In my experience they like to dry out before another watering........not continually damp. Sometimes if I get busy and forget them the foliage begins to wilt a little.....not quite as crisp. They bounce right back with a watering.

Also, moist and damp are two different things IMO. To be moist, the soil always has a level of moisture in it, whereas damp is the same thing as being wet (damp/wet is like when you initially water a plant and it hasn't fully drained yet). Moist is the in between of dry and wet.

Planto

Oh yeah, this is troublesome! How do I know the wilt is over-watering or under-watering?

Since the leaves are covering all over the pot, I don't know how to water from top, so I then do it under. I thought I should keep the water at bottom (reservoir) full all the time especially now it's hot and dry here. But suddenly I got this big leaf on the edge wilt and not sure it's drown or burned? Any advice? Thanks

Ok, it's been more than a year and my AV, I think, is doing very well -- so far there were two full sets of bloom (mid winter and early summer) and they lasted quite a while... (see today's photo that shows the summer bloom is just withering:)


Look like AV has over-grown the small plastic pot (4" with bottom reservoir). Luckily I bought this nice stone pot (5.5" inner diameter) for $3.5 from Rite Aid clearance sale (together with 7 other pots). When I put this one by AV's side, got a strong urge that it IS for the AV!


Questions: Regardless its beauty, is this pot really appropriate for my AV? It does have a drainage hole at side of bottom (see the photo below), but it's different from the plastic pot which provide a reservoir at bottom. So the way of watering would change from bottom watering to top. Will this watering change affect the growth of my AV? I am not sure if I can even top-water (the soil) it after repot... I imagine that the AV would still cover the top of the new pot unless setting the plant at the very top of the pot (by soil to the very top of the rim). So how am I going to water it after repot? Appreciate your advice.

You go to a hard ware store, or Home depot or Lowe's and go to the box where they sell dowels. Buy the skinny dowels but not so skinny it may break when inserted into soil. Mine are about the size of the ink tube inside a plastic bic pen. When you check the soil for watering, , stick the dowel in the dirt to the root area, wait a second and then feel the dowel. (I test on the inside of my wrist) If it is cold, and especially if you see dark specs of dirt on the dowel, it's not dry yet. If the dowel comes out clean, and dry it's probably time to water. Another helpful trick is to get use to what the weight of a plant feels like, when it is dry and when it is wet. And lastly, really look at your plants. They give off physical ques when they are needing water. Using all these methods, should be all that you need to know to water your av's so they thrive.

Keep in mind, every one looses plants from time to time. Plants can die when everything you did was right. Don't let it get you too down, just take it as a good excuse to go buy a new plant.

Hi Laurie, I am no sure you're responding to my post or others'. Any way, My main Q is: Is the new stone pot suitable for my AV? Thanks

Paul2032 said:I grow AV's in an east facing window. I water every 4-5 days. I pick up the plants and if the pot feels heavy I wait another day. If it feels light I water.

That's my routine also, I water by feel. It seems to work for me.

chiquib313 said:I wick most of my African violets and use these clear acrylic reservoirs for my minis and semis. Wicking is low maintenance and with the clear reservoirs you can see when it needs to be refilled.

chiquib313, this this is beautiful! Where do you get your reservoirs?
Thanks!