African Violets and Gesneriads: September Gessies #3, 1 by RainGazer

RainGazer wrote:
I grow my Pets in 3 inch pots. They're regular depth pots, not the squatty pan pots. I fill the bottom third with perlite, then the rest of the way with my regular potting mix (equal parts Miracle Gro potting mix, perlite, and vermiculite). Once they're potted, I sprinkle a thin layer of small lava rocks in the bottom of a clear 9oz dixie cup, just enough to keep the pot from sitting on the bottom of the cup. I never water from the top. I wait until they're almost completely dry, then lift the pot out, fill the dixie cup 1/2 to 2/3 full of water and set the pot back down in. It will soak up as much water as it needs . After an hour or so, I dump the extra water out of the cup, except for just enough to keep the lava rock damp. I rarely fertilize them, and they don't get a lot of light. Super easy plants to grow!

Here's a picture where you can see the layer of small lava rocks.