AVs are typically planted in a soilless potting mix that lacks the necessary microbiota required to convert the urea used as a nitrogen source in most fertilizers into a form usable by the plant (Miracle-Gro uses some urea.) Eventually, urea build-up can burn the roots. As such you should always look for a urea-free fertilizer. Usually, the ingredients are listed somewhere on the bag/container and will tell you if there is any urea. All 3 numbers (N-P-K) should also be about the same. A 20-20-20, or 14-12-14 is good. Optimara makes a good 14-12-14, but can be hard to come by in local stores. Orchid fertilizers like Better-Gro Orchid Plus 20-14-13 are an option, though I haven't tried them on violets for extended periods of time, but are usually available at stores like Home Depot and Lowes for about $6 for a 1 pound bag I think. Hope this helps.

optimara has some that you can mail order. water weekly, weakly. about half the Rx amount for a gallon of water. online is a good place for ordering …

here's a link to jack's plant food

dave

I use orchid food. At 1/4 strength.

Thanks everyone. Gives me a lot of options to consider. I think my goal of having a single purpose fertilizer is a no go, but that is what I get for not being able to pick one Genus of plant to fall in love with. :)

Did I miss something??? Someone help me out. I was always under the impression that blooming plants, violets and streps in this case, would require an N-P-K where the middle number (P) should be the highest to promote bloom. That is the type I always use. Something like a 12-20-12 for example.

The first number, nitrogen, is for the leaves and there would be no reason to push leaf growth on violets & streps. THAT type of fertilizer (ex. 20-12-12) I use for all of my non blooming plants.

I do dilute the fertilizer because I wick (violets and streps only.) And when I put the plants on wicks they get as much of the original soil removed as possible without killing the plant. Then I backfill with my 1/2 perlite and 1/2 Miracle Gro. My violets and streps are growing well.

But after reading this post,,,, did I miss something important????? Rosie

Interesting... and you know, may depend on conditions. I have no problem repotting my plants on a 6 month schedule, and my place tends to be so dry often times (and all my growing windows are above air vents) that I like a bit of soil in my mix to keep from having to water every 2-3 days. Hmmmm....

One of those things were everyine has a preference, and everyones preference works well for them. Good info though, and a lot to consider as I continue to develope and refine my own techniques.

Rosie -

good growers say - balanced is better - 20-20-20 is better than 14-31- 15 - and 20-2020 is probably only needed at 1/8 of a teaspoon per gallon. I tried 14-12-14+ - Plant Marvel for AV - at 1/4 of a teaspoon and I got fertilizer crystals on the young plants. Mature plants liked it OK.

But to know for sure - you will need to use the same plant variety, same soil - and different fertilizers at different doses while sitting on the same shelf to decide which work better. But you change the variety - and you can get different results. They say that Optimara plants really like their own fertilizer.

But - for our purposes - an amateur growing - we probably OK with any one of them, just do not overdo. On the other side - it probably makes a lot of difference in Optimara - they sign the contract to deliver 100000 plants to Walmart on the first of the month - and God forbid their fertilizer is not the same - they either are not in bloom - or bloom is past the prime - it is a DISASTER.

Interesting and thanks Irina! As I said so far I have been having wonderful, long lasting blooms and plenty of them. Oh and I forgot to say,,,my fertilizer (only because I want to use it up) is the one they make for orchids with the really small scoop in it. It is gonna last a considerable amount of time. And I cut that in half for continuous wick water. I suppose plants can become used to a certain fertilizer, but I will figure out what to use after this one is gone.

In the meantime,,,,all is well with my plants. Good growth, lots of blooms etc. Might just be dumb luck! Rosie

Oh, about the soil... I have an AV mix I like to use. I forget the brand but it has lots of pumice in it and is pretty course to begin with, then I add about 50% perlite. I am considering moving entirely to pumice and saying good bye to perlite, since I can get it easily. Maybe too heavy for AV roots though. I just don't like those floaty little bits.

And you are entirely right, my growing techniques will forever be changing. :) especially since I can't ever seem to stop asking questions, hahaha.

Thanks again everyone, lots to look into now.

Oh yeah about those "floaty little bits" of perlite. I found when mixing perlite into anything, if you don't mix thoroughly, and I do mean overmixing so your arm is really tired, you will get floatys. And as you mix, spray as you go with a water bottle.

Perlite is just one of those things that give you grief if you don't mix it super well and keep it damp as you mix it.

I don't think pumice is available here. Then again I never looked for it and I wouldn't know what to do with it regarding violets/streps. Do you use it instead of perlite? What would be the advantage or disadvantage regarding violets/streps? Thanks Rosie

Rosie : How do you make those reservoirs ? What are they made of ? They take up far less space than the ones I use.

Looks like a plastic drinking cup ...Walmart?

No Irina,,,, I don't buy what I can get free!!!! Leon, they are nothing more than plastic drinking cups that I save every time I buy something to drink! I don't throw them in recycle just yet. I wash them out, put water/fertilizer in them and just set my potted wicked plant into it! It is that simple. I wish a lot of them didn't have writing on them, but I am more interested in function than looks. Beside, If I would lightly sand them,,,and paint them with acrylic paint they would also look nice. BUT I don't want to do all that trouble now. Maybe later. So that is it! Just call me Recycle Rosie!!!!!

Rosie - you have the same recycle for AV bug as I do. I usually have all kind of plastic cups on my countertop - and a saudering iron on the back porch. I plugged it today - and made holes in 150 solo cups, 6 mandarine orange portion cups, 2 Tokio's Joe black plastic bowls and something else.

i.

Yep! Two peas in a pod!!!!! What am I gonna do with 300 of those large condiment cups I just got! lol I think I have a small area in the basement I can stash them in!!!! But what a score, AND they were fre!!!!!! Rosie

I start leaves in larger condiment cups - and mini and semi-mini trailers grow nicely in them. The shallow depth promotes branching on trailer starters.

Good Find!

I finally looked on the package and these condiment cups are 5.5oz. Is that the size you are talking about? When you start the trailers, do you wick them from the beginning? I am going to try to use them for small trailers. Thanks for the tip! Rosie

I wick everything. Yes, these cups are good for small trailers for quite a while. Eventually you will need to move them to 5 inch bulb pans.

Ok,,,great! Thanks!!!! Rosie