How to Water African Violets

I have decided to do this in a multi-part installment. I’ll cover violet watering first.

Basically, because of their fuzziness, violets don’t like to get water on their leaves. This causes ugly spots and potential damage. They are also picky about how much or how little they are watered, and it’s a constant battle to walk that fine line, one that is often the cause of demise in an otherwise healthy plant. People over- or under-water violets (and most plants, really) all the time, and a wicking system helps to solve this issue.

When a violet is potted by someone who is more savvy to the plant, they typically install a wick made of some type of string into and throughout the dirt in the pot, allowing the plant to decide when to take up water. The end of the wick that comes out the bottom of the pot goes into a water source, and absorbs as needed. The part of the wick that is within the soil stays moist, keeping the soil moist, and the plant essentially takes care of itself.

Here are some examples of wicking systems I have used or seen others use.


In the above photo I have three systems. The large tray hosting multiple plants, the plastic cup, and behind the cup is a wicking pot.



The tray was a cheap deal I put together at a Dollar Store. One cheap shallow baking pan, a cheap metal cooling rack, and some rubber bands, and together they make a nice tray with good spaces for the wicks of many plants.

The plastic cup I feel is self-explanatory. I had a plant which was in a pot that happened to fit just so within the cup. If your pot is smaller, consider a cup you can cut down to size.


The wicking pot was made just for plants with wicks in mind. It’s a plastic dish with a lid that has two holes: 1). for a wick and 2). for water replenishment. It’s a bit big for my liking but would work much better for an only plant; I simply don’t have room ;)



I have also seen friends and family utilize tupperware with holes cut into the lid and other plastic containers that originally had yogurt or cottage cheese within. Glass jars with small mouths (Smucker's has a good one, and taller baby food jars as well) are often ideal for violet reservoirs.



The last thing I have personally used was a bit of a surprise but worked really well – betta jars. When betta fish are sold, they come in these plastic cups with sturdy lids. The lids have a hole in the center allowing for employees to feed the fish prior to being purchased. Stickers removed, this container is excellent for a wicking plant.



Honestly, the possibilities are endless. Find what works for you and your space and taste. I hope that my own experience and crude artworks will give someone a good idea! If you have purchased a violet that was not set up for wicking, consider repotting it with one – a process I will cover next. Otherwise, when watering, do so carefully to avoid getting water on the leaves and make sure you don’t over- or under-water.

Short Update

Why yes, it has been a while since I've written - I am preparing a post about African Violet care (repotting, pruning, watering) at the request of some of the people that now own my extra plants. Expect it up tomorrow! Just need to draw a few more things :)

Suckers!

No, I'm not name-calling. I'm talking about African Violets, and one of the pesky ways they try to make more of themselves.

Horde of violets in a wicking tray

African Violets are gorgeous, easy to care for houseplants that require bright lighting and preferably a wicking water system. They can be propagated with leaf cuttings, via seeds, by separating tubers, or via sucker removal. Suckers are mean little growths that come up on the main stem of the plant that if left alone will form a second "head" so to speak, with its own center of growth and sets of leaves. These deform the parent plant, pushing up on the leaves and vying for light. They're no good, and should be removed.

This is too big!

This size is when you should notice them!

I noticed that my biggest violets were getting a bit reachy (leaves reaching upwards, instead of laying flat) and while they are always not quite as flat as I'd like them to be, the last couple of days they've really gotten out of control. Close inspection on one found a ton of little suckers forming, and on the second plant, one HUGE sucker and a smaller one on the other side. How that one escaped my notice, I have no idea, but it had to go.

I brought both plants into the kitchen and retrieved a sharp utensil (this one being a clean clay working tool). To remove suckers, you can use small blades if you are skilled, or, to help preserve your parent plant, use a sharp pencil. If you don't plan to keep the suckers to make more plants, they are easily poked right off with a pencil or nicked off with a blade. You want to take care to not injure the parent plant at this point, because it's very easy to do so if you are careless. It only took me about three minutes to remove all the suckers from my violets. I found five small ones on one plant, and two on the other. In the first plant there was also a leaf I apparently stuck into the soil at some point that was now growing, so I removed it as well.

Large enough to save.

 The largest sucker and the leaf are now potted in their own little cup. We'll see how they do.

 Here's some of my current blooms. I have a mini-violet called "Rob's Loose Noodle" that I acquired from a nursery, and all the rest come from a single plant a friend had me repot - there were sixteen separate plants in one pot! She kept three, my mother-in-law took one, I gave one to another friend, and I kept the rest. I hope to sell or give away the majority of them because I just don't have the space!

Rob's Loose Noodle

My camera can't capture the vivid purple these really are :(

Two shades of purple, both originated from the same plant.

Plants Everywhere! Run for your Lives!

In an amazing act of kindness (both to myself and the plants), a good friend of mine donated all his succulents to my collection. He had moved and was unable to take them with him, but was returning to water them periodically, hoping the homeowner would water them in his absence. After a few weeks, most of his rather sizable selection had died. What was left came home with me today.

Variegated elephant bush

A type of echeveria?

Baby toes!

My husband calls this "The Alien Tower"

Kalanchoe beharensis "Fang"

He also gave me a terrarium to use as a plant house, for my future tropical collection. My flytrap drools in anticipation.

I made my husband a little succulent art the other day, to take with him to work to brighten up his desk. He particularly likes the big rock.

Hill Country African Violets & Nursery

Picklepants and myself at AVN

I wanted to add that the place that Picklepants (the mystery succulent) came from is called Hill Country African Violets & Nursery, out in Boerne, TX. They specialize in tons of African Violet hybrids, from regular to mini in size, with amazing colours appearing in their blooms. If you are looking for something special in the violets area, I'd hit them up.

Be sure to ask the gentleman behind the counter inside the air-cooled violets room all about violet care! He's really knowledgeable!

Mini violet "Rob's Loose Noodle"

My mini next to one of my regulars

Picking out portulaca at AVN

New Plants and Texas Heat

We have reached the 42nd day of 100°+ temps in this glorious state of Texas. I am not amused, and neither are my plants. I admit that a busy weekend and general forgetfulness has caused some drama in the garden - I forgot to water the plants for two days, and that was a critical error.

All the hanging baskets were severely wilted, the birdhouse gourd I planted by the back fence crisped, and various herbs and large-leafed plants wilted and fell over.  Extensive watering for the next few days has saved everything (although the catnip has some permanently dried leaves, which I suppose I can feed to the cats) except the birdhouse gourd.

This is sad.

Trumpet vine hanging in there!

My biggest concern right now is the red oak we planted earlier in the year. It suffered the most, with all its previously bright green leaves totally yellow and crisp. The branches are still flexible and moist, and we've been watering it like mad, so I think it will be all right. My cedar elm suffered a worse fate years ago (neglected in a pot on the front porch, lost leaves, branches dried out, etc) and while we planted it thinking it was totally dead, it did come back a couple years later (miraculously) and is doing the best out of all the little trees today. I think the oak will do fine, as long as the watering keeps up.

:(

Everything else is fairing well. The plumbago and vinca are blooming again, and the purslane is thick and delicious. I had a branch of it in my salad this morning, and now it's asymmetrical! I will have to eat more to make it match again.

The greenhouse is installed and waiting for cooler weather. It can supposedly reach 120° + in there in this weather, even with the door wide open, so we'll wait for fall to put the shelves and plants into it. It sure will be nice to have that housing the delicate things this winter, instead of cramming them all into the garage like we've done in past years.

I'm excited to see more of the neighbours' plants too - they have this vine growing through the fence that has gorgeous purple blooms. I suspect it's a morning glory. If I'm lucky maybe it will go to seed and I can have some myself!

I installed tomato cages finally, after one of the plants fell over. I picked up the pair at Home Depot this afternoon, and while there I found more broken plants and lost leaves in the succulent section - this means it's time for celebration, for they always let me take the sad bits and pieces for free, since they'd just sweep them up anyway and put them out with the trash. I have a sprig of Elephant Bush, a pair of leaves that look like Jade plant, and a little piece of cactus which currently resembles a caterpillar. I hope they make it. I have the succulents in water to rehydrate and the cactus on very moist soil to encourage roots.

Tomatoes soon, I hope!

Sad plants :(

The caterpillar cactus

In other news, the newest member of the family, Lord Stark of Winterfell, is six months old this week. In celebration, we have purchased him a collar and a name tag. I suppose this means he's staying permanently; I don't know if that's a good thing or not!

Oh, last week - I realize I'm rambling here, but I promise this last bit is the best - I was with my mother-in-law at a nursery getting some portulaca and purslane, and by the register they had this weird cactus-looking thing. Being a total sucker for succulents, I brought it home. I don't know what it is yet, and am actually awaiting a reply from a local expert, but the thing looks like a series of pickles. It's absolutely adorable.

I have named it Picklepants after a misheard lyric from a song my husband likes. It's highly amusing and makes me smile every time I look at it. I can't wait for the current bud to bloom so I can see the full potential of flowers on this thing!

Great, now I'm hungry.

Blooming

After waiting all summer to see what colour my hibiscus would bloom, I was gifted with flower buds last week. I eagerly awaited their opening, and waited, and waited...

And the buds turned brown and fell off!

Disappointed, I went away for the weekend and returned to see new buds! And today, the first bloom of the year opened!

And it was everything I had hoped it would be.