African Violet Assist?

[rolanni]

I brought my poor African violet home from its perch on the windowsill at the day-job; the leaves had started to crisp in the heat. As a general thing, African violets grow for me grudgingly for about a year, then die precipitously. This one, though, been doing champion work -- it's even bloomed once or twice in the couple years that it's managed to survive my care.

I figure that, while I have it at home, I'll give it a new pot, and some nice, fresh African violet potting soil, to prepare it for the excitement of the coming school year.

Thing is, the local Agway has pots that they're specifically calling "African violet pots," that include an "automatic waterer." Does anybody have any experience with these contraptions? I know that African violets don't like to stand around with their feet in the wet, and I've been very careful not to keep this one too damp -- maybe too careful, considering the scarcity of flowers. I'm willing to pay for a fancy pot app, but only if it's actually useful.

Anybody?

Comments

[aspidites.livejournal.com]

I've tried those pots a few times - if you're referring to the ones with a glazed outer pot to hold water and the unglazed inner one that holds the plant - but I haven't had much luck with them. This may be due to my potting mix rather than any intrinsic fail on the pot's part, though.

I also frequently have the "one year and death" problem with AVs... I think mostly because I'm too lazy to do annual repotting. I have noticed that if I really like a particular plant and remember to repot it, it tends to last longer. Go figure.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

African violets grew like weeds for my mother. She puttered with them a little, mostly deadheading, moving plants into larger pots, and starting new plants from leaves. I came away from this with the Unshakable Belief that African Violets are "easy," even though I've never actually had one thrive under my care.

...think I'd learn.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Mother-in-law does well by African violets, but getting an answer would require several days at a minimum. I expect you will achieve enlightenment before then.

[nephir.livejournal.com]

My experience with African Violets is that they like to be watered frequently enough to keep the soil moist but not wet and that they love indirect sunlight. If you have these two conditions they will bloom and bloom frequently has been my experience. It may be that mine have learned to thrive in my carelessness as I never repot them unless the pot breaks and I water 2-3 times a week during the summer (Pacific Northwest, so fairly mild summer conditions) and once or twice during the winter to combat the drying from the heater/wood stove running in the house.

Best of luck.

[adina-atl.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that AVs like even, moist-but-not-wet soil. My dad's wife uses a wicking system where she pots them with a cotton rag in the soil going down through the drain hole into to a reservoir of water. She has consistently good luck with them. So in theory those automatic waterer pots should work, but I haven't tried them myself.

If you want blooms anytime soon, you need to make sure the new pot isn't significantly larger than the old. AVs only bloom when rootbound.

[stfg.livejournal.com]

I am a seriously bad plant owner. I will frequently go a couple weeks without watering them, and as a result, most of my plants die. I was given some African violets that were in one of those pots, and it worked really well for me. I refilled the pot with water about once a month, and the water gradually absorbed through the inner wall of the pot into the soil. I eventually killed that plant too, but it lasted a few years, which is a record for me. Killing it took not watering it at all for three or four months in a row.

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

I have middling luck with AVs. The special pot worked for my mother but not me when I inherited the plant. Maybe it just missed my Mom.

Mine thrive on benign neglect in the Pacific Northwest, indirect light, water from the bottom once a week and let it wick up what it wants when it wants. A little cold tea when it looks a bit droopy and remove dead or damaged leaves promptly.

Good luck.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

African violets seem to prefer indirect sun or partial sun, rather than that prime windowsill spot. (My mom used to keep them on a shelf near a window that had sheer curtains.)

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

I should have said that the window is under a roof, so, not much in the way of direct sun.

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

One of the few plants I can keep alive and get to bloom. Mine is out of direct sun but near a high light window. I water when the leaves start to get a hint of droopy and it just keeps blooming. I don't have a special pot. My neglect must be benign as the biggest one is over 5 years old.

[curlicue.livejournal.com]

Mine lives on a northfacing window, so it gets no direct light. It looks good and blooms well.

Here's the secret.

1. Osmocote plant food.
2. Water it once a week...just pour a quart of water right through it, and then let it spend the rest of the week drying out.

As long as no one touches it (I had a roommate who wanted to "help" and watered it without telling me) it blooms like crazy and is totally beautiful.

Orchids and AVs: thrive on neglect, and don't want to be fussed over.

[drammar.livejournal.com]

I have excellent luck with the self watering pots -- mostly because I tend to forget to water! My AVs do very well in them.

If you use regular AV potting soil it tends to get to soggy, though, in the self watering pots. Cut the soil with about 1/2 vermiculite or perlite and it should do just fine.

Add a few drops of AV food to the water (or really any indoor blooming plant food) each time you change the water and you'll be fine -- and it'll bloom beautifully, especially with the light as you've described it.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

My African violets always went nuts blooming and growing. They were in plain clay pots, but I tended to water them (when I bothered) with water that I had washed dishes in. They LOVE dishwater.

So if you use a self-watering pot, try to make sure they get some nitrates.

Africian violets

[(Anonymous)]

Hi, I grow a lot of AVs. I have used a couple of different of the AV self watering pots. Some work good, some don't. I know that when I use the clay ones I tend to put some water directly into the soil about every other time I add water to the base. The ones with a wick work really well. But they are mostly plastic so I don't use them. Make sure the edge is wide on which ever pot you use as a thin edge will tend to cut into the bottom of the leaves. If the leaves are turning crisp, it is getting too much light. I had that when I changed my lighting and had to increase the distance to the plants. I use Eleanor's VF-11 for my AVs. I use it about once every one to two months and mine do great. AVs bloom in the fall in nature, so if they are getting too much light, they won't bloom.