Streptocarpus winter advice?

[Darren]

Last year one of the seed exchanges (AGS I think) listed a Streptocarpus species (small) collected in South Africa. Much to my surprise the seed germinated well and I now have a potful of quite big seedlings (leaf about 5cm long). They have been kept moist and sealed in a plastic bag since germination. Having never grown this genus I wonder what to do with them over the winter. I'm guessing let the pot dry out a bit and give the plants some air and keep them frost-free?

[Ezeiza]

We are not surprised, Darren, you are a well known magician. The main problem will be to harden them out of the bag. They must be sparingly watered with tepid water in winter awaiting for the warm season to be pricked out.

[Brian Ellis]

They must be sparingly watered with tepid water in winter awaiting for the warm season to be pricked out.

They should be only just moist from November through to the end of February when you can increase the watering slightly, letting them dry out and begin to flag before watering again.  Overwatering can cause root rot with inevitable consequences

This site has more advice
http://www.streptocarpussociety.org.uk/index.htm

[Darren]

OK  - thank you both. That was pretty much what I expected. Seems odd to be preparing for winter on such a warm sunny day!

[Gene Mirro]

I grew a batch of Briggsias a few years ago, under lights.  They had to be inside of a mostly-closed plastic bag, or they would stop growing and eventually die.  When I transplanted the seedlings, I put them under propagation domes for a few weeks.  I gradually opened the domes more and more as the plants grew.  Plastic bags and propagation domes perform the same function.  See
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=1166.msg26355#msg26355