Watering tiny plantlet african violets...capillary matting.

5 years ago

I just separated a tray full of baby violets plantlets from leaves about a 1.5 months ago. I potted them up in small mouthwash cups and have one normal sized tray full of them. I kept them in ziploc baggies for a month and recently took them all out of the baggies into a tray. I usually just bottom water when the soil seems dry on the top or when the cup feels lightweight.

Recently I have noticed that some of the plantlets have become mushy, or wilted leaves and really slow growth. They are potted up in perlite+peat moss mix (with no fertilizer additives). I have lightly fertilized them once with watering.

They are kept under lights (4-5" away) with a clear tray cover on top, which I keep slightly open at one end. The temps are around 60F and the humidity is normal or slightly above normal.

Until now I have lost about 10 plantlet cups out of 40 and seems like there are others which will go the same route....become mushy and brown, wilted. I think it may have something to do with the watering schedule I follow, they do become dry at times, before I can get to them.

I was wondering if anyone had experience with capillary matting? If I dont wick these plants and just place them on capillary mats, can they still take up water, through the holes at the bottom of the cups? I have another set of plant baby leaves which need separating soon, resulting in two more trays of plants....and dont want them to end up like the others. I have noticed that everytime, this is where I loose the maximum number of plants, when I try to grow the small plantlets into larger plants. I loose around 50% of my plants, that I grow from leaves.

Any suggestions?? What am I doing wrong. Even when I take them out of ziploc baggies, I first just open up the tops of the bags, let them settle for a week or two and then put the cups into trays.

thanks, I need to vent out somewhere, this was bugging me for the past few days.

Cooks.

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Comments (5)

irina_co
5 years ago
Fungal infection - too wet. It is OK to keep the leaves - but for young plants - they need fresh air, regular fertilizer..normal life. I know it feels counterproductive- but you need to open them up now - and chuck everything affected. They will be in shock - ma be develop spots - but the drop of the humidity will stop the fungus... unless it is already in.

AVs are not really 100% humidity plants...
cooks
Original Author
5 years ago
ok so I will remove the affected cups and take off the tray lid completely and let them air out. So if I am getting this right. When I first separate the babies, its ok if I put them in a sealed ziploc baggie to increase humidity. Then a normal plants just keep them in an open tray.

My larger plants, or mature plants are also in a humidity domes, is that ok? I do have the vents open and vary it when I see condensation forming. They were in there over the winter, so I left them in there and they seem to like it. I live in the mid-atlantic area, so winters are fairly cool here. Is it ok if I leave them in there?

Thanks Irina for all your help!!

Cooks
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irina_co
5 years ago
Cooks -

Normally they will be OK - but you are dealing with an infection - so - watch it.

You know your conditions the best - and if they do better for you covered.. ain't broke don't fix it.

We have spores in soil, we have spores in air, spores come with plant material... keeping the plant area clean of any debris and with good air circulation is the best we can do. All kind of fungal infection thrive in humid conditions - so it is just the question of time when we get one.
DixieGardner
5 years ago
Hi, I haven't had an issue with fungal infections, so I can't contribute to that discussion. However, if you are losing so many of your plants, I wonder if you are separating them before they are ready to be on their own? I used to lose a lot because I did that. Now I wait until they are almost overgrowing the little 2" pot I put the leaves down into. That has decreased my losses.
irina_co
5 years ago
That's a good approach.

But even larger plantlets can succumb if you keep them too wet and too hot.

We lose some smaller and weaker plantlets when we separate them off mama leaf - it is normal. When the whole tray browns up and dies - it is fungal - or bacterial. So - to prevent it - improve the culture - and the plantlets will fight it off on their own.

Watering tiny plantlet african violets...capillary matting.

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Watering tiny plantlet african violets...capillary matting.

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