There are benefits to cutting roots when repotting, but you need to know how much to cut and how.
Hello and welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com, where we teach you all about gardening and the great indoors. Today, this video is sponsored by our Amazon affiliate link, which you can see down below.
Today, I’m going to talk about watering African violets. I get a lot of questions about this because there are wick watering systems, and people often hear that you should water from below. I wanted to clear some things up about that.
First of all, I know a lot of people have great luck with the wick watering systems, and if you do, that’s wonderful. For me, I have found that they don’t always keep my plants well-watered enough. I am in a drier climate, Southern California, where humidity levels can go down to 20% at times and generally range around 40-50%. I think if you’re in a moister climate, it may be okay. However, I prefer to make sure my plants are really well-watered.
A wick watering system uses a wick, which can be a piece of absorbent cotton yarn (not polyester). You place it at the bottom of the pot, running through the soil and out through one of the holes, then into a water container. It pulls up water slowly to keep the soil moist. However, I found that it didn’t keep my plants moist enough, so I prefer to water my plants differently.
This African violet here definitely needs some water, and I was waiting until today to show you how I water it. You can water from above, but be careful not to wet the foliage because African violets are prone to foliar disease and crown rot. Wet leaves can start spotting and falling off. If you do get the foliage wet, dry it a little bit.
Another way to water is from underneath. Use a container almost the same size as the pot the plant is in. Fill this container with water, then place the pot in it. The soil will begin to soak up the water through a wicking action. To get it started faster, pour a little water on top of the soil. Let the plant sit for about 20 minutes to half an hour. Don’t let it sit much longer, especially when it’s warm outside, to avoid root rot.
After this time, you’ll notice the water level in the container has gone down, and the plant feels heavy with water. Pour out any excess water to prevent root rot. If you grow African violets on a humidity tray, you can place the plant back on the tray after watering. I have another video on creating a humidity tray if you’re interested.
When watering again, wait until the soil is starting to approach dryness but is not completely dry. This ensures the plant remains healthy and well-watered.
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