Hi Nancy & all,
I tend to agree with Rick. Don't wet their leaves, it can cause
more harm than good sometimes. Don't up the dosage of fertilizer in the
self-watering pots. If your wick watering check that they are not
clogged up with fertilizer salts. If anything I suggest you first flush
your violets with plain tepid water & then fertilize straight into the
soil from the top. This way they are sure to receive the nutrients.
Hope I've been helpful.
Steve Philbrick
N.E. Ohio
Zone 5
Madbegonia44@webtv.net
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- To: <i*@prairienet.org>
- Subject: Re: more on African violets
- From: "* K* <e*@primenet.com>
- Date: Sun, 2 Nov 1997 22:27:17 -0600
> Hi! As long as we're on an African violet thread, I have a question. Can > they be fed by foliar feeding? I'm asking because two of mine have yellow > edges on the leaves, which I assume is from some kind of deficiency. These > two are in self-watering pots (an inner pot with the plant, an outer one > with water) that are part-filled with a low-nitrogen fertilizer (3-12-6). > For some reason I'm reluctant to up the dosage and am instead toying with > the idea of just spraying the leaves with a higher nitrogen fertilizer. > Would that work? The plants in question were near death about three months > ago, probably from an accumulation of fertilizer salts. I repotted them in a > soilless mix when they were down to about two good leaves each, and they've > completely grown back, although they haven't bloomed again. Thanks, Nancy > Stedman No, you don't ever want to wet your african violet leaves. I have mine in terracotta pots and I water them by filling the trays with a water/fertilizer mix. -Rick
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