SOR RL) ae NC D-II I SER EG PRI DEE aN 
Q. I would like to know why my plants are 
so leggy. Mrs. C.C., S. Carolina. 
A. Primarily a matter of insufficient light. 
Some folks think too much nitrogen in the ferti- 
lizer will cause it, too. 
Please tell me how long African Violets 
rest before they blossom again. Mrs. C.C., Wis- 
consin. 
A. After a plant is a year or so old, if it is 
healthy and has all the light and fertilizer it 
needs, it should bloom continuously. In the green- 
house, our young stock usually comes into bloom 
at about nine months. If you pull off all those 
flowers, it will take them another month to put 
up more. Personally, I don’t hold with all this 
business about “resting.” If a plant is healthy, 
you can’t KEEP it from blooming—unless you 
pull out all the buds. If a violet isn’t in con- 
tinuous bloom (or bud) after it’s a year and a 
half old, there’s something wrong with it. 
Q. . seem to develop a tuber above the 
soil. Should I re-pot and cover this tuberous 
growth? When should a plant be divided and 
re-potted? Mrs. K.M., Florida. 
A. That would be the thickened crown 
stalk. Yes, you should re-pot and cover it. Any 
time for division and re-potting. You can ex- 
pect them to stop blooming until they are set 
in the new pots, about six weeks. 
Q. ... new plants are coming up through 
the dirt now. Do they need special attention? 
Mrs. H.M., Indiana. 
A. You might begin feeding them a weak 
fertilizer solution. Other than that treat them 
like you do your other plants. 
Q. What do judges look for in Saintpaulias 
in a flower show? 
A. They are SUPPOSED to look for symme- 
try of foliage pattern, size and color of blossom, 
cultural perfection (absence of ring spots, torn 
leaves, etc.) and, last, quantity of bloom. These 
are the qualities ‘outlined by the National Society. 
Any local A.V. society has a scale of points some- 
where—I seem to have misplaced mine. However, 
more often than not, the general flower show 
judge isn’t familiar with this point scale, and he 
judges more or less by the seat of his pants. 
Distaster often results. If you’re planning a divi- 
sion of violets in your general flower show, for 
goodness’ sake get hold of an African Violet 
judging scale so the judges will have something 
to go by. Write to Mrs. Arthur Radtke, 334 
Orion St., Cincinnati 13, Ohio, for this. 
Wt 4p, 44 
CER OD OSE O-SEED (QE OSD) LD-)-SUTE( CRETE EB 
