"Linda W." wrote in message

Thanks so much for all this great detailed information. I haven't
repotted the AVs. I'll look for the soil you mention.

Oops! I made a typo when I spelled Optimara, which is the correct spelling.
BTW, AV's should be divided, if they develop more than one crown, and
repotted every yearly. They respond well to fresh growing medium and you
don't have to be too careful when you remove the old soil. Just be sure most
of it is gone. I wash it off outside with a stream of water and repot
immediately.

Right now, I have the three AVs out on my balcony, which has a
generally eastern exposure -- morning sunlight. I have them to the
side of a lounge chair, so that they are mostly shaded even when the
sun is shining on the balcony in the morning. They may be getting a
little bit of direct sunlight, though. Is it all right for them to be
outside in the summer?

Outside with no hot sun should be okay for the time being, providing night
temperatures don't drop down into the fifties or low sixties at night. I
have the leaf outside on the front porch, which faces north, and it's really
beginning to grow.

Inside, I have had them in a window with mostly western explosure. I
don't have a lot of natural light because there are trees close to my
windows. Do they need intense light?

That shouldn't be a problem as long as they get at least 8-10 hours of light
each day. Bright light is a plus, but they really don't need intense light.
Remember that they will also grow and bloom well under flourescent lights. I
have the blooming one in a south window in our sun room at the moment, where
it has warm temperatures and is getting very bright light but no sunlight at
the moment because of an overhang. When the sun begins hitting it later in
the season, I'll move it to an east window.

As for the plant I originally posted about -- I dried out the soil and
now I'm waiting to see how it does. The leaves are still
wilted-looking, but otherwise, it looks all right, I think. I did cut
off a leaf and put it in water, too. I guess I will leave the plant
until I am sure that the soil is very dry before watering again.

Don't go overboard on keeping the plants excessively dry. That's almost as
bad, but not quite as bad, as keeping them too wet. The leaves will let you
know by becoming very tightly bunched, curly on the edges, and a dark,
unhealthy green color. The optimum is moist, but not wet. You can tell by
sticking your finger into the soil or do what I've learned to do when
watering plants. If the pot is light when I pick up, it needs water. If it
isn't, wait a couple days and check again.

Does that sound okay?

That's about as much as I can tell you.

And it would be lovely to have one bloom, too.

Good luck! :-) John
Thanks again -- very much!

Linda W.