I've heard of it, but don't know a lot about it. Seems to be along the lines of how you use an Oyama planter. Roughly the bottom 1/3 of the pot is filled with perlite, then on top of that is your regular AV mix, and you keep it sitting in water to about halfway up the perlite, so it can absorb water as it needs it. At least that's the way I understand it. I'd love to hear from any of you who do use or have used this method.
Thanks all! :o)
Streptocarpus 'Cassandra'
try ritabelew's web shots
she has a great photo on how to.
mrsbonnie
I hope this helps...removed one link & the AVs link should work.
Here’s some info begoniacrazy has in our Stickey’s
Texas-Style Potting Method: Potting method developed by Jodi Davis of Austin, Texas. The method essentially recreates the natural environment in which African Violets originally grew. Specifically, the method involves laying about one inch of small, coarse gravel or perlite in the bottom of the pot, then filling with potting soil. African Violets, which have been potted with this method, are watered from the bottom using a saucer. By capillary action, water is drawn up through the gravel layer into the soil layer. (Note: The measurement given for the gravel layer is based on the use of a 4-inch pot. Decrease or increase this layer by as much as 1/2 inch for smaller or larger pots.)
Potting Violets in the ‘Texas Method or Texas Style’
http://www.avsa.org/AVMFiles/GrowingShowPlants.pdf
(this is a PDF file, AVSA file on Texas Style Potting, you will need Adobe Acrobat to view this)
That's pretty much how I grow my Av's except I use the AV SelfWatering pots...
Enjoy,
MsC
This message was edited Jun 17, 2007 12:04 PM
This is the method that I used to start all the leaves (24) I did this past winter and I used it again when I potted up the babies into their own little cups. It worked well for me in these first two ways. Although I am going to go to gessiegail's method of pure vermeculite with my next go at leaves. Then I'll see which way I like best I guess.
I have some of the Oyama planters that I have done this way too but lately it seems things (light AV soil and perlite) have compacted in the bottom and I'm not getting as good a draw any more. I'm going to try something new with hydroton clay pellets in the bottoms as soon as I can get some of the smaller sized ones.
~Brenda
Brenda you might try some medium sized charcoal in the mix, too.
I do that with all my pots & it helps to keep them from pluagging up.
MsC
How interesting! I have never heard of the Texas Potting Method! I think I just might have to give it a try on a couple of plants!
Thanks for that link MsC!
Me either Lin but to think of it, someone I get avs from uses that method and that explains the perlite at the bottom of the little cups. Now I understand. And I guess it makes sense.
Laura
Thanks for all the info! I think I'm going to try it.
So MsC, in your opinion, this is very similar to using the self-watering pots? I thought it might be, too, which is what got me to wondering about it. It seems to be somewhat along the same lines as the Coke bottle self-watering pot I made, which works quite nicely, but this will be easier than having to cut the bottles in half and all that. And I just used potting mix in that whole thing, instead of having perlite in the bottom of it. I can see where the perlite would be better.
Sounds like it might be just what I need to help even out the watering. Will see how much damage I can do today and will post pictures when it's done! LOL
I do this with my Oyama pots. I have decided I like them better than the Dandy pots, because they are less apt to get powdery mildew on the leaves. Let us know how it goes! Pam
Hi Pam! You've gotta come see us more often! LOL
I'm glad to hear that this method (or a variation, thereof) is working well for you. Gives me hope...LOL Thanks for telling me. :o)
It's funny to me how one method works for one person, but doesn't for another. You like the Oyama pots, but Brenda said she's having trouble with hers. Just goes to show that the least little variation, whether it's something we can control or not, can completely change the results of a particular method.
Rain I'm sure it's user error on my part with the pots. The bigger ones do fine but the little ones I bought to put my mini's in are the ones giving me some trouble. I think MsC suggestion of some charcoal will help.
There is a very interesting article on soil compaction even with perlite and watering (some, no a lot of it, a bit beyond me but I mostly get it. :0) over on the hoya forum which is why I'm thinking of trying out the small clay pellets.
Somebody want to teach me how to link and I'll put the watering / soil compaction thread on here for anyone that is interested....
~Brenda
OK I went a reread a lot of that article and it really applies to hoya's and orchids but I woul think that any compaction of the dirt and perlite together would affect any plant. Hope it's OK to quote folks on here as these were the two comments (along with further research on my own) made that have me wanting to try mixing the smaller clay pellets in my pots for the AV's and Streps etc...
"If I had a place where I could buy those clay aggregate pellets other than online, I would have them mixed in with my hoya mix right now. Great stuff, never breaks down, you can use them again and again....and they definately keep the soil in the root area from packing down and suffocating the roots."
and
"I do like those clay balls. I wonder do they make a finer grade with irregular shapes, like a clay version of perlite? Might hold a little more water, reducing watering frequency if you were to use them as a planting medium but not strictly in a hydroponic sense, if you get my drift."
~Brenda
If I made a mistake in protocol by quoting these folks please forgive me!
Brenda, although I have gotten wonderful results using straight vermiculite, this man at the nursery this weekend grows his leaves in 1/2perlite and 1/2 vermiculite................I guess there are a 100 ways to do anything.....now I want to try his way....
I posted on another thread that he grows all his episcias in spaghnum moss and also his streps?????
I also showed pictures of his episcia and streps grown in spahgnum moss?????
I am just a blabber mouth today as he visited with me for over 2 hours teaching me as much as he could from experience of growing the gesneriad family for over 38 years.......he is currently president of the AV society in San Antonio..........while I was there, the state president came in to buy avs....
He wicks all avs.......even the mini ones and taught me how to wick without repotting the pot......he said he never uses anything larger than a 2/1/4 or 11/2 " pot..........he also said he never uses anything larger than a 31/2" or 4" pot for avs.....they love to be rootbound all the time.....
He feeds his avs and everything outside or inside at the nursery (which was the best nursery I had ever been to)
his own brand of fertilizer (real inexpensive).....The count is 12-36-14 for the entire nursery plants including avs.....other than this high second number to make plants bloom, the only other fertilizer he has ever used is just that Peter's 20-20-20....
He also sold me a spray bottle to use on the leaves of avs and the soil that kills anything possible except cyclamen mites which would require Avid....
Rain
So MsC, in your opinion, this is very similar to using the self-watering pots? I thought it might be, too, which is what got me to wondering about it. It seems to be somewhat along the same lines as the Coke bottle self-watering pot I made, which works quite nicely, but this will be easier than having to cut the bottles in half and all that. And I just used potting mix in that whole thing, instead of having perlite in the bottom of it. I can see where the perlite would be better.
Brenda, thanks for posting that info from the Hoya forum. I don't think there's a problem with quoting others. ;o) To post a link, just copy the whole thing, starting with the http, from the address bar of your browser, and paste it in the message. It should automatically turn to a link when you send the post. I want to get some of those clay pellets. I've thought of several ways I'd like to try them. I've currently got an AV growing in lava rock, and would like to try one in those pellets, too.
Gail, I love that you're so excited to have learned so much from that man, and want to share it all with us! Thank you for all the info you're giving us. Sounds like he really has a system that works well!
MsC, my *goal* is to quit killing them! LOL I've not had time to repot any yet. I know I won't get to today, as I'll be gone most of the day again, but maybe tomorrow I can. I don't have any charcoal. Looked for it at Lowe's yesterday, but didn't find it, so I'll just proceed without the charcoal for now and get some later on. I hadn't thought of sprinkling with rooting hormone. I think I'll try that too. Please do post pictures of your rootballs when you get a chance. I think sometimes we forget that what we can't see is the most important part of the plant.
Thank you Rain, that makes sense for the linking. MsC was kind enough to direct me to the FAQ's on posting etc and I have learned a lot looking that over too! I found two different sizes of the clay pellets while in Boise and I'll be doing some experimenting of my own soon. I also bought some pumice so we shall see what happens to my various victims, err plants after I'm done. :))
Gail I want to hear more of your info from that great AV guy. Whatever you think of, that had to be an intense session and I'm sure more of his tips keep coming back to you all the time. And that spray for just about any type of pests...does he sell it online or can you buy it elsewhere. So far so good with my plants but having something like that as back up or preventative would be great!
Both the pure vermeculite and the vermeculite/ perlite mixture would be new to me with AV leaves, maybe I'll give them both a shot. I'd did get some strep leaves down with the pure perlite method a few days ago so I'm anxious to see how that goes. On the Little Fuzz thread I noticed that Rose put a layer of vermeculite over her potting mix to start her seeds. It's a medium I need to learn more about and to try out.
~Brenda
Brenda,
I have had the best results with the horticultural vermiculite, which is the smaller size. I don't think I've ever lost a leaf with it. Also, the verm/perlite mixture works great for me.
Laura
Laura I just ran to the garage and looked and the horticultural vermiculite is what I bought, glad I got the right thing! Thanks for your input I'm excited to try some new things.
Right now I have GOT to get off here and get to work. I've been gone from home three days and my house is a disaster area besides all my Costco purchases that need to be put away!!
Unfortunately playing with my plants (and here on DG) will have to come later!
~Brenda
I like using vermiculite in my potting mix. It seems to make it "softer" for lack of a better word, and holds moisture for a bit longer than mixing just perlite in the potting mix. I don't know that I'll use much, if any, in the ones that I try in the Texas method. I might pot up a couple with vermiculite and a couple without, just to see which works better.
