Hi Elsa,

That's a very interesting observation. I'm looking forward to hearing from the experts. Meanwhile, you start out by saying you repotted "some" of your violets today, so it sounds like you have several; but then you refer to only two, one of which has a wick and one which doesn't. Is it really just two different violets you're comparing? If so I guess I'd be wondering if they were about the same age, and in the same kind of soil, and of comparable stature?

And maybe somebody will say something about whether different cultivars have different habits.

Meanwhile, as I said, what a good question! I'll be paying attention.

Joan

Joan,

I repoted 5 AV on wick, and 3 AV are not. they are about same age. I used violet showcase soil. The growing condition is the same which they have been in basement for the summer. All the plants look healthy but just wonder why there is a difference on the root volume.

I can only offer a very small opinion. In my experience and learning, water roots (wick watering) forms different roots than soil grown roots. I don't know if one promotes more root growth than the other. I might guess that since wick watering is a constant source of water and food,,,,maybe they don't require as many roots as soil grown? Maybe soil grown need more roots because of the wet and dry conditions? Just grabbing at straws here.

Oh where is Irina when we need her???? BTW she is well. Rosie

rosie,

Thank for your input. I'm glad Irina is doing well. I haven't hear from her for the last few months.

You're welcome. I guess Irina is very busy! I am sure she will be back! She sure is missed!!!!! Rosie

Elsa, another question has occurred to me. Have you noticed any difference in performance of your 8 violets, between those on wick watering and those that are watered from above? You said they're all healthy. Just to get down to specifics: are they all blooming just about when you'd expect, and developing at about the rate you'd expect?

Rosie, re what you said: " I might guess that since wick watering is a constant source of water and food,,,,maybe they don't require as many roots as soil grown? Maybe soil grown need more roots because of the wet and dry conditions? Just grabbing at straws here." That seems to me a very good hypothesis.

I'm such a fan of well grown root systems that it seems to me that if non-wick watering produces a better root system, and if as Elsa says all the violets are healthy (sounds to me like she's taken excellent care), then my vote goes to non-wick, as long as it's practical for the grower. Does that make sense?

Also, I would comment that it's not necessarily that roots in a less constantly saturated medium are cycling between "dry" and wet. Pre-wick-watering, I'd let my pots get noticeably lighter before watering (usually from a saucer, but if from the top, the resultant pot weight/soil saturation was the same, and quite comparable to what I now *always* feel in my wick-watered plants). Lighter pot weight is just what I've been trained to do before watering; it's not from neglect or accidentally letting things dry out because I check all the time. I water when the soil surface is noticeably dry, with AVs. "Good," think I, "they've gotten some air to the roots."

What I'm seeing now that I've put everything except leaves and tiny plants on wicks, is that the pots are pretty heavy all the time. (Elsa, is this also your observation on your wicked plants?) My soil medium is and always has been at least 50% perlite if not more (because there's perlite in the potting mix); wick is 4-strand acrylic yarn. The weight of the pots seems too heavy to me, to be maintained 100% of the time, based on my experience with other plants. But I could be wrong! Sure wish I could come to you all's houses and lift a few pots!

I'd like something that's a little more "medium" in terms of wetness. So what do you think about splitting the yarn into two strands instead of four?

Hi,

All the plants that are on wick or no wick were bloomed as usual. Since they are in basement, the one on wick were pretty wet. So, I wonder if the soil is too wet, although I add 50 percent coarse perlite. I think I will continue to observe since all the plants will move to 2nd floor for winter.

i wick as many violets as possible...individual watering is time consuming and this way the plants know how much water to take up...HOWEVER, the most important thing about wicking is that the soil needs to be very light...i use hunter's wyked wicking soil (on ebay)...it is really a light soil...i have found that when the plants are wicked there are some of them that need more perlite, so i've added some course perlite ( from heidi at enchanted gardens, also her soil is very good)...i will keep an eye on my plants and see if this is enough...my water quality seems to need more perlite...

Where is Irina?.. Ok, I found her.

I think you guys are pretty much on a button with wicking. The better the soil ... the better they grow.... I hear a lot of good stuff about Ken M. soil You can still tweak a store bought soil with perlite to make it breathable. I think we need to look at our wicks too. If it is too thin, it gets salted fast and the pot dries. If it is way too thick - it will pass too much water - the soil will be soggy, the plant won't develop to the potential - and the roots will be short and thick.. they do not need to work hard to provide the water, they just soak in what is delivered in abundance.

In my experience - better to keep soil barely most - so you need to tweak your wicks... not as thin so they will pickle - but as thin as possible - so play with your acrylic yarn - how many plies (plys??) you need to use - may be a whole yarn wick or even two for an xlarge plant, less if it is a small plant in a small pot. A very important tool is your index finger - you touch the soil, it is not dry, but your finger shouldn't become muddy.

My thinking - get a bag from Ken M., try how it works for you - and if it is just right - use it as an example when you play with your own soil. Store bought soil always has a wetting agent - so you can add even more perlite.

The main idea - your growing conditions, watering style, humidity, temperature are yours only. Somebody's else cat's meow is not necessary your cat's meow. Finger works. Not middle finger, index one.

Irina,

You are funny. I do not give middle finger if my violets are not behave. They will go to trash. I thought about getting Ken's soil, but I bought violet showcase soil instead. Maybe I buy Ken's next time.

elsa

I have used Lyndon Lyon’s mix and Violet showcase mix and both worked well for me. However, Miracle grow AV mix did not give good results. I fertilize weakly when I water and MG already has fertilizer. Plus MG has bark that uses up nitrogen as it breaks down. I have not tried Ken’s mix.

Question,,,,,,I read where people try this mix and that mix,,,,,so how long of a trial should a person give a plant to see if the new mix is any improvement or detriment???? Rosie

Rosie -

I only use Violetshowcase soil for AVs.

I am sure all of us have a leaf pot that is crying to be divided. I probably have 50. Separate the plantlets - and plant them in Solo cups with different soil mixes, trying to more or less use the same size babies. Go through the motions - 10 days under the dome, then out. You can make a comparison quite soon - but you can as well wait till the first bloom. Under the lights and on wicks... I would think they will be in bud in 2-3 months. Compare. Which are better plants, which are blooming faster.

I would say - choose something that is normally very eager to bloom and grow. No minis and no curled leaves ones. Amazing Grace can take a whole year.. I think Paul Sorano plants are mostly fast growers. You probably need to grow 2-3 plants in each mix for better statistics.

I believe Miracle Grow is now made in China - and what is sitting in a bag... who knows, it is not very consistent. So while some of us are using it with extra perlite - it is not the same as it was 20 years ago.

i.

Thanks Irina! I do use MG because it is available when I need it. So far,,,,,so good. Once I separate and pot up babies, they don't get touched again (except for normal grooming) until they start to outgrow the pot, need to replace/change a wick etc.

I guess my question came from people who repot because of a problem, are given different advice, repot again because someone said there is a better soil mix and so on,,,,,and it seems to me that a plant should not be repotted again and again. Which made me wonder how long does it actually take to see a result good or bad? A month? 2 months? I don't hear a time span,,,,,I just hear someone saying "ok I will try that". And sometimes we hear the plant dies. Too much handling????? Not enough observation time?????? Do we "putz" too much with our plants???? Just wonderin',,,,,,,,,Rosie

There is always some percent of babies dying.. If there is 1-2 babies in a leaf pot - you can separate them accurately, if the leaf gave a bundle - you just tear them apart ... and some will not make it.

I made a similar comparison on baby streps - and actually they grew faster and bloomed more abundantly on Promix HP with biofungicide and mycorrhizae with proportion of 2 parts Promix and 1 part medium to coarse perlite then on a similar proportion of Violetshowcase soil. The only minus - at 6 months they started sulking - because the soil started getting more compacted and it was a good time to repot them in a next size pot. My take - they are heavy feeders - and a preload of a slow release fertilizer is beneficial.

A friend of mine worked in a garden department of Home Depot - and they needed to repot some of their plants . She said that they didn't use Miracle grow because it often came with mealies, springtails, clouds of fungus gnats etc.

Irina, I looked up the violetshowcase soil. Looks like there's plenty of vermiculite in it. I'm not sure I understood correctly: do you also mix this with two parts "soil" to one part perlite?

And, not that I'm into streps, but do you think one could simply use a higher concentration of fertilizer continuous-feed wicking? Just speculating - Thanks,

Joan

Irina, Great advice!!!

I will be moving to Idaho. The growing conditions for AV will be harsher. I will probably go back to growing under lights. I bet in the region I am going to, people never even heard of AVs! They already declared winter started today! It is a low-light area. Brrr! It will also be mountain air with less oxygen instead of nice, comfy sea level where I am now.

Joanne

Idaho is so beautiful, Joanne. I loved it when I lived there for a year, on an internship. Does tend to be on the dry side, but mild in the winter (well, I guess that's relative, hah!). Lights may be necessary in the winter, but days get wonderfully long on the other side of the year. :) Enjoy!

Joanne...you will miss CA, but life is more relaxed, less stress, friendlier people.

Regarding the AVs - yes - lights - and more plants. They will naturally raise the humidity in the house - and you will not be picking your nose... this is a first sign on low humidity - nose gets dry.

;-))

Good luck with your move JoAnne! Pack your plants carefully and they should make it through. When I moved to AL in 2016, I packed them in personal vehicle and not in the moving van.