I just did a little digging on Amazon! If they’re affordable or not is up to you, I don’t mind paying $13 for three cute pots though. FENGZHITAO Self Watering Planter, African Violet Pots,Lazy Flower Pot,Automatic-Watering Planter Flower Pot for Succulents, Herb, African Violets, All House Plants(3 Packs Colourful Small) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q64TMV1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_XDE90CH17YSNX6HMQ6B9
It’s no problem! I use these lights for 10 hours a day. Each of my violets are at least 10-12 inches away from them depending on if they are minis, semi minis, standards or trailers 😁
Try wick watering. You can get 3" pots or 4" pots on amazon super cheap. Use 60/40 perlite to peat.
I still water from the top maybe once a month just to make sure the top gets moist and to wash away salts.
It's incredibly relaxing and soothing. :)
The 6x8" vase can be used upright, with a clear acrylic circle (or glass) on top, left slightly off center for air circulation. After a good soak, leave the top off for a few days. In humid weather, you can also remove the top.
If used upside down, I use rubber plant feet. These little gadgets are great for lifting even smaller pots up that tend to stay wet on the bottom. I like this brand, because you can center the doughnut ones on the bottom, directly over single hole pots.
Super Thrive will burn them to a crisp. I use three DROPS (from an eyedropper) of SuperGAIN, which is a thousand times better than Super Thrive in addition to Schultz plant food.
Never done it myself, but this is a good if slightly dated resource.
Yep, they've been covered/vents closed basically this whole time, with some exceptions to manage moisture! Would definitely recommend these trays, but sadly they appear to be sold out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NYGCZWM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I’ve never wick watered just never been interested in doing it. I bottom water and use plastic pots from 2-4” and have several trailers growing in shallow plastic rectangle bonsai pots also from Amazon. The leaf props need very little water while being domed as you have no roots taking the water up and using it. They need a certain amount of moisture but enclosed the moisture you start with isn’t evaporating away quickly.
I’ve used Substral celaflor careo combi sticks for treating thrips on a maranta and as a deterrent on nearby violets. Not sure where to buy them in person, but you can find it on amazon. E.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Substral-Celaflor-Schädlingsfrei-Combi-Stäbchen-Insecticide/dp/B09796RH5R/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=AQYP42PFQY0Z&keywords=celaflor+sticks&qid=1665734573&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIxLjU1IiwicXNhIjoiMS42OCIsInFzcCI6IjEuMjIifQ%3D%3D...
I've seen castings used as an additive but you need a balanced fertilizer made for African Violets. I use Jack's 20-20-20 at 1/2 strength. Jack's on Amazon
Definitely insects. If you don't care much about an affected plant, you could go ahead and toss it. If you want to save the plant, wash it with warm water and spray with a soapy water mixture. Captain Jack's Dead Bug spray is also really great for killing bugs on your plants. These options are organic and safe for people and pets.
Non-organic systemic option for long-term pest prevention: putting imidacloprid granules in the soil will kill any insects on the plant. It's terrible for outdoor pollinators, but my plants live inside and I have resorted to this after long struggles with thrips on my aroids and dendrobium orchids. Don't use on outdoor plants or plants that you or your pets may eat. Will not kill mites since they are arachnids, but will eliminate any insects.
Products mentioned are both Bonide brand and can be found at your local Lowe's if you live in the US.
Hi, I don't see a link here. Could you mean these, and if so how much do you fill the water?
I just got these and I swear when I filled them with water the first time the soil did not get damp enough. In response, I went overboard and kept filling up the outside container too much.
I purchased these pots from amazon a while ago and my plants have been growing very well in them. The only problem is that the edge of the pots are very sharp. The particular hybrids that I have (sunkissed rose, mellow yellow) have a tendency for their leaves to curl down around the pot. I very much like this look, but the sharpness of the pot damages the petioles when they do this. I bought some leaf support rings a while ago to stop the leaves from touching the edge of the pot, but I prefer how they look when they curl down. Is there any way to make the pot less sharp so I can remove the leaf support ring? Otherwise I may have to look into purchasing a different pot. Thank you.
Terra Cotta soaks up water. They might need a little extra help.
I too am (finally) separating and repotting many miniature African violets. I had to order more pots, so I got these
They're bigger than I wanted, but I wanted the plastic dome.
https://www.amazon.com/Barrina-Lights-Spectrum-Equivalent-Greenhouse/dp/B0814LNBHH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1HIVYI6JW1198&keywords=barrina+grow+light&qid=1653692140&sprefix=barrin%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnl... I am not very computer savvy but I think I did this right this should take you to the lights you need. If not let me know I will try again. Gardening under lights and plant’s I know computers not as well.😂 The distance from these LED light for most plants start at 12” away from the leaves and that’s perfect for Phalaenopsis. But my Oncidium orchid’s lighting needs are greater so it’s 4”-6” away. My Calathea needs to be 18” away. But always start with 12”. I hope this helps.
I’ve had bad luck with yarn (which sucks, because I have a lot!). I bought a bundle of this stuff and it works pretty well. It’s thicker than I’d like but I was sick of buying cheap yarn that ended up not working.
Self Watering Planter , FENGZHITAO African Violet Pots, Clear Plastic Automatic-Watering Planter Flower Pot Square Plant Pot for All House Plants, Succulents, Herb, African Violets (3 Packs Small) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MZLBHTC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_652WR8CG4TRHA1HRJPZK?psc=1
I bought these a few months ago. They're programmable and work great.
I got these a couple years ago and really like them: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KZ5IFE2/
They're easy to bottom water using the trays they come with. Lots of drainage. Different colors too, which is neat. You may want to look at other vendors for a better price, but I definitely recommend this style of pot.
I use these. Maybe it's cause I keep my house so cold, but I care barely tell mine are on.
You should also get a thermostat which will toggle the heating mat on and off and keep it at an ideal temperature. You set it to 72, put the probe at the top and it'll do the rest.
I actually use these for my windowsills. While I have both, you can get the temperature controller separately. I put them under the pot and the temperature sensor on top of the soil.
I have a windowsill thermal pad which is regulated with a digital thermal controller. I set it pretty low at 60F and they seem fine. I mainly got it to keep the plants alive when I'm away in the winter and I turn my furnace basically off.
No. I just put an inch of perlite in the bottom. At first, loose soil will come out but that stops pretty quickly. I'm probably going to switch back to these pots when I repot in Sept. I'm tired of my wicks growing algae and being able to see it. I don't know what I'll do with all this glassware. I already have a bunch of the pots linked above.
Repot it in either the same pot or another no bigger than 4". Use av soil but amend it with at least 50% perlite.
Don't let it dry out, but don't let it stay wet. You need a magic combo of perfectly moist. If you water from the top, get one of those bent nozzle bottles like this.
Put it in a bright window East facing if you have it. Avoid full Southern sun...put a sheer curtain between the plant and the window if South is all you have.
Plucking off dead blooms will encourage it to grow more blooms.
Artificial lighting, consistent culture, and lots of practice and patience. Try reading [Growing to Show)[https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Show-Winning-African-Violets/dp/0961571519/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=growing+to+show&qid=1617165824&sr=8-1].
I also have my first African Violet this year! It's so fun to watch their journey and watch them bloom. This will be great! Internet research led me to specific African Violet bottom watering pots that worked out really well for mine.
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016KE4R26/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hoffman Organic African Violet Soil
So yeah, this is after a month of progress. I read that they’d be in shock for a while so I’ve been trying to be patient. They’ve all improved over the course of the month, but D and E are obviously not yet secure, and C is confused.
I’ll try your repotting method and bag them, or at least the weak guys. Thanks.
Lol thanks! It’s really frustrating though since they still get water on their leaves and I’m resulted to absorbing the water drops with tissue paper. The grow lights are these. I use three strips to a shelf. The plant food is a HYPONeX brand for flowers and vegetables. 6-10-5 but I don’t weaken by half, more like a quarter way. (Should I be weakening halfway??) The soil that I use is a perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss mix. Some of the AVs with the overgrown leaves on flower stems are planted in it. But this one in particular has stayed in the pot that it was purchased in. The soil looks like it’s prominently made up of Akadama soil.
Absolutely not. I tray water and have problems with powdery mildew as it is. If you have several violets which are regularly watered and keep them in close quarters your humidity should be fine. Also you should really just get one of these if you're serious enough about your collection to care about humidity.
I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01339G2F6/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_k9ZAFbXDWRV8M
I put them up in three rows on the underside of the shelf, taped to the liner on the shelf. You need to buy the power adapter and jumpers too. I think these lights are about 12-14 inches from the plants.