Here's what I do or have done in the past. I wick water my violets for ease using a 1:1:1 mix of peat moss, perlite, and coarse vermiculite. I use a couple of strands of 100% synthetic fiber mason's twine (available near the rope and chain at Lowes or Home Depot) for the wick. Miniatures and semi-minis should never be potted in a pot larger than 2.5" in diameter. As far as fertilizer goes, I use the Optimara violet fertilizer, 14-12-14, at a strength of 1/8th tsp per gallon of water every time I refill the reservoirs. A bright east window, or a lightly shaded south or west window is good. North windows often do not provide sufficient light to get violets to bloom well. I find minis and semi-minis should be repotted frequently, around every 3 months to do their best and certainly no longer than every 6 months. Minis and semi-minis also have a tendency to sucker more than many standard violets. This isn't a cultural problem but reflects the genetics of the species that are in their backgrounds. Lastly, if you choose to use lights to grow them, 2 T12 fluorescent tubes placed about 8" above the foliage works well. These small plants seem to require more light than many of the standard varieties. There are also mini and semi-mini trailing varieties. Keep in mind that these size designations refer only to the small size of the individual leaf blades and not to the overall size of the plant itself. I hope this helps.

Mark

Mark, Thanks. Having all this culture stuff under one title may help others, and I certainly do appreciate it.

I have the light problem under control. three large plate glass 4X6 panes facing south with a large water oak right outside takes care of the lights for all my winter time plants inside. I'm planning to grow the violets vertically, not horizontally......more on that later....so lights would be difficult anyway.

Thanks again,

Bill

I am a very beginner. I bought 6 minis in January and they are doing good so far in the kitchen window (south side of the house with a sun room on the other side of the window). I am doing wicking using the squat canning jars and cutting a doughnut circle from sour cream lids for the pot to sit in. They are in a spot that gets a lot of attention so I keep a check on if they are staying moist and if they are getting new blooms. Sometimes the wick stops so I stick the pot in a little china cup full of water for 10 mins and then put it back into the wicking pot.

I am working on a shelf for those 6 new violets I have ordered from fancybloomers.

The next adventure will be to try starting some leaves and suckers.

Frankielynnsie, Hi neighbor. Ya got me beat, I don't even have the plants...or leaves...yet, and am frantically working on getting homes for them. If you are using canning jars, I suspect there are lids and rings in the grocery store that will fit them. You don't need the lids, but in my case I found "condiment cups" that do just fit inside the rings. Might save you having to eat so much sour cream!!!

I'm going to throw a question out to what ever group we have watching this.

I was out poking around in Lowes today and noticed that all the AV potting soil they had contained some kind of slow release fertilizer. I am accustomed to using that in my regular potting soil, mainly because I don't believe there is enough in those bags to make any real difference.

However, I have read several AV growers who say not to use slow release on the AV's. What say Ye? Do you (I'm speaking to the crowd here) use the mix with the fert, or not, and if you do use it do you fertilize during the time it is supposed to be active or not?

I'm going to turn in.....see y'all in the AM.

Bill

I think you are speaking of Miracle Grow? I have used this mixed with a lot of extra perlite, (sometimes it has fertilizer too.) I fertilize as normal because I usually have plants in different mixtures & don't bother to label which is which. I use about 1/4 tsp per gallon & I've never noticed any fertilizer burn. By the way, this is the time of year when one of my favorite mediums hits the shelf: seed starter mix. It is very light weight, PH adjusted, & rarely has fertilizer added. I mix in extra perlite for an excellent growing medium. Terri

Thanks, terri, Yep, Miracle Grow was one of the mixes I saw. I am very familiar with MG, as most orchid growers that I know of use it heavily, mainly because it has the two analysis they mostly use.....10-10-10, and 30-10-10. I use it on everything that I have potted up, with an occasional splurge of Fish Emulsion (summertime outside only....) to insure I'm feeding trace elements. and to keep the local cat population confused. The seed starter mix is very interesting.....I saw that yesterday, and must admit I walked right by it without even considering it. Had I been guessing, I would have said you added additional vermiculite.....the perlite made me stop and think....thanks.

Bill

Hi Bill, I no longer use vermiculite in my AV mixes as its mostly mush. Many years ago, vermiculite was of higher quality and I used it then. I believe the seed mix does contain some vermiculite but with the added perlite makes a fine AV medium IMHO.

By the way, I really like fish emulsion but rarely use it anymore. Years ago while living in the country, I fed my fair sized orchid collection fish emulsion. The plants were outside for the summer. Overnight, the raccoons dug into pots, knocked them over, & generally made a mess of all orchids they could reach. The ones in the trees were safe, but I learned my lesson to only use fish emulsion on plants high above the ground! Terri

i just started using seedling mix with perlite - can't say how it will perform yet, but it "feels" about right. i hate the extra drive to the nursery for non-fertilized perlite, but the MG perlite i get anywhere else turns orange (from the fertilizer) almost instantly. and i had many tight crowns, salt build up on the leaves and other fertilizer related issues.

as for minis, i know it isn't as ornamental, but the ones i am trying on mat watering are doing well. (i've also got an experiment going with clay pots, where i clogged the drainage hole and placed the pot directly in a saucer/reservoir of water. seems to be working well also.)

some of them really don't do well in the dry air in my apartment. fish bowls, tanks, and glass storage jars work well as terraria, though if you cover them, make sure not to let them sit in direct sunlight (i just "cooked" a batch of seeds that way. - oops)

i don't use vermiculite because i had some root rot issues at the beginning. maybe i should start using it again, at least for the winter, but i am hesitant...

Good luck with your plants, and post some pictures ;-)

Karin

newby questions..... whats wrong with vermiculite? whats better about perlite? why use soilless mix?

i use a 1.1.1 mix of vermiculite, peat, and just reg. potting soil. my violets seem happy.... but if using perlite is that much better..... maybe i should do 1.1 perlite and peat!

those of you who dont wick... what kind of watering schedule do you do? i give sips... whenever the soil is dry to touch. once more, everybody seems happy with this. i am considering doing wick watering with my new minis that are coming.... :)

and someone said something about vertical growing violets? never heard of this before!

Nothing wrong with vermiculite. If it works for you keep using it.

Vermiculite stores water, perlite doesn't. Through its surface perlite helps evaporate water and therefore increases humidity, that's why i like it :-)

When i had root rot issues, it was because the soil stayed moist for too long (and the temperatures were too low for a while too). so adding an ingredient that stores even more water seemed counter intuitive (though i am now considering trying coarse vermiculite, on the theory, that, if there is enough air in the mix, moisture shouldn't be an issue).

that's why i started using just perlite (for aeration and humidity) and av or seedling mix, whichever is available at the time and doesn't contain fertilizers.

It's not that either is better than the other, just what works in your environment and with your watering habits. i got perfectly healthy plantlets grown in vermiculite alone. not by me, but whoever did grow them obviously didn't have my "issues"...

Suyoder, Hang on, its coming........I'm the one that used the term "vertical growing violets". I plated the "seed" today for the "miniature AV tree" As soon as it sprouts and is recognizable, I ill publish photos. I think its going to be a hoot! And what a space saver. Its actually an adaptation from my old orchid growing days in a much too small greenhouse.

Terri, around here you don't have to live in the country to attract the raccoons. We are 4 city blocks from the main business section of town, and have not only "coons" and "possoms", but a heard of up to five deer and at least one Red Tailed Hawk that frequent our yard often. Not too many years ago we had Barred Owls nesting in a tree between our house and the neighbors. Neighbor moved, and new residents have yapping dogs, so no more owls.

Suyoder, As I understand it, vermiculite (heated, expanded Mica) is used to hold water in the mix. It has no nutrients unless they are added. Perlite is a type of crushed pumice. It traps air, and helps keep mixes aerated and open so they don't turn into a muddy mess, like so many of todays mixes do.

One of the beautiful lessons I learned many year ago about growing plants is that there is no single way to grow any plant. All the "experts", and nearly all the growers can agree on the way to grow something, and there will be one person somewhere that will come out of nowhere that violates every rule in the book, and has a house full of the most beautiful "somethings" imaginable! The old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" works as well for plants as for anything else. That's why I thought this little topic line might be fun. I for one am learning tons of new info. Thanks all.

Bill

Bill, You got a great discussion going! What to feed the plants is THE most important topic.

Terri, that is hilarious about the raccoons.

Bill, If you are in a buggy environment, you might also want to read up on common bugs AVs are prone to. Then you know what to expect if trouble appears, especially when plants are grown outdoors.

I have been wanting to know about seedling starter mix, so am glad that people shared.

Regarding vermiculite, in your humid area, you can get by without it. Miracle Grow is a commercial formula. It is ok to get started. But not the best thing for the long run.

Some long term growers recommend getting potting mix that is prepared by professional hybridizers like Lyon's or Optimara or mixing their own. If you can find the search features on this Forum, you can trace back to some discussions from 2014 about what to put in your AV potting mix. Some growers use worm castings.. Another ingredient is coir.

Local African Violet clubs have presentations on this topic and share their own mixes.

Joanne

Thanks for the tips...I've been doing all the prep work getting ready for my first order of plants/leaves....When I had the greenhouse I learned how to pack a good three acres of plants into that little half acre affair. I am starting to take off in the same direction with the AV's. My wife just rolls her eyes.

I have some interesting ideas on how to handle a good number of plants in a small area, and in a few weeks will post some of them and see what others think.

I'm learning a great deal from all this chatter, and hope others are too. I'm anxious to get really started with plants, but will wait til the weather moderates a bit before purchasing plants...that way I should be able to get some of the plants that are wintering inside outside and have more room for the AV's inside. As you can see.

I guess one last topic that we have not really covered is fertilizer. Mark touched on it a bit at the very beginning, but I still wonder, since I have seen several different formulations on the market...one even 5-5-5. On here most of you experienced growers keep mentioning a high-lower-high formulation. What say you?

I really am not afraid to strike out on new paths with plants. I figure that if they do not like what I am doing to them they will tell me about it, and usually in plenty of time for me to fix the problem so long as I am alert enough to read the signs quickly.

I think I mentioned the AV leaf I found on the floor at the grocery...I put that stem in a vial of water and got two little plants. each time I removed one I would put the leaf back in the water. Finally it got so short I just planted it with the third little plant still attached. I only had some regular potting mix that really was noting more than rotted wood chips and bog peat, but I put the little leaf stem in that, and today I took 6 little plants off of it and replanted it back into the black yuk. The stem had a large ball of roots, so I figure in a few more weeks i'll have another crop. Am anxious to see the first little plant bloom to see what I have.

I figure the minis can't be any more "sensitive" than that, so bring em on!

Bill

Ok, here's another question......for those growing mini's in a wick setup I've heard some say they use Physan in the water almost constantly to eliminate the fungi, and possibly the green slime growth....There has been some mention of hydrogen peroxide, I assume for both the same reasons....Anyone have experience and want to jump in?

Bill

So far I haven't had any green stuff and am not using anything to keep it from growing, When summer gets here if I have a problem I plan to use hydrogen peroxide.

Thanks for this tip.

I also think that is reassuring, Frankie... How much HP? Its beginning to look like I may be getting into this thing a bit deeper than I at first thought. A few days ago I mentioned to a friend that I was looking for sapling trees that had been marked by vines wrapped around them, and yesterday he produced the first one. I'll let it dry for a while, then I think it will wind up as a Miniature AV tree also. (ref. my latest thread)

I guess I'm going to have to actually obtain a few miniature plants from someplace in the near future, or my wife is going to think I am simply storing her jars in a rather strange way.....☺

Bill

I've been using old mason jars for wicking for a bit over a year now. Yeah, there's some green stuff growing, but when it gets to the point of bothering me, I just wash out the jars. No more than 2 times a year probably, so I don't see it as that big an issue, since it should probably be done anyways, green stuff or no...

about the HP.... i read that it is actually GOOD for houseplants as it ariates the soil and its actually a substitute for say rain water which is supposedly really good for the plants. google it.... very interesting actually. :) i use it about once a month. i put 2 tsp in a gallon of room temp water.

Those bottles of H seem to hang around the house forever, now I actually have a use for it!

just thought i would post several helpful links. i did the research before i decided to buy these... but then when i went on amazon i was overwhelmed at ALL the different kinds of condiment cups! and i had no idea which ones would fit the tiny jelly jars. so i thought i would save someone all the trouble and just post two links of the two things i bought... and i can testify that they all fit and work together for wicking. I have never done wick watering before so I was a little paranoid... but it actually works! I know - that's "duh" for some of your long timers... ,but as a beginner, I was terrified to try anything new. :-P

4 oz. jar

condiment cup

I have a large collection of minis and semis which are mostly wicked watered. I do not use Physan as I have read that it can kill the beneficial bacteria in the soil along with killing the algae. Potting mix is Promix BX with added perlite, about 50/50. I alternate between fertilizers but like Jack's 20-20-20 and also use Better Gro Orchid Plus fertilizer. My favorite wicking pots are these clear acrylic reservoirs (see photo) that hold a 2 1/4" pot with 6 ounces of water. They let me see exactly if I need to add water to the reservoir, unlike the Oyama pots.

I like the colored clear pots. Where do you find those?

frankielynnsie: I just sent you a message about where to buy them if you are interested in the clear acrylic reservoirs.

Bill, If you have not ordered yet, I suggest you order from either Lyon's or Fancy Bloomers.

They take the business very seriously and are sincere.

From "another vendor," a well-known one, I got mislabeled plants. In reading back on this forum, I have learned that is a common practice of the "other vendor" going back as much as 5 or 6 years, even ten years, so that shows it is a consistent practice. Not just a mere accident. I ordered only a few plants from the "other vendor" on two occasions and both times, got mislabeled plants. If you don't care too much about labels, since you are just starting out, then maybe it doesn't matter too much. Joanne

Joanne, Have been a bit out of the loop the past day or two, so am just getting around to catching up a bit.

I have checked both Lyon's and Fancy bloomers web sites, and am impressed. The problem I have right now is a serious case of inpatients...can you imagine?

Both those companies don't do normal shipping until at least next month, and I think I can best spend my money on more plants instead of the high priced expedited shipping.

I poked around on he net until I found a small outfit in North Carolina...Bluebird Greenhouses...(I hope that's not your "other vendor"). They are just next door to me, and we generally share the same weather. We have had several days of 70 degrees, or near 70, and they can get an order to me inside that window quite easily. I just thought I would give them a try, and see what happens. Its not a lot of $$$, and I figure "nothing ventured, nothing gained".

I certainly do appreciate all your help, and all the others also. You have made a complete newby at all this AV stuff feel right at home, and taught me enough so that I at least feel fee to jump in and give it a try. When I get in trouble, (as I usually do), I will also feel comfortable yelling for help, and that is what matters most. I know you will be laughing and shaking your heads in disbelief in reality, but am sure your replies will never show it.....My wife is already doing that, but she lets me know she is doing it.....hehehehe.☺

Thanks to you and all.

Bill

HI Bill, Bluebird is great. Maybe give them a call rather than wait for an email response. Another one in the south is Travis who is good, too. Fancy Bloomers is shipping now, however, she is backlogged with orders because people place orders for limited products that she holds on her reserve shelf. As for something booming right this minute, the stores are probably full of Optimara violets, they are popular at Easter. Pick up a couple or three so that you have a jolt of color and your wife will stop questioning your sanity!

Another tidbit of advice is to go ahead and place a small order with, say, Lyon's, even if they don't ship right now. They will hold your order until they do start shipping, then they ship in sequence. Once they start shipping, both FB and LLG are pretty quick, New Jersey, after all, it is done yesterday! The reason I say that is because once the show and convention season hits, they are going to be out of stock.

Most peole do NOT pay the extra winter charges, BUT they do order all winter long, so limited stock is quickly depleted because the vendors need to reserve a lot to take to conventions. However, you are in luck, because minis do not sell out as quickly as the standards.

Because you are new, you are not going to be too particular about what they send you, so you can indicate their best selection, or substitutes are ok. The vendors know their stock and will often make suggestions about what grows well.

We have all been misled by the pretty pictures in the catalogues, so do solicit their advice if you are unsure of your selections. Did I tell you I like the Mac series a lot, and I don't raise too many minis. They have very vivid hues and the plants are very strong. Mac is for George MacDonald, the hybridizer. Also, try some of the Ted K's, Jersey series, I think they are semi-minis. Jeff Smith has a Genetic series that are semi's and I find fascinating. He is a scientifically minded hybridizer with specific goals in mind. He has a Tomorrow series that is intended to be the future of violets. Also, the Storks' are excellent, Kent and Joyce.

There wis a podast series balled All About African Violets by Adrienne, screen name Annie that you watch. It is excellent. She has a long series that many of us faithfully watched every Sunday night. Now they are all archives on her website. She has many interviews with people like the Storks and Jeff Smith you will probably enjoy because they get a bit technical.

Another semi or small standard is Powwow by Kent Stork. I am listing some I have grown that have unique features going for them. Maybe you will consider branching out to include a few semi's or small standards.

By the way, I don't wick small or new plants until they are established. (I let the plant potting medium get slightly dry before watering until I get a sense of what the plant wants.) It doesn't take much to overwater a mini. So proceed with caution if your environment is very humid. Maybe try some plants with wicks, some without until you get a sense of how much water they need.

Maybe get a few Impatiens flowing plants for your outdoor garden! Joanne

I am so happy! my order got here today from Fancy Bloomers and they are so cute and beautiful. Now I have got to get that shelf made. She sent 1 free one because of the wait do to bad weather and it is a variegated. I guess since most of the ones I ordered were variegated she figured that I would want another. They were packed so well. It was like Christmas around here.

That is great, she definitely tries to send a free sample of something she thinks you will like!

Enjoy! Hopefully, mine will be on their way soon.

OK... I'm getting impatient!! :-P Two different people now on here have said that they got their FBloomers order! I'm hoping mine comes soon... ;-) I bought four strep leaves on Ebay and they came yesterday.... Now I can't wait to get the AV leaves I ordered.... Spring here we come!

Can I bump this with another question? Is wick watering REALLY a wise choice? I have had four small standards on wick watering for 4 weeks... and one has a bit of mold on the soil. I'm just wondering if it would be wiser to fill the reservoir and then let it dry before I fill again? i am NOT keen on mold!

i've actually read that youre supposed to let wicked plants go dry-ish every few weeks. not bone dry, mind you, but wait a couple of days between the reservoir emptying and re-filling it. be sure to water from the top, or submerge the pots to re-start the wicks.

mold, i usually either just scrape off, or dust with sulphur powder (which looks just as bad).

I've decided i will be moving a bunch of my plants to mat watering. at first attempt, i had mold growing on the mat, but after i got a plastic grid to put between the bottom of the tray and the mat, this hasn't been an issue. a lot of it has to do with air flow.

That makes sense, to let things dry out a little. Where did you get the plastic tray? Is it one of those plastic grids that are shown in the AV magazine? A thick white plastic grid that has to be cut to size. I think it was also shown on the Annie podcasts, All About African Violets.

Mat watering sounds like a good idea, good luck.

I still haven't tried out wicking since a disaster of a few years ago. We are getting ready for another short trip away, so I have to do something. I must just have someone come in to water.

I don't think the glass jar routine would work very well for me. I move the plants around a lot. they are very portable in their lightweight plastic pots.

I saw in the magazine someone using a long narrow tray the length of his shelves for a community watering system, I think he referred to it as a plastic gutter. It looked so clean and simple a method to use. No clutter, just all the plants sitting in one tray on each shelf.

For small trays, I use those mostly just for leaves and small plants. Most of my plants are in individual saucers to tend to them individually to avoid any contamination.

I think our club is planning a dish garden show next. On Saturday, we are going to another club's demonstration of designs.

Joanne, i actually happened upon that grid thing by accident, at value village - it looked the right size for my plant tray, so i spent a whole dollar on it ;-p

it's 1/5" thick and about 1" short of filling the tray on either side, but works like a charm... there is no brand name on it, even though it came packaged. I was debating checking the hydroponics store, there are a few things i am putting on a list to buy from there, that way, if they don't have something, i am still not entirely wasting their time.

i've checked and the grids everybody else appears to be using are available at places like lowes etc. they are named something different in each store, egg crate, light grid, etc. the ones i found are made by plaskolite and come in 2x4' sheets. online typically in the ceiling panel section, and $15CAD, so probably about ten USD. There are various versions, so you need to read the descriptions to find the ones that actually are a grid.

I have yet to find it in store though - i have strolled through on numerous occasions, but never come prepared with product # (or money - i leave my wallet in the car so i have to think twice before buying stuff i don't actually need).

I'll post some pics of the show last weekend - i took lots of pictures of the dish gardens and designs. never noticed them last year....

Iiiii'mmmmm back. have a quick question.

I just found two mini's at a nearby greenhouse that got a bit of frostbite in shipment, and were marked down half price. They are blooming their little heads off, so you know I wasn't going to pass that up!

I want to repot these two little fellows just to get them off to a new start, and am wondering if you folks repot with dry mix and then water, or moisten the mix before you pot?

I know that's probably one of those potters choice things, and I can see advantages to both, but thought I would ask. Wouldn't be the first time asking saved me a bunch of hassle.

Thanks

Blll

Bill,

using dry mix has the disadvantage that peat, once dried becomes hydrophobic, and it is hard to get wet again...

i use sort of pre-moistened mix, i actually store my mix in a container and add water to it regularly, to keep it from drying out, not sopping wet, just so it is nice and black, rather than light brown.

After i pot the plant I water a little bit to settle the soil. I used to soak them in a dish of water and let them drain, but that kept them too wet and rotted the roots.

A lot of it depends on your environment and actual potting mix too, i think everybody does it a bit differently, so figure out what works for you :-) ...

Froeschii, Thanks.....I potted up some leaves the other day and moistened the mix to get it in the pot...tamped it down a bit inserted the leaves then dribbled a bit of water around the leaf base to be sure everything was settled in and making contact, if you know what I mean. I "borrowed" a large soft butter container with lid from the kitchen (don't tell). I left a bit of mix in the container to discourage the wife from reclaiming it, and intended to do just what you describe, keep damp mix there until use. Damp mix has two votes.

Bill

Bill, make that three votes! I only pre-mix about a two gallon bag of violet mix at a time... and keep it in a closed bag. Works splendid!