Do you have any pictures that you could post? I've never used self-watering pots, but could it be powdery mildew from all the humidity?

Welcome to the forum, Andrew.

I agree that pictures would be most helpful :)

One thought that I had was I wonder if the water sitting is what is "hosting" whatever is growing.

I use something called Physan 20 in my water and it helps to control almost anything that loves to grow in water :)

I also wonder if it could be fertilizer salts?

See if you can get us some pics, ok?

Here is a link that might be useful: Physan 20

Thanks for the quick replies, I use very little fertilizer so I don't think it's that. I was just looking into Physan-20. Trying to find where to buy it in St. Louis! I'm going to go open a Flikr account so I can post a pic. Won't be the best quality, it'll be from an iPhone.
Andrew

First try on the pics..

Here is a link that might be useful:

Here shows the inside of the pot and the gunk built up on it. This is as close as I can get the camera.
Thanks again,
Andrew

Here is a link that might be useful:

One of these should work for you. Either the link or copy and paste below into your browser. Whew, I don't know why this is so difficult!
Andrew
http://s736.photobucket.com/albums/xx8/astone6484/Violet/?action=view¤t=Violet2.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful:

Welcome to the forum Andrew.

If it is a fungus or mold the Physan 20 should work. You should also remove all of the dead leaves and flowers (fungus/mold/other pathogens love to grow in dead plant matter).

However, looking at your pictures, I think it might just be a build up of materials leaching from the unglazed portion of your pot. If that's the case, the Physan 20 won't cure the problem. You'll just need to constantly wash off the gunk and over time it won't build up as much or as often. Keep an eye on the soil moisture over time too since the leaching may impact water absorption. My African Violets love self-watering pots and I've found some that are expensive but work perfectly. However, there are differences in the clay mixes potters use. As a result, when I've tried other brands of pots to save money, I've found some that allow too much water in, some that don't allow enough, and some that have leaching problems. You may eventually need to put the plant into a different pot. Good luck. It looks like your plant sure loves to bloom!

I agree that it's a build up but I still think that Physan 20 needs to be in all water when plants are wicked.

dora

Andrew -

I second Donna -

you have an accumulation of salts on your pot which are unsightly and when on the edge of the pot - they burn the leaves that touch it.

If you want to use a self watering pot - look at Oyama - it is plastic - white, brown or green - works really well - be sure that your soil is very light - 1:1:2 - peat -vermiculite-perlite - layer of perlite on the bottom - and do not forget to repot your violet every 6-12 months.

I personally think that ceramic double pots are not really to your advantage. There is a way to make them work, but in my opinion it is not worth the trouble. For me wicking works much better and so much easier and permits me to have a large collection. Way too large collection ;-))

Sure this one loves to bloom!

Irina

Thank you so much for your follow ups!
This is not fertilizer salts, it is soft and gunky, I really don't want to touch it, it's like that. (I have a serious mold aversion, got really sick once). I'll try to borrow a better camera and write a better description by tomorrow.
By the way, as soon as I have the money I'm buying Physan-20, and not just for my violet. I have orchids that may benefit from time to time from a dose of Physan.

If it was my plant (remember, IF) I would knock the plant out of that pot and re-pot it. I would use a potting medium of 1 part peat, 1 part vermiculite, and one part perlite. If I was going to wick water the plant on a reservoir, I would add an additional 1/2 part perlite. I would use a plastic pot that is 1/3 of the diameter of the plant AFTER I groom it by removing the dead and mushy leaves, leaves with all the brown spots, and leaves that are way out of symmetry. I would also remove all the blossoms so the plant will direct its energy into producing roots and leaves.

Self-watering pots can be a mixed blessing. Unless you have a very light potting mix, they generally provide too much water to the soil. Fertilizer salt buildup is almost impossible to leach out; how are you going to run water through that pot? If the pores clog up, how are you going to unclog them?

I don't think the gunk is mold. I agree that it appears to be fertilizer salt, which can stay sort of soft because it is in the water.

Yeah, I know, some people have had fantastic luck with a self-watering pot. Their plant leads a charmed life.

Barbara

Cheap solution - get yourself a pair of latex or any household gloves to protect your hands.

Dip a piece of paper towel into rubbing alcohol and try to wipe the stain. Second option - 1:3 bleach to water solution.
If it is some kind of mold - you will kill it, if it is a salt accumulation - you will be able to remove at least some of it.

I agree with you - if it looks yucky - you do not want to display your beautiful blooming violet in it. What you can do - just repot it to a plastic pot with wick with the size that will fit your ceramic one. Soak the ceramic pot - top and bottom in a strong bleach solution until all the stain is gone. You can drill a bottom hole in an upper part of a ceramic pot and use the bottom part as a water/weak fertilizer solution reservoir for the plant. I promise you - if you use the light soil Barbara mentioned - you would be amazed how well it works plus you can always disassemble the contraption - and clean your ceramics squeaky clean.

Physan 20 is a good preventative for powdery mildew and a mild fungicide for orchids. It has a couple more brand names with the similar active ingredients - I think Consan is one of them.

I.

Wow, thanks everyone! You all sure have some experience. This is my first violet, and it's a tester for the light levels I keep some of my orchids in. Don't want this stuff to spore and infect everything. Physan on the way.
Irina, if it's easy, can you post a picture showing the wicking pot conversion you describe? I'm having a little trouble picturing it.
By the way, after just a couple of months in this pot I checked the soil (Miracle Gro for AV's) and it's way too soggy. This pot was a special order from Mississippi Mud Pottery, so who knows how that clay wicks. It's a beautiful pot but maybe not very good for violet culture.
Andrew

There might be nothing wrong with your pot. As I mentioned, my AVs LOVE ceramic self-watering pots (Only a few get to live in them though. The rest live in solo cups and plastic pots). However, there is a trick to making them work well. I also use Miracle Grow AV mix, which is 45% - 55% peat. I've found that is too much peat and the mix gets waterlogged. I add extra perlite and vermiculite like Barbara mentioned for wicked plants and the mix works well. Also as she mentioned, eventually the inserts can clog because of the minerals, fertilizer components, etc. passing through. The vendor I use recommends soaking the inserts in vinegar if that happens. The vinegar dissolves the deposits and you're back in business.

If the pot simply lets in too much water, I love Irina's idea of turning it into a decorative wicked one. You'd have an attractive pot to display your plant without drowning it.

I've read comments online that Physan 20 is great to control snow mold in orchids too.

Andrew -

we are lucky to have a great website recovered. Rachel is already gone and growing heavenly violets, She created a wonderful site and a lot of us started our hobby with learning the basics there. Her friends from Violet Reflections forum keep it alive.

Enjoy! And read about wicking!

Irina

PS Donna - you have a green thumb, that's why - it is not about wonderful ceramic pots - it is about you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rachel's Reflections

Thanks Donna and Irina!
Irina, I just spent an hour and a half pouring over the website you recommended. Great stuff, thank you!
Still having trouble picturing how to convert this beautiful ceramic self-watering pot. Do I drill a hole in the bottom for the wick, and use the outer pot as the resevoir?

Andrew

Andrew -

that's what you can do. Donna would probably make it work as is.

In my understanding - sooner or later the pores will clog and the only way to unclog them would be to fire it up in a kiln at 1200F. Home Depot pots can clog in 3 months if the water is hard, nice expensive pots take longer. But eventually - you either fire a kiln (usually people who do ceramics as hobby know where to do it) or use it as a cachepot. Why I know it - we have a lady in the north Denver - her name is Cindy - and she is making these super nice ones - and takes them back to refire as needed.

irina

Hi Andrew,
I hate those damned ceramic self watering pots. I would remove it from the pot and put it into a plastic pot with a wick. Then if you want to use ur ceramic pot as a reservoir I would find something that would raise the height of the plastic pot so that it looks good in the ceramic pot and set it on top of that and keep filling the reservoir with water, fertilizer and physan 20.
Fred in NJ

You've distilled all the advice so far, and settled my mind. Thanks Fred and everyone else!