it depends on the mix. if your sphag does not dry up it prolly means your mix does not have enough perlite. i grow my epi's in shallow tubs, about 1" of mix. if yours are in deeper pots they will dry up slower..as you say..it all depends :) as i go away for long periods ...my reservoir does not stay full for long ;). when wicks are unattended, the top layer tends to dry up while the bottom is still ok (when the pot is deep enough..but mine are not! hence sphag) i also always have some stuff in pure perlite rooting..on wick too. yes, perlite wicks but weakly. sometimes i add a bit of coir dust (coir peat) to it just on the surface to improve wicking. and in a hurry, sphag on top. both begonias and epi's will root into sphag nicely.

I am so glad you have much better luck with Rob's than I do hopefulauthor. I love the varieties that Rob has hybridized. But honestly, I don't think the conditions they provide in their greenhouses merit shipping anywhere in the world. I posted in a different thread, that in the last avm, Rob said that they have very alkaline water where they are, and that they use a fertilizer that works well with their water. He also says on his site that they leave the lights on 24 X 7. I order from Rob's because I like the plants, but let me tell you, they ship stressed, small violets. Violetbarn, is not what I would consider a good vendor for beginners at all. I last received 10 plants from them. 4 failed right away. The other 6 went into shock, which looks like overfertilizing, but I think that it's due to getting 6 hours of darkness each day after lights on 24 X 7 since their birth...(and perhaps because I have 6.5-6.9 water here in NJ.) They say they ship healthy plants, but are not responsible after they leave the green house. I personally think there are steps they could take, to help there violets survive once they leave the greenhouse. I love their violets, so perhaps you can understand that I am disappointed with the plants they ship. I always put down leaves when I get plants from them, because I can grow the ones I start myself with no problem. IMO the plants from lyndonlyon.com are much more adaptable, and they are bigger (and a tad more expensive.) I'm not sure I'll order from violetbarn again, it's starting to feel silly paying for plants, when I should be paying for leaves.

I just stopped by the home depot at Cumberland mall area and they still have a nice little collection. Of course, quality might be slightly lower than a reputable nursery... but they look healthy enough.

yah - Joanne, i really could see that the whole growing to sell thing could be really stressful. it intrigues me to sell my extras on ebay... but im not sure if i could ship well enough to satisfy people. i dont have room to keep all the extras and i like the thought of selling so i can put that money back into my violets. but anyhow! i feel like ive missed lots of discussions on here lately! we are homeward bound tomorrow. oh and if anyone else wants to know where to buy African Violets in Lancaster PA... go to Esbenshades Greenhouse! :) they even told me that they will be getting in some minis in a few weeks. sigh. just missed them. i did pick up four there though! i believe that they are all optimara. :) red, pink, blue, and a white/pink. they need some tlc... which i can handle. ;) i also found a maidenhair fern which i had been looking for FOR. EVER. ;) oh Joan - just reading back posts here! trader joe?? i didnt know they had violets! hmm. gonna have to remember that. did you get the one that might have been ingrid?? i love that one! rosie, dont apologize for your trips down memory lane! ;) i enjoy hearing the history behind the journeys.