Has anyone tried leaf support rings?
Do they work?
I like to use clay pots because I tend to over water. I keep a ceiling fan going all the time to keep the air moving for circulation. I understand that clay pots tend to keep fertilizer salts and that these salts can cause the outer leaves to wilt more quickly. I was wondering if the leaf supports would help prevent the "outer leaf wilt syndrom".
Leaf support rings
Nana,
Here's a tip I got from reading a vintage old book on AV's...
I use plastic type "paper plate" with the center cut out for my leaf supports...it's a great way to recycle a plastic plate that was just used for simple meals or snacks like a sandwich or cookies...I just wash them really well.
To make one you can place the plant pot in the center of the plate and draw a line around the pot on the plate. Then take a box blade or razor edge and cut the cirlce out. I poke a few wholes in the paper plate around wear the leaves will lay for circulation sake and to let an water drip through,too. You can cut strips out if you have the time to spend, just don't make them too close together , other wise the plate looses it's sturdy form. Once you have it ready then just place the pot inside the center hole and slip it up like a skirt.
I've done some with tabs on them, but if you cut the circle out it is usually snug enough to hold it up.
This method also increases the amount of light that is reflected around the plant , a really plus in my growing conditions. It also limits your space so that you don't crowd your Av's too close together.( I'm very bad about this:)
It doesn't look to shaby once the leves grow out.
I'm an "el cheapo" so I'd rather spend my money on violets & soil etc....so i don't buy the support rings.:)
Hope that helps and if you need any further expalnation just let me know.
MsC
This message was edited Aug 15, 2005 12:50 PM
Great tip there, MsC! I may try that -- mostly because I'm also very bad about crowding my plants too closely together, and I think this would help like you said!
I threw this sample pic together to try to give a visual pic of what I do when I make mine.
See if it gives you a better idea on how you can do one.
MsC
That does help -- when you mentioned tabs, I was envisioning forcing them down along the *inside* of the pot! I'll bet the little cocktail sized plates would work for the smaller plants...
CritterO,
The tabs could be put inside the pot if you start out with a smaller plant.
I think the smaller plates would work, too.
Another tip I forgot to mention is that if you turn your flower pot( or one like it if it's planted) upside down on the plate when you draw the outline, it helps make it fit right up close to the rim. Some pots have a slightly different size top than the bottom. I tape the tabs down sometimes if it feels too loose or to just keep it in place.
The last AV I had that I put one on bloomed forever I think because it increased the light but also becasue it fit snug & kind of bound the rootballl....
You can just adjust things to whatever you have on hand but it gives you the basic idea of how to make a leaf suppport ring. Most of the ones I've seen are held on by rubber bands... just something else to keep up with for me & I don't need that! lol
Glad you enjoyed the pic.
MsC
MsC
Thanks for the info. I will try it this morning and let you know if it works or if I can't completely figure out what I'm doing.
Nanna
It worked!! I thank you and 3 of my av's thank you as well. I could tell immediately the leaves were receiving more light and they don't look droopy. You're wonderful!!!
Two of the av's are 12 or more inches and I used the plate right side up. The third is 8 inches and I turned the plate up-side-down. I could tell on the 8 inche av that I wasn't turning it to all sides for light. One side was not as full as the other. Thanks again.
Nanna
This message was edited Aug 16, 2005 10:34 AM
This message was edited Aug 16, 2005 10:38 AM
Nana,
I'm glad it worked out for you.
It does help support those outer leaves. If you happen to top water your plants I would either remove the plate if water gets under the leaves or when you make it just poke a few holes around the plate to let the water dip out, becuase if you leave the water under the leaves it will cause problems.
It's the cheapest way I know to have a leaf support ring with very little effort/expense.
MsC
I've changed to wicking but I will make sure no water rests under the leaves. Thanks again.
You have such wonderful information. Can you help me on a problem I'm having. It's with a small av but not a miniture. It's wicked and is in a west by north west window. It gets full light in the morning and filtered light when the sun comes in the late afternoon and evening. I've notices the flowers and leaves are wilting and the crown is turning dark.
I checked Optimara doctor and came up with 1) cold temperature or 2) too much water (crown rot). All the other av's in the same location are doing fine so far. All are wicked in the same manner. This is the soil that has fine vermiculite instead of coarse.
I repotted the wilting plant without wicking and am letting it dry out and then try to nurse it along.
Do you think I should repot all the other plants and add more perlite to the mix? I would hate to have this happen to all my plants?
Wicking can end up keeping the soil too wet.... check the moisture level with your finger. Rob's culture info suggests using a lighter soil mix (say, 1/2 perlite) with both wicking & self watering pots. Otherwise, I'm afraid I have no clue.
HIya Nana,
I'm so sorry those little guys are hard to save . It 's hard to tell without seeing the plant but sounds like crown rot.
Yes, I would definitely repot it and add a lot of perlite for now and hold off on the watering,move it away form the others AV's ,too. If you have some kind of fungicide then use it on the bottom of the plant. It sounds like it has crown rot starting and that is bad. I'd take a few leaves off the top rows of leaves now and put them down to back it up & start a new plant.
I've had that happen alot because I over water everything...I have most of my lil ones on a small wick too.
I have saved a few larger semi mini's by cutting the top off and repotting fairly dry and placing the plant in a closed container for about 1- 2 months to reroot it. You can try it with plain perlite too but enclose it in an plastic baggie or other container until it forms some roots,then repot it in a lighter mix and place it back in the container for a few weeks,when you take it out of the container, you need to harden it off a little each day by opening the container a bit or it may wilt all over again
I don't know if you can risk it with a tiny plant.
I have started letting my plants dry out a bit before I refill the container when I'm wick watering and I don't have a much trouble with crown rot as I did. I also started using charcoal and perlite in the bottom of my pots to help with drainage on all my plants. They seem to be doing great so we will see.
Good luck with the lil guy!
MsC
BTW, I've been using perlite rather than vermiculite to lighten my mix... I wonder if maybe the vermiculite holds too much water?
I think the vermiculite does hold too much water and I don't need anything else helping me water my lil darlings...lol
Vermiculite does a great job when used on some of the cheaper potting soils for lighting the mix and it has it's place but you gotta whatch the watering.
Well it died big time. I guess I will start over from the beginning with new potting soil and not use vermiculite at all. If I use half potting soil and half perlite and some charcoal will that be ok? I will let them dry out before repotting.
I hope I don't kill any more. 10 of the 15 I have are in full bloom. This is scarry!
I did cut a leaf from the one that died. The bloom looked like a pansy. Beautifuly purple with yellow center. It was in full bloom at the time of its droop. How sad.
Nana,
I'm so sorry!
I'd watch your watering on the newly wicked plants and
remove any water in the water containers for a week or so. AV's can surivive being very dry but too much water is death to them. Ishould know ~I do it a lot!!
You can repot if you want and add more perlite to the mix for sure.
Hugs ,
MsC
I'm sorry to hear your rescue didn't work out! I use about half potting soil and half perlite for wicked or self watering pots, and the charcoal would probably be a good addition too.
Glad to hear so many of your others are blooming their heads off! What fun!
Nanna this thread of your's MsC showed how to make some great leaf supports maybe this will help !
I remember this very well. The leaves have grown down for awhile and I think trying to support them now might brake them. Actually I like the downward turn of the leaves.
allison i am glad you pulled this thread back up. being a newbie it really helps me! i think i will try this! what a good idea from MsC!
kelly
Yes Kelly me too. They look nicer than te ones I bought.
MsC has so many great ideas.
Did you try some Nanna ! How did they work for you .
I tried using vermiculite in my mix in the beginning and found that it holds too much water in so I started using one-third AV soil and two-thirds perlite and it works great. I don't use vermiculite at all anymore.
I love your idea of making the leaf support rings. What a wonderful idea. I have some that I think would do much better if they had the supports. I'm going to give your idea a try.
Thanks,
Jesse
Hey guys!
Great to see this pop up...lol
Just checking in to see how all my old Av buddies are doing here.
Glad you liked my "cheap" leaf rings...it leaves more money for AV's & Gessies. I really like the white plates that are plastic, they hold up really well and the even reflect a bit of light, too. It does help keep you from over crowding but " we" would never do that???:)
The only thin I've discovered about them is they don't fit my beloved AV pots. I have found after using them a while that cutting a few slits around the plate helps air circulation, especially if you top water & make a mess like I do.
Enjoy,
MsC
MsC. I'm so glad you are back. How was the move and please share how you ever mannaged to transport all of your plants and critters. So happy to posted here. I had forgotton about the slits that you cut into the plates for circulation. I need to do that this morning. I have two plants that I put the rings on yesterday.
Allison, I did use the plates and they worked wonderfully. They work just as well as the $9 ones you buy on the web sites. It takes a little time and patience to get them the right size but you can't beat 50 for 1.99 at any grocery store. 100% in agreement.
I think this thread would be good in our Sticky ! Have to ask Lali.
Well the leaf suports I bought from Rob's were only around $2.. and 3.00 something each. I only bought 3 but shipping was $8.00 . They don't really work that great and nothing to look at so the plastic plates would also look nicer may even do a better job. I am wondering the ones you buy have lots of holes for air to get up in between. So could pretty slits be cut for this purpose. If someone was talented ( not me lol ) they could paint them !
I use an exacto knife to cut into mine. Works great!
Oh yes that is good to use. Hubby thought he could find his before. lol No I'll have him do the cutting for me !