Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
African violets can be watered from the top or the bottom, but only with room-temperature or slightly warmer water. If you water from the bottom, fill the saucer (or a teacup jardiniere) with one inch of water, and let the plant absorb all of the moisture it can for exactly 30 minutes. Then pour off any excess. Few plants aside from the cyclamen or primrose can tolerate standing water at their roots. If you water from the top, immediately empty surplus from the saucer. And don’t worry about splashing the leaves. If your water is room-temperature, and the plants are not in direct sun, no spotting will occur.
So again — what are you? A top or a bottom? Or do you prefer the wick or mat method for keeping your African violets comfortably moist? Photo: R.H. Blackburn (I dare you to click on the picture)
willswift says
So that’s what I’ve been doing wrong!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Will, thanks for the test-run!Kevin
hdillen says
I mat water. This works well for me since I can’t water as often as I should and it prevents me from over watering. It also helps provide extra moisture for the humidity that the violets need
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi, hdillen. I have only seen mat watering with plants that are hidden away beneath fluorescents. Is there a way to accomplish this type of watering in a decorative manner?
draymond says
Hi Kevin. Great blog. I have been both a top and bottom waterer of African violets. Currently, I top water. I find that because I have to water more frequently, I pay more attention to the violets. I’ve used mats, saucers and wick watering to bottom water the violets. In your response to Heidi’s post, you wanted to know if you can do mat watering in a decorative manner. You can. Back when I first joined the local African violet society, I met Glenn Phelps who grew spectacular violets. he grew under lights but all his plants were in saucers with a mat cut to fit the saucer. This prevented the potential pest problems associated with mat watering i.e. soil mealy bug. if you match the color of the mat to your saucer and keep it clean and free of algae, I don’t see any reason why it couldn’t be used with decorative pots.
Margaret says
Hi Kevin! I’ve never blogged before. I top water and I used to like mats, but any introduction of soil mealy bugs, and it’s like a highway for them. Wick watering I could never get the hang of. I agree with the previous post that having to water each one individually makes me pay more attention to what’s going on with them and can prevent problems.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
dramond – what a great idea…I like the individual-mat idea. Maybe I can use this for the semi-miniature violets that I have in teacup jardinieres.Margaret – Nice to see you here! I hope you’ll comment often!
Dan Bauman says
I tend to be versatile. Can you do this with any plant?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Dan, thanks for dropping in! Yes, any plant can be watered from the bottom. For a large plant, such as an azalea, use a large bowl, not a saucer, for bottom-watering. You can not, however, leave the plant sitting in a pool of water. Once the top soil feels damp, remove the plant from its hydrating bath. Hope this helps!