Crazy self-watering giant african violet pot idea

19 years ago

Okay, so last night I'm perusing the plant catalogs, dreaming about what I want. And I came across something -- datura, or agapanthus, or something -- that would make my front porch perfect.

The culture requirements said it needs consistently moist soil. In the summer my front porch gets about 18 hours of sun a day, and even daily watering wouldn't keep container soil "consistently moist".

Rather than scrap the idea and look for something that will fit the conditions (because that would be logical and I am not!) I tried to think of a way to MacGyver it.

It occured to me that I could replicate those expensive African violet planters you see in the box store. You know; the ones with the ceramic pot glazed inside and out that you fill with water, and the porous unglazed ceramic insert you actually put the plant in.

Why can't I do that (on a much larger and much cheaper scale) by simply setting a terracotta pot inside a plastic container? As long as the outer cachepot was waterproof, wouldn't this work the same way as those AV pots?

Or -- would the soil in the inside pot become waterlogged, preventing the roots from breathing?

The depth of the water shouldn't make any difference; it either cuts off the oxygen or doesn't. And I don't think roots will grow where there is no oxygen. But then again, how many plants do I have rooting in water right now...

Do you think the thickness of the walls of the inner pot affect the amount of water that is taken in? (Adjusting for scale, the walls of the insert in the AV pot are two or three times thickers than the walls of a terracotta pot.)

I'm going to try this this summer, in part because I really want -- whatever it was that I really wanted when I was looking at the catalogs last night. But also because now I'm intrigued; this could make caring for the containers on the front porch a whole lot easier!

What do you think? Will this work? Any modifcations you'd make? I'd really appreciate any ideas you have!

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Comments (8)

joefalco
19 years ago
I don't know anything about african violets but if you needed constant wet soil like a bog I don't see why that wouldn't work.

WHat about getting one of those cheap fountain pumps to pump water from a resiveor into the pot and drain back into the resivor. Like the cheap desktop "zen" fountains
glenfawnmary
19 years ago
You could probably use a "wick" system using a large size cotton cable [from the fabric store maybe] if you really don't need a 'bog'soil. Might take more than 1 piece depending on the pot size but it works well for vacation watering...don't see why it would not work. Just need to put the water in one container and the plant in another. I know what I mean...just hope I was able to say it so it can be understood!:)
Mary
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Before answering your question about fertilizing, let's address the limp leaves issue. Either too much water, resulting in root rot, or too little water, resulting in limp leaves. A third possibility is soil mealybugs. Since you are going to repot, which is the right thing to do, I would recommend that you re-think the self-watering pot. They are really tricky to get the right absorption of liquid to keep the soil damp but not soaking. Adding perlite will help, but absorption rates will vary from pot to pot, based upon the clay used. If you are open to the idea, I would use a simple plastic pot that is 1/3 the diameter of the plant. If your heart is set on using the self-watering pot, try this mix: 1/2 of the potting mix you have, and 1/2 perlite. The perlite will keep air spaces so the roots hopefully don't stay waterlogged. It's possible that you have root rot already since the plant is limp, or that there wasn't enough water absorbed and it has been too dry. In either case, knock the plant out of the pot and take a good look at the root ball. If it is really dry, gradually moisten the root ball with your bottled water, a little at a time. If the roots are whitish, that is good. The leaves should perk up after a day. While doing this re-moistening, you can keep the plant in the insert part, but dump the water out of the outer pot. At this point it would seem clear that the clay used in this pot isn't going to allow the correct absorption rate and can't be re-used as intended. If the soil is very moist when it comes out of the pot, closely examine the root ball. If the roots are brown, the plant probably has root rot, which doesn't allow water to get up the stem to the plant. You will need to cut off the root ball, starting at the bottom, and work your way up until all the brown mushy stuff is gone. If you can get to good stem, you can re-root this part. Remove all the limp leaves and all but about the first 2-3 rows of leaves, scrape the stem of any stubs, and place into your soil mix, place in a baggie, and put in a bright (not sun) spot. The crown should grow new roots in a couple of weeks. It is not necessary to feed the plant at this time, but after it has re-rooted, simply mix up a jug at 1/2 the 'dosage' recommended, and use it every time you water. And please look at the analysis of the ingredients. Nitrogen will be the first shown, listing the sources of nitrogen. If it shows urea, and it probably will, do not use it if it is over 7-8%. You can find AV fertilizer online, or email John Cook at Cape Cod Violetry for non-urea fertilizer. Let us know how it turns out. Barbara
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alison
Original Author
19 years ago
I don't think I want the soil as wet as a bog ( -- altho that creates all sorts of other crazy ideas) And the wick idea (I think) involves two separate containers, which is not quite what I envisioned.

But this is all food for thought, and I'll be experimenting with everything this summer!
kayjones
19 years ago
So, why not buy a pot large enough to hold your plant AND a slightly smaller pot(with no drainage hole), plant the larger pot up, run your cotton cord thru the hole in the larger pot - up to the top level of the soil, fill the smaller pot with water to just below the bottom of the larger pot, and place the larger pot INSIDE the smaller pot, with the cord suspended in the water in the smaller pot? I have done this when rooting cuttings and it works like a charm!
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
18 years ago
I was with you until you said "place the larger pot INSIDE the smaller pot". How do you do that?
TwoMonths
18 years ago
I think it means putting a taller pot in a shorter one..ones that have the same kind of shape and size on the bottom. then it would leave a few inches free of pot to place water. think stacking glasses that have a wider band on the top...the top glass will not go all the way down into the next glass. duh, I think the other explaination might be clearer than mine. June
brendan_of_bonsai
18 years ago
why not take a hose splitter and run a thin line to your planter and punch a pinprick into it, then have a drain off of your planter that heads to other plants that can use any excess water, say set up a small tomatto planter below the violets.
bruggirl
18 years ago
I used to grow African Violets, and I used this method to water when I was gone for extended periods of time:

Fill a plastic container (I usually used old margarine tubs) almost full of water. Punch a hole in the top big enough for a cord to go through. For a 6 inch pot, use 3 plies of 4 ply acrylic yarn to wick into the plant container, and then down the hole into the water. Place your pot on top of the container, and that should water it for about a week. Of course, outside in the heat, you'll run up against evaporation and such, so check it every three days.

OH! forgot...put three pennies into the water container...it keeps the fungus out.

I guess you could put the plastic container into something prettier, like maybe a larger pot, to make it more attractive outside.

Crazy self-watering giant african violet pot idea

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joefalco

glenfawnmary

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alison
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Crazy self-watering giant african violet pot idea

Comments (8)

joefalco

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alisonOriginal Author

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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)

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