Hey everyone. I just recently bought a self watering pot for an African violet. I know to cut my soil with perlite by half but it seems like it may still be too much water. I filled the outer part with water and set the inner pot inside overnight to just do a test. The inner pot has water sitting in it. Is this really ok to put my violet in or will I regret it?
by No-Midnight8723
3 Comments
I would put perlite in the bottom of the inner pot up to the “water line” and perlite/potting soil mix on top with the plant. That should help prevent root rot from too much water.
I don’t like them at all while others swear by them. I don’t think self-watering pots are ever a good idea, especially not porous ones that sit in water. I really don’t care what anyone else says about that.
I have wick-watered in the past but currently I top-water due to my dislike of soil that is constantly wet. For wicking, the safer choice is to suspend your pot over a reservoir of fertilizer solution and dangle a wick made of synthetic yarn into the solution to allow the plant to take up water as needed. This way gives you a lot of visual feedback so you know the wick is working. It takes the guesswork out of imagining what’s going on in an opaque pot that is literally sitting in water. A skein of acrylic yarn can be purchased for one dollar and glass jars can be thrifted for pennies. Ceramic violet pots cost an insane amount in comparison. Paying a lot of money for something that doesn’t work and could kill your plant is crazy.
Anyway, this is where I learned to wick over five years ago: [How I Wick Water My African Violets by Gray Turtle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHcYCCjPVGo). It will serve you well.
Make sure your mix is 60% to 70% perlite. It could be more or less depending on the size of perlite you have access to. I use the Sta-Green perlite from Lowe’s which is not as large as #3 perlite but is good enough. Because I top-water, I use a 50:50 blend. Sometimes I’ll do 40:60. It’s just a general guideline for my own mix. I’ve mixed so much soil over the years that I refine the mix by feel and texture. I recently wrote about my soil mix here: [Soils & Substrates](https://www.reddit.com/r/AfricanViolets/comments/1snp4wq/discussion_soils_substrates/).
Keep me posted.
I have used one similar and just used reg indoor potting mix from miracle grow (it has an AV on the front and I didn’t know any different at the time). Didn’t add perlite or anything.
Transplanted my baby plant into it and it’s done just fine. I check the water lev now and then and always make sure the inner pot is wet at least 1/2 way up.
HOWEVER… if you want to do what is ideal… wicking pots are best. They only draw up the water the plant needs. Vs this style you have will constantly soak the soil. Again.. I have one like you do and it’s done fine but wicking is best.