This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 1 / 22

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 1 / 22"

Gervais Morgan
5 years ago
Views:

Welcome to the beautiful world of growing African violets!

We enjoy growing violets together and would love to share our passion with you through our website, sales, and in the future: our

violets that is available through collector groups like 4FAV.

1 Welcome to the beautiful world of growing African violets! 4FAV is a private group of friends based in Toronto, Canada that started meeting in We enjoy growing violets together and would love to share our passion with you through our website, sales, and in the future: our youtube channel: 4FAV African violet TV This beginner guide is aimed at helping you get familiar with the amazing variety of African violets that is available through collector groups like 4FAV. We have a feeling that once you see the varieties you could grow, you will never look at an African violet the same way. Please visit our website for other documents that we will be adding from time to time. Happy Growing! This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 1 / 22

Congratulations on taking the first steps in growing beautiful African violets! This guide will help you learn about the varieties and how to grow and propagate them.

Their long bloom period and ease of growth has made African Violets a favorite houseplant all over the world, creating a $30 million/ year industry in North America.

2 Congratulations on taking the first steps in growing beautiful African violets! This guide will help you learn about the varieties and how to grow and propagate them. Statistically speaking, at some point in your life, you will own an African violet: either get it as a gift or buy it in the supermarket when it catches your eye with its colorful blossoms. Their long bloom period and ease of growth has made African Violets a favorite houseplant all over the world, creating a $30 million/ year industry in North America. Above: An African violet in nature. Picture: Below: a violet in Toronto What confuses many people is why African violets can t be grown in the garden like other violets. The fact is that African violets belong to the Gesneriacaea while violets belong to the violacea family and have absolutely no relations each other. The root of this misconception can be traced to the similarity in the appearance of their blooms. This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 2 / 22

have high humidity and filtered sunlight 1

African violet growing on a limestone cliff

cloud forests of Tanzania This document is

3 African violets grow in small isolated pockets in Tanzanian cloud forests which have high humidity and filtered sunlight All 3 pictures from: 1. African violet growing on a limestone cliff 2. African violets growing on moss-covered tree trunks 3. They grow in small isolated pockets the cloud forests of Tanzania This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 3 / 22

4 Today s African violets are descendants of plants sent by Baron von St. Paul, governor of Tanzania in east africa to Mr. Herman Wendland in Germany's Royal Botanical Gardens of Hanover in Mr. Wendland soon realized that the newlydiscovered plant belonged to the Gesneriaceae family but belonged to a new genus. In honor of the discoverer, he named the new plant Saintpaulia ionantha, the genus name saintpaulia given in honor of the Saint Paul family and the species name ionantha meaning with violetlike flowers. Soon, the fame of the African violet spread among plant lover across Europe and even today, this name is more prevalent than it s true name. S.cl.ionantha the originator of all hybrids, is often seen at shows This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 4 / 22

5 After taking the horticultural societies of Europe by storm, african violets came to North America via Europe in In the 1930s horticulturists went to work on S. ionantha and hybridized strains suitable as houseplants. Although all the original wild African violets had white or violet flowers, hybrids with new traits such as plant size, shape and color of leaves and blooms began appearing. I 1935, Armacost & Royston ordered seeds from Benary s Erfurt Seed Firm in Germany and Sutton in England and grew about 1000 plants to maturity. After Several years of selection 10 noteworthy plants were chosen. The Original 10 violets: Admiral AVS48 (Armacost & Royston) Single violet. Dark green, quilted. Standard Amethyst (Armacost & Royston) Single red-orchid. Heart-shaped, quilted, glossy. Standard Blue Boy (Armacost & Royston) Single dark violetblue. Ovate, pointed. Standard Commodore AVS48 (Armacost & Royston) Single dark purple. Long, quilted, glossy. Large Mermaid (Armacost & Royston) Single medium blue. Standard Neptune AVS48 (Armacost & Royston) Single medium blue-violet. Ovate, cupped, quilted. Large Norseman AVS48 (Armacost & Royston) Single medium blue. Ovate. Standard Number 32 AVS48 (Armacost & Royston) Single medium blue-violet. Cupped, quilted. Standard Sailor Boy AVS48 (Armacost & Royston) Single light blue. Quilted. Standard Viking (Armacost & Royston) Single dark violet. Dark green, quilted. Standard This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 5 / 22

Tuberous Gesneriads often make great companion plants for African violets and 4FAV sales often carry a large

6 African violets are a member of the gesneriad family Depending on their storage mechanism, gesneriads can be classified as: 1. Fibrous rooted: no storage 2. Scaly rhizome 3. Tuberous Gesneriads often make great companion plants for African violets and 4FAV sales often carry a large selection of gesneriads including: Streptocarpus Episcia Petrocosmea Primulina Sinningia This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 6 / 22

Today there are over 18,000 registered varieties, however, most people remain unaware of the extraordinary diversity not available through regular stores.

Come into bloom faster / longer blooming Large bloom cluster at same time Flexible foliage does not break during shipping Pinks & Blues look good in store lighting COLLECTOR hybridizers look

7 Today there are over 18,000 registered varieties, however, most people remain unaware of the extraordinary diversity not available through regular stores. Specialized Collector groups collect varieties not commercially available. COMMERCIAL greenhouses look for: Quick turnover /Plants grow fast Mostly solid green foliage since it grows faster. Come into bloom faster / longer blooming Large bloom cluster at same time Flexible foliage does not break during shipping Pinks & Blues look good in store lighting COLLECTOR hybridizers look for: Symmetry plants have nice shape Variety in foliage shape Fantasy and different blooms Variegation in foliage, not solid green This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 7 / 22

AVSA is the official Registration Authority for genus Saintpaulia.

For a plant to be eligible for registration, it has to be grown for three generations and should be an improvement over

These plants would be considred purebreds. There are a lot of plants that are named but not registered.

8 AVSA is the official Registration Authority for genus Saintpaulia. The hybridizer determines the description of their plant when they are registering. For a plant to be eligible for registration, it has to be grown for three generations and should be an improvement over existing varieties. FIRST CLASS is the database for registered varieties and currently contains more than 18,000 varieties. These plants would be considred purebreds. There are a lot of plants that are named but not registered. 4FAV collects and promotes these two groups of violets. There are also plants purchased through grocery stores which are NOID s (No Identification.) This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 8 / 22

NOID: No IDentification Named Registered What you see is what you get! Bourane (M. Tremblay) Semidouble medium blue large star/variable darker rays.

9 The amount of information you can get about a plant varies for each level. For hard-core growers, whether a plant is registered or not will affect the classes you can enter in a show. NOID: No IDentification Named Registered What you see is what you get! Bourane (M. Tremblay) Semidouble medium blue large star/variable darker rays. Variegated green and pink. Standard Rebel's Rose Bud (9288) 11/12/2003 (R. Bann) Double light pink two-tone star/ruffled fuchsia edge. Variegated dark green and cream, pointed, quilted/red back. Standard This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 9 / 22

Rebel's Rose Bud (9288) 11/12/2003 (R. Bann) Double light pink two-tone star/ruffled fuchsia edge. Variegated dark green and cream, pointed, quilted/red back.

10 Rebel's Rose Bud (9288) 11/12/2003 (R. Bann) Double light pink two-tone star/ruffled fuchsia edge. Variegated dark green and cream, pointed, quilted/red back. Standard What it means: Name give by hybridizer: Rebel's Rose Bud AVSA Registration number: 9288 Date of registration: 11/12/2003 Hybridizer: R. Bann Blossom Type: Double Blossom Colour: light pink two-tone Blossom shape: star/ruffled fuchsia edge. Leaf colour: Variegated dark green and cream Leaf shape: pointed, quilted/red back. Size of mature plant: Standard Wow! That s a lot of information! Not only it allows you to choose the EXACT plant you like, but also helps you make sure that you are growing it according to description. We will take a look at what this all means: This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 10 / 22

11 PLANTS WITH A SINGLE CROWN More than 16 Persian Prince Tomboy Blue Sapphire Halo Guelph s Dynamite Miniature Semi-Miniature Standard Large TRAILERS Plants with multiple crowns Cirelda SPECIES Plants that have not been hybridized S.5c.cl.ionantha This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 11 / 22

12 Simple Two-tone Edged Multi-colored Fantasy Chimera Christine Dianne Jenny s Cricket Mac s Luxurious Leisure Optimara Anika Alliance Yukako This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 12 / 22

13 Blossom Forms Single: Neptune Semi-Double: Aca s Wewonchu Double: Rebel s Rosebud Blossom Shapes Star: Tony s New Amsterdam Fringed: Opera s Romeo Bell: Dawn Michelle Wasp: Senk s Bad Girl This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 13 / 22

14 Green leaves come in all kinds of tones Tommie Lou variegation forms on the edges Mosaic variegation: The variegation starts from the center of the leaf Crown variegation only happens in the crown of the violet. This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 14 / 22

15 Common Boy Heart Ruffled Quilted Girl Rare Clackamas Bustleback Longifolia Spooned This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 15 / 22

16 TEMPERATURE LIGHT HUMIDITY SOIL FERTILIZER WATER This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 16 / 22

Violets do not like cold water and white marking will appear on their leaves where cold water touches. Violets like to be kept moist but not wet, so water every 3-4 days.

17 It s easier than you d think! SOIL - Use a mix that is light and airy. There are lots of varieties to choose from (e.g., Promix, B.M 6, and Sunshine 4). WATER - Ordinary tap water will normally do but make sure it is at room temperature. Violets do not like cold water and white marking will appear on their leaves where cold water touches. Violets like to be kept moist but not wet, so water every 3-4 days. Bottom watering is recommended since you are less likely not to get water on the leaves and can see how much water you are giving the plant. Any water not taken up by the plant in 10 minutes should be discarded. This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 17 / 22

The method that I recommend is ¼ strength fertilizer every time you water. If your fertilizer says 1 tsp / gallon, you should use ¼ tsp / gallon but at every watering.

18 FERTILIZER - African violets also need to be fertilized regularly. They are typically planted in a soil-less mix that does not contain much nutrients, so fertilizing with each watering is the best option. The method that I recommend is ¼ strength fertilizer every time you water. If your fertilizer says 1 tsp / gallon, you should use ¼ tsp / gallon but at every watering. LIGHT A north or east window will be good most of the time. Remember to turn your plants a 1/4 turn per day in order that they remain symmetrical as plants tend to lean towards the light. TEMPERATURE - As a rule, if you are comfortable, so are your plants. Aim for a variation of degrees Farenheit. Violets are not tolerant of extreme temperatures. This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 18 / 22

19 Starting a new violet is as easy as 1 2 3! Most ( but not all..) can be started with a leaf cutting. This will create a new plant identical to the mother. It can take anywhere from 6-9 months to get a new blooming, mature plant. 1. Cut leaf stalk at an angle. 2. Place in rooting medium like vermiculite or perlite. Water also works. You will need to keep the medium moist so bagging or doming it helps. 3. Babies will start forming in a few weeks. As they get bigger, you can separate and pot them up. This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 19 / 22

20 Other methods of rooting them includes Ziploc bags with moist vermiculite that serve as little greenhouses or small food containers. This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 20 / 22

It s the same process, just needs more practice Left: Take-out food container with

21 Some special violets like chimeras, will not bloom true from leaf cuttings and you will need to use a bloomstalk. It s the same process, just needs more practice Left: Take-out food container with vermiculite for bloomstalk propagation. This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 21 / 22

22 We hope that this guide has been useful for you. Looking forward to seeing you at one of our future sales! This document is the property of 4 Friends and Violets group April 2016 Page 22 / 22

Show and Sale April 14 & 15, 2018 Eastgate Mall 4601 Eastgate Blvd. Cincinnati, OH 45245

Cincinnati & Dayton African Violet Societies Presents African Violets Come In All Flavors Show and Sale April 14 & 15, 2018 Eastgate Mall 4601 Eastgate Blvd. Cincinnati, OH 45245 SHOW RULES 1. Only members