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12:21 p.m. • 2-11-12

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Gardening Gloves

What do you get when you cross Mother Nature and a willingness to experiment in the garden? Dolly Sickles, our Optimistic Gardener.
When she isn’t working in the non-profit sector, she can generally be found brandishing her gardening gloves.

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African Violet

Extend the Life of Your African Violets

Got a great gardening tip from my great friends, Peggy Noodle and Johnny D ... a quick tip on extending the life of an African Violet plant. Mind you, this came from Peggy's sister-in-law, but Cindy's a pretty good egg and I know she wouldn't steer us wrong. Plus, I love a great, new gardening tip. 

If your violet's looking a little peaked, lift the whole plant out of its pot and use a sharp kitchen knife or set of shears and trim off the bottom half inch or so of soil. Be sure to catch the tips of the roots in there, too, because giving them a fresh cut startles the violet and encourages it to grow stronger. Think spinach to Popeye. 

Trimming the bottom undercarriage is also a great solution for violets that have gotten stalky. By losing that bottom fraction, you're making room at the top of the plant to lay new soil (just beneath the leaves). The new soil will enrich the whole pot, and cover the unsightly, gangly stalk. 

  • Have you ever heard of this tactic? 
  • Have you ever tried it?

I've got a violet that's on its last legs, and am planning on giving it a whirl this week.

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Why doesn't my African Violet every look like your picture:(

Hey rah-rah. I'm sort of like the plague with a christmas cactus, but I'll do a bit of research and that can be our topic on Thursday! Let me know how the African Violet trim goes.

Thanks Dolly for the trick with the African violet. I think I'll try it on mine when needed. I appreciate that PAINFREE is willing to try also. Any hints on Christmas cactus?

I have not used this trick on African violets, but learned many years ago that if a plants roots are disturbed, the plant thinks it is dying and will put out new growth and/or increase the seed production. Preservation of the species and all that. I have a couple of leggy violets myself, and will try this today.

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