HI Dtebbie,
Welcome to the world of AV addiction. Most of us here are confirmaed addicts who grow for fun and show. I am sure if you run into any trouble with your AV's there is someone here that can help. I will start out by giving you a piece of advice that I give to all new growers. ISOLATE any new plants that you bring into the house for at least a month before you add them to your collection. This is to make sure all your plants are disease free.
Fred in NJ

Nice to meet you Fred! I've seen your posts while reading old threads. Thank you for your offer of help when needed!
I have these all in a terrarium by themselves for the time being.
I need to get my husband eating some yogurt so I can use the containers as reservoirs for my new babies. I also have a friend in Sweden that sent me some small empty water bottles so I can make self watering pots from them. The small bottles in the USA tend to bow out so the spout won't fit right into the bottom of the bottle. I use PB pots (pop bottle) for a bunch of my Hoya's. They are in 2 litter bottles. They are a recycle way to make self watering pots. I posted a link below in case anyone is interested. I think standard violets might do well in these.
I grew violets some 12 years ago and they did well and bloomed for me. I managed a greenhouse at that time and we had an older gentleman that came in and donated time now and then. He was into AVs and gave some leaves to the nursery so while propagating for the nursery I started a couple myself from leaves. I did so enjoy them then and am sure I will now also.
The violets came in a very perlite type potting mixture. Very light and airy. They were dry from the trip so I gave them a bit of VF-11 water. VF-11 helps with stress in plants. My Hoya's love it! It's not a fertilizer but nutrients and vitamins.
I take Bayer Rose and put it a tablespoon in a 2 liter pop bottle and let it sit and start dissolving and water my Hoya's and houseplants with this. It has a systemic in it. Will this be ok for the new violets too? It's very diluted. I use it to keep mealies and such off the Hoya's.
Thanks for the welcome!,,,,Debbie

Here is a link that might be useful: Pop Bottle Pots (PB pots) link

Hmmmm, that's a very interesting pot, Debbie. My first thought was that it would be way too wet, but maybe not.

You mentioned the potting medium as being light and airy. Many AV growers make/use a mix of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 perlite. If one wick waters, some extra perlite is usually added.

In your experience with these pots, how moist is the potting medium, and what does the medium usually consist of?

Thanks for a new look at this.

Barbara

My daughter used the Bottle Biology design for growing Tomato plants for her 6th grade Science Fair project (she's 26 now ;).
You could use the same 1:1:1 mix as it is simply a wicking process using several cuts from recycled bottles.

You probably would not want to add all the sugar, salt, vinegar, oil, etc to the water as her experiment did.
But you'll be happy to know the one with Miracle Grow did the best. Big surprise!

There is a book with lots of ideas as well if you have a kid in need of a Science project; compost, worm farm, ecotat, fish bowl - okay maybe not the fish! Seems cruel.
Highly recommend otherwise!
http://www.kendallhunt.com/index.cfm?PID=219&CID=219&CEL=992&PRD=3593

Here is a link that might be useful: Bottle Biology

Barbara - My mix for my Hoya's consist of potting soil, orchid bark and perlite so way different than for AVs. My Hoya's in the PB pots stay fairly damp but the orchid bark helps with that. I really yet don't know how the AVs will do but if you think of it the PB pots are no different than a self watering pot. So as long as you never water from the top and only into the reservoir these should stay evenly moist. The water will be draw up as needed by having the bottle spout right against the bottom of the reservoir.
I have made the PB pots with the holes burned in around the spout and without. I see no difference. The spout seems to do well enough if the soil is packed hard into the spout. I use my thumb and really pack it hard. The packed soil acts as a wick would to draw the water as needed. I think it would be best to use a potting mix with less perlite in the spout area for drawing reasons. You could use your regular more perlite mix above the spout in the growing area.
The problem is going to be finding small bottles for the mini and semi mini's. The 2 empty bottles my friend sent from Sweden are 2 inches across the bottom so perfect size for these. A mature standard could go into the 2 liter I am guessing. Ok all you constant drink bottle in hand people do you know of any perfectly straight small plastic bottles with no bulge around the rim before the spout we could use for the mini's??
Now that I think of it if a person could use a tiny drill bit in the lid you could thread a wick through the lid up into the soil planting area! That would be no different than how your most likely growing now! Duh me for not thinking of that before! haha.
Just imagine a mini or semi mini trailer in a small PB pot cascading down the side of the bottle! No need for a stand for awhile since the bottle sits up higher than a pot! I think it would be a very nice sight in bloom!
I am just getting into the AVs again so have no extra's yet to play with this all. But I guarantee you when I do from propagation I will.
Think of when you go on trips! No worries how the AVs are doing or if Hanna Neighbor is over watering them!

Dognapper2 - Thanks for the link! No telling what I will come up with after reading it! haha. I do have 2 young grandkids so will save the link for when they are older. They are 19 months and almost 2 months now!

Let me know what ya'll think of all this!,,,,Debbie

Welcome to your new addiction! As Fred noted, many of us have it, too.

I'll second Fred's admonishment over isolation. To each of us this may mean something different. Because I am a bit paranoid AND I have a small house, I choose to isolate in plastic baggies - but that also means that I have to VERY carefully watch my watering or I'll kill them with too much moisture. Some people use another room, but I worry that I could easily transfer the pests on my person that way. At the least, get some covered clear containers that you can use to separate them from each other and your new plants.

It's especially hard when you first get started because you have some many new purchases from different places. I chose to buy a lot of leaves, hoping that I'd limit my exposure to some of the pests. Even with leaves, I still isolate them for at least two months.

Enjoy your new beauties. We'll look forward to hearing more from you in the near future.

To cover isolation this is what I'm doing (and will do in the future). For awhile now I have been collecting beef jerky containers and other such containers from my near by quick shop. I started looking around while waiting in line and noticed all the possible terrarium possibilities. I asked the owner if she would start saving them for me and she did. I have all sizes. From plastic big pickle jars down to short beef jerky containers. If a violet won't fit in one of the containers I have the trusty gallon zip locks.
I have 5 mini's in a big round banana bite container with a lid. 2 more are in their separate gallon zip lock bags.
It's been years since I tried my hand at AV leaves but I think after soaking them in VF-11 for any stress I will try a dunk in the Bayer Rose and systemic to kill anything on the leaf. I wouldn't dunk the cut end just the leaf and stem. I'll let ya'll know how it does once I have leaves to dunk and try it on. haha. But it would kill anything crawly and alive.
The Russian Cosmic Legend 2 came and in bloom to boot. The flowers are actually as bright and beautifully colored as in pictures on the net! It's one to look into if you like the fantasy type. Alliance is very striking as well! It came also today.
Still have more coming and will let you know my thoughts when they get here.,,,,,Debbie

Hi Debbie,
I think your bottle idea is very ingenious, however, since I show my AV's they would have to be repotted into normal pots to be acceptable. I may try using it to grow out plantlets till they are large enough to be put into a 3 or 4 inch squat pot. The other thing that presents a probelm to me is that I don't drink soda and the people in my family don't drink it either except for an occassional can of pop. I will say that I do keep litre bottles of Schweppes in stock which I drink for the quinine which helps with leg cramps. They have straight sides and would do nicely for minis if you wanted to try it. I also think that most of the seltzer bottles are straight which would be useable. Thanks for the info, I think we should call you the Queen of recyclables.
Fred in NJ

*blushing* Thank you Fred for the title! Now where's my crown!?? haha.
We do drink the 2 liters but never the smaller bottles is my problem.
I did look up on the net your Schweppes and the 1 liter bottles will indeed work. I may have to trade you in time leaves for your cast off empty bottles! haha.
I looked at pictures of the 10 oz. Schweppes and pictures look they would work as well. I'll check that size out tomorrow when I make a WalMart run. I worry on this size the bottom will be too short to handle the inverted spout. I can tell when it's in front of me. Thanks for the help!
I did try this past summer to grow a tomato in a 2 liter bottle. I got a young tomato plant and poked it up through the spout and filled with soil. I burned holes through at the top and had my DH to make a wire handle so I could hang it up on the deck. I had hoped it would be young and dumb and didn't know which way was up. Well it did! It was a cherry tomato type and curled upward as it grew so it faced the right way. It had a heck of a crook in its neck! It did get tomatoes though! haha. It worked but looked a bit ridiculous! hehehe. It turned out to be one idea down the tubes but tried just the same.,,,Debbie

Debbie, this is just my opinion, so please take it as such....

I can't even remember where, but recently I was reading that we should be careful about using chemicals when there is nothing to warrant it. If I can find it, I'll let you know (heck, it could have been on this forum for all I know!). I can't remember the details, but whatever it said made me think twice and I decided not to treated anything unless I had a reason to do so.

I know that's not giving you much to go on, but I will try and remember where I saw it. And, if anyone else has heard the same thing and can remember why, please chime in!

AH - found it. It was advice a grower gave to me in an email. When you use chemicals as a preventative, you allow the insects (and other bad things) to develop resistance to the chemicals. This is one of the worst things, according to this grower, that we can do. It ensures that the stuff won't work a year or so down the line and they'll have to find another formulation much more quickly than if we only used them when needed. Eventually they still develop resistance, but it happens much more slowly.

Lathyrus I was poking around and read on Hoovers Hybrids blog about the same thing last night. He said do you take an aspirin before you have a headache? It made sense to me,,,like put a metal plate in my head I may fall down someday. hahaha.
Having Hoya's though I've been through a mealy invasion before and it was a pain I can locate. I'd never had them till I started trading and receiving cuts from others. Buying is the same principle,,,plants come from other places.
With AVs having felty leaves I can just imagine a bug hopping on and hanging on and being trotted right into my home. I was thinking preventative medicine from a living h*#@ called bugs.,,,,Debbie

I completely understand! It is a nightmare to have a pathogen or bug problem to deal with.

The aspirin example is a good one, I'll have to remember that! I think the best we can do is be careful, order from reputable vendors, if you trade with someone you MUST isolate....etc. In the beginning, it seems that going a bit more slowly helps, too, so you don't have SO many things coming in. It's hard to isolate when you have things from 5 or 6 different places at the same time and no place to put them that is different from the others.

But, even from a reputable vendor, you can potentially get things that you don't want! And, even with isolation, you have to deal with the things that are isolated with it. And, all of that can be quite the headache. Then you DO need the aspirin.

Only alternative is not trading or buying....and I'm not willing to do that!

"Does it ever end???"

Nope!

(at least I hope not!)

:-D

I'm having so much fun researching AVs and looking at all the pictures of flowers and plants I hope it never ends either M3rma1d! haha. ^5,,,Debbie

Aspirin isn't going to do it for me, even extra strength. I need a bottle straight up! And I'm not talk'en seltzer. I just found soil mealies. ( my Internet has been down last few days - or this post would have all been in capitals)lol.

They're in two of my plants I brought down from a two month isolation. Those plants (16) have been on a shelf by themselves on separate reservoirs and a separate light stand.They have been with the collection for about a month I've re potted the rest - so far have only found these two from the 16. Cheers!

I hear other growers put Marathon in their pots as a preventative. Sparks, is this what the grower that sent you the e-mail meant? How many of you experienced growers use Marathon / or don't use it to prevent soil mealies.

Please, I need advice on what I should do about these mealies!

I have a question about wicking..

I thought that soil had to completely dry out between waterings for any plant to allow oxygen exchange to the roots for healthy plants.

Does'nt keeping the soil constantly moist inhibit this function?

About mealies, the only thing I have ever been able to use in the past was chemicals, systemic in particular. Now that I don't use chemicals at all, I just throw any plants away with mealie..Unless there is a natural solution to rid them for good, I will try. But they always seem to re-appear after weeks of treating..:-(.

They are the hardest pest for me to rid of..Worst than spidermites..lol

P.s..Wow..Thanks to al, of you for such great ideas and just for being here...
Think I will buy another violet this weekend..:-)

MiniMac you might try posting your help needed post on a separate thread. I think you would get a quicker response maybe.
I'm new to the AV's so have no answer for you. I have battled mealies on Hoya's but the 2 plants are completely different so I would learn too from your questions on a new posted thread.

MeyerMike I don't know the answer to your question either! Try a thread also to see if you can get answers. I'd be interested to know the answer also.
I do grow some Hoya's in self watering pots (PB pots) which are along the same lines as wicking. If you water only into the reservoir and never from the top the soil stays consistent and not too wet or not too dry. So no big change to the roots of the plant of too much water or too dry. I'm sure some of the more experience growers here could enlighten us on the subject.
Sorry I am of no help to ya'll (maybe someday though)!,,,,Debbie

Minimac, the grower was saying NOT to use anything as a preventative, but to do exactly what you did: Isolate instead.

Now, you only have two pots to deal with instead of your whole collection. He was saying that if you use something like Marathon all the time when it is not needed, the bugs (or pathogens) more quickly become immune to it and than it doesn't work anymore.

Better, according to him, to battle them ONLY when you get them.

If it were my, I'd try DE first, but that's just because of asthma and other lung problems, so I choose to always try a non-chemical approach first. Not sure what I'd do next...if I loved it and used chemicals, I'd try them next. If I loved and and didn't use them, I'd try topping it and just make sure I took no soil with me. I'd keep it isolated, too.

I've heard of people using Marathon and saying it works well, so if you have it, that might be a good thing to do.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dcotor Optimara link

Lath -

need to disappoint you. DE is not doing any good when it is wet - and in soil it becomes moist and soft. The joke is the only use - you do not see SMB if you have DE added - it is all whitish.

I am sorry to hear that you have medical issues and need to avoid chemicals. It is definitely a priority. We have a great grower in our club who is coexisting with leaf mealy bugs for the same reason. She gets them with a q-tip dipped in alcohol - so it is non-stop battle - she keeps them under control - but never able to eradicate them.

Marathon works. I add it to soil after fighting a huge infestation of SMB several years ago.

When I get a new plant - I remove the buds, repot it with Marathon - and then isolate. Basically what's left is virus and mites. If the plant in isolation wouldn't look good - I chuck it. Virus - is a real scourge - so if I see distorted leaves or flowers...off it goes.

I.

HI Debbie I thought I recognized you from the Hoya forum. African violets are just as addicting as our hoyas. I am glad you found these wonderful plants. They are so beautiful. Hope you have fun with all your new plants
Ann in So Ut

Hi Ann!
Yeppers it's me from the Hoya forum! Guess I'll be hanging between the 2 forums now! haha.
Do your Hoya's and AV's have their mittens on yet? It's probably getting pretty chilly in Utah about now isn't it? We haven't had a freeze yet even. I expect the first one to come in Nov. I have all my Hoya's inside now though and have for a couple weeks. We had a couple nights dip to 41 a couple weeks back but it was just a front and temps are averaging at night in 50's.
Good to see your over here in this forum too!,,,,Debbie

Irina - I wonder why the Doctor Optimara website recommends it? I keep meaning to buy some, but haven't yet, so am not up on how to use it or how it works (other than the basics about it).

Yes it is getting chilly here for us. Been in the 40's at nite and only in the 70's during the day. But furter north they have already had snow. Ok is one of my favorite states. By the time we reach Ok people start sounding "right" and we don't have to ask for sweet tea. We are originally from NC Both the hoya and violet fourm have such nice and helpful people Glad you found African Violets
Ann in So UT

Our nights are warmer than yours but our day temps have been a bit cooler than yours. Strange,,,I figured you'd be waist deep in snow already. haha.
Yep gotta have sweet tea! It's good stuff!
I was born in Louisiana so I def. have the 'right' talk down pat. haha. I know what ya mean though. hehe.
Glad you grace my state now and then. You'll have to stop by sometime if you come near me.
Happy growing!,,,Debbie

Lath -

Doctor Optimara had it because 30 years ago somebody thought it was a good idea. I got it too - and I found a good use for it - DE is great against grasshoppers. You just need to reapply it (dust the leaves) after rain or watering. One year we had tons of them - and they were eating my gladiolas. It helped.

Irina

People in the container forum talk about using DE quite a bit; I just haven't paid enough attention to how it's working for them. Maybe I'll search on it and see.