Time to update you on my six wonderful streps. I bought them last May and they have been in a 4 inch pot since I replanted them a few weeks after they arrived. They were really getting close to being pot bound and I just put them all in 6 inch pots today. They look pretty scraggly,lost some leaves to being cold but after a good clipping and cleaning out they look great what is left of them. I really trimmed them up. They had so many old stems on them since they bloomed for months and I just left them go. In fact Spin Art is still blooming. She never stopped. I don't know when I have had any plant that gave me more pleasure from its constant blooming than these plants did.

@Greg, the one you sent me is fine. I thought it was dying , even dead, but it is strong and healthy. I am so happy it lived.
@Karen, how is your Little Furry Artic Fox? What does the DS in front of the name mean. S for strep I suppose but what is the D mean?

I have some babies from the Salmon Sunset which just excites the heck out of me. That is one fine plant.

Do any of you know Norma Broadhurst? She called me from Maryland last week and wanted to drive up to get a leaf from my WOW. I said no, It was going to snow and I was not going to be selling or trading leaves just now until I see what they look like after I trim them. They are still babies in my eyes and I knew I lost some leaves to the cold besides, I forget to water them every three days and some leaves dry up. I know better and yet the little darlings come back and bloom.

Thanks to all of you for helping me keep them alive and for getting me interested in these wonderful plants. Have a safe and warm winter if that is possible.

Hi @JB I think these plants are okay being potbound, except that they probably would want more water...glad you are having fun with them!! They really are cool plants!
(by the way, if you want people to see your posts you have to use the ATP name - in my case "gg5" I just happened to see this thread, but karen probably won't unless you use her ATP! )
Cheers and have a great winter yourself!!

OOPS...sorry about the name thing. I will remember that. So much to remember here on ATP, almost too much for older people like me. But, I love it and am more than willing to learn.

There is a new cubits opening on streptocarpus and that is so exciting. Dave Gregg is bringing his Yahoo information to cubits and it should be really fun and informative to have more plant people coming to Cubits. The two sites ATP & Cubits should be compatible and not competitive and I hope that is what is in the future. Working together is the only way to go. It may take a little effort but it will be worth it.

JB: I so envy y'all who grow Streptocarpus so well, look forward to seeing more photo's of your lovely plants! As Greg mentioned, Karen will get notification of your post only if you type @Wild_Rose (no space between the @ sign and her ATP user-name. I haven't been over to cubits in so long ... just never seem to find the time to visit but I will try to pop in over there to browse the Streptocarpus cubit! :)

By the way ... I love your new avatar JB, that is so cute and I think I probably sometimes look like that in the morning before my first cup of coffee!

Lin, I did not know I was writing to Karen ....which post did I write to her? the above post was for whoever saw it. I just wanted everyone on here to know about the other cubits.

JB: It was back up-thread on January 25th; I think you were asking Karen/Wild_Rose about her DS (Dear Sister's or Dear Son's) Streptocarpus Arctic Fox.

Oh, I read that thank you.

Does anyone have a link to the cubits strep site?
Here is a picture of my Renia

http://cubits.org/Strepbystrep...

@kkaymci55 wow that is a great looking strep KK! Thanks for sharing the photo!

Thanks gg5. Renia is my favorite as far as blooming and bloom size. When I first started seeing the Piotr streps from Poland I went nuts.
https://plus.google.com/photos...
I had quite a collection but had to throw out most of them except a few leaves I had down because the mealy bugs got into them. Now I keep my eyes open and not letting them get their foot in the door.

















Top is DS Myticism,Eva,Geronimo,Gina,misc. variegated streps

You all are showing some gorgeous streps. I've always loved that Spin Art and never have had it yet. Karen M

Karen those are great photos!! I was controlling mealy bugs using rubbing alcohol - spraying full strength onto leaves. But it was never a finished project...as soon as I'd bring some new plant in, I'd have issues again
Also compared to succulents, which is where my current passion lies, they required more work! Watering!
I love the Poland varieties! Yours are lovely!

Thankyou Greg.
Yes, I have been checking the plants a lot more closely and giving them the alcohol treatment. Before I dumped a lot of my plants, I couldn't keep an eye on them very well and the bugs exploded. Now if I find one or two I just use a Q-Tip and a bit of alcohol. I'm also trying to keep distance between each plant so they are safer.
i love succulents also. Have several each of variegated Aloe Brevifolia, Haworthia limifolia, Agave Victoria Reginae. Two of the latter have shorter, fatter leaves like 'Rhino'. Guess I might see you in succulent section also. Karen M.

Yep very likely! My succulent passion just exploded for some reason! And ATP really doesn't help if I have any ideas of NOT going for it! haha I really did decide though that I'm going with cold hardy plants so I can figure something outside for them!!

Growing streps from seed is easy. Easy to cross pollinate, easy to collect seeds, easy to sow.











Top is seeds growing, 2nd and 3rd are variegated grown from seed and 4th is grown from seeds from England. Since its so hard to get any of the original variegated streps now, they are far and few between, I just sowed about 500 seeds that have been in fridge for a couple years. All parents are variegated and I get a pretty good variegation rate from seedlings. Karen M

Wow Karen I love them! I love that the seedlings are variegated right away! I'm shrinking my indoor plant quantity - so I'm only slightly tempted to try seeds! (I'm trying to convince myself that I'm not tempted to try seeds!)
I love growing plants from tiny babies!
Yours look very healthy and lovely!

Well if I end up with too many it would be easy to download a few to you. I'm in Puyallup, you're in Seattle. I go crazy in the spring and summer but then in the fall I say " Oh, Lord, What have I done?" I have to try and squeeze everything into the house and it doesn't work. Streps love it outside in the summer in partial shade off the patio. I have a 16' X 20' greenhouse but don't really try to over winter things out there with heat. Tends to get way to expensive to heat. I have several 6' shelves in the kitchen and back bedroom with shoplights. Thats where I grow all my houseplants or like now, start seeds early that I can put out in the greenhouse. Cheer up, next week is supposed to get up to 76 degrees. Karen M Thank you for the nice comments

Karen didn't realize we were neighbors! Have you been involved at all with the local Gesnariad society? I got a few plants from them - if you want to expand beyond streps!! I have one that is a crested sinningea, I love it!! And it needs to be divided soon...hint!