Question: What size pot sould I use for my Sinningia?
Answer: The rule of thumb is much the same as for other plants. Determin pot size by the size of the root system, not the plant. Unlike violets, sinningia are tuberous, meaning the growth is produced from a potato-like tuber beneath (or at) the soil level. Use a pot one size larger than the diameter of the tuber and its surrounding root system. A speciosa hybrid, with a 2 inch tuber, for example, can be grown in a 3 or 4 inch pot, depending upon the size of the root system.
An advantage of being tuberous is that the tuber provides the grower some “insuruance” for his or her neglect. Though you may have “killed” the plant, so long as the tuber remains healthy, it will produce new growth, given enough time and proper care. Tubers are nature’s means for coping with periods of drought and extreme conditions. However, like violets and other fibrous-rooted plants, sinningias can be killed. One way to do this is by rotting the tuber by overwatering and/or overpotting. Use a light, porous, soil mix, don’t use an overly large pot, and avoid keeping the soil constantly soggy. If constantly wet soil can’t be avoided, try planting the tuber at, or slightly above, the soil line.