Not rambling too much at all. :)

You know, my mom seldom fertilized. She only used those miracle grow sticks when she did, used any old potting soil, and very seldom repotted, like every couple of years. And somehow, her AV's were always lovely, always blooming it seemed. Some people just have the touch I guess. ;-)

I will try with my weakest dilution of the stuff I regularly use, I mix a gallon at a time so it is already at room temp. Maybe I will be cautious and not do it every time until I have a feel for it. And thanks for the input!! I grow a lot of Hoyas and a few other tropical, so your watering instructions make perfect sense. :)

A lot has changed with water municipalities. You might want to check your local water. If it has added chloramine to the water, it is not a good idea to use it on your violet. It will cause the leaves to rot. If it is only chlorine, you can evaporate that. With my violets, I use bottled spring water from a local source. Distilled water is stripped of all nutrients. As for the sticks, they do not work as well as an AV fert. made for violets. There are several available. It is generally suggested to use them at half strength and half as often as recommended. And only after a few months as the mix they come in has some nutrients. If using a self watering pot, monitor it closely. Joanne

I usually leave water out to de-chlorinate, though none of my plants have an issue with the plain tap. I have at least 40 others doing ok, but I will watch for any trouble with the AV. Hmm, though I just noticed some brown leaf tips on my spider plants, they are pretty sensitive to water quality... Bah. I will pick up some jugs of spring water tomorrow for them and the AV.

As for the self watering pots, I think I prefer the approach of letting it soak for 30 minutes and draining rather than trusting the pot. Maybe once I have more experience.

Sounds good. If your water district did not add chloramine, you are very fortunate! t is toxic to humans as well as plants. The ammonia in the water can cause lung damage and skin rashes. We have a filter but the filtered water is not good for my AVs. So I use bottled water. It is pure. The AVs are sensitive. I think spiders might just need spraying on the tips for humidity. They are not that sensitive. Joanne

You would be surprised, the leaf browning at the tips is often by water quality, though salt accumulation and over fertilization can also be culprits. There is a lot of info on it. They will grow under about any conditions, but if you want to avoid the occasional tiny bit of brown on the leaf tip, you need good water. And I do, I expect every leaf to grow perfectly, or make adjustments until they do. ;) Just about every spider plant I have ever seen has at least a few of them, but still... It is a decent enough indicator to me to not trust the water with my little AV plant. My last AV's were watered with tap, may have been a factor too. Probably more those tiny clay pots and having a devil of a time keeping them at a proper moisture... I will try them at bottled water and see how they do. Otherwise they look great, and you really have to get up close and personal to notice the tips, but I do and it bugs me. ;)