Ideas for AV pots

I was out and about today and I ran across some neat little things for my AVs. Since I have found out that my plants are in pots that are way to large for them, I set out to see what I could find. I found some really cool looking things but I wanted to run it by you guys to see what you think. The first set of pots are my favorites. They are 2¼" and made out of clay. They sit on a clay tray. I was wondering if I filled the tray with some water if it would soak it up or I could just add a wick to them and then sit them on the clay tray, giving them two ways of receiving water. Here is what the first set look like. Most of them are painted with the little purple flower, one set has some yellow flowers and one set has sunflowers. I really do value all of your opinions, that is why I'm showing them to you. Here is the picture of the first set. Oh, beside the set of pots to the right is a really cute little white ceramic pot. The only drawback to this one is that it does not have any holes in the bottom. Could we still use it by watering from the top or is it not worth the touble. Let me know what you think.

This message was edited Mar 2, 2006 1:42 AM

The next set of pots are just some plain little pots that I thought were really cute. There is a clear one which gives you more of a chance of seeing what is going on than if it were in a regular pot. The blue one is just a cute little blue thing that I found and thought it was cute. The next one is what I really like. I will show you what I mean in the next photo.

JesseK

Now for my favorite. I bought some plain clay 2¼" pots from Walmart. You can see them on the right of the tall blue thing. However, if you put the little clay pot into the tall blue glass type thing, you have plenty of room to add water and make a nice wick system.

JesseK

And this is the final product. I really do like it. And these glass things come in different colors for you to match what every you have in your home. I just love this idea.

JesseK

Anyway, I am open to any ideas that you all may have. I was trying to find things that were small but would look really neat with all of our violets. I did find a couple sets of three 3" inch pots. One has roses on it and the other has sunflowers on it. At least they are more colorful than looking at the plain clay pots all the time. So what do you think of these?

JesseK

Hi JesseK,

Great idea! I use the pedastel type containers for my mini's and semi mini trailers and I have also used candly holders and they look so elegant and at the same time it raises them up so they drape so nicely.

Joanne

Thanks Joanne. I think that I will go back to big lot tomorrow and buy a few more pedestal type glasses. They had them in a couple other colors. So do you grow any of yours in pots without holes in the bottom? I really like the little white ceramic ones. Maybe I can get a special drill big for my drill to put some holes in it.

JesseK

NIce Jesse
I have a couple like your top set Bob sent me :))
I would not grow in the ones without holes. Can holes be drilled in ? If not use a wicked plastic of other type plant and sit the wicked pot into the pots with no holes. But I would not grow in them.

Allison and Jesse...those are the ones i sent ...also sent some to Lorry...don't know how she's using hers....should be easy to drill holes in bottom...if not the pot in pot works very well....

Bob the pots you sent me the sets on trays they have holes in them ! Not sure what's going in the yet. Some Special Semi miniatures :))

Hello all. I love the blue glass cup JesseK! Beautiful color. Just to let you guys know you can get a drill bit for pots as long as it is a masonry/brick/mortar bit. They work fine. I used one a couple of times last year on some of my pots outside.

jesse those are all neat and so colorful..love them

Yes :) I adore mine Bob and they have holes in them :)
I believe Allison meant the second set of pots :)

Well the ones where the clay pot sits in the tall blue one is my favorite. And the little clay ones have holes in the bottom of them. So the wicks will work fine with them. And the ones that sit on the little trays are all clay and have holes in the bottom. I think I will check out the little white ceramic ones and see if I can drill a hole in them. I am going back to Big Lots and get some more of the tall blue ones so that I can use them with the wick system. What do you think about the ones that sit on the little tray. Can I just put water in the little tray and water from below or should I put wicks in them. Will the wick system work with these if I just sit them on the little trays and put water in the little trays? The ones pictured below are the ones that I'm talking about. I guess what I am asking is if the pots have wicks in them but are sitting on the wicks, will the water travel up the wick anyway. Does water travel up the wick if the pot is sitting on the wick? Wow. That was a lot to say for one little set of pots.

JesseK

LOL I went to Wally's World and bought a bunch of 2 and 2 and1/2 inch plain clay pots with the intention of painting them with flowers on the outside. Going to use your pots as patterns to get me started Jessie. Thanks Lauri

You might think of your white pots without drainage holes as really deep saucers. I've got plastic or clay pots sitting in various no-hole pots or other containers, and it works great.

When the inside pot is elevated as with your blue glass (fab look, BTW!), then I wick the pot into the water reservoir. When the inside pot sits right on the bottom of the container, I don't bother with a wick (I know Allison wicks everything) because the pots seem to soak up water from the bottom just fine.

I water the no-wick containers by pulling out the inside pot, adding "the right amount" of water to the outer container (from 1/4 to 1 inch, depending on the relative sizes of pot & container). If there's water left in the bottom, I pour it out so the plant doesn't sit in a puddle. If there's no water left after a few minutes, I add a little more, especially if the potting mix doesn't quite seem moist yet.

I just ordered about one Thousand pots of different size.
Each plant I ship I like to have it in a new bleached pot for you :))
You can even paint these plastic pots.
Last summer I donated 30 of the white 3 inch pots and 30 4 inch green pots.
30 blooming size named plants
and gallons of soil-less mixture , wicks
To a Salvation Army Summer day camp in OHio
Pretty much low income kids. It was for their garden week . And they had also been study about the area where African violets came from ! They wanted to be able to paint the pots, and plant their new African violets into their newly painted pots ! Every age even High School Kids enjoyed them !.
Here is where I buy my pots. I use the 2 inch for miniature, Semi-miniatures, baby plants by the hundreds !
These links are also in our African violet sticky top thread in our forum ! You can find everything there :))
http://www.novoselenterprises.com/default.asp



and

Secret Gardens
Pots and Supplies
http://www.secretgardenrareplants.com/catalog.cfm?category_id=16

I think I am going to go to Big Lots again and see what they have. Maybe they got some new stuff in. I'm also going to go to Home Depot and see how much a bit costs that will drill through the white ceramic one. If that does not work, I will just use them as saucers. They are so cute to me.

JesseK

Update: I went to Home Depot and bought a carbide tip masonry bit and it works great on the white ceramic pot (the one on the left of the second picture). It drills a hole in it just fine. So I think I am going back to get some more of these. They are only 29¢ each. And they are a pretty good size for most of the minis and semiminis. So if you like them, and don't mind spending a little time drilling a hole, then they are great little pots.

JesseK

*making note to check selection in Home Depot* Those little white pots are fabulous!

Hi JesseK,

I don't grow too many with no holes in the container and if I do...I put peanuts (those white things they use for packing) in the bottom. I have a couple champagne glasses that I use for trailers and they aren't draping yet but it will look so nice when they do.

I use candle holders, vases, glasses, anything with a pedastel on the bottom actually. I always look at things and think I bet I could put one of my babies in that.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Also a little trick I learned about getting wax out of candle holders is to put it in the freezer for an hour or so and it pops right out!

Joanne

The white ceramic pots are candle holders. I have found that candle holders make some of the neatest pots for AVs, especially the minis. So I think I'm going back to big lots tomorrow and buy some more of the little white ceramic pots. The bit I bought drills a good size hole in the bottom. And they are so cute. The blue one picutre above, the one with the clay pot in it are all sold out where I live. I went back the following day to get some more of them and all of them were gone. I guess someone else might of thought of the same idea. I, like you, buy what I can find to make some neat things. I want to find some mini coffee cups with saucers. But so far I have not been able to find them. And I am rethinking the wick thing too. All of my pots in which I used wicks were totally soaking wet on the bottom but they did not seem that way on the top. So from now on I will more closely monitor how much water I give them. I was going to show you three that I had repotted into the little pots shown above, top picture, but my battery is too dead. But they look so cute. And what I do with them is to pour water in the little tray and it soaks up what it needs. Plus I monitor how much water they get.

I am learning that a lot of this is trial and error. There are some basic steps that work for all of us but there are some other things that we have to just learn for ourselves. The things that help me the most are the pictures that you all post. That really does help. I am still learning but I think that I will get this right now. I think the little ones in the little pots look so cute. We have lost a couple of leaves but so far we are doing pretty good. And now that we have moved our leaves into the little 3 oz. cups we are doing much better. Thanks to all of you for sharing all that you have. Now I just put some water in the bottom of the shoe boxes and leave it there for about 30 minutes and then pour it out. That has really helped me. You guys are such a blessing and really have helped me a whole lot.

JesseK

Jesse that's great you got the right bit for perfect holse. Beautiful pots and super prices !
I am like you two always looking for cute things to put my plants in. Wish I had more windowsill room for them
I'm glad Jesse the sups and watering is working well for you. When I joined my local group I learned about the 3 oz. cups. Laurie brought me a whole bunches a case full of 2 oz. dixies cups ! I can't wait to use them !.

Jesse, I'm glad you set me straight..... I was reading over this thread too late at night & ended up with the idea that the little white pots came from your HD! LOL, I would've driven some poor clerk right around the bend making him help me look! And yes, I know from experience that every Lowe's or HD or Big Lots gets different items in stock... but I'll be keeping my eye out for white candle holders, wherever they turn up!