Friday, September 28, 2012

The Challenge of an African Violet Trailer

Darling Blue Trail

 
10)  Darling Blue Trail (6473) 02/03/1987 (C. Sotkiewicz) Single dark blue. Medium green, pointed, quilted, serrated. Semiminiature trailer.
This is the one semi that seems to like me... but I think it would love anyone... sort of like a little kitten.  It grows well and fast.  It does tend to get leggy and bare, but only after a long period of pretty blooms, and the tips root instantly and begin blooming again.  Propagation is easy and I keep a few extra babies coming along to replace the older, leggy mamas.  I haven't proved it yet, but may be very cold tolerant?
My friend sent me this cutting a few weeks ago. My first thought was: "My friend has quite a sense of humor!"  It was the shape of a curly figure "S" and I had to remove leaves just to get it to stand up in the little solo cup to root. 
It's actually straightened out quite a bit already. I'm not sure yet whether I should do something different to it. 
Lay it down in a pan pot?
Or leave it alone and see how it fills out first. I suspect leaving it alone is the better way to go. 
For a change I might follow my own advice! 
Predictably, almost as soon as I decide to leave it alone, I'll discover air-roots coming from several junctions up the stem. So I turned it out of the pot, removed a few more leaves,added a little fresh mix and reset the stem down a little lower.
Now leave me alone, Darling!

"It grows well and fast" 
"Propagation is easy"

I love a good challenge . . .
* Leaves that had to be removed were set to propagate for added insurance! 
Oh, fine: ALL 5 of them!
(Next 3 composted; I swear I'm not planting every leaf!)

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