Hoya Wick Watering
angeleyedcat
13 years ago
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Comments (16)
angeleyedcat
13 years agoRelated Discussions
Can wick watering overwater your plant?
Comments (1)?...See MoreCloudy water in wicking reservoir
Comments (5)I've been thinking about your problem the last two days, Moonflower, waiting for someone with more wisdom than I to respond, but since no one else seems to be taking a stab at answering your questions, I thought I'd start...by asking you a few more questions :-) and trying to use the process of elimination. It sounds like you are using glass jars for your reservoirs, correct? If it's glass, it's certainly not a problem with the reservoir itself. I'm assuming you wash the reservoirs periodically, too, yes? And likely what would need washing would be algae which would be green, not "cloudy." Now, I used Schultz violet food years ago and never noticed a cloudiness issue with it - not that formulas can't change with the times, but if you used it once before and didn't see cloudy water that it's not likely the fertilizer. Most fertilizers are tinted blue so you can see that they are present in the water, so little do they affect the clarity of H2O. Probably not the Schultz' product. You probably are using the same source of water as usual, yes? I know from past experience with water that is high in certain minerals, that it can turn cloudy or even orange colored with exposure to the air. Any plumbing work done recently? Well problems? Municipal water changed? Unless your water source has had major changes or disturbances, probably not the water itself. But you say the cloudiness "settles." Settling tells me that some kind of particles are temporarily being suspended in the water, perhaps getting stirred up again as you pour new water into the reservoir? Where would the particles come from? The container you are using to water with? Probably not, if like most people I know you use a plastic watering can or other plastic vessel of some shape for watering your indoor plants. Then I wondered what you are using for your wicks? Could it be you are using a natural fiber yarn (like cotton) and it is disintegrating into your water? If that's the case, you'll need to replace the wicks eventually, but it won't "hurt" anything meanwhile. You should be using a man-made fiber like polyester for wicking. Well, that's all I can come up with at the moment - I hope some or any of this helps! Anyone else with any thoughts or more questions for Moonflower83?...See Morefirst try at water wicking
Comments (3)Thanks for the reply. So, they have been wicking for about a month and a half now. I say success because I was prepared for them to die off pretty quickly. I haven’t been letting them dry out. I have been filling the reservoir when it gets low. I will let them dry out for a couple of days just to see what the result is. I try not to let any of my other streps wilt but it has happened on the oyama pots because I can’t see if they still have water. Also some use the water faster than others. The soil does have vermiculite but actually it is probably not an equal 1:1:1. I went very light on it and actually added extra perlite to be on the safe side. As far as the wick I have seen others in pictures and videos where a little of the wick was sticking out of the top (about half an inch) so I figured it is ok. The top that is sticking out of the soil is actually damp. I guess I can just cut if off at the soil line which would probably be easier than trying to stick inside the soil. This is just an experiment of some extra plants that I grew from the leaves so if they die it won’t be the end of the world. So far, they are growing really fast and haven’t wilted at all. If these continue to work well after some additional time, I wanted to try a couple AVs as well. I am not sure if I will have the courage to move any of my big plants to this system because I don't want to lose any of them. As far as the difference between the two it sounds like your saying that AVs are easier than streps to wick because of the dry out period. I do let my AVs dry out a little. I don't fill the reservoir until the top of the soil is dry or they feel on the light side. They are all in oyama pots....See Moreroot under wick vs hand water
Comments (21)Rosie - I only use Violetshowcase soil for AVs. I am sure all of us have a leaf pot that is crying to be divided. I probably have 50. Separate the plantlets - and plant them in Solo cups with different soil mixes, trying to more or less use the same size babies. Go through the motions - 10 days under the dome, then out. You can make a comparison quite soon - but you can as well wait till the first bloom. Under the lights and on wicks... I would think they will be in bud in 2-3 months. Compare. Which are better plants, which are blooming faster. I would say - choose something that is normally very eager to bloom and grow. No minis and no curled leaves ones. Amazing Grace can take a whole year.. I think Paul Sorano plants are mostly fast growers. You probably need to grow 2-3 plants in each mix for better statistics. I believe Miracle Grow is now made in China - and what is sitting in a bag... who knows, it is not very consistent. So while some of us are using it with extra perlite - it is not the same as it was 20 years ago. i....See Morekellyknits
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