Xuan I've never seen pots like that for African violets.
(Ask CIndee about my African violets). Where did you get them? Are they plastic? Tell me, tell me I'm always looking for ways to improve their growth.
Barb

First, lovely photos, Xuan! The orchids are fascinating, as is the garlic vine! I especially like the spotted yellow Vanda orchid flowers! The AVs are beautiful, and I'm curious about the pots, as well! Where do we find them? Do tell! As Barb says, we're always looking for ways to help with better growth!

Happy Holidays to you and your family, too, Xuan!

Ooooo Xuan, I love those pot too! Your orchids are yummy!

Great photos. I would like to know about those pots, too, Xuan. Tell, tell, tell!

Those pots would be nice for orchids, too, I'm thinking! What a great idea the design is... I hope they are, or will be, commercially available in the US... I've never seen that design before... so, Xuan, where can we all get those?!

Hello folks! These cups are nice aren't they. I was very excited when I found them too.
They are ceramic filters for tea. (You know you pour tea through the cup to hold back the tea leaves.) These cups are discarded because they have faults in them (tiny cracks in the bottom, or dirty spots somewhere, etc.) so they're sold at the factory outlet near where I live. Since they have lots of holes all around and in the bottom, they make good pots for violets (but you might need to water the plants oftener!). I suppose if we pot violets directly in them, we might have to somehow cover the side holes to keep back moisture. Here I use them as decorative pots because my violets are on wicks.
I guess they might be commercially available somewhere in the US because Vietnam exports a lot of ceramic products. Just don't look at the plant departments, look at household chinawares shelves :-)
They are about 2.5" wide and cost $0.40 each. Don't know if this is a lot or not, compared to what you would normally pay for violet pots. I will be more than glad to send you some. Pls email me if you're interested.
Oh, thanks for your comments about my flowers.

Xuan

I'm wondering which stores here in the States would carry something like that... if anyone finds them, please post the name of the store where you located them! I'll check locally in my area, and if I come across anything, I'll post... I'm off to check online right now... there's a possibility that someone is selling them on the net...

Of course. Infusers. But I thought these were bigger than an infuser. Sometimes photos can be a bit deceptive! I am a tea drinker too, but mostly throw the leaves in the pot and then add the water over. No infuser in other words. I could get them in Chinatown, I bet. I will check and if not, perhaps will email you.

Xuan, I'd buy a whole box and Share with BarbC, who is an avid African Violet hybridizer! That is an incredible cheap price in my mind!

They looked bigger. You must be growing minis or semi minis in them? I'm afraid shipping here would be astronomical but thanks for the offer.

I found something similar at a place called EnjoyingTea.com and posted the link below... however, the ones Xuan has are much better and have lots more tiny holes in the sides...

Hopflower - If you happen to find some in Chinatown, please let us know... I think those would make excellent orchid pots for smaller orchids!

Here is a link that might be useful: EnjoyingTea.com

With regard shipping... I have an idea: I might be able to ask my friends to carry a box-full (around 30) of these to California for me and then send the box to, say Cindee. You can then get the pots from there. It won't cost much, that way, since international airlines allow each passenger to the US two pieces of luggage, each 70 lbs, free of charge (exception of United Airlines which allows only 50 lbs for economy class). Shipping will be only for the continental US, and you can pay for them if you wish.
So pls do let me know if you really want them. I'm glad to be doing this for my amaryllis friends anyway, so don't feel you're asking too much. You can send me some bulbs later in return :-).
Jodi, I'm afraid the pots are small for orchids. They are fit for mini and semi-mini Avs.

Xuan

jodik, those are too small for anything really other than AVs. They fit into a teapot, or, in Chinatown, the mugs that the Chinese sometimes use to brew tea. Not at all large enough to accommodate an orchid. I thought they were much bigger so did not recognise them for what they actually were. Frankly, my AV would not fit into one now either. It is over ten years old and has grown some. But they are appealling as a starter pot!

I don't think my AV would fit into one, either, but I have seen some miniature orchid species that may fit, at least until they got older... I think they would be very useful as starter pots for mini plants of several types... actually, I was thinking that young Papilio bulbs, and other more epiphytic varieties of hippeastrum, would benefit from being planted in one of those!

Hopflower... they do look a bit larger than they actually are... they are very pretty, and they have that "useful, beneficial" look to them, like they are perfect for the health of small plants!

If a coordinated effort to bring some into the country does happen, I'd be willing to buy about 3 of them and pay to have them shipped from where ever they land! And I'd be more than willing to make sure Xuan was compensated for her efforts in getting them here!

And so, if the idea comes to fruition, please keep me in mind as a trader/buyer! They are wonderful little pots!

Xuan, I am very interested. Please let me know how to get them. Thanks so much! I will certainly have some special goodies for you for doing this for me. I'll bet Barb will be intereted in having some. I will gladly share with anyone interested!

No sweat, friends :-)!
After my daughter's wedding this weekend, I'll get over to the factory outlet and grab as many as I can for you. Then, hopefully, when my son-in-law (current one) goes to the US in January, I can "make" him take the box. If he's too "cranky" and M-I-L has no power (huhuhu)... then my daughter will be going back to the US in March and I'm sure she will be happy to help out. In short... you will definitely get the pots, sooner or later. My people will be travelling to San Francisco California, so I think it will be best to ship the (future) box to an address close by. When I pack I will make sure they won't break easily.
These pots are so adorable you will fall in love with them when you see them and more so if they can be used for your lovely AVs or starter bulbs.

Xuan

PS: Cindee, pls email me your address just in case there's no member living in or near Cali, we can send the pots to you. Thanks.

Yes I am very interested. I live very near Cindee so that makes it more doable.

I'm in central Illinois... not close to Cindee or the west coast... but whatever I can do to help, I'm in! Just say the word!

Barb, we'll share. Jodi I have some spring stuff coming your way (The AV Wild Mustang I started for you is making roots!) so I will send some pots your way. Xuan, my friend, I am emailing you the particulars. Thanks so very much!! All my new baby AVs that acquired this fall will be beholding to you!

However we can do it will be fine! Thank you, Cindee! I can't wait for warmer weather to get here so things can move through the mail without freezing!

The AV I cured of longneck is doing ok, but every single leaf I tried to start rotted and died on me! I still have no idea what I'm doing wrong! I'm officially giving up for now! I'll work on propagation some other time... right now, I'm focusing on my hippis and orchids!

The Epi Radicans you sent me is doing wonderful! I'm afraid the other two didn't make it... they were frost bitten in the mail, and never recovered... but the Epi Radicans is alive and well, and growing some sort of thingy from a leaf node... an arial root, perhaps?

I've been doing a lot of research on orchids, and I've come to the conclusion that some of the Epidendrums are perfect for the growing conditions I have... I'm going to add to my tiny collection in the spring!

Jodi, you'd better watch out, orchids are very "contagious"... You will have to make a lot of time of them. I keep some in both of my gardens, but thanks to the climate here, they're surviving on their own and occasionally give me some blooms, which is quite ok since I don't have that much time for them. I have been much into AVs and then things got out of hand and I've found I'm in all sorts of plants: succulents, orchids, amaryllis, hoyas...
The clay pots for orchids are dirt cheap over here and I wish I could send you some. Only because they're made of clay with a lots of holes... I'm afraid they can get broken easily in the mail, not like the ceramic infusers. Sigh!!! Maybe when I go to the US then!
Here's a pix of the orchid pot.
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Xuan

Xuan, that lipstick is lovely!! Jodi, the Epi's are a hardy bunch. You are getting arial roots. It means it's happy and has put enough earth roots down so now it will suck up the air and moisture. They love being splashed with water! I have to repot my bucket by my patio fountain, they are crawling all over the patio!

Xuan, those are nice orchid pots... I have some clay orchid pots with slits in the sides that work pretty good... I'm sure they're more expensive over here, though... and that lipstick plant is beautiful! Luckily, I have the time for a few orchids!

Cindee, the Epi does seem to be pretty happy, and it doesn't seem to require much work... it just sits next to Minerva and enjoys the east window! I've been hoping for an early spring so I can get a few more orchids! I think I'm getting addicted to these, as well!!

I think there were some orchid pots marketed at one time called "Crack Pots"! Heheh; a little joke, but they sure were popular with the orchid people.

The local garden center sells unglazed orchid pots with big slits down the sides, and they work out nice... they also have glazed, decorative pots with different shaped holes in them, like stars and hearts and such... I just don't like the fact that they're glazed... I prefer just plain clay.

I try to stay away from plastic pots because they hold moisture too long in my climate... although, I know a lot of "orchid people" swear by the plastic clear pots...

Here is the link....

Here is a link that might be useful: Orchid Pots

Oh hop, I like those! they would look nice hanging in my trees with my orchids!

Thanks, Hopflower! Those are awesome! And the colors! Oh my! I can see I need to look further into orchid pots... those are really nice! I bet my Phals would look wonderful in those, and they have lavender ones that would match the flowers!

Hey Hop...Thanks for posting that link to the pots. They are very pretty AND can be used on hippies too specially the miniature ones. I would love to get some of those.

You know, mariava7, I was wondering about that. It seems that those aerated pots would be good for hippeastrum, but no one seemed to know about them when I asked before! Do you have a favourite potting mix or formula that you use for our hippies?

For my newly purchased bulbs, I use a coco coir/vermiculite/perlite/charcoal mix. Ones they are more established with good roots, I repot them to next bigger pot using Promix/perlite/vermiculite/charcoal/compost mix with some organic fertilizer in it.

Please don't say I'm too particular. You'll be sounding just like my hubby...lol!

Maria, you have taught me well! I do the same thing, but my mix is a bit different... I use a mix of coco coir, vermiculite, a bit of charcoal, and just enough Miracle Gro or Schultz potting soil to give it a good texture... I would add perlite, but I don't have any at present... and to ensure good drainage, the bottom of each pot has a thin layer of charcoal pieces under the coco mix...

I plan on bumping some of the bulbs up a pot size before I send them outside in spring... others, that are already in larger pots, will be given a topdressing... and I will sprinkle a bit of Osmocote, and possibly a systemic insecticide, on everyone before they go out to the garden...

I was at Lowe's last night, and I found some really nice orchid pots made of unglazed clay... they are the perfect size for smaller bulbs, and have nice slits running down the sides... I picked up a few to try them out, and may get more if the bulbs like them!

I have always preferred to mix my own soil for potted plants, and I do so if I can... I think it pays off to be particular about the medium you use! Since working with coco coir products, I notice a difference in my plants... they all seem happier! I also notice that no molds or other funky things grow on the soil surface...

No way, maria. I would never say you are too particular! I appreciate people using the best tools available to them to do their jobs. That means good potting soil or home made mixes, good trowels, and reliable pots and the like.

I was curious becaue I am trying to find just the right mix to be assured of healthy plants. Sometimes it helps to know what others have success with. Yours sounds great, I guess I am going to have to fo find some coir for my plants. I have Perlite, but it tends to work its way to the top when spent, it is rather ugly and not really the best thing I don't think. I do use some vermiculite and some horticultural sand in my soil mix.

How does the sand work out for you, Hopflower? That's one item I haven't used yet, but have thought about trying... I added quite a bit to the bulb bed outdoors to help amend the soil... and I've wondered how it would work if I used a little in my potting mix... for some reason, I keep thinking it would make the mix heavier... but outdoors, it really helps with drainage, I know... I should try adding a little and see how it feels... hmmm...

According to Ms Read, (who, I guess, should know!) she advocates a variety of mixes that are good; none of them available here. So, we have to mix ours according to the basic plan, of course. She says that a good soil mix commercially bought is fine as a base, but about a third should be peat and a third vermiculite or horticultural sand or Perlite. I don't care for Perlite especially because after awhile it rises to the top and looks unsightly. It does do its job, however. I guess it is a matter of choice. So this year I used hort sand. It does make a nice gritty, airy mix. I mixed it with a trowel with about one third of the total mix of Edna's Best potting mix, the sand, and one third peat. It seems to be working fine so far; I suppose time will tell! The newly planted San Remo I acquired about ten days ago is starting to scape; I only planted it two days ago. I used straight potting mix for the Apple Blossom. It drained well in the pot I got for it, but of course, as I mentioned before, the pot is a bit too small. I will repot it as soon as it quits flowering. I have another small scape on it about to flower, however so that project has to wait. I am going to try some of that coir Maria mentioned if I can find some. Some people say cocoanut fibre is good, too.

You grow some awfully nice ones however; what is your secret?

My secret? No secret, really... I do spend a lot of time caring for them... my recipe is as follows, though... I use nothing but unglazed clay pots, my medium is a mix of cocopeat, vermiculite, and a bit of Miracle Gro potting soil, with a layer of charcoal pieces on the pot bottom for drainage... I alternate between Miracle Gro liquid houseplant fertilizer and Schultz's Bloom Plus, both used rather dilute... every once in a while, I add a few drops of Superthrive to the fertilizer water... I also use fish emulsion fertilizer every once in a while... I sort of alternate fertilizers, since I can't seem to find the proper NPK numbers in any one type...

I think the 2 things that have proven to show better growth for me are the Superthrive and the cocopeat, or coco coir, used as the medium base.

Cocopeat, or coco coir, as it's called, can be found online at most Hydroponic type stores... a while back, there was a thread containing information and links about coco coir. I bought a whole bale of the stuff, and it'll take me quite a while to use it all... I just had it shipped right to my door! I made sure to get the kind that has been pre-washed to get rid of excess salts...

I don't think there's any one secret to growing nice plants, per se... I think it's a combination of using good products, plus keeping a close eye on things... I tend to hover!

I am definitely going to try adding a little sand to my mix, though... it sounds like it would aid in better drainage, and give the mix a better "feel" to it...

What do you consider your best gardening secret? Do tell! :-)