The Question Corner           By Peg Eaton Crawford

Answer: The two-piece ceramic pots you have described have become quite popular in recent years, partially for their good looks and partially because some folks have had great success using these pots. I say “some folks” because it’s necessary to take a couple of steps to ensure that your African violets will be happy when transplanted into their new home.

First, it’s necessary to understand just how these pots work. They consist of two pieces. One is a round glazed, decorative ceramic reservoir that works as the “outside” portion of the pot. The second is an “inside” ceramic pot, with no drainage hole and with a lip just slightly wider than the diameter of the outside container so that it will sit, resting tidily in the opening of the outer container. The “outside” container, which is generally decorative, serves as a holder for fertilized water. The African violet is planted within the “inside” container (usually designed in what we think of as a traditional flowerpot shape). This interior pot is about 2/3rds unglazed, and that portion of the ceramic material is porous, allowing moisture from the outside area to seep or wick into the potting soil contained within.

Because our African violets enjoy evenly moist soil conditions and a “constant-feed” situation, this setup really should be ideal. However, as in “Murphy’s Law”, things can often go wrong! The first problem can occur if your soil mix is not light and porous enough. If it’s too dense, containing a lot of organic material or water-holding vermiculite, it will soak up too much moisture, causing the violet’s roots to be overwatered. This can result in root rot, limp leaves, poor growth and the possible loss of the plant. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that your soil mix is very light and “fluffy”, similar to one designed for traditional “wicking.” Another good idea is to put approximately an inch of perlite in the bottom of the interior pot. This will act as a sort of barrier where air can circulate between the water and the root system.

Another potential problem is fertilizer burn, which can result because this type of pot is continually drawing fertilized water up into the plant. Symptoms of fertilizer build up can be a thin crust of rusty-colored “salts” showing on new plant growth, which can actually “burn” the tips of tender young leaves. Therefore, it’s probably a good idea to repot with a fresh, light soil mixture every six months, to ensure maximum health. Also, make sure the water/fertilizer mixture that you are putting in the reservoir is on the “weak” side. Rather then the common proportion of 1/4^th of a teaspoon of fertilizer to each gallon of water, it might be better to reduce that to 1/8^th of a teaspoon to a gallon for this type of container. In the interim, be sure to use plain (unfertilized) water in the outer reservoir on occasion.

When using these two-piece ceramic pots, be sure to choose the right size plant for your pot. Because soil conditions, even with a “lighter” soil mix, are going to be moist most of the time, be sure you are putting a plant with a fully developed root system into the inner pot, not a rootless “sucker” or small baby plant. If your plant is too small and/or underdeveloped for the size of the pot, there’s a good chance that this container will overwater the plant.

In certain areas of the country, the water may contain a high level of certain minerals, and the buildup of these minerals over time could eventually clog the unglazed material of the inner pot. If this type of buildup occurs, the fertilized water solution in the outer container may not be able to properly wick into the inner container and the soil will dry out. If you notice this has happened to you there are a couple of things that can be done to “revitalize” your ceramic pot. You can give the outside of the “inner” pot a thorough going-over with a nylon “pot-scrubbing” sponge to try and remove any mineral deposits and algae that may have grown on the inner pot blocking the pores. If this doesn’t seem to do the trick, remove the violet from the container (a great opportunity to repot your violet!) and soak it in a product designed for removing hard water deposits, rinsing thoroughly afterwards to remove any chemical residue.

These two-piece ceramic containers look great, and are wonderful for the grower with a smallish collection of African violets. However, as with anything new, don’t rush and repot ALL your precious violets into this type of pot. Experiment with one or two, and watch them for a couple of months to make sure they are adjusting to their new “home.” If you find these two-piece ceramic self-watering pots work for you, that’s terrific! They are readily available in garden centers, specialty shops and chain stores like Wal-Mart and Home Depot, and can really help make life a little bit easier for the busy African violet lover.