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

[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.