African Violets -- Sure Winners

Years ago I was very proud of the African violets that I grew. I thought it might be fun and rewarding to grow them once again. These are very easy and rewarding plants that need minimal care as long as you understand them and their needs.

In nature they grow on the floor of the forests under the shade of the canopy. So we know to keep them out of the hot boiling sun. and in dappled sunlight or in a partially shaded window. Most people water them from the bottom as water droplets on a delicate leaf will act as a magnifying glass and will cause an ugly burn. Howerver they do need to be watered from the top every now and then in order to leach out any salts and chemicals. Every week or so they enjoy a bit of special African violet fertilizer. You can even give them a dop or two of fertilizer with each watering if you wish. Just check the amount of fertilizer suggested on the bottle. It is always better to give less fertilizer but more ofter. See how your plants respond to their feeding and listen to them.

Just today I learned something new on AVInternaltinal (Yahoo Groups). It is a good idea to remove the old leaves from the bottom of the plant. Carefully bend the leaves to the side while gently pulling the old leaf. It will break off cleanly from the crown leaving no stub. This is supposed to promote new growth. You can remove up to 3 leaves a month from the bottom row. I am going to try this, so wish me an my plants luck.

I also learned that the old leaves have already produced blooms and will not do so again so we need new growth in order to have more flowers.

I'll post again with some tricks that I have use to train African violets to grow in perfect rosettes.

Clouds, More Clouds and Still a Drought

Does anyone understand the strange weather we have here in Southern California? It's been 5 years since we had a good rainfall and now we are sadly on the brink of running out of water. Our reserves are way down and beginning to enter the red danger zone. Overhead the sky is heavy with fluffy white clouds and black storm clouds. Sometimes at night there is a tiny sprinkle but any H2O evaporates as soon at it hits the ground. TV weathermen "warn" us about the impending thunder storm but have yet to see a true example. I would delight in a summer thunder storm like the ones we have back on the East Coast. You know --the ones that leave that wonderful clean smell in the air when it is all over.
My garden and my thirsty plants would appreciate it as well.

Murder of the Seedlings

I finally moved my tiny tomato and pepper seedlings into peat pots to wait for them to grow big and strong until I plant them outside into beds and containers. Some of the pots had 2 or 3 seedlings and I know that I need to have only 1 plant per pot. One is supposed to take a tiny cuticle scissors and snip off the weakest seeding in the pot leaving only the healthiest to survive. This is a task I hate doing. With each snip of my cruel weapon I feel as if I am killing a living thing. I am a murderess. I hope the survivors appreciate this and reward me with bushels of delicious tomatoes

Plague of the Grasshoppers

Once again I will try to grow some veggies and perhaps some posies before the flying hopping critters get to them. Previously I grew a fantastic crop of green lace. I had spent the winter in the greenhouse starting an entire vegetable farm from seed. My results were close to miraculous considering that due to apartment dwelling I hadn't touched a seed catalog for decades. All my seedlings were set out in their peat pots to grow happily in the garden. My little green wards grew and thrived until the enemy divisions arrived. They came in full force with horrific appetites.

My gorgeous artichokes were so laden with ants that they were not eatable. Neither boiling water, nor heavy shaking could rid these beautiful vegetables of the little black critters. I had to let the plants go to seed. They were only good for decorating the garden.

Then came hordes of grasshoppers. They ate everything in sight. Not a leaf was untouched. Everything became green lace. And there was no way to get rid of the creatures. I put out a birdbath trying to seduce our feathered friends to come to the rescue. No luck. I wished for a flock of seagulls but they didn't want to come 12 miles inland.

Plants roots were delicately nibbled by thousands of grubs that had found their way under the beds. And you know what came next---swarms of gofers. They do love those grubs. Now the garden is like a mine field --- but with ankle breaking holes instead of exploding devices.

I took the next summer off to recover. In the meantime weeds in the garden have grown taller than I am. Now I am getting back into the battle-- but am growing mostly in raised beds and pots--can't face that garden yet.