Growing Beautiful African Violets with Self-Watering Pots

African violets are one of the most popular flowering houseplants, prized for their colorful blooms and compact growth habit. But growing these delicate beauties can be tricky, especially when it comes to proper watering. Self-watering pots are a great solution to help ensure your African violets get just the right amount of moisture.

What are Self-Watering Pots?

Self-watering pots have a place at the bottom to store extra water. Through capillary action, the soil pulls water up from the reservoir. This helps keep the soil evenly moist. In regular pots, on the other hand, the soil can dry out quickly between waterings.

There are a few main styles of self-watering pots:

• The nylon wicks in wick pots hang down into the water reservoir. The wicks pull water up into the potting mix.

• Reservoir pots rely solely on capillary action rather than wicks. The potting mix draws water from the reservoir below.

• Sub-irrigation pots have a raised pot inside that sits on top of a bigger pot on the outside that holds water. Inside the pot, the sides and bottom let water seep into the soil mix from below.

Benefits for African Violets

The controlled moisture provided by self-watering pots is ideal for African violets. Getting the right amount of water is critical for African violets – too much or too little leads to issues like root rot stunted growth and lack of blooms. Self-watering pots take out the guesswork.

Other benefits include

• Prevent underwatering and overwatering
• Provide steady moisture to encourage lush growth
• Allow you to go on vacation without worrying about watering
• Make it easy for beginners to grow African violets successfully

Choosing the Right Self-Watering Pot

There are self-watering pots designed specifically for African violets. Look for the following features:

• Small size – Standard African violet pots are 3-6 inches wide. Make sure to choose a self-watering pot sized for miniature plants.

• Shallow reservoir – African violets have small, delicate root systems that don’t need deep reservoirs. Look for self-watering pots with water reservoirs less than 1 inch deep.

• Raised inner pot – Sub-irrigation style pots work best, where the inner pot sits above the water reservoir. This prevents the roots from getting waterlogged.

• Porosity – Unglazed clay or plastic pots allow moisture to evaporate through the sides, increasing humidity for African violets.

• Good drainage – Be sure the pot has drainage holes so excess water can escape. A wicking pot with perlite added to the mix also improves drainage.

Popular options are sub-irrigation style ceramic pots like those from Violet Supply and Repotme. Plastic self-watering pots like the Oyama style are also suitable.

Using Self-Watering Pots for African Violets

Once you’ve chosen the right self-watering pot, follow these tips for success:

• Use an African violet soil mix like one containing peat moss and perlite. Standard potting mixes hold too much moisture.

• Fill the reservoir with just 1-2 inches of water. Refill when the reservoir empties. The soil should feel lightly moist, not soggy wet.

• For wick pots, use nylon wicks designed for African violets to prevent overwatering.

• Fertilize regularly but weakly using African violet fertilizer to promote blooms.

• Provide bright, indirect light. Southern or eastern windows are ideal.

• Maintain high humidity around 60% or more. Set pots on humidity trays filled with pebbles.

Troubleshooting Self-Watering Pots

Here are some common issues and how to address them:

• Soil stays too wet – Try a better draining soil mix. Allow more water to evaporate from the reservoir. Remove excess wicks.

• Soil dries out – Fill the reservoir more frequently. Make sure wicks reach down into the water. Use more wicks. Switch to a reservoir style pot.

• Mineral deposits – Add vinegar to the reservoir water to prevent mineral buildup. Change the water frequently.

• Algae growth – Don’t allow light to reach the reservoir. Change the water regularly. Add hydrogen peroxide to the water.

Enjoy Gorgeous African Violets!

When set up properly, self-watering pots take the hassle out of growing finicky African violets. The key is finding the right balance of moisture and drainage. With a little trial and error, these pots can help you grow thriving violets with generous blooms to enjoy for years to come.