I am going to be getting tons of leaf starts soon, and want to learn all that I can about them!! Thank you all for getting this thread up and running, I followed all the links and it lead me here LOL
Laurrie/OhioBreezy
I am tickled to have found this forum!
LOL well mine haven't arrived yet, expect anyday now, a wonderful friend I met on here several years ago, her mother is a whiz with AV and she has offered me some, so I am going to give them a whirl and see how I do. I am reading up and learning as much as I can before I get them to be sure I do things right. I think this will turn into another addiction and then the "where do I put all these" LOL
Welcome OhioBreezy!
We are so glad to have you here too!
AV's make the perfect house plant and with winter coming at least we don't have to give up gardening all together.:)
Be sure to post some pics of your new babies when they arrive. we love to see everyones and if you need any help just ask everyone here is pretty much just starting with them too so we can all learn together.
MsC
OK they arrived today, what to do?..........................i know I need to pot them up BUT how do I pot up a leaf????? just stick the stem part in the soil and pray it takes????
hi Laurrie! Congrats on your new leaves. This is what I do - other people do it differently, I'm sure.
Basic idea - bury about 1/2-1" of stem into a light potting mix, put the whole thing in a humid environment like a puffed up plastic bag or a clear plastic container, and leave in a warm place with a little light.
The details:
~ I trim off any stems, especially parts that look brownish. I prefer to have the cut be at an angle, so that when you look at the leaf from the top, the surface area of the cut is big.
~ I also cut off the top bit of the leaf to discourage the leaf from growing (instead of a big leaf, I want babies)
~ the potting mix I use is about 60% AV mix + 30% perlite + 10% vermiculite, but a standard AV mix or peat-based mix, or even soil mix should work fine
~ the potting mix should be damp/moist, not soggy
~ I use dixie cups or any other small shallow container. I make drainage holes in the bottom.
~ place the leaf into the potting mix, so that the bottom of the leaf is close to the soil surface
~ put in the humid environment
~ check on it the next few days - if there is too much condensation, you want to open up the bag and sop up excess water. Once it's settled down, you can just leave it alone for a few weeks.
Here ya go look at this thread, it should help some... if ya that doesn't help let us know!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/448557/
MsC.
OH thank you both sooo much!! I gotta go check out the link further and get busy!!
umm.... MsC???
i'm guessin my technique of '' live or be mulch '' wouldn't be of much use to her?
;)
Arod
*rolls her eyes and then thinks about stealing a leaf from SO1's AV*
I could do it, MsC, and I just might... he's going to bed soon! LOL ;)
And nevermind SO1, OhioBreezy. He would never entertain the thought of composting his own AV, and is just messing with MsC. :)
Donna
Hiya Donna..Come on let's go! Snip-snip...he'll never know...until you give him the baby.:) .
Donna, you're right that AV will never even get a look at that compost pile...
shudder the thought..:)
MsC
MsC, I didn't even have to resort to vandalism! LOL
SO1 has seriously offered to allow me to try propagating his beloved AV with a leaf or two (though as the Daddy, I know he'll be involved every step of the way, just as we do everything else we enjoy. *smile*).
I'm holding off until after our first frost (early October) as we still have much to do outside in the veggie garden and in bringing some of our flowers in for the winter, and I think he should select the leaf/leaves since it's his baby... but oh, I'm so excited!!!
*dancing atop the clouds right now*
He even installed a new plant shelf for my coleus seedlings, which frees up space elsewhere, so I'll be checking in with ya in a month or two. ;-)
*HUGS*
Donna
Wonderful!
Be sure you beg him for a leaf from about the 3rd /4th row of leaves from the center of the plant...not the huge outer old leaves and not those sunburned leaes either...lol
Wonderful! I double posted I was so excited for you..lol
This message was edited Aug 31, 2004 12:32 AM
*winks at MsC*
I already thought about that direction on the leaves... it's gonna be such a wonderful gift and experiment for both of us! :)
Lady, ya got pull and credibility here!
Oh good..at least I have it somewhere..lol :) Thanks Donna..
Please tell So1 it wil be painless on the AV.lol
painless?
waht will be painless?
huh?
now wait a sec...
you all be transpiring agin me again, i jus know it...
n ya'll leave my poor AV alone!!!
:D
Arod
Ah yes we are ...but it is for your own good...just wait and see...;>)