Yep, we are neighbors! and no, so far I haven't been involved in much of anything. Last time I went to something like that it was a Bamboo Society show and sale at Skye Nursery. Used to go to Molbaks a lot and Moorhaven Water Gardens. Now I tend to run south to Portland and go to the Farwest Show every so often. I am totally resisting taking on any more plant types. I'm totally nuts about everything variegated so have quite a large selection, other than that its daylilies, african violets, streps, agave, aloe brevifolia, haworthia limifolia and one nice big gasteraloe 'Green Ice'. Doesn't mean I won't send you a strep or two though. After all, I only have so much room and time. I also have ducks and chickens to tend to plus my job.
I have a picturetrail site but I haven't put any new pictures on for a long time. Need to update it
www.picturetrail.com/kkaymci13
I'll keep you in mind when I end up with 400 baby streps and no place to put them. Karen M

yes I hear you!! Cheers I'll check out your link!

Wow never saw the variegated haws before! I like it alot!

Well I just ordered my first 2 streps from Dennis Miller. Looking forward to getting them. I am sure I will be asking for lots of growing advice.

For me they are easier than african violets. Seems like in the last year the interest in streptocarpus has increased tenfold. I think a lot of that has to do with the Polish streps that have come from Piotr Kleszczynski. When I first came across pictures of Gina and Eva I was speechless. Karen M.

I love the mulitcolored blooms!!
Congrats Dave!! I agree with KKayMCi55 I place them on a bright (but not direct) sunlight on a tray of pebbles that I keep wet. Then I water the plant once per week, or as needed! Sometimes more often during their blooming period!

I am receiving a couple of Neil's Streps by Dennis Miller that I purchased from him on ebay tomorrow (Streptocarpus Chevrolet (Russian) and Streptocarpus Neil's Mystic Lake). The description said they were in solo cups and were nice size plants. I want to order some oyama pots but have no idea about what size pot to get. Suggestions would be helpful. Do I get about the same size pot as the solo cup and then up pot them later or should I go with a bigger one now? I know some plants don't do well if you change the pot size too drastically?

My second question is a recommendation for a good book on streps as all I know I have read here and on ATP. I would be particularly interested on one heavy in culture so that I can take proper care of the plants and have them thrive. I was lousy with AV's and don't want to fail with these.

Finally, where can I buy the oyama pots and a really good planting media for these plants. What fertilizer do you recommend.

Sorry for the "rookie" questions but even though I am old I am truly very much a rookie when it comes to these plants and I trust the expertise here. I posted this over on the Cubits strep page as well. Thanks for your advice and counsel.

I received Streps from Neil a few weeks ago. This is what they look like. I wouldn't move them at this time unless yours are much larger than mine.

Oyama pots can be ordered from Violet Supply ... http://violetsupply.my619desig...

Other places might be less expensive.

This book is sort of a standard but not inexpensive. Dibley's is an award-winning nursery.

Thanks Tee. That helps a lot. I must have missed the book as i can not find it on the web site. One last question. What fertilizer do you use and when you pot up those Neil's streps what size pot will you go to? LOL. Guess that was 2 question, huh?

Hi Dave, I didn't get a chance to reply...to me the most important factor with these plants is making sure they have enough humidity and light (guess that's 2 things!) even more than the pot size issues, I found that they cared more about my keeping moisture - I used pebbles on a tray and kept that with water all the time, then place the pots on top of this...even if you're using the oyama pots, I don't think you can have too much humidity for these guys! I had mine in a west facing window and they loved it! There is some shade in summer because there are trees outside, but I'm on the 3rd floor so its pretty bright! I have 2 pots left (after giving away about 5 other plants and loosing a couple) I just moved them outside, which they seem to love!! I use any fertizer that I have, and I use it at every watering, but at 1/3 the normal strength, it seems to keep the plants strong!! Mine bloomed for almost a full year straight!! (currently I just haven't been keeping good care of them, I haven't been watering regularly and not using fertilizer...I'm going to begin that again, and I bet I'll get blooms within a month or so...I love these guys for how forgiving they seem - much more so than AVs in my opinion)
I used regular potting soil and added some pumice to the mix, which is pretty much all the AV mix of soil is!
Hope that answers your questions. I'm no expert, it is just what worked for me...I wanted to fuss as little as possible, and they did pretty well - I think I got lucky with my windowsills though! )
Keep us posted about what you do and how your plants do!! By the way, I transplanted my plants as soon as they arrived, into 3.5 inch clay pots and they loved it! But I like the leave growth, which is what I think happens when they are in too large a pot!

Thanks Gregg. I have a covered porch that faces East. The plants will probably be out there until it starts getting too hot. I just want to make sure they get a good start. I understand about the humidity and plan on keeping them on a humidity tray.

That's perfect!! To me these plants seem way easier than AVs but a friend of mine who's grown them for years says its because of my window sills - the right amount of shade provided by the trees!!

Here are a couple of soil mixes but people often grow them in other types of soil as well.

#1
6 cups perlite
4 cups Miracle-Gro African Violet soil
2 cups vermiculite
1/4 cup activated charcoal
makes 1 gallon ziplock bag full

#2
1 part peat, 1 part vermiculite, and a little more than 1 part perlite

#3
3 parts good quality potting mix
1 part perlite
1 part vermiculite
1 part peat
1 Tbls dolomite

Thanks for all the information and advice. I need it. Here are the two I just got from Dennis Miller. Neil's Mystic Lake and a Russian Chevrolet.

Those look nice and healthy, Dave.

Lucky me ... I just received a box of free Streps from a friend. There was one more but it didn't make the trip too well. I'm not complaining. I'm happy to have these.

Forgot the names ... 'Moonlight', 'Darma', 'Crossroads', and a NoID.

I wanted one of Wendy Delorme's streps but couldn't find one so I picked up one of her AV's...Calvin's Frog Pond.

Love that name! Do you have a photo?

Tee here is a link to the Ebay listing. Scroll down just a bit to see photo.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Africa...

Thanks, Dave. That is a beauty!! It appears the bidding is rather fierce. I may try at a later date, if possible.