From the crisp 'snap' as you remove the extra leaves, it seems everything is full of water and healthy. 💖 I like the squeeze bottle idea as an easy and controllable watering tool.
Thank you so much! I recently got a fancier, gooseneck watering bottle too, but, a creature of habit, am still using my old ketchup squeeze bottle, lol! Appreciate your feedback!
@@grayturtleviolets Probably because I'm a Pisces, water * always * goes where it's not supposed to when I water plants 😂, so I like your squeeze bottle for control. And the wicking. I'll try that too.
Hi, I enjoy all of your videos, so informative, all of your violets are so beautiful and healthy! I was wondering why you don’t use Jack’s fertilizer especially for African Violets? I use it, and like it very much, but if there is a reason I should use the one you do, I’m interested to know why! I’m always learning, that’s what keeps it fun. Thank you❣️
Always learning here, too! When I just started my AV collection in 2019, I used the one other growers recommended, Dyna-Gro 7-9-5. Then I learned about Jack's Classic 20-20-20, and started using it too, so now I use either one, or another, at 1/8 teaspoon/gallon. Hope making a video about the fertilizers I've used in the past two years - stay tuned! Appreciate your feedback!
Yes, the capillary action does miracles! It does need to be replenished about once a week, the larger the reservoir, the less frequently it needs to be added.
Hi. Your videos are very informative and well done. I want to know when selecting pots for wick watering can you use inner pots that have slit openings on the side, similar to Orchid pots or hydroponic pots? Thank you.
That's a great question. I happen to have one of those inner pots, with vertical slit openings, but I haven't tried using it yet. I am afraid the potting mix will be falling out through those openings - potting mix for orchids, having bark and other stuff, might be better suited for those kinds of pots.
Thank you. I have used it for other plants and the soil has not come out. There is a lot of aeration due to these slits on the side. I am not sure if it is good for AV plants or not.
I use rain water for mine, they seem to like it. Back in LA, I used tap water, and it caused all sorts of pH issues. Tap water is not equally bad, depends on the local city water treatment, I'd definitely recommend using neutral regulator to remove chlorine and chloramine, and to adjust the tap water pH to 7.0.
It’s a good practice to repot African Violet into fresh potting mix every 6-12 months. Peat-based growing medium usually gets increasingly acidic over time, preventing plant’s normal nutrient intake, resulting in nutrient deficiency and nutrient toxicity if plants are left in the old potting mix for longer periods of time.
Optimara and Violet Barn recommend twice a year, or even more, depending on the variety. I heard minis need more frequent repotting than standard varieties. I am always behind, trying to catch up, lol. Best to repot between the blooming cycles, anytime in the controlled environment, and spring-fall for window-grown.
Love your videos. My question is, why do you use plastic pots and not terracotta ones?? Do AV's grow better in plastic ones.? Thank you, your videos help me alot.
I wick water most of my plants, and because terracotta is water absorbing, they often develop root rot due to excessive moisture retained in the walls of the pots. In addition, the mineral sediment from water and fertilizer forms white crust on the terra-cotta pots, so I have to grow mine in plastic pots.
Thank you for info. Now I know why my violets are looking droopy. I'm going to repot to plastic. Also, do you keep water in reservoir at all the times ? I'm learning so much from you. I'm a av newbie
@@cathyharston9632 Yes, I keep reservoirs filled with water at all times, maintaining the water level at about 1-1/2 inch below the bottom of the pot. Check out my How I Wick Water My AVs video for more info!
So glad it is helpful! Still learning here, too - having started in 2019, I am an intermediate grower, and enjoy sharing what I've been learning with fellow enthusiasts. I do reuse the domed cups, the plastic is quite sturdy, so I just wash and dry them and they are ready to go! Happy growing!
I am still researching this - some believe it makes a difference, others say once the potting mix reaches its saturation point, it can’t take on more moisture, regardless of the wick diameter. I feel that the latter makes sense, however, the saturation speed, the evaporation speed, and the air humidity must be also taken into account - in this case the wick diameter would matter for saturation speed.
@@vanschermerhorn7167 Yes, acrylic knitting yarn - this is what I use - comes in different weights, from 0/lace to 6/super bulky. There are also other materials that can be used for wicks, with different wick diameters, too!
I have enabled auto-translation, check this out: to activate subtitles, click "CC" icon on bottom right corner of the video player, under the video; then click on the Settings (gear icon to the right of the "CC" icon); then click on "Subtitles/CC (1) English (auto-generated)"; on the next list select the "Auto-translate" option on the bottom, and scroll down on the list of languages to select your language - the video subtitles will be in the language you selected. They are auto-generated, so they might not be perfect - hope they are helpful. Thank you for watching!
