Wick Watering
johnva
18 years ago
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soundgarden
18 years agoRelated Discussions
Wick-Watering, Gritty Mix, Hydroton, What to Do?
Comments (1)I think African violets will work better in 5-1-1 than in gritty mix. But I also think neither mix will work well if you're using capillary mats to wick water. Self-watering containers need a finer more absorbent mix. Raybo, who invented the Earthtainer that is a very popular version, recommends a mix that is 3 parts of a high quality peat-based mix like Promix, to 2 parts pine bark fines to 1 part perlite. Also, note that Reptibark is in chunks that are a little on the large size for either mix. I've used it in large containers (1 gallon or more) of gritty mix, but I don't think it would work well for your tiny containers....See MoreSip vs wick watering?
Comments (19)it's essentially the same method, but with sub-hydro there probably will be more water wicked up - so the soil has to be 50% perlite and the wcik farely thin. i use twisted 2-ply acrylic yarn from a knit shop. even then it might be too soggy. i use smth like that bottle method, except that the AV is in it's reg pot with wick trailing in water in a large yogurt container. the pot is usually too small to rest on the rim. so i nestle the 3rd container in between with a hole cut in the center, thru which the wick trails down. so it's like yogurt container, shallow 'dip' container the same diameter with hole cut and then AV pot on top. with this contraption i don't have to add/change water more then once every 2 weeks. algae not a problem since yogurt containers are not transparent.and i add peroxide (and fertilizer) in water to keep it fresh. if i see that the soil i soggy - i just lift it out or periodically stop adding more water and let it go drier. at some point i had over 40 AVs going very happy and blooming non-stop and getting very large too. but then mites came...but that's another story. i have no problem going away on vacation either :). but i do remove rotted bottom leaves promptly. and i don't put very young small plants on the wick - too wet for them. they stay bagged and watered by hand minimally until they start flowering....See Morepropagating new leaves, wick watering
Comments (16)I live in central TX. I keep my thermostat set at 81. Yes, 81. I started some leaves as an experiment in the plastic applesauce containers. I put them in baggies. They are under lights. After a while, I noticed how unhappy they were looking, and I really think they were cooking in the bags. Years ago, I started leaves, with the crappy AV soil mix that was available at the time, and I had success. I did not baggy them. I recently received an order that includes leaves, and I have them in a wicking mix + extra perlite in little plastic cups. I'm not going to baggy them. I have ordered a humidity dome and tray, but I am not sure I want to use that right now at the end of August. I may wait. If you want to wick for your young plants when they are large enough, I highly recommend Oyama pots. I've had great success with them. My mini babies I've put in the 1.5" pots, and depending on the size of the semi or standard baby, I put them in the 2.5" pots. I think I have one semi in a 1.5' pot. Oyamas work well here in Tex. You put a small layer of perlite in the bottom of the planter pot, and this acts a small barrier between the plant and the water as the water is wicked from the perlite. I am sold on them....See MoreWick watering
Comments (18)Linda, Thanks for posting the link and the info. The mats look similar to what I saw at my local greenhouse/hardware store. My plant trays (for the leaves) with domes are all on a carpeted floor with the heat vent very near them. It is electric heat from a floor vent. I was hoping that would help, like a heat mat. However, the domed plants seem to dry out more quickly. I don't seal the domes, I just rest them on top, thinking that the small amount of ventilation is probably good. Not sealing them might be causing them to dry out faster now that the heat has to stay on. Thanks for mentioning the Physan 20. I will get the Physan to have on hand. I noticed one plant that I had been watering from the top and had moved to a darker spot developed powdery mildew on two leaves. In my present environment, in the rooms where I keep violets, one entire wall is glass, so the house is very bright. I might look for a light meter to test for light intensity. Irina suggests using Marathon as preventative or prophylactic. I have used some type of treatment in the past (not sure what it was). It was a suspension, seemed like clay particles that never dissolved. It was gritty and had a faint, unpleasant odor. I hope it wasn't Marathon by another name. I have now bought the Marathon (a generic) and also Neem oil. Once I begin repotting older plants, I will treat them with the Neem and the Marathon. Not sure where to buy the fish emulsion that Irina suggested. I have not had any bug problem aside from a couple of flying tiny black flies in the summer. I put out some fruit fly traps and washed the plants that were affected (because I put them outdoors for a few hours. )The bugs went away with the fruit fly traps. Neem and Marathon would just be preventative. One of my variegates, that has not bloomed, developed two solid dark green leaves. I moved its location to a spot that gets less light. I was keeping the heat off, down to about 59 during the day until I read not to let it go that low. Maybe that caused the greening. Or moving it to a spot where it gets less light. Thanks again for all your help! Joanne This post was edited by fortyseven on Fri, Dec 27, 13 at 23:29...See Morebumblebees_mom
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