So today it's a "Rainy Day in Georgia", real hard constant rain, that is. Not that off and on "isolated" or "scattered" wetness that falls at will throughout the latter days of west central Georgia's typical summer. Today it's thunder, loud rain, and big gusts of wet rain all day long. This means it's an opportune time to do some indoor gardening. My violets need attention!
I generally have about 50 or 60 violets growing, along the sun room window sill, in portable wrought iron floor trays under tall windows, on some end tables, and even in a plant stand that can hold 6 pots. It's a beautiful sight that gives so much pleasure with a minimum amount of effort and expense. I know it's a lot but I can't help it!
Here's what you need: pots, plants, soil, and fertilizer. TaDa.
I use self-watering pots, both commercial or home made. The store bought self-watering pots are terrific, and prices range from $6.00 to $30.00 for the extra specials. However, I always seem to find a bargain, as Mike did last week at Walmart. He stumbled onto a "let's get rid of these" supply for $1.50 each for medium sized pots and came home with 15 new pots. Joy and security! In this arrangement, a porous pot, which holds the violet, sits snugly inside a larger pot that holds the water. The water leaches into the smaller pot, thereby probiding a continuous supply of water to a potted violet.
I have 3 sizes: small, medium, and large. The small pots are for the tender violet starters I've rooted on a window sill. The medium sized pots are for any flowering violets I buy at the store, which I often do when I find a net color or leaf texture that I want to add to my supply. The large pots house the older violets that have outgrown a medium pot, generally by producing another plant or when the core begins to grow noticeably tall.
You can also make your own self-watering pots. For example, in the bottom of a terra cotta pot, plug the hole with spackle and let it dry. Place this pot into a deep plant liner or any similar dish, which will be filled with water. Because the fit isn't snug like the commercial self-watering pots, evaporation will necessitate more frequent watering--but it's very effective when you simply need more pots or need a variet of sized pots at reasonable prices. It's a cheap way to get by!
Using the same concept--any pot that can easily absorb water sitting in a container of water--turpentine pots work. These have the advantage of being very deep, and this, I think, is an important factor in producing some gorgeous bloomers.
Today I'm organizing and cleaning my pots in preparation for a big planting effort in a day or so. I'll wash the old, used pots using a steel brush and soapy water to get them free of dirt specs. I'm going to check my supply of African Violet soil and fertilizer, available at any gardening supply store.
More next time!
