A Gardeners Forum
Posted By: teacher37 African Violets - February 26th, 2007 at 09:42 PM
Has anyone ever used the ceramic self-watering pots for their African Violets? Do they work better than the traditional pots with a bottom?
Posted By: Anonymous Re: African Violets - February 26th, 2007 at 11:05 PM
yes, and yes. i, as well as several other members, swear by them. i can keep an av alive for a lot longer with those (going on years...)
Posted By: Triss Re: African Violets - February 26th, 2007 at 11:12 PM
YES!!!! I LOVE mine!!! I cannot wait to get the rest of mine in them.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: African Violets - February 26th, 2007 at 11:18 PM
yes, the self-watering pots DO work better than regular pots. make sure you use av soil, too!

i'm also using these self-watering pots for other plants that need consistantly moist soil.
Posted By: teacher37 Re: African Violets - February 26th, 2007 at 11:19 PM
Well, it sounds like I will be buying some then. I found some really pretty ones on Ebay(where America shops!) kissies
Posted By: neko nomad Re: African Violets - March 5th, 2007 at 03:44 PM
Eventually an African violet will become potbound. I placed mine in a fairly large ceramic pot, and as you can see, it's quite happy on a north facing living room window.

[Linked Image]

This one's about six years old; it's been in this pot for three years now.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: African Violets - March 5th, 2007 at 05:19 PM
av's like to be pot-bound so you don't want to get too large a pot for them.

that's a really pretty pink, neko!!
Posted By: neko nomad Re: African Violets - March 5th, 2007 at 06:12 PM
Thank you, Jocelyn -- Perhaps the CW of pot size isn't all that rigid, plus using rainwater and sparing amounts of organic gertilizer such as this

[Linked Image]

helps me to get away with violating it. Anyway, I can go off on holiday without wondering if my AV will survive my absence.

I have a supply of rainwater in the garage in two green barrels set aside for all our potted plants. Rainwater --or melted snow water-- extends the life of the potting soil.
Posted By: Anonymous Re: African Violets - March 5th, 2007 at 06:42 PM
i LUV the fact that the plants in the self-watering pots are good for a longer amount of time...comes in handy when you go away for a bit!!

i've got one of those large plastic barrels too...got it with the intention of collecting rainwater for the plants.

my dad, trying to be helpful, filled the thing with the stone that i removed from one of the flowerbeds...didn't cover it properly so now it's filled with water and got moldy/mildewy...what a mess i'll have to clean up once the weather turns nice.

dunno why he did that!! the stones were just fine piled in the back corner of the yard. (*hates it when dad comes over and 'helps'*)
Posted By: Sylorna Re: African Violets - March 11th, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Does anyone happen to know how long the fertilizers in av soil last? I just started growing my own, and the soil that I got has the fertilizer built in. I have fertilizer for them as well, but I don't want to burn the roots with too much.
Posted By: dodge Re: African Violets - March 11th, 2007 at 05:38 PM
Gee i just learnt something..
I was using plastic self watering .. One day I bought a huge round clay pot and put leaves in that and they are rooting like crazy..

I dont know a thing of them..
b
© A Gardeners Forum [Archive]