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Description:
Growing Info:
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Names: |
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| Family | Gentianaceae. |
| Genus & Species | Exacum affine |
| Common Names | Persian violet. Tiddly winks. German Violet. Mexican violet. |
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| Size/Shape | A little plant. It is a very compact plant. Plants with great age will reach 2 foot (60 cm) tall. 6 to 12 inches. A neat rounded plant. 1 to 2 feet. |
| Leaves | Leaves are dark green, ovate to 1½ inches (4 cm) long. |
| Flowers | Small lavender flowers with a distinct yellow blob at the centre. Borne in great profusion. Small ½ inch (1 cm) bluish-lilac star-shaped flowers with deep yellow stamens. They are very showy. Blue-violet to near white. |
| Blooming Season | Over a long period. Seeds of the plant sown in mid-winter will bloom in the summer, and seeds sown in the fall will bloom in the spring. Repeatedly. All year. Spring and summer. |
| Fragrance | A single plant can perfume the whole greenhouse. Mildly fragrant. Sweetly scented. Fragrant. Delightfully fragrant. |
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| Propagation | Seeds of the plant sown in mid-winter will bloom in the summer, and seeds sown in the fall will bloom in the spring. Once seedlings become big enough to handle (the first set of true leaves), they are transplanted into 4-inch (10 cm) pots, then when in bud transfer to a 6" pot. 5 plants per 8 inch (21 cm) basket. Propagated from cuttings or by seed. Cuttings are slow to root and therefore seed usually produces much better plants. Seeds germinate in 15-30 days at 70-75° F (21-24° C). Seeds should be sown any time from February onwards. The temperature for germination should be about 18oC. Seedlings will emerge in about two to three weeks. Larger plants can be obtained by sowing in the late summer and growing the plants over the winter months. |
| Soil | A rich, well-drained soil mix. A soil mix consisting of 2 parts peat moss to 1 part loam to 1 part sand or perlite. Light, well drained soil. Well-drained, organic-rich soil. Sandy loam to clay loam. |
| Water | Ample water. Drier in winter. Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings. Moist at all times. Likes humidity. Normal to moist. |
| Food | Feed every other week until they get flower buds. No food in winter until new growth in spring. |
| Light | Needs partial shade. Light shade. Bright but not direct light. Prefers sunny to part shady. Will tolerate good light but not direct sun. Deep shade to part shade. |
| Climate | Annual. Biennial. Tender perennial. Short lived perennial or annual. Indoors in winter. Annual or perennial. Tropical and subtropical areas. |
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| Source to Buy | Many houseplant stores carry this plant. Chiltern seeds 'Midget' variety. |
| http://tinyurl.com/nw7mf | |
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