SHOW NOTES

Welcome to Episode 3.2 – It’s All About the Mix!  Today we’re going to talk about potting mix, Powdery Mildew, and some great reference books.

Welcome to my Sunroom

Such great questions and photos you guys have been sending in.  Please keep them coming!!

I will be “reimagining” a lot of the teaching segments that appeared in previous seasons.  What were your favorites?  Is there something you’d specifically like to see/learn?

Tips and Treasures

Potting Mix:

From Janice:  How do we get the manufacturers to stop adding fertilizer to potting soil and peat moss?  The full question can be found on this post.

We don’t have control over how commercial companies package their mixes.  The majority of African violet growers do not grow for show, and most people do seem to prefer soil and/or perlite with fertilizer already in it for their houseplants.

For my show plants, I use SunGro’s Sunshine Mix #1, which does contain some nutrients, but they are more incidental than anything else.

Joyce Stork suggests a visit to a hydroponics store where the staff is quite prepared to sell to educated discerning growers.

Joyce is using Sunshine Advanced Mix #4.

There are other mixes that are available in some big box stores – just read the labels carefully, and whatever you do, don’t repot your entire collection all at one time!

Books:

You CAN Grow African Violets

Growing to Show

The AVSA Handbook for Growers, Exhibitors and Judges

Powdery Mildew

The product I used is called Immunox

A Look at the Stands

We’re about 6 weeks out from National.

How to correctly pronounce “Wagga Wagga!”

Get the Bail Money Ready

It’s spring – there are a LOT of shows in the next few weeks!  More details on the following shows can be found on the AVSA website.

04/20/2018 to 04/21/2018

Bergen County African Violet Society, Dumont, NJ 07628

Memphis African Violet Society, Memphis, TN

04/21/2018

Naugatonic AVS, Stratford, CT

Seattle African Violet Society and Puget Sound Gesneriad Society, Seattle, WA

Illinois African Violet Society, Bloomingdale, IL

04/21/2018 to 04/22/2018

Albuquerque African Violet Club, Albuquerque, NM

Capital District African Violet Society, Voorheesville, NY

04/27/2018 to 04/29/2018

The Evening African Violet Club of Des Moines Iowa, Des Moines, IA

04/28/2018

Lakeshore African Violet Society of Toronto, Etobicoe, Ontario, Canada

Central Coast African Violet Society, Paso Robles, CA

Portland African Violet Club, Portland, OR

04/28/2018 to 04/29/2018

Tidewater African Violet Society, Norfolk, VA

African Violet and Gesneriad Society of Syracuse, Baldwinsville NY

Bay State African violet Society, Boylston, MA

05/04/2018 to 05/06/2018

African Violet Society of Springfield, PA, Springfield, PA

05/05/2018 to 05/06/2018

Columbus African Violet Society, Columbus, OH

Sho-Me African Violet Club, Kansas City, MO

05/05/2018

Garden State African Violet Club, West Windsor, NJ

05/05/2018 to 05/06/2018