Question: A white crust has appeared on the soil surface of my plants, as well as “brownish crystals” on the leaves in the center. The crown of one plant has rotted. I wick-water and use a soil mix containing one-third perlite. Answer: These are some of the symptoms of a violet that is being kept too wet. […]
Question: I would appreciate your answering a question about the use of mason’s twine in wicking. Should the twine be unwound so that only one thread is used for wicking, or should the twin be used whole, as manufactured, for miniature violets? Answer: Since miniature violets are grown in smaller pots, and have smaller root systems, than […]
Question: I notice that you water by placing your plants on an acrylic material. What is this and how can I get this? Answer: Most of our mature plants are watered by “capillary mats”. Plants sit atop acrylic matting (or blankets). When plants are dry enough to require watering, we wet these mats (our shelves are waterproof) […]
Question: I purchased some self-watering pots (elsewhere) and have found that with a couple of these, the water never would weep into the pot with the soil and the plant. I’ve lost two violets due to the lack of water not seeping through the inside liner pot. Any suggestions? Answer: If working properly, a self-watering ‘violet pot’ […]
Question: We received our order of 8 various African violets. Most of them we potted into self-watering planters. They are not progressing. I would appreciate any help you can give. Answer: This is likely the single most-asked question we receive. There is nothing inherently wrong about growing in self-watering, Oyama, or “violet” pots, but when using them […]
Question: I’ve recently received some Streptocarpus from you. These are younger plants in 2″ pots. They are ready for a larger pot. I’d like to use the self-watering “violet” pots. Would they do well in these? Answer: Streptocarpus easily grow and bloom. They’ll grow and bloom nearly constantly in most home environments, in natural or artificial light. They’re […]
Question: I’m a bit confused about the use of urea, and wonder if you can help me. I was told sometime agao that we should not use any fertilizer with urea listed in the ingredients. I’ve used fertilizers containing urea in my garden and it looked great! Should I use my old fertilizer or toss it? […]
Question: You’ve discussed the “wicking method” for watering plants before. Besides using a “lighter” soil, should I change how my violets are fertilized? Answer: Yes. Unlike watering from the top, or by saucer, at regular intervals, the soil is nearly always moist when wick watered. Though a wicked plant won’t require any more nutrients, a greater volume […]
Question: I’m very careful with my watering, not to get any on the foliage of the plant, but many of my violets still show what seem to be stains on their leaves. These appear mostly on the leaf edges. Answer: This is a very common problem, particularly when nights are cool and soil is damp. What’s happening […]
Question: I just bought some violets and need some idea how to care for them. If I happen to overwater them, do I just need to drain the water from the bottom? Some of the leaves look almost black and I am afraid of killing it. Answer: Yes. I assume this means discarding the unused water in […]
