DISBUDDING FOR SHOW

By Nancy Robitaille

Preparing for show is not difficult. Use your show date or the date you must take your plants in for registration, as the target date. Use an updated calendar and count backwards.

My show date is May 29, count backwards to find 6 weeks before show date, in my case, April 17. Then count backwards for two more weeks (8 weeks before show date,) in my case, April 3.

On April 3 (8 weeks before show) all disbudding for standards with double flowers should stop. Allow all buds to bloom from this time.

On April 17 (6 weeks before show) stop disbudding all trailers, miniatures and semi-minis as well as standards with single blossoms. Allow all buds to bloom from this point.

Back in May, 1986, I wrote an article for “African Violet Magazine” titled, “Schedule for Disbudding Show Plants. I continue to follow this type of schedule to the letter each year with good results.

SHOW DATE: ___(fill in your date)___

You may start disbudding, cutting or pinching off all flowers and buds at any time of the year. I prefer to do it in January after the holidays.

January: Strip bad leaves, check for suckers, disbud. Many growers disbud much, much earlier. 

Make sure you have perfect symmetry by counting the tiny leaves of the center, searching for the second triangle of leaves, then the third until you develop perfect symmetry.

Some growers disbud all year around allowing a flower to bloom only occasionally. Fertilizer: balanced, such as 20-20-20.

A balanced fertilizer is necessary so foliage will receive as much strength and growth as possible. Once foliage is placed and has good symmetry you can concentrate on other things.

Twelve Weeks Before Show: ___(fill in your date)___

1. Reinforce placement of leaves using plastic coffee stirrers. These will hold leaves in place until they are trained.
2. Strip leaves from the last row if necessary: Take out those which are damaged or have more than two faults such as spots. Strip baby leaves, leaves which have a different, more rounded form than the other foliage.
3. Check for suckers. Suckers can reduce your blue ribbon by up to 10 points or the judge can decide to eliminate it from consideration.

Ten Weeks Before Show: _______(fill in your date)_______

1. Increase light hours—one hour per week until lights are on 15 hours per day. Lights should be on for about 13 hours per day.
2. Carefully dust off bulbs making sure dust doesn’t fall onto the plants.
3. Replace one florescent bulb of each fixture each year. Mark the year on the bulb so you know which to replace. New bulbs should be used only for a few hours the first time they are turned on so consider turning them on in the evening for only a few hours for the first time. The intense light could affect your plants if left on for the usual hours.
4. Fertilizer: Switch to high phosphorus (high middle number) such as Peters 12-36-14 or Peters’ 5-50-17 for variegates. Plants have been on a balanced fertilizer for feeding foliage since January.
5. Bathe plants two to three times a year with warm water, especially after final disbudding for show. Dry with kitchen towels or blow in center to get rid of excess water. Do not place near light until they are dry.
6. Water with bloom booster or foliar feed with products such as Superthrive.

Nine Weeks Before show: ____(fill in your date)___

1. Increase light hours to 14 hours per day.
2. Fertilizer: High phosphorus fertilizer (12-36-14 or 15-30-15, 5-50-17 for variegates)
3. Disbud variegates for the last time. Future buds should be allowed to bloom.
4. Foliar feed with fish fertilizer if any variegated plant is showing too much white in the leaves.
5. Check carefully the centers of the plants. As you increase the light hours centers may show a reaction by tightening. You might place plant in a different position on the light stand or take it off entirely for a day.

Eight Weeks Before Show: ____(fill in your date)___

1. Lights 15 hours per day.
2. Bloom booster or foliar feed—Superthrive or other product.
3. Final disbud for doubles. Future buds should be allowed to bloom
4. Final disbud for semi-double blossoms allowing buds to come into bloom. 
5. Check for suckers.
6. Final disbud for variegates. Future buds should be allowed to bloom.
7. Foliar feed with bloom booster.

Seven Weeks Before Show: ___(fill in your date)___
1. Final disbud for trailers and double blossoms of semi-miniatures and miniature plants. Allow these to bloom.
2. Continue 15 hours per day.
3. Check carefully for suckers
4. Fertilizer: high phosphorus.

Six Weeks Before Show: ___(fill in your date___
1. Lights continued at 15 hours per day.
2. Final disbudding for single blossom standards, all other plants. Allow future buds to bloom.
3. Check for suckers.
4. Bathe plant if needed.
5. Fertilizer: high phosphorus (middle number) such as 12-36-14, 15-30-15 or 5-50-17 for variegates. Consider using bloom booster in addition to fertilizer.
6. As blooms develop you may wish to manipulate them to their best advantage by carefully pulling them up from under the foliage and toward the center.

One Week Before Show: ___(fill in your date)___
1. Lights 15 hours per day. If plants are not coming in fast enough, set lights for 16 hours per day. 
2. If plants are blooming too quickly, reduce light hours. If necessary place them in boxes with lids closed to reduce light. Allow for some air circulation.
3. Temperature: If room is too warm and plants are blooming too quickly, cool the room. If room is not warm enough and plants are sparse with flowers, increase the room’s temperature.
4. Check carefully and remove all bloom stem stubs.
5. Check for suckers.
6. Check cleanliness.
7. Check that plant is in the dead-center of the pot.
8. Check that the pot is the proper color as dictated by the schedule, name of variety and your name and phone number are listed under the pot.
9. Possible leaf or even row of leaves removal. 
10. Brush leaves and leaf stems.
11. If main stem of plant is too high, add soil or cut off half and inch of the root ball to set plant down into pot.
12. Brush plant carefully using good light.
13. Bathe plants, if necessary.
14. Fill out registration of plants. The less work you have to do at the show room, the more relaxed you can be.

Twenty-four Hours Before Show: ____(fill in your date)___
1. Check for suckers.
2. Check for toothpicks, coffee stirrers, other objects that are training the leaves. 
3. Check for any possible signs of insect infestation.
4. Most growers travel to the site with foliage supports in place and remove them at the show room.
5. Remove plant from stand, water with STURDY which may help the plants from shock of transportation and change of environment.
6. Place in appropriate box using tape to anchor plants to box. Newspaper may be placed to support plant in box. Box should remain open for air circulation until time to transport to the show room.
7. Take a kit with you that contains tools such as brush for cleaning plant, pen for filling out registration, etc.
8. When you bring your prize-winning plants home, put them—or your whole plant room into isolation. Inspect carefully each few days for signs of pest. Protect your collection.

One Day After Show:
Take off your shoes, sit back, relax, have a refreshing cup of coffee or tea and begin the mental plan of what you will take to next year’s show!