not unusu¬ al for a shoot to emerge through the drain hole of a pot. These shoots have roots and often a small enough rhizome that they can be removed and repotted with very little transplant shock. Other suckers start in leaf axils and may be removed and rooted. Saintpaulia is an example. March • April 2004 form at the nodes. Stolons - Episcia and Alsobia grow stolons, making them the easiest plant from which to pro¬ cure new stock. Simply remove a stolon and set in starter mix. No problem here! Rhizomes - The scaly rhizome found in some gesneri- ads is a modified stem functioning as food storage for the plant. Most rhizomes require a dormancy period which corre¬ sponds to the dry season in nature. The size of a rhizome can vary greatly from the small Koellikeria to the large Kohleria. It is possible to encourage production of rhizomes by reduc¬ ing water, light, and temperature. The plant then increases production before going dormant (to survive the dry season that occurs in nature). Place the plant on the floor next to the light stand and water sparingly until the foliage withers. Water well after a few weeks, and you will find the rhizomes can be separated easily from the mix and repot¬ ted. The pot can be stored in a cool location until new growth appears. Give good light as soon as this happens to encourage sturdy growth. Note: A rhizome may also be divided into individual scales, each of which will form a new plant. Aerial Propagules - Propagules are green compared to the lighter coloration of the larger underground rhizomes. The »ng aerial propagules seen on plants like Gloxinia ‘Medea’ or oxinia sylvatica are a sign that a plant is going dormant. ° u can not stop this process once it has started. Formation a propagule is the result of stress and is quite common in Uoxinia zndAchimenes. Tubers - Sinningias allow you to quickly build up a stock 7^ enou gh to share with friends if you practice several P , r ° Pagation meth ods at the same time. Cut off the crown and P t it in starter mix, then root the lower leaves individually. 1b multiply rhizomatous material, move rhizomes Jrom soil and roots and plant injresh soil, or break into individual scales and plant. Leave the old tuber in the original pot, remove some of the top soil, and replace it with fresh. Soon several new crowns will appear. Each of these can again be removed and used to start even more plants. Often the tubers will send up more than one shoot of new growth. Let these grow to about 1/2 inch in height, then remove all but the best shoot, cutting them off as close to the tuber as possi¬ ble. By letting all of the plant’s strength concentrate on one crown, the result will be a beautiful plant with strong foliage. The crowns you remove will manufacture tubers of their own. Place them in moist soil or moist sphagnum moss, and provide good humidity, warmth, and light to propagate them. Disbudding Sinningias (not allowing them to bloom) will cause them to grow extra crowns. These can be removed and rooted in a mixture of 1/2 perlite and 1/2 vermiculite. a light starter mix, or moist sphagnum. Rooting these extra crowns in a covered sweater box is an excellent way to reproduce plants that either don’t produce seed or don't come true from seed. Single Sinningia leaves can also be used to start new plants using the same method you use for Saintpaulia or Streptocarpus leaves. Other than Sinningia, Chrysothemis, and Nautilocalyx are the tuberous gesneriads available. Seeds - All gesneriads are easily grown from seed whether it is from your own collection, acquired from friends, or purchased seed. Please remember that AGGS (The American Gloxinia and Gesneriad Society) has a seed fund. Growing from seed would be a whole article in itself. Have you kept count? There are still a few methods I haven’t mentioned. Take your pick of these, the easiest by which we may propagate gesneriads for sales tables, auc¬ tions, sharing, or show, and enjoy every new plant! When a Sinningia tuber shows signs of new growth, pot it up and place it in good light. Originally published in the February 1994 issue of the Toronto Gesneriad Society Newsletter. * * G / 0 April 2004 African Violet Magazine 51 ROOT PRUNING by Joan Halford From her book Growing African Violets in South Africa Flowers are produced on slender supports we call pedun¬ cles. A plant in vigorous growth will form a new leaf every few days, and above each new petiole a tiny flower bud should appear; this will be the terminal bud of the group of buds on the peduncle. In some varieties, two peduncles accompany each leaf. As the peduncles develop, the buds increase in size and are lifted above the leaves; they begin to open in five to six weeks. The rate of growth of African violets varies according to the conditions under which they are grown but also accord¬ ing to each plant’s individual ability to respond to ideal con¬ ditions. Optimum cultural needs of these plants are well understood and have been discussed. However, even if opti¬ mum conditions exist, plants sometimes refuse to respond with rapid growth, and when growth is slow, few peduncles are formed. Sometimes an African violet will practically stop growing and for months remain virtually inactive although healthy in appearance. If left untreated, such a plant general¬ ly gets worse. Not only is flower production poor, but those young leaves which are produced fail to attain their normal full size. Later, the stem usually bends over sideways, caus¬ ing distortion of the rosette shape and perhaps allowing the bare stem to show. It is common to see plants in this condi¬ tion. Although we may not fully understand why our plants behave in this way, an effective treatment is available. Such plants usually respond to pruning of their root systems. To root prune your plant you will need, in addition to your usual repotting tools, a pair of small scissors, preferably made of stainless steel. If you can, choose a time when the soil in the pot is fairly dry. Remove the plant from the pot. First, inspect the roots and the soil. Healthy roots are light in color with fuzzy root hairs. If the roots are dark and seem fragile, or if you see other evidence of soil-dwelling parasites, this plant should not be merely repotted; it needs to be com¬ pletely re-rooted. Cut away the entire root system, leaving a short stem. Take the plant to the kitchen sink and clean it in warm running water, as warm as your hands can stand. Scrape and pare the stem thoroughly to remove all dark tis¬ sue, as this scraping and washing in plenty of warm water will free the plant of most microscopic parasites, such as nematodes. Set in a bottle of water. Unless your plant was very sick, it will promptly grow a new, clean set of roots. When the roots are well developed, transfer it to your rooting medium and later into your potting mix. If your plant’s root system looks healthy, proceed to cut away part of the roots with the scissors. Begin by cutting off the bottom one third to one half of toe root mass. The stem may even extend down into that portion. If so, do not worry, just cut down through it cleanly. It needs no special treat- 52 African Violet Magazine ment. Now use the scissors to reduce toe diameter of the remaining rootball. This can be done as conservatively or as extensively as you wish. I give a good haircut! When you have finished, take a good look at your plant’s leaves. This is the time to remove any that are yellowed or blemished or that spoil toe rosette in some way. If the plant has an abundance of healthy mature leaves, you may decide to remove part or all of the outermost ring, to keep it down to a reasonable size. Put your plant aside, propped up in an empty pot to hold it upright, while you prepare a clean pot. You can usually use the same size pot that you used before, but it must be dean. Cover the bottom with a loose layer of your drainage mate¬ rial, perlite/gravel. This will ensure that you have perfect drainage and good aeration to keep the new root system healthy. Set the plant in place over this. It will be deeper in toe pot than it was before. The petioles of the outer leaves should just touch or be very near to the pot rim. Fill in with moist, fresh potting mix, packing gendy but firmly enough to keep the plant centered and upright. Water sparingly at first. Because of the remarkable ability of the stem to produce roots, within just a few days new roots will begin to grow out into toe moist potting mix. As they do so, the entire plant seems to receive an infusion of new vigor. The little center leaves will show up a brighter green color; soon you may notice that toe young leaves are growing larger than the older ones just below them and are appearing at a much faster rate. After a few weeks, looking closely among the petioles, you may see tiny flower buds appearing. f If the idea of cutting away large parts of a system seems extreme or radical to you, try it first with just one or two small plants and watch the results. When co fortable with the procedure, you may then decide to doitrou finely with all your plants. Those that are in bloom need not be treated any differently. They should go righ blooming serenely and will probably increase flower p tion. For large show-type plants, the pruning should pr bly be done more conservatively; also for a trader, method should be modified so that the plant will be toe same depth as it was before. . _tis The beneficial effect of root pruning lasts until the F* again filled with roots, perhaps after four to six montn^ _ growth may slow down again. By following this p and root pruning every four to six months, y° u ^ ^ your plants youthful and floriferous. They will not ha ^ bare stems showing, they will have less tendency to sideways, and they will produce fewer suckers. T P ^ dure of root pruning is routine when planting out baby P March • Ap^ 2004 Disbudding Streptocarpus for Show by Dale Martens Do you want a great Streptocarpus show plant? Tty disbudding! When I say “disbudding”, I mean take a pair of tweezers and remove the newly forming bud as soon as you can get a good grip on it. When you disbud African violets, the plant focuses its energy on making leaves. That’s exactly what happens when streps are disbudded. The strep will begin producing new leaves within a few weeks of consistent disbudding. We all know that a young strep with smallish leaves will produce only one to three flowers per peduncle. Streps will grow to their maximum leaf size faster when the plant is disbudded. A larger leaf will produce the maximum number of flowers genetically possible for that particular Streptocarpus, which may be as many as 5 to 12 flowers per peduncle. Therefore, the larger the leaf, the more flowers will be blooming for show time. About 4-1/2 months before a show, I take a young, root- bound strep of good size that’s in a solo cup or 2-1/2 inch pot and put the strep into the pot it’ll be in for show which is usu¬ ally a 4 inch azalea pot. I don’t disturb the root system at all. If your strep is already mature and the show is 4-1/2 months away, remove most of the mature leaves that have bloomed, leaving a 1 inch stub at the base, and repot it in fresh soil. I begin disbudding immediately after repotting. I’ll continue to disbud for nine weeks. That gives the strep nine additional weeks to bud and bloom for show. Streps bloom better when pot bound, so 4 1/2 months gives them quite a while to fill the pot with roots. A Streptocarpus is genetically programmed to produce about 7 or so flower stalks (peduncles). Disbudding will not produce more flower stalks. If you are disbudding the last 2 flower stalks from a strep leaf, you are not likely to get any more flowers from that leaf. You leave the one inch stub on that older leaf because it will help produce new leaves. Your goal is to have a lot of leaves in that pot. The more leaves you have in a pot, the more flower stalks per pot! Streptocarpus plants are as individual as children, so one strep will respond significantly to disbudding, and another may not show as much enthusiasm. I grow on plant stands and keep my lights on 12 hours per day, never increasing or decreasing the length of time. I fertilize with a variety of fertilizers at the rate of 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water, but I do use a high nitrogen fertilizer at least once a month to help promote leaf growth. This does not make my variegated streps turn green. Disbud a few of your Streptocarpus plants and see what happens in your conditions. From African Violet and Gesneriad News Membership Application Application for Membership Recommended by--—- * - The African Violet Society of America, Inc. 2375 North Street, Beaumont, TX 77702 uaLe -; Membership runs one year from date paid and includes 6 issues of the AFRICAN VIOLET Magazine. □ Individual Membership USA ($25.00) □ Associate Member USA ($10.00-no magazine, must reside at same address as a person having any other class of membership) □ International Membership ($27.50) □ International Associate ($11.50-no magazine, must reside at same address as a person having any other class of membership) □ Commercial USA ($37.00) □ Commercial International ($38.75) □ Affiliated Chapter USA ($27.00) □ Affiliated Chapter International ($29.50) □ Affiliated State, Regional and Council ($27.00) □ Life Member ($300.00) □ library ($25.00) VISA / MC accepted Card # □ International Life ($350.00) □ New Member □ Renewal Mem. i (Please type or print) Make checks payable to AVSA, Inc. INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: please remit in US$ with a draft or check on a USA bank. International Postal money orders accepted. Dues are not refundable. E-mail Address. March • April 2004 African Violet Magazine 53 Is Your Membership in Drive or Reverse? by Carolee Carter How geared up has your affiliate been this last year? Have you gained or lost members? I gave you a lot of tips in the Sept/Oct 2002 issue of African Violet Magazine. Have you put them into action? The AVSA Membership Committee has been working dili¬ gently to greet every new member to AVSA by either e-mail or snail mail, and I believe that this personal effort has made a good first impression to our wonderful organization. After all, first impressions are lasting impressions. Some of us have had time to also notify individual affiliates in their states of the names of those who have joined AVSA so that they are able to invite them to their shows and meetings. Earlier this year, our committee took time to analyze what was important to our membership through not only our won¬ derful magazine -African Violet - but also through the invalu¬ able services that our AVSA website and headquarters office can provide. The results were startling, and when we meet in Tlicson in April, your AVSA Board will be discussing ways in which to attract new members as well as keep our current ones. We seem to be doing a great job getting new members, but keeping members is where we now need to direct our focus. There are three requests I’d like to make: The first is to ensure that all of your affiliate members are also members of AVSA. It’s only through our membership dues that AVSA is able to provide you with this brilliant magazine you are now reading, all of the wonderful services through the library, the research, the website that contains a wealth of information, the office staff for personal assistance, and many other services that help your affiliate grow. Don’t take us for granted! Yes, the website is now free to anyone who enters it, but the wotk involved in keeping it up-to-date and exciting takes both time and money. Second, please, please write or e-mail me (carolee3 7@earthlink.net ) with any suggestions you would like to share with the Membership Committee and the Board to encourage members to renew not only their AVSA membership but also with their local affiliate. The more ideas that can stim¬ ulate our minds, the more solutions we can share with you and your affiliates and the stronger we will all be for the effort (My snail mail address is on the inside cover of this magazine.) Last, there are some key states where our Committee could definitely use some greeting help: Alabama, Arizona, Southern California, Georgia, Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North & South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. It would involve contacting no more than a half-dozen new members per month. What better way to add potential new members into your local affiliate and help AVSA too! Please write or e-mail me if you live in any of these states and would like to help keep AVSA - and your own affiliate - in Drive. To Show - Know Your Plant! 1. Have you observed this particular variety of plant from the time it is a baby plantlet just separated from its moth- erleaf until it is about a year old? This is useful in having an overall idea of what to expect from your show hopeful. For example, you can determine if the plant is blooming true to variety and how long it takes to come into full bloom. 2. Does it have a symmetrical growth habit, or do the leaves tend to grow in an irregular pattern? Since the symmetry of the plant can count for 30 percent of its points when being judged, this is the element that should be given careful consideration. 3. Does the plant grow fast or slow compared to others? If you want a big plant, the faster grower is more likely to produce it in less than a year provided it does so in an orderly manner and does not become gangly with long petioles and small leaves. 4. Is the flowering habit prolific or sparse? The more prolific bloomers are the varieties to be chosen, especially if they have good, symmetrical foliage as well. 5. Are the flower pedicels sturdy, standing up above the foliage? Heavy heads of bloom can cause weak stalks to 54 African Violet Magazine allow the flowers to lie on the foliage, and dead blooms will damage the foliage. 6. Can you determine if the flowering nodes produce more than one stem? If more than one stem appears from the axil of leaf and main stem, this is a definite asset when attempting to produce a huge bouquet of blossoms. T. If the African violet is a trailer, does it consistently produce more than three branches? If not, you may wish to force it to branch by removing the four center leaves of the crown to appear. 8. If the plant is a miniature, does it occasionally produce row of larger leaves? A change in the growing environ ment, including changing fertilizers, can sometimes P duce this larger row. It means that this particular vanety may need to have a very stable set of growing conditio There are probably other questions you could why your particular plant does certain things, but these . the basic things to look for when starting to select P 0 ^ show entries. March • April . Sunday Morning Friends by Leonard Re Fountain Valley, CA I have been growing African violets for over twenty-two years, and during that time, I have also had several pooch pals. The pooches (Muffin, Blueberry, and Holly) have all been of questionable ancestry. Mixed breeds with no known lineage, no AKC (American Kennel Club) registration, and no registra¬ tion numbers. On the other hand, all my African violets have known lineage, are registered with AV5A, and have their registration numbers. This has been a wonderful combination. Like the African violets, the pooches were never fussy. Just give them some water, food, and attention, and nature took care of the rest. My first two pooches, Muffin and Blueberry, never showed any interest in the violets. Back then, they were win¬ dow grown “no name” violets. After moving into our current home in the mid 70’s, we ended up with a surplus of bed¬ rooms. In 1981,1 attended my first AV show and discovered AVSA and its affiliate clubs. In 1985, LA hosted the National Convention so I bought my first of three light stands and final¬ ly found a use for those surplus rooms. Soon, my “no name” plants disappeared as I acquired the “purebred” plants to be shown at National. Luckily, Muffin and Blueberry continued to show no interest in the AV’s. Several plants made it to National, and I won my first blue ribbon with ‘Hortense’s Phala’! In 1991 both Muffin and Blueberry passed away at the ripe old ages of 17 and 16 respectively. That was also the year I won my first Best in Show with ‘The King’. In 19921 paid a visit to our local animal shelter and found ‘Daisy Mae’. I wanted to rename her, and one of my coworkers suggested Holly as we got her in December. Unlike the other two Pooches, Holly showed some interest in the African violets, but she never touched them ...just a quick sniff around the plants on die lower shelves. Luckily, the following year, I finally won my first AVSA Standard Collection with ‘The King’, ‘Marshlands’, and ‘Splendeferious’, so I knew we would get along just fine! One of our household traditions, from our very early dating days, was going out to Sunday morning breakfast with my wife Elaine. After Holly came along, she too wanted Sunday breakfast, so we always brought her home some ham and eggs. Then, while Holly ate, I would get a cup of coffee and read the Sunday paper, and after an hour or so head up to the plant room. Holly would always come up, lay under the table, and watch while I watered, disbudded, and repotted my plants. Once in a while, I would go downstairs to wash pots or get sup¬ plies, and if I wasn't back up in a few minutes, down she would come. Holly knew that after I was finished taking care of the plants, it was her turn! When she was younger, we would always go for a walk in the park so she check out the birds, rabbits, and squirrels. As she got older, and the walking became harder, I would put her in the front seat of the car and drive her down to the beach (remember the movie Driving Miss Daisy?) where she could see the shore birds, the squirrels running up the trees, and, or course, other dogs. Then, we’d both come home and fall fast asleep until dinner time! This past Sunday, one of my “Sunday Morning Friends" was missing. Elaine and I went to breakfast, but no ham and eggs came home. I had my coffee and read the Sunday paper. However, when I went to the plant room there was no Holly. The previous Wednesday I had to have Holly put to sleep. She was 13, and had suffered a short illness. Like Muffin and Blueberry, I had her cremated so I could bury her ashes in our garden. On Friday, her vet had sent us a real nice planter with some pretty flowers in it and a nice condolence card. On Sunday, while I was in the plant room, I came across an extra plant of ‘Ms. Pretty’. As it was a very nice sunny day, I decided to bury her ashes, collar, and ball. I put the vet’s planter over the spot where I had buried her, and put the extra plant of ‘Ms. Pretty’ inside the planter. And ‘Miss Holly’ sure was ‘Ms. Pretty’, with her jet black fur, big brown eyes, and one small white patch on her chest. As 1 write this, it is again December and our spring shows are right around the comer. Soon I will be making a trip to the animal shelter to find another pooch pal, and then I will have all my ‘Sunday Morning Friends’ back together, and I’ll hope¬ fully win a few more blue ribbons! March • April 2004 African Violet Magazine 55 “Strictly Streps” by Carolyn Conlin-Lane General Information: Streptocarpus is a large genus native to South Africa (about one third of all of the known species are indigenous to South Africa) and Madagascar. Some of the rosette species were discovered inhabiting wood¬ ed ravines and valleys in the Drakensburg mountains of Southern Africa. Streps tend to limit themselves to shaded areas which have dry winters and rainy summers. Streptocarpus means “twisted fruit” (i.e. seed pod). The first to be brought to North America was S. rexii in 1826. The first modem hybrid was called ‘Constant Nymph’, produced at the John Innes Institute in 1946. TWo Main Divisions: Subgenus Streptocarpus : The rosette form has strap-like leaves growing from a (usually) irregular rosette with several leaves emerging directly from the ground. It is predominately perennial. The unifoliate form has a single leaf. Unifoliates usually die after a single flowering, and it may take several years to reach the flowering stage. Subgenus Streptocarpella-. or a^^ SUbsenUS a han & n & basket type plant, perennial both high humidity lovers, to the massive 5. coopeiiWtih i single leaf measuring nearly two feet long Cultural Requirements for the rosette type are ven ! i ° letS ' They P refer cooler temperatures ant h0t weather Reduce me houn compensate. They enjoy the bottom shelf of the light stand Repotting S J" f!"™ 1 ' Streps flower tetter when slightly pot-bom 1 0pen ' Wefl - drained m «tium. Streps can Planted m a wttfc variety of different sized pots, and asirv ^»n ortnulnple crown growth habit can be encourag, mCh ™ and Auction to a 2 P 1 ™* It is import keen the ver miculite or perlite, this will help 2S2* 1116 ‘ Note: “tis techniq ted rotS™ J? ^ 3 Ptot of ^ hind with a lit possiblettrepctinto'the same^**T"* ° f r00ts >- 11 sttil some wT^^^P 01 ^he new leaves t 56 African Violet Magazine Remove any loose potting mix. It may be necessary to cut some of the roots from the bottom of the root ball (as you do when potting down an African violet with a neck). Then put the plant back into the same pot with some fresh potting mix at the bottom and up the sides. When repotting, be sure to remove all the older leaves (e.g. those that have had six or more blossom stems) and any that are damaged (minor dam¬ age can be groomed away). Watering Streps can tolerate short periods of drought very wefl, although a severe wilting can cause damage to the leaves. 1 usually water when the plants have just started to wi, watering from the bottom, taking care not to leave the plant sitting in water for longer than an hour or two. Leaching is important to help eliminate salty buildup. If you are planning to show a strep, repot it far enough in advance of die show so that it can get pot bound enough to produce a good dis¬ play of blooms, at least 5 months. Grooming Flower stems should be removed from the base once the blooms are finished; take care not to damage emerging bloom stalks. Once the last bloom stalk has finished blooming, the entire leaf can be removed, although you may want to keep it for a while if it improves the appearance of the plant Leaves continually grow from the base and eventually wm start to die off at the end. This brown part can be trimmed o • Disbudding can be used to improve the appearance of foliage. This is especially true for heavier blooming hybrid that will often simply produce flowers at the expense leaves. A disbudding period of 6 to 8 weeks has proven suc¬ cessful for some exhibitors. In some plants, disbudding can increase the number of blooms per stalk; however, it does appear to increase the number of stems. (A leafwill ptf^ a finite number of these and then stop.) When exhiwm& like to use a top dressing of fine New Zealand sphagn this improves the appearance of the soil which is often cp noticeable on a Strep, especially a single crown Specimen- Propagation By Crown: Pull the plant apart and pot up each crow separately. j^. By Leaf: I use African violet leaf starter mix (ve ^ perlite, and charcoal). Cut off the lower ^ jeaf. (the stem end), leaving one to one and a half inc ^ Pot up as you would an African violet leaf cutting- remaining leaf, cut out the mid-vein and cut the leaf pieces into one inch long segments. Make a March •AFRfc 2004 in the mix, and place the long cut edge of the leaf into it; firm up the mix. Keep the media moist at all times but never wet. 1 usually keep the pots in a covered tray until the developing plantlets are ready to be transplanted. By Seed: (This section includes advice from Dale Martens and Chris Rose.) Seed is available from the AGGS seed fund, or from your own hybridizing efforts. The seed is very fine - approximately 35,000 seeds per gram! Be very careful not to sneeze while handling your seed. I like to use 2 1/2 inch square pots, as these fit nicely into the covered propagation trays that you can buy at the garden center. The required number of pots should be prepared with pre-mois- tened mix and then labeled. I use the leaf starter mix together with some of the African violet soil mix. Seeds should be sown thinly on the surface of the mix. You can use a small piece of stiff white paper folded once down the middle to sow the seed. The seed can be placed into the groove of the paper and can then be dispensed slowly by tapping on the paper and moving it simultaneously. Use a fresh piece of paper for each batch of seed. Do not cover the seed with your potting mix. Cover the pot(s) with plastic and keep warm and moist until germination occurs. The heat from alight stand is fine. It is a good idea to remove the droplets of condensed water from the seed tray cover regularly. This will help to avoid large drops building up and then crashing down onto the tiny seedlings. You should start to remove the covering once the leaves are about 1-1 1/2 inches long. Prop it open for a few days before completely removing it. Some people remove the covering as soon as the seeds start to germinate, but 1 have had more success with leaving them covered as it lessens the need to water. It is essential that you do not allow the pots to dry out. If watering is required, early watering is best done with a mister. Young seedlings seem to grow faster when their roots get jiggled. Conversely, if you lack space, seedlings can be held for a long time in their original community pot. As early as three to four weeks after sowing, young seedlings can be “pricked” out of the seed tray and transplanted into individ¬ ual pots (2 1/4" or 2 1/2") or community pots. These young seedlings are typically characterized by one large single leaf. When to do this is very much a matter of personal judgment. Dale tends to do this quite early, while Chris prefers to wait up to six months. I tend to procrastinate, most often due to space limitations. If you are evaluating a new hybrid, you can continue to use the small square pots and crowd the resulting plants into a plastic tray. The leaves should be kept trimmed in order to allow all of the plants access to adequate light. Hybridizing is not as far advanced as African violet hybridizing. Making a cross Select a flower to be used for pollen (one that has been open for several days) and remove it Cut open the tube at each side then peel back and remove the upper part of the flower. Pull apart the anthers, dumping the pollen onto the tube. The pollen is easily freed up unlike African violet pollen. The receiving flower should be prepared to receive the pollen. If the male parts are in front of the stigma, the whole corolla can be carefully pulled off. If the stigma is nearer the front, I usually just make a cut down one side of the flower and then cut around to remove most of the flower (taking care to avoid any action that could result in self-pollination. From there, 1 like to load up a flat toothpick with the pollen and then apply it to the pistil of the receiving flower. The resulting cross needs to be tagged. Include the date and the name of the father. If the cross has taken, the pistil should start to elongate (to 2X the original length, or more) and twist within three to four days. Ripening time is 8-12 weeks. When the pod is nearly ready, you will notice that the seam will become more prominent. Gradually, this seam will begin to split and untwist so that the seeds will spill out You want to harvest the pod before it splits. If portions of the pod are still green, allow it to diy out before opening the pod and harvesting the seed. Some pods will produce an abundance of seeds and others only a few. From Chatter , Journal of rite AVS of Canada • April 2004 African Violet Magazine 57 AVSA ADVERTISING GUIDELINES Judith M. Carter, Advertising Manager AFRICAN VIOLET MAGAZINE VISA or MasterCard NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH AVSA! AV WORLD’S BEST SELLER African Violet Society of America, Inc. 2375 North St. Beaumont, TX 77702 1 (800) 770-2872 Atannah’s Qreenfioiises “mail-order specialists 9 Visit our online catalog to view our extensive selection of standard, miniature, semi-miniature, and trailing violets from over 90 premier hybridizers. www.alannahs.com We offer a large selection of streptocarpus and other interesting gesneriads, geraniums, begonias, and other flowering tropical plants. Ask to receive your $5.00 customer appreciation coupon! Want an African violet catalog? Send $1.00 to. Box 2 Danville, WA 99121 US Box 1342 Grand Forks, BC VOH 1H0 Canada “We specialize in international slipping- * CALL OR WRITE FOR A FREE CATALOG. Regular potting soil, wick-mix potting soil, constant feed fertilizer, reservoir wick pots and saucers, 24 and 48 inch wide-spectrum lamps, physan 20, dandy pots, plastic pots, wick. ORDERTOLL FREE 1-866-521-9639 VOLKMANN BROS GREENHOUSES P.O. BOX 191289 DALLAS, TEXAS 75219 BELISLE'S Heirloom Violets Quality Gesneriads Unusual Companion Plants Mail Order Catalog $2.00 Radisson, WI 54867 ___ eis /no in th* United State! <16 ON) per year in Canada $15 (US) to the United States John Beaulieu Productions e-m* gesnews@bconnex.net c BOX 118. Midhurst ON LOL 1X0 CANADA^ Cruptanthus **the Dazzling Earth Stars arc THE CRYPTANTHUS SOCIETY Carole Richtmyer - Secretary^ 18814 SSStX 0 77388 -AFRICAN VIOLET BEAUTIES 2004 list is ready wiih lors of NEW BEAUTIES! LIST $1. 2004 Spring shipping wUl be our final shipping, so order early. - ‘ . 15980 ». Warden Road • April 2004 African Violet Magazine 59 t/ioktef'uK Photo Jounat African Violet LEAVES i. Chiritas. E sittings - $16; 12 Cuttings - $22 II Texas orders add 8.25% tax No List - My choice only Pleasant Hill Violets Beverly’s Violets & Gifts 6311 DeBarr Rd. #Q Anchorage, AK 99504 Oyama Self Watering Planters Call: (907) 338-5551 or Fax: (907) 338-5758 To order planters call: John Code • Falmouth, MA iSave tke AV^ild Saintpaulia Will the Wild African Violet Survive? W iW Saintpaulia species are found only in a very limit¬ ed habitat in a handful of mountain and coastal rain¬ forests known by scientists as the Eastern Arc. JMuch of the Friend (Rafiki) of Saintpaulia - $io Patron (Mkifadi) of Samtpaulia - $>S Guardian (Mlezi) of Saintpaulia - *$5o or more Donations are Tax Deductible made to: African Rainforest Conservancy ‘ 480 Broadway., Suite joS New York, NYrooi J Shipping begins soon and we will be happy to deliver plants to you at the Dixie Convention in Houston the third week of March or the National Convention in Dicson April 11 to 18. Orders must be placed fifteen days before the starting date of the Convention. Plants picked up at the Convention will be at convention prices. STORK - LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE - Bright fuchsia smgle/sernidouble pansies edged with deep plum glitter over glossy, dark green symmetrical foliage. Standard - PINK DUCHESS - Hugh, senridouble/double stars of medium pink with a wide band of soft pink. Large light green foliage. SANDERS - SHIRL’S HAPPY TEARS - Loads of pure white single pansy blossoms that stand out over the pink, white, and green variegated foliage. SM BROWNLIE - DASHING RED - Semidouble red pansy that shows brightly above medium green foliage. Compact standard. We have trailers. New and older varieties. Catalog available for $2.00. Plants of the customers choice $4.50 each with a minimum of 6 plants per order. Shipping and handling on up to 6 plants $8.00. Quantities over that amount check our catalog. LEAVES: SHIRLEY’S CHOICE - 24 for $24.00 or 50 for $44.00. Shipping on leaves - $6.00 for up to 50. Over this number add 10 cents per leaf. Always include your phone n umber as we call our customers to g ive them the exact date that , let House . 1054 Rayburn Dr. • San Antonio, Make check payable to Shirley Sanders TX 78221 • Telephone (210) 923-1093 60 African Violet Magazine March • April- The Association for plant & | - I | ^ flower people who grow in U I m O hobby greenhouses and Quarterly Magazine Growing & Maintenance Help & Advice Hobby Greenhouse Association 8 Glen Terrace, Bedford, MA 01730-2048 Dues: USA $19 (Canada and Mexico, $21 USfunds/MO) ($22 Overseas, US junds/MO) Sample magazine $3.50 Directory of Greenhouse Manufacturers $2.50 NEPTUNE’S HARVEST ORGANIC FERTILIZERS Commercially proven - outperforms chemicals Free catalog (800) 259-GROW (4769) BAYOU VIOLETS - LEAVES ONLY Request catalog $1.00 Check payable to Genelle Armstrong 1313 Gardenia Drive Metairie, LA 70005-1152 JoS VIOLETS 2205 College Drive Victoria, TX 77901 • (361)575-1344 DONNIE’S VIOLETS - LEAVES ONLY Catalog $2.00 Check Payable to: Donnie Barnes 2563 Richert, Clovis, CA 93611-6034 • (559)294-8650 OUT OF AFRICA Blooming Streptocarpus Gary S. Mikita 2842 (219) 763-4861 Portage, IN 46368 garymikita@cs.com Send $1 for Catalog vjtfd Gree/ji -Oy Apex, NC 0/> At the Peak of Vioietry it h Carolina 27539 jjk-zv The Violet Showcase 3147 South Broadway jwSBjRfek Englewood, Colorado 80113 < 303)761 ' 177 ° Established 1969 Unusual African Violets, Growing Supplies, Lighted Stands Open 10 AM - 5 PM (Mountain Time) Closed Tuesdays + Sundays Contact us for a free catalog or download a copy at www.violetshowcase.com Shipping supplies year round and violets May - October tyanS Workshop ^ (formerly Acree Creations) Custom Made Award Ribbons and Rosettes fyan ^bavuhon “ 941 FM 2377 Red Oak, Texas 75154 (972) 617-1186 Fax (972) 617-1198 email: chiefrond@aol.com ‘Prairie Violets £$35.50 / 50 for $45.50 ,/h $800 Speciab Price La SI fl ^*01 • April 2004 Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses, Inc. PO Box 249 DeptAV Dolgeville NY 13329 j “Where The Violets Are!” Quality hybrids since 1954 African Violets, Aeschynanthus, Chiritas, Codonanthe, j Columneas, Episcias, Kohlerias, Nematanthus, Orchids, j Rex Begonias, Streptocarpus, other assorted Gesneriads, j and SO much more! You’ll go CRAZY!!! & To receive our latest Catalog, please send: $3.00 U.S. / $5.00 International (US Funds) Our greenhouses are open year round. No appointments necessary! Call for hours! Phone (315) 429 8291 Visit our website, at: www.lyndonlyon.com All Library Requests Must Be Made in Writing to the African Violet Society of America Office Looking for Orchid Information? Log On; " ——°-Inter®* wifh other eo 9 er VISIT THE AVSA’S WEBSITE: www.AVSA.org ing on Orchid Forum at orchidweb org orchid growers throughout the world. The Ameri-can 1 —--- Orchid Society's popular . l-. extensive piantcore Hps, inspiring photographs, a id* Ot «» <— ^ «*“ io,or ™ ,ion _ in 1991 the AOS is the world's number-one orchid- f0uM . - just ask 30,000 members worldwide. On- African Violet Magazine 63 • April 2004 Annie’s Violet Supplies P. O. Box 1888 • Yu lee, FL 32041 * » Toll Free 1-866-6violet (1-866-684-6538) or (904) 548-1149 Grand Opening Special Order $50.00 in March 2004 Receive Free 4" Dandy Pot - Your Choice of Colors (Limit one per customer) Intelligent Plant Light $35.00 Crow violets or orchids in home or office with this fluorescent lamp. Round Plastic Pots Dandy Pots Mini Dandy Propagation Trays Domes Books Plastic Reservoirs Grooming Tools Colors: Blue, Green Lavender, Pink, White Lights Dyna Gro Dyna Bloom Physan 20 SUPERthrive Dandy Pot Reservoir Wick Planter 64 African Violet Magazine March • April 2004 Home to “Rob’s” The Violet Barn, home of Rob’s Violets African Violets, Gesneriads, the Rare & Unusual 7-time winner, AVSA Best New Cultivar Award 9-time winner, AVSA Best Commercial Display I “Ma s” standard African violet hybrids! NEW AFRICAN VIOLETS FOR 2004 All grow and TWO NEW STANDARD CHIMERAS MA S TURNCOAT Large sdbl. L $15JM siesw/dart Very heavy and constant bloomer Chimera. $15.00 LOOKING FOR THESE? OPERA’S PAULO. Lightly ruffled, sdbl. orchid pansies w/white puffs and thin white edge. Great for show. (Burdick) $5.00 PRETTY MISS KELLY. Large, fringed sdbl. medium blue stars e and reverse pink fantasy, then edged white. ; unusual, pretty. (Croteau) $5.00 NEW STREPTOCARPUS FOR 2004 Our own hybrids. All are spectacular, and easy to grow and bloom, even in windows. Care identical t< OUR NEW MINIATURE VARIETIES ROB’S LUCKY CHARM. Deep, o dark green and chartreuse to gold variegation. Very unusual, euonymous-like variegation impervious t< BRISTOL ’S PAJAMA PARTY. Deep rose-pink b streaked with white fantasy. The best fantasy this color. Very unusual and a good bloomer. - E Lightty fdnged ro l bright yellow lower throat. Good 100’S OF OTHER MINI, TRAILING, AND STANDARD VIOLETS, PLUS GESNERIADS Including Episcias, Columnea, Nematanthus, Chirita, Begonias, Hoya, and truly miniature houseplants! PRICES: $4.50 each for standards, $4.00 each for all other plants. For shipping beginning April 15, add $12 per order for shipping. Winter shipping by express mail only (call for details)—available to most areas Special Offer 10 different violets or streps (our choice), *30 plus shipping. We also ship wholesale WE SHIP ANYWHERE (INTERNATIONALLY), ANYTIME- SAFE DELIVERY GUARANTEED! SEND $2 FOR FULL-COLOR CATALOG. OR VISIT US ONLINE AT WWn.ROBSVlOLn. COM Dr. Ralph (Rob) & Olive Ma Robinson PO Box 9, Naples, NY 14512 Phone: 585-374-8592 Fax: 585-374-6947 Shop & Greenhouse open daily, 12-5 p.m.