Caracas Victoria Society   Sonia's Bucket Babies  Photos by Juli Carbonell & Fernando Santos Click to enlarge			Sonia Angeli
11/20/03 - Fernando: Sonia took five already sprouted Victoria seeds together with one tuber each of N. odorata and 'Wood's Blue Goddess' last 11/08/03 (CVS lunch party) and put them in 2.5 gallon Rubbermaid bucket… I hope each one of you gets a 2.5 GALLON RUBBERMAID BUCKET! Results: each seedling has well defined roots and a beautiful green deep colour on the first two leaves… just amazing! I have never gotten such a lovely colour on the leaves on any of the Vic seeds I set in previous years. Conclusions: Either we have a new Victoria Guru down here in Venezuela or the sphagnum moss is making the miracle. I think within a week or so, Sonia's babies will set the first true leaves and it will be time to begin feeding with the cocktail. I just want to see for a week more how the babies behave with just the sphagnum.
Victoria and Nymphaea babies in Sonia's 2.5 gallon bucket, pictured 11/20 and 12/04.	11/20/03 - Sonia: I didn't want to show my work before since it is very rudimentary. September 11th I put each seed in a small plastic cup in sphagnum moss and covered with sand to keep the sphagnum in place. I live for my babies that are growing in a bucket; they have to be moved every day from my kitchen stove at 7:30 am to the back yard. Under the Caracas sun they spend the day until 6 o'clock when they return to the stove. The temperature is kept at around 24 to 26 C (75-79 F); if it gets higher, they are moved to the shade. I give them oxygen through a balloon pump at least 3 times a day and I used the water of our house that is purified. So far I have changed the water 3 times. Fernando denies to me the fertilizer to which I am addicted.

12/08/03 - Fernando: A few days ago we moved three of the four Vics to Sonia's small pond, also set the home made water heater to keep babies at 85-90 F. N. 'Wood's Blue Goddess' and N. odorata are doing great also. So far Sonia's babies have three floating leaves and possibly the fourth will show up before the end of the week. The heater is made from the electrical coil and thermostat from an old home electric water heater. Fernando's home made heater >
12/27/03 - Sonia:  Headline of world wide newspapers: A VENEZUELAN FAMILY FEATURED FOR WATER PLANTS THAT GROW LIKE MAGIC :) :) :) The size of the cups the Victorias are in now is 4'', and their leaf size is 41/2'' by 3 1/2''. If I have to move them up in pot size, they will have to move into a park...
The small pond we put in the back yard is full already. The beautiful leaves of the Nymphaeas are 9'' and they grow a new one every day. We have three Nymphaeas and three Victorias in a 40" pond. I feed them Monday and Friday with the cocktail that Fernando prepared and add fresh water every day.
		< In the small pond 12/27/03 ^

Bud 1/3/04 N. 'Wood's Blue Goddess' First flower 1/4/04 >	1/1/04 - Sonia Happy New Year! I really don't know what to say! WE HAVE A NYMPHAEA BUD! A present of the New Year! These plants are just magic!
		Victorias 1/4/04