African Violets: Mat Watering
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- Опубликовано: 17 сен 2024
- Today I'll show you how I set up my mat watering trays. These have been a huge time saver for me and have been a wonderful way to grow the harder to water varieties like the minis.
In this simple system:
The water is stored in the tray, which is acting as a reservoir.
The blanket square is acting as a wick, drawing water from the reservoir.
The water is then absorbed up into the potting medium, keeping the plant evenly moist.
Things to watch out for:
It's important to have a very light mix. You need air pockets in your mix to prevent your plants from drowning or rotting. I use a 1:3 ratio of Pro-Mix BX and chunky perlite for new transplants or younger plants. I also add a small layer of chunky perlite to the bottom of each pot for aeration and a yarn wick to ensure wicking. Everyone's conditions are different so it's best to experiment with a few plants at a time to create a mix that works well for you.
Materials:
Sturdy standard 1020 tray:
My favorite are from Bootstrap Farmer.
www.bootstrapf...
Something to hold the plastic grid above the water:
I use 1oz portion cups, but anything plastic will work. www.amazon.com...
Plastic Grid cut into rectangles that fit inside the 1020 tray.
These come in 2'x4' sheets from Lowes and Home Depot and I cut them to size with wire cutters (side cutters).
www.lowes.com/...
www.homedepot....
Wire Cutters:
www.amazon.com...
Cheap fleece throw from Walmart. These are $2.50 and are 50 x 60 inches. One throw will make quite a few mats!
www.walmart.co...
I love this idea! I used kitty trays from the 99 cent store with the rest o my hydro balls.
nice video
Thanks for watching!
Neat system! Do you keep your African violet pots on the wicking system or take them off when the soil is completely moistened?
I leave them there all the time. As soon as my plants have a good, established root system, they go on the mat. Thanks for watching!
I have always thought that fleece has hydrophobic, water-repellent properties. I'm surprised it works well in wicking system. I also hear that people use felt, is fleece better?
Fleece does seem to be a little water-repellent when it's dry but once it's wet, it stays wet. I've never used felt, but I've heard of other people having good results with it. I chose fleece because of the low price and because it washes well. When these get dirty or grow algae, I just throw them in the washer/dryer and then re-use them. Thanks for watching!
Do you prefer mat watering or wick watering or do you use both? I want to try mat watering but wick watering seems more widely used. I have streps and AVs.
Hi Alyssa, thanks for watching my video! Both mat and wick watering are very similar and both are effective. I use a combination of both. I set my pots up with a wick (for a little added 'insurance' that they will draw up the water) and then place them on the mat.
@@GardeningRightNow Oh ok! I like that idea. I'm not a huge fan of the look of the reservoirs, especially when they get moldy. But if its a better way to water, I'm willing to try it. Thanks for the info! I looooove your AV videos! I like how they are really short but informative, and very well made. I can't wait for more! Would love to see your setup and collection.
will a towel work instead of fleece
I've never tried a towel. Sounds like something that's worth a try! Thanks for watching. :)
How do you give fertilizer when you do mat watering?
I put the fertilizer in the water that I add to the trays. I use a balanced, water soluble plant food at 1/8 teaspoon per gallon of water. Thanks for watching! :)
Gardening Right Now Thank you for the information.
What grow lights do you use for them?
I don't use grow lights. I use T5 LED tube light fixtures and alternate between 4500K and 6500K. Thanks for watching! :)