Well, one reason plants shouldn't touch is the spread of bugs from one plant to another. Another is that when plants touch, one or other of the leaves may go without light for a time. Sometimes leaves turn brown.

I have so many plants that they do touch. One way to avoid this is to set them on individual wicking containers and the wick containers could be at various heights.

For instance, take a pickle jar, clean it, and use it as a wick container. it will raise the plant's height. A different container next to it may allow the plant to be at a different level and keep leaves from touching.

Nancy

Nancy (or anyone)
Is it true that the taller the water container, the harder the wick has to work to pull the water up into the wicking material?

I've heard conflicting information on this. Any opinions?

Dora

Dora-

Try the acrilic yarn full thread. It will pull ore water than you need. I am thinking from the point of view of physics - it doesn't matter - the molecules of water move up individually by capillary action - and the gravity is affecting them the same on the top or on the bottom. It is not the same as water in U-shaped tube - there is no capillary action, only gravity.

There is another consideration - evaporation. The longer the wick - the more it loses on a way up and the faster your wick will get salted through. So makes sense to pick a thicker wick. I think acrylic yarn will work better than thicker twine - the twine gets pickled faster.

Irina

I already use acrylic yarn for wicking.

Someone in our group recently said that the 'taller' jars didn't wick as well because of the length of wicking material in between the bottom of pot and water....I say that's poppy cock.

what difference does it matter if the resivoir has water in it and stays more than half full. The yarn is still in the water.

I just wanted an authority to dispell something that I think makes little sense and whose premise is built on 'this is the way it's always been done by me and that's why it's right' thinking

Just sign me hormonal today...... sorry to hijack the thread. I don't like mine to touch at all if possible because I think it helps the plants to grow better if they have circulation area around them and the leaves don't get mangled and grow incorrectly. And besides, I like them to be displayed on my shelves and that is entirely for my own personal viewing pleasure :)

Dora

Dora --

it is Monday - I reread my two last posts - and someway I managed to send unedited copies - it sounds like my writing has a stuffed nose. Ooops.

There is more than one reason to keep plants separated - if they do not touch they grow more symmetical etc. etc. etc.

But - a lot of us has eyes bigger than the shelves footage - and we end with more plants than we can safely park.

As long as we do not crowd them way too much and not planning to take them to the show it is OK. Provided that there are no bugs of course.

But really - I have plants at work - 3 plants per 20" tray 4 trays under the 4 foot fixture - and it is getting crowded already. And what I am going to do with Fisherman's Paradise... it is already pushing 16". I wanted to try a large one..

Tomorrow it won't be Monday anymore, so there is hope!

Irina

Hi Garden Junkie,

We African violet growers have the math going against us. The average enthusiastist may have 100 African violets. Violets in 4 inch pots can easily grow to 12 inches in diameter. One hundred 12 inch violets requires at least 100 square feet of shelf space in order to keep them from touching. The average lighted plant stand with four shelves which are four foot wide and two foot deep only provides 32 square feet of shelf space or enough room for 32 12 inch plants. We would need more than three light stands to support 100 12 inch plants if they are not allowed to touch one another. The problem is that few of us have the available room in our homes to have three or more light stands. For this reason, my violets often are touching other violets.

Curtis

I read somewhere that a wick will only draw up 4 inches, that if the water source is more than 4" away the wick will not pull up water. I don't know how true this is but..you could experiment. If it doesn't wick, change conditions. tish

Here's the deal with me - (and it's meant as NO offense to anyone here, especially those with a lifelong experience of this hobby)

I've discovered many things (already in just one year) that may be "information" about violets but does not prove to be a "fact." I realize its this way with anything. I do.

Just because someone says this is "the best way to do it" doesn't necessarily mean that it is fact - it's just an opinion. There is value in opinion - I respect that. But there is inherent value in fact.

For example, it is a proven fact that plants do better in a certain size pot, with a certain amount of a certain kind of light with a certain recipe of chemicals in water and the right kind of potting mixture. Thousands of hobbiest have proven this with tons of experience and validation. The source can be traced to authors of various AV books and thousands upon thousands of growers and hobbiest. The souce can be validated.

I'm curious where I might find the information about wicking material not being able to pull up from more than 4 inches. I think the person (local to me) that is insisting on this with me may have read the same thing. My energy is focused on providing accurate FACTS to our club members and not proving someone wrong - I hope I'm communicating the difference.

There are almost as many ways to grow violets successfully and pleasurably as there are people to do it and I'm the type of person who examines the source of the information because I have never been one to take it as gospel just because someone says it's so. Does that make sense?

I fear that my questions or persistence might be perceived as being argumentative and I dont' want that. We can't always hear someone's "tone" through message boards so clear communication can help to overcome that.

Dora

Hi Dora,
I agree with you that for every person who grows there is a different method. Not everyone grows exactly alike. However, many people use the same things but each has their own way so t hat if you get info from someone you must adapt it to your growing style and area. As for wicking, I wick all my plants and use pint containers for the reservoirs. Most of my wicks go down about 3 inches and I have no problem with drawing up water. I do on occassion have a mini or semi that I wick and put into a tall presctiption container. It works the same for me. If you follow the link I took a pic for you to look at of Ness' Crinkle Blue which has a wick that is 5 inches.
Fred in NJ

Here is a link that might be useful: Flickr photos

Thanks Fred,
Your picture and experience proves that a wick will work when it is more than 3 inches long into a resevoir.

So it can't possibly be "fact" that a wick won't work when the container or wick is longer than 3 inches.

Dora

Fred -

thank you for the link - your photos are very inspirational!!!

I tried to put pots in a high vases or glasses - and it works for some time - and then inevitably gets knocked off. So for me it is not an issue of wick - it is just too top heavy for clumsy me.

Fred - in some future - can i ask you for leaves of your Maas varieties? I have several Chris Leppards starters if you want it. In Tulsa I attended a very inspirational lecture about Maas hybrids- and looks like they were winners and top of the charts years ago. They have great potential for the shows. Not that many violets are the best for exibitional purposes.

Irina

Hi Dora,

The following link may be the reference that you are looking for which makes the claim that "the maximum distance water would travel up the wick was about 4 inches.

http://www.davs.org/Wicks%20by%20George%20Starr.html

Thanks!

Curtis

Thanks Curtis,
According to the article that you shared, a NYLON wicking system will not draw effectively when more than 4 inches.

This does not dispell the rumor (here in my local society) that ANY wick will not work when it is more than 4 inches long.

Dora

Really - all depends on the wick - if you use an acrylic yarn - it will possibly pull water 1 yard up, if you use a thread you use in your sewing machine - ai bet it won't go 4 inches - it will lose water faster to evaporation. It depends on microscopic pores in a wick - the thicker the wick, more pores it has plus on the surface properties of the material - the nylon is less wettable than acryl.

Irina

Thanks so very much for all the great advice. I have expanded my growing area and told myself not to buy anymore. Yeah right !! Moving furniture to make room for more.

Janet

Janet,
It's *OK*, we understand :)

Dora