Grooming as You Grow, From Birth to Show

By Pat Hancock Reprinted from The Violet Connection, December, 2013

AVSA judges are told to "look for beauty, not flaws." However, when we point score plants, we are doing the exact opposite. We are starting with each plant scoring 100 points and deducting points for the flaws that we see. Having fewer flaws begins when the plant is very young and continues right up until show time. Perfection requires constant everyday care.

 The most common flaw that points are taken off for is small leaves under large leaves. We take off up to one point per leaf. On a large standard plant, this can be ten or more points when a whole row of leaves is smaller. However, if you wait until show time to remove these leaves, you will leave an exposed neck. For an exposed neck, up to three points will be deducted. It is far better to begin removing small leaves when the plant is very small. Removing small, unnecessary leaves early on gives more growth to the crown and plants will grow faster and larger.

Every two or three months, you should remove the three smallest leaves. Leaves grow from the crown in sets of three and should always be removed as a set of three. Plants should also be mold potted every three or four months.

If you, for some reason, neglect to fertilize a plant for a week or two — the result will be a row of smaller leaves. These leaves can also be removed and the plant will fill in. Do not fool yourself that these smaller leaves will ultimately grow larger if you start to fertilize again. They will not.

 Points are also lost for space between the leaves. Part of this problem is in the choice of plants to grow for show. There are some plants that will never have show foliage, no matter what you do. Years ago, I tried to make show plants by using skewers to move leaves around and try to cover spaces. It helped somewhat, but not enough. Try to choose varieties that have good natural symmetry and save yourself a lot of trouble. Spaces are not just around the outer edge of the plant. When you look down at a plant from the top, you should not see the soil in the pot. Leaves should "shingle" as a roof so that each leaf lies between the two leaves on the row before. Judges deduct up to three points for each space between leaves.

 Be very cautious if you decide to foliar feed or spray your plants. Spray residue can be extremely hard to remove and spots on leaves will cost up to one point each. Always use very hot water when spraying. It will lose heat as it goes through the air. Do not place plants back under the lights when wet. Spots may usually be removed with one part white vinegar to three parts warm water. Use a soft sponge to apply and rinse with plain warm water.

People who seriously grow for show keep their plants disbudded at all times until about two months before the show. There are several reasons for this, but the most important one is that a bloom stalk coming up may not be between two leaves. If you are unaware that it is there, it can distort the spot where the leaf should be and the leaf may become twisted or just in the wrong place. Allowing leaves to grow in the proper space unmolested is very important to the final shape of the plant.

Another reason for disbudding is that plants that have been disbudded for a long time really want to bloom. They will give a bigger head of bloom if the timing is right. Timing of bloom is very dependent upon your growing conditions, the type of bloom, and the amount of darkness and light.

 Growing conditions have to do with how warm or cold the area is and the amount of humidity. Plants grown cool will take longer to come into bloom than plants grown warm. Blooms on plants grown in high humidity will open more quickly than blooms grown in dryer conditions. Lowering light hours will slow down bloom and lengthening light hours will speed up the bloom. Another reason for disbudding is to discourage thrips. Thrips distort blooms and spread disease. Thrips are attracted to plants that are in bloom.  

Some people who are very serious about showing their plants also do something called "disblooming." "Disblooming" is removing the first large bloom on each stem. This tends to cause the rest of the blooms to open together rather one after the other. Try it on only a few of your plants to see if you like it.

Another question facing those who grow for show is whether to use rings to support the leaves of the plant or not. I have found people who feel strongly both ways. Some feel that leaves grow stronger petioles if not supported and some feel they need the supports. Try a few plants each way and decide for yourself.

Thus far, I have only mentioned the things that you need to do for the entire life of the plant. There are also things you can only do on the day of the show.

 1. Check for suckers — you should have been removing these all along, but do a last minute check to be sure. A plant with a true sucker (four leaves) will be removed from the show.

2. Use a soft complexion brush and brush from the center to the outer row. Support each leaf as you brush. Dirt on leaves will take off up to one point for each instance.

3. The very last thing you will need to do is check to see that all blooms are fresh and that

they are the right color. Remove any that are spent and that are not blooming correctly. Each spent or wrong hue bloom will take off one half point. If you have successfully done all of this for six to twelve months, you should be very proud of the plants you have grown and they should do well in the show.