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Re: Florist gloxinia (sinningia)

At 05:13 PM 3/14/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi! I just got a bunch of these from Burpee, but I want to wait until
>there's more sun out to plant them (as house plants). Can I just leave them
>in the box, or should I put them in vermiculite or something like that until
>I want to use them? Anyone have any special tips on growing them? I'm a
>little concerned that I may not have enough light (all my windows are
>obstructed).Thanks in advance. 
>Nancy
>
Nancy:

Florist gloxinias (Sinningias) seem to have the ability to stay relatively
dormant for awhile even after they have sprouted so they should be all right
in the box.  If they start to shrivel put them in damp vermiculite.
However, if you do this you will have to plant them as soon as they sprout
for the dampness will start them actively growing.

Light may be a problem.  They need a lot more light than African violets to
grow compactly.  I usually start mine in a pot just a little larger than the
tuber.  Then if they grow a stem I repot them in larger pots as they grow,
removing the lower leaves and setting them deeper each time so the stem is
buried.  Once they set buds this elongation stops.

You also might consider moving them under a lamp in the evening.  For some
reason, more hours of light compensates to some degree for light intensity.

Good luck.

Ruth Z     
Ruth Zavitz                                     
rzavitz@execulink.com                            
Freelance Writer & Gardening Consultant, zone 6 Southern Ontario
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