PRE-SHOW SCHEDULE General Template

All dates based on day of judging

by Pauline Bartholomew
About three months before a show, the critical timing for final plant growth and inducing floriferousness begins.
These steps can't be taken at the grower's convenience. If plants are to be at their peak condition at show time,
the procedures must be implemented at the proper times. The weekly sequence should be entered in a calendar.
The grower is then reminded to check the pre- show schedule and follow these recommendations.
The grower walks a cultural tightrope in the next few months. The methods used to increase growth and
blossoming must be carefully balanced against the risk of spoiling symmetry by creating off- sized rows of
leaves or in burning or spotting sensitive foliage. Thus, the "advancing" techniques (increased light hours and
foliar feeding) are timed and spaced with the temporary "retarding" techniques (decreasing nitrogen intake and
repotting).

4-5 Months Prior to Show

____ Foliage should be washed in preparation for the final potting procedures that will take place. The foliage
is then fresh and dust-free and prepared to put out the energy required for the new growth that is activated by the
potting procedures.
____ Double check for the presence of pests, particularly the more common ones such as thrips and cyclamen
mites. If they are discovered at this time, they can be eliminated without damaging show plants and future
blossoms. Try to avoid bringing any new plants into your collection during the next three months.
____ If growing on a light stand/light garden - replace half of your light bulbs - never replace all bulbs at the
same time because it can be too much light for your plants. Only need to replace 1 bulb in each fixture, once a
year. In this way, all bulbs are replaced every two years. Be sure to mark end of bulbs with a Sharpie with date
bulb replaced.
____ Every week, turn plants turn this must be done for even growth, under all lighting conditions
Legend in schedule
GTS = Paula Bartholomews Growing to Show
RAN = Guidelines provided by Richard Nicholas (standards) and Anne Nicholas (minis and semi-mini)
Martens = Sinningia and Streptocarpus guidelines from Dale Martens
Terms related to Anne Nicholas standards, minis and semi-minis schedule
Hardbreak = remove outer leaves, leaving 3-6 leaves in center; this is done for older plant
Softbreak = remove smaller and/or older outer leaves only

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PRE-SHOW SCHEDULE General Template

All dates based on day of judging
SHOW CALENDAR: Count back from the show date and mark the dates for 24 weeks prior, 10
weeks prior, etc., on the calendar.
24 weeks (5 months):
___ Complete initial preparation of mini-sinningias for show Remove top, all roots, leave in. stem.
Wash tubers & put tuber in Ziploc with moist (not wet) vermiculite & sphagnum moss. Ziploc bags
need to be exposed to light. (Martens)
22 weeks (5 months):
___ Repot Streptocarpus for show. Repot a plant from a solo cup to a 3 in. pot or put 3 plants in a 4 in.
pot. (Martens)
20 weeks:
___ Repot older (hard break) minis/semis (RAN)
19 weeks (4 months):
___ Pot sinningia tubers in shallow trays, on top of soil, under lights; do not cover tubers, can put soil
around tubers (Martens)
16 weeks:
___ Pot up large standards already show size (RAN)
15 weeks (3 months):
___ Pot sinningias into show pots
13 weeks:
___ Repot all plants as needed. Remove leaves, complete final repotting - pot down (necks), or pot up (GTS)

12 weeks:
___ Remove leaves, complete final repotting - pot down (necks), or pot up. This is latest that re-potting
should be done (GTS);
___ Pot up smaller standards, moving up to show size pot (RAN)
___ Repot (soft break) minis/semis (RAN)
___ Foliar feed once in addition to regular fertilizing program. (optional) (GTS)
___ Lights should be on 12 hrs. a day. (GTS)

10 weeks:
____ Completely disbud all plants except perhaps miniatures and trailers. (GTS)
____ Start "bloom booster" fertilizer (e.g. 5-57-17, 20-60-20, 12-13-12) formula. (GTS/RAN)
____ Final disbud for sinningias (9-10 weeks) (Martens)
____ Report any sinningias that need to be in a bigger port (Martens)

9 weeks:
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PRE-SHOW SCHEDULE General Template

All dates based on day of judging
____ Increase light time by 1 hour (to 13 hrs.) (GTS)
____ Final disbud for sinningias (9-10 weeks) (Martens)
____ Disbud for the last time:

heavily variegated varieties (all blossom types) (GTS)

double varieties (all foliage types) (GTS)

____ Continue to disbud all other varieties (GTS)

____ Continue "bloom booster" fertilizer. (GTS)

8 weeks:
____ Increase light time by hour (to 13.5 hrs.) (GTS)
____ Do NOT disbud:

heavily variegated varieties (all blossom types) (GTS)

double varieties (all foliage types) (GTS)

____ Disbud:

remaining doubles for the last time (green & lightly variegated foliage) (GTS)

lightly variegated varieties for the last time (any blossom type) (GTS)

semidouble stars (green & lightly variegated) (GTS)

singles (green & lightly variegated) (GTS)

Final disbud for semi/minis (8-7 weeks) (RAN)

Final disbud for standards (RAN)

Final disbud for Streps (Martens)

____ Check for suckers. (GTS)

____ Continue "bloom booster" fertilizer. (GTS)
____ Foliar feed once more (optional). (GTS)

7 weeks:
____ Increase light time by hr (to 14 hrs.) (GTS)
____ Do NOT disbud:

any variegated varieties (GTS)

any double varieties (GTS)

____ Disbud:

semidouble stars (green foliage) for the last time (GTS)

singles (green foliage) (GTS)

Final disbud for semi/minis (8-7 weeks) (RAN)

____ Change to 12- 36-14 or 15-30-15, etc., fertilizer formula for the remaining weeks. (GTS)

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PRE-SHOW SCHEDULE General Template

All dates based on day of judging
6 weeks:
____ Disbud singles (green foliage) for the last time. (GTS)
____ Do NOT disbud:

any variegated varieties

any double varieties

any semidouble stars

____ Check for suckers. (GTS)

____ Wash foliage. (GTS)
____ Resume fertilizing with balanced fertilizer (RAN)
4 weeks:
___ Major grooming (RAN)

1 week:
____ Remove spent blossoms, peduncles, and pedicel stubs. (GTS)
____ Check for suckers. (GTS)
____ Brush away soil particles, dust, animal hair, etc. (GTS)
____ Pot down necks or pot up only if necessary. (GTS)

1 day:
____ Again remove spent blossoms, etc. (GTS)
____ Remove leaf support rings (unless needed for transport; but must be removed before entry). (GTS)
____ Place plants in transporting boxes so that the foliage is supported. (GTS)

Here is another way to see the LAST week prior to show that a particular bloosom type and foliage
type should be disbudded. That is, the number in a cell is the last week that type of plant should be
disbudded. Columns are the type of variegation and the rows are the different types of blooms.

Doubles
Semi-doubles
Singles

Heavily
Var.
9
9
9

Lightly
Var.
9
8
8

Green
9
7
6

(Reprinted from "Growing To Show" with author's permission.)

AFRICAN VIOLET MAGAZINE November/December 1990;
Web Copyright 1998, African Violet Society of America, Inc.
Article Copyright is held by Pauline Bartholomew Last Updated 03/28/98

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