SallyO, your pictures are so pretty. Just beautiful! I am really enjoying semi hydro!
semi hydro doing great!
Sally I agree with you. I could never grown AV's before. This is just a piece of cake.
I love not having to repot, deal with the AV soil and mess. I had to clean my shelves all the time before, but now the shelves are always clean. Having CFS, it is heaven, so much easier and going out of town is easy now too. So glad I learned about it from you.
I have a question for both Sally's. How do you water your violets that are in semi-hydro?. Do you have dishes under them with water in the dish. Sally0, some of yours are sitting a a tray. Do you keep water in the tray. My violets are all wicked and sitting on grates over water. I think I would probably save a little room by just sitting them in the tray without the grates, but I have too many, and then I would have to hand water each one.
I keep little bowls under mine. I just water them and keep water there so they can absorb it.
After reading this thread, I potted several of my violets, orchids and one begonia using semi-hydro. So far, they are in shock and look wilted, but hoping they will pop back.
Debsroots, I put my african violets in a plastic bag to give it humidity until they adapt. I usually keep them in the bag for a month or until I see new growth.
Yes, you can try a bad. I have never done that and had no problem, but Sally O has used bags and that might be good if they are wilting. Good luck! It is so easy. I just watered mine. Need to take some pictures.
Yes, pictures would be nice.
I don't know what Sallysblooms secret is but I have to use bags for about a month. I also put mine on heat and have under lights. I tried without and my AV's promptly died.
I know, it is surprising. It is certainly not humid in my home, ha.I can't stand humidity or heat. Lucky I guess.
So far, this is what I have in the s/h. They are all doing really well. Just love AV's and so glad I can grow them now.
WOW!! Nice growing :) I think one of you two Sallys (or both) need to start a S/H 101 thread. Lots of members would benefit from it!! What are the plants growing toward the center back?
Connie
The plants in the back of the picture are some succulent/cactus cristata and montrose forms. I just love how weird they are.
One looks like a crested Opuntia microdasys albispina. But I digress... LOL
All your plants look fantastic! What a difference a well aerated root system makes!!!
What I was curious about is this: When I lived in Germany years ago, a "puffed clay" product with the brand name "Seramis" was all the rage. The granules are about the size of medium Perlite but are made of clay. They are kind of terracotta colored.
I seem to remember that they wick better than the regular "hydroponics granules".
I wonder if this or a similar product is available here in the US.
Also, do they sell the regular clay granules in different grades?
Olaf
Olaf, Sallysblooms and Sally0 use the hydroton. I was looking for stuff to make a gritty mix for some of my cactus and came across a recipie for Al's Gritty Mix on the Cactus Forum on GardenWeb. The mix I used called for Turface and two other ingredients. I couldn't find Turface locally but found Espoma Soil perfector. which is hard baked clay. I bought a bag at Ace Hardware. Plants are doing great and I'll probablly put the rest in the mix as soon as spring comes. I haven't used the hydroton yet for gessies, but maybe I'll try the Espoma clay with one or two gessie and see how it wicks. If it works out then I'll try a few more. I'll work on a few this week and will post how it works out. I just want to make sure it wicks well.
This message was edited Feb 11, 2012 10:19 PM
Here is a pic of the gritty mix I use. My cactus plants that are potted in this mix are not wicked. They are watered weekly during winter months when it is cooler. When the temps are up I water every few days. I haven't tried wicking any yet.
With the semi-hydroponics there are 2 sizes. I use the larger size for the AV's. I just seem to do better with them. Actually, what I use is similar to hydroton but is a little more porous. I do not know about the hydroponics granules.
Thanks for th info!
Hydroton actually is the hydroponics medium that i was talking about. I just couldn't think of the name for the life of me...
The finer grade is normally used to start cuttings in a hydroponics setting. They normally use little 2" plastic "basket" pots and once the cutting is rooted, it goes into the larger grade granules - pot and all.
The large ones will provide for extremely well aerated roots and that's mostly the reason for plants doing so well in this medium. Well, also root-rot usually doesn't stand a chance...
I've seen people grow anything from Orchids to succulents of all kinds in this stuff - both hydro and S/H.
The only thing that can be a bit tricky is fertilization but it's usually not too hard to get it right.
As far as fertilizing, I fertilize every time I water. I do occasionally rinse it out when I see a lot of salt accumulating on the outside of the cup.
Those plants in the center back do have a "weird" shape to them which catches your eye. Pretty cool plants, Sally!!! I would not have thought they would do so well in s/h. VERY interesting :) Where do you get your s/h material for growing??
Connie
50 kilograms of that stuff go for 30 to almost a hundred bucks if you buy direct. I have ABSOLUTELY no idea ho much shipping is going to be... Just checked: Shipping is 31 bucks...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/50L-EXPANDED-CLAY-PEBBLES-HYDROPONIC-GROW-ROCK-HYDROTON-/400081996429?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d26beca8d
GULP!! When I clicked on it, it showed $41.00 for shipping to my location. You are a little closer to them than me, Olaf but....WOW!!
Connie
I know, right? I wonder if one of the big box stores carries it...
I am sure you could find some in your neck of the woods. Even if it cost a little more for a bag you would save some money. Now my area is a different story. I am lucky to find perlite and poor Sister Lynn mailed me a bag of vermiculite because I couldn't find any here. That's pretty sad lol.
Connie
Oh, I know how that is. I grew up in a village of 250 in the middle of the country. I always had to spend a fortune and jump through all kinds of hoops just to get a small bag of Perlite, let alone Vermiculite...
The thing is, though, that I wouldn't be surprised if I had to go forty miles plus into the suburbs to get anything like that. Out there are the larger and the specialty nurseries.
I have to drive that to get to a grocery store with more than 5 isles LMBO!!!!
I get my medium at FirstRays.com. He is really nice! Yes, I use the larger size too. Ray said there is not a lot of difference. I just put three more violets in the semi hydro today.
This message was edited Feb 19, 2012 10:01 PM
Sallysblooms do you rinse all of the dirt off of the roots? I am trying to figure out what you do so you don't have to bag your plants.
When starting new plants from leaf cuttings, at what plant size do you switch over to semi hydro?
Sally0, I do rinse my roots to get all the soil off that I can.
Frnknim. I wait until it is a small plant, five leaves maybe? I like to have roots ready. You could try rooting in water and then change, I have not done that yet.
I took some new photos today while watering.
Beautiful as always Sally.
Jan
Sunkissed Rose today.
Just beautiful....the semi hydro really works for you. I am trying it on some of my A.V.'s and orchids and begonias and in hopes it will turn out for me as well.
Another beautiful AV Sally
I'm trying the poor woman's version of semi hydo.LOL.I read about it on another form,it's stuff called Turface.Looks like little rocks.I'll see how it goes.
Jan
Sally, as usuall, your pictures and plants are beautful. Keep posting them. I keep adding to my list, when I see your violets. LOL
Oh boy I am getting addicted again. Just ordered 4 more from Robs. Can't help but fall in love with them when they start blooming.
What a beautiful display SallyO!
Jan,let us know how the Turface works for you.I have heard pros and cons.
Lynn
I have used the primeagra for years. I have about 100 plants in it including succulents and cactus. I had grown the AV's in the primeagra for a number of years then I ended up getting a divorce. I stopped growing the AV's for a few years and have just started up again. It is actually the only way I can grow AV's and most plants as I tend to over mother everything and kill them. You can really overwater with the primeagra which is great for me. Now I have the bug again and I am up to over 20 AV's and counting. I had promised myself I would only get a few. Like potato chips. lol