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~~African Violet Odds 'n' Ends~~
My African Violet Record Sheet
This is what I use to keep track of my plants.
I use one sheet for each plant. The sheets are kept in a three-ring binder in alphabetical order. There are spaces
for the name of the African Violet, AVSA Reg. #, hybridizer, description, when you got the plant, who gave it to you or where
you bought it. Every time the plant is repotted, propagated, etc., the sheet is updated. It's a good way to go
back and look at the history of your plant.
Click on the link below to see this document
in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to be able to view it. Please feel free to use these documents.
African Violet Record Sheet (click here)
This is a smaller version of the record sheet that fits
on a 4x6 index card.
African Violet Record 4" x 6" Index Card (click here)
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Some handy tools I keep on my potting table:
~Long pointed tweezers - for reaching
between leaves to remove suckers.
~Wooden chop sticks - for gently working
soil around plant in the pot.
~Small scissors - for cutting leaves,
spent blossoms, etc.
~Single-edge razor blades - for cutting
leaf petioles at an angle.
~X-Acto knife - for cutting stems and
dividing plants.
~Measuring spoons - for measuring fertilizers
and pesticides.
~Ceramic-working tool - has a curved blade
on one end and a straight blade on the other. Good for removing suckers and scraping necks.
~Small spoon - for adding soil around
plants and working Marathon into top of soil.
~Large-eye needles - use to add wicks
to potted plants.
~Small brush - for cleaning leaves.
~Permanent markers - for writing on plant
labels.
~Lighted, hand-held microscope - used
to check plants for mites, mealies or other critters.
~Jeweler's loupe 30x - also used to look
for bugs on plants.
~Squirt bottle - pointed tip makes it
easy to water around plants, leaves and babies.
~Natural Sea Sponge - it becomes
very soft when wet and is excellent for cleaning leaves and absorbing excess moisture from foliage.
~Small Soldering Iron - for burning holes
in the bottom of solo cups.
~Ice Pick - for poking holes in solo cups.
~Toilet Paper Holder - mounted on my potting
table to hold yarn or mason's twine for wicks.
~Paper Towel Holder and Small Towel Rack
- mounted under edge of my potting table so I have paper towels and rags handy.
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Prevention and Treatment
Algae -- Physan 20 prevents algae in individual and community wicking reservoirs. Use 1/2-3/4
teaspoon per gallon of water. It will not get rid of existing algae in reservoirs or on wicks, so begin using it when
there is no algae present.
Powdery Mildew
-- Appears as a white powder on the leaves and sometimes on the blossoms. It is usually caused by letting the plant
dry out or nighttime temperatures that vary 10 degrees or more from daytime temperatures.
Fung-Away is the best treatment for powdery
mildew. Use 3/4 teaspoon to a quart of water in a spray bottle. Lightly mist plants while they are still
on your lightstand. No need to move the plants or even spray underneath the leaves. It will not harm the
blooms. I usually turn off the plant lights until the plants dry. The mixture stays good for a long time, so don't
throw away any extra. Just keep the spray bottle handy for the next time you see powdery mildew.
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How To Make A Cheap Leaf Support Ring
(click on the thumbnails to see larger images)
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Step #1
If you have a plant with leaves hanging down the side of
the pot, you can make a support ring from a styrofoam plate. I am using a 7" plate and a 3" pot. This works for
round and square pots.
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Step #2
Use an empty pot that is the same size as the pot that your
plant is in. Turn the pot upside down and center it on the plate. Use a pencil, pen or marker to trace around
the top of the pot.
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Step #3
You can see the shape of your pot on the styrofoam plate.
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Step #4
Use a knife, scissors or sharp blade to cut out the
shape of the pot. Cut just inside the lines drawn on the plate. Discard the cut out
piece of styrofoam.
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Step #5
Slide the plate up from the bottom onto the pot. It should
fit tightly around the top of the pot.
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Step #6
Remove the plate from the empty pot, and put it on the pot
with your plant. The leaves are now being supported.
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~Use clear airline tubing
to cover the edge of pots for plants that hang over the edge. (Picture 1) Prevents damage to stems and petioles
from rubbing on the sharp edge of the pot. Make a slit in the tubing so it will fit over the edge of the pot.
Airline tubing is available at any store that sells aquarium supplies.
~Line wicking reservoirs
with plastic bags. When it gets dirty, just replace with a new bag. No more scrubbing reservoirs.
Quart-sized bags will fit into the 16-ounce deli containers.
~Hair pins (not
bobby pins) are great for holding baby plants or suckers in place while they root.
~Use a hole-saw drill bit
for making holes in wicking reservoir lids. I use a 3/4" hole saw on my cordless drill. Very fast, easy and makes
nice smooth holes.
~Pieces of window screening
in the bottom of pots keeps the soil from coming out the holes. It doesn't deteriorate and can be cleaned and reused.
~Baby Food Jars can be used
to wick solo cups.
~Use Large Wire Cutters to
cut egg crate. They easily cut through the egg crate so you don't have to use a saw.
~When dipping plants for mites,
use cheap netting from the fabric store to cover the soil. Wrap it around the base of the plant and secure with a rubber
band around the pot. (Picture 2) The dipping solution can get through to the soil, but the soil doesn't fall out
of the pot into the solution.
~To add humidity around
your violets, set some small bowls of water on the shelves among the plants.
~To clean soil or dust
from the leaves of your plants, use a soft brush. I like to use one of those big make-up brushes that is used
to apply blush. A 1" natural-bristle paint brush is also good to use. Support the leaves with your hand and brush
gently.
~A desk lamp or small goose-neck lamp with
a compact fluorescent bulb makes a great plant light for a few plants or a small isolation area. (Picture 3) These
compact fluorescent bulbs fit into almost any lamp. (Picture 4) I usually use 40-watt or 60-watt, depending on how much
light I need.
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Leaf Babies That Have Too Much Variegation
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February 2009
These are plantlets of Wrangler's Green Pastures. The
plantlets are supposed to be variegated, but they are almost completely white and need to green up before being separated
from the mama leaf. Otherwise, they might not survive. The green part of the leaves is what makes chlorophyll,
which keeps the plant alive. I have dissolved a few fish emulsion pellets in water, and I'm watering the babies with
that to give them a little extra nitrogen. Hopefully, it will help them produce more green coloring.
I'll post the results in a few weeks........
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April 2009
It's been about 6 weeks since I added the fish emulsion pellets to the
water.
The white leaves have gotten a little more green on them, and the new
leaves have grown in with a lot of green. I think it will be okay to separate the plantlets from the mama leaf now.
They have enough green on them to survive on their own.
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