Calculation of fertilizers for violets using wick irrigation. The wick watering method is a revolutionary method for caring for violets. What should the pot be like?

Wick watering for violets.

(Continued from part 2).

So, you have decided to plant a baby or adult violet on the wick. We take the plant out of the pot and as much as possible separated from the ground. Wet the lace with water. Pour some drainage (expanded clay or polystyrene) into the bottom of the new pot, then sprinkle with a little soil. We thread the wick into the prepared pots, make an incomplete turn (half-ring) inside the pot, and fill it with the prepared substrate. The wick can be inserted into different layers of the substrate. If you introduce it into the lowest one, the water rises up quite quickly through a system of small channels (capillaries) that permeate the substrate. In order for it to quickly saturate the entire earthen lump, the wick can be passed through all layers.

Wick watering is effective only when correct selection substrate: it should receive only the amount of water that the plant needs. No less than water, plant roots need good aeration. Therefore, the substrate must not only be sufficiently moisture-absorbing, but also loose and breathable. Practice shows that a substrate whose main component is high-moor peat has good water-physical properties. Substrate that is too dense with big amount clay-turf soil. In it, plants lack oxygen, which leads to a slowdown in their growth and rotting of the roots.

We plant the violet as usual, without compacting the soil so that it remains loose. Then we put all the pots on a tray and thoroughly pour the substrate with water so that the water flows into the tray and the substrate is well saturated; this is necessary for the whole system to work. If the substrate shrinks during watering, you need to add more.

You can water it carefully from the watering can again. When all the water has drained, the pots of violets can be placed on containers with water (remember that we add the nutrient solution later, after about two weeks). One end of the wick must be lowered into a container of water; water will flow to the flowers due to the difference in capillary pressure. If you are doing this for the first time, you don’t have to put the wick in the water right away, watch the violet a little, if it feels good, after a few days, lower the wick into the water, if during this time the wick has dried out, then wet everything again from above.

The distance between the bottom and the water level is usually about 1-5 cm and depends on the length of the wick and the amount of water in the tray. The end of the wick touches the bottom of the tray. What is important is not the length of the wick itself, but the distance from the water to the pot (there may be another half meter of wick lying in the solution - no big deal). This “air” section of the wick is a kind of “engine” of the entire system: when it dries out (and therefore the soil in the pot dries out), water is drawn up, according to the law of capillaries, into the pot.

The distance from the pot to the water level should not be made large, especially with a thin wick, that is, so that it does not dry out due to too much air space. If this distance is made too large, the wick will dry out due to long length, and not because the soil has already dried out. A short distance does not cause harm, because... Pour water into containers to the very top.

Now, when caring for your violets, it is important to ensure that the wick does not dry out and that water flows properly to the violets. Try not to let the soil dry out; as soon as there is little water left, but the wick is still wet, pour it immediately new water. After drying, peat does not absorb water well and it is not a fact that after drying the wick will draw water well. This system is self-regulating, since water comes from the reservoir as it evaporates and is consumed by the plant, as a result of which the humidity of the substrate remains at a constant level.

This level of moisture saturation is different for each substrate, and the speed at which water will flow into the pot with the plant depends on the width and material of the wick. The frequency with which water needs to be added to the tanks depends on the size and age of the plant, the condition of its root system, the length of the wick, and the temperature and humidity of the room. Adult violets and violets with a good root system drink a lot of water, while starter plants and diseased plants drink water moderately. But on average, with a tank volume of 200 mm, water is added once a week.

Homemade humidification systems should definitely be tested. For example, monitor the speed at which a particular wick conducts water. At normal operation Usually the soil is always moderately moist. At first the soil will seem wet to you, but it is actually wetter than when watering from above.

If, nevertheless, you missed, and the water in the glass has run out or the wick has stopped working for some reason, then you need to spill everything on top, or put it on a tray with water, or pour water into the glasses so that the bottom sinks a little, in any case, the substrate should It’s good to get saturated with water so that the system continues to work. Plants grown in this way can be left unattended for 5-7 days.

The settled liquid is used as an irrigation liquid. tap water. The amount of incoming water can be adjusted by selecting wicks of a certain diameter. Due to the fact that the substrate used for this growing method is not rich in nutrients, add liquid fertilizers, For this purpose, instead of water, a fertilizer solution is periodically poured into the lower pot. If your soil mixture contains only pure peat, (without mineral additives) and perlite, then you can start feeding two weeks after transplantation.

To prepare the solution, you can use any water-soluble mineral complex microfertilizer. It is necessary for the full development and flowering of Saintpaulia. It is better to add fertilizer constantly, but diluted approximately 7-8 times the recommended dose on the package. If you alternate between clean water and water with fertilizers, you may later become confused as to which container was added. pure water, and which one with fertilizer, since violets do not absorb water equally evenly.

When wick watering with fertilizer solution nutrients are supplied evenly, the plant does not experience stress from overfeeding/underfeeding. If lower leaves turn pale, and the plant becomes “skinny” - the concentration of the solution can be slightly increased. And if a reddish-whitish coating appears in the middle of the rosette, then the concentration must be reduced.

A few months after transferring the plant to wick watering, the soil in the pot may begin to alkalize. To avoid this, it is advisable to use water softeners. Sometimes, over time, the wick may silt up and no longer work, then you need to replace it.

If the time for replanting has not yet come, then simply pull out the old wick and use a knitting needle or crochet hook to push through the new wick. Very often, roots grow along the wick through the drainage holes. There is nothing wrong with this; on the contrary, it means that your violet feels good and likes everything.

Once a month, usually during the next watering, remove the pots from the glasses and wash the glasses thoroughly, since over time a green coating forms on the walls of transparent glasses, and this contributes to the rapid silting of the wick, and besides, it looks ugly, especially for those glasses with that receive natural light.

I gave up raising "children". I simply skip this stage. Separating the large baby from the mother leaf, I immediately plant it in a permanent pot, where it first grows into a starter and then blooms. I replant flowers only after a year, adding fresh soil. This way, first of all, I save time on transfers and Secondly(in my opinion very important) does not cause injury again root system. With this planting method, when the plant is long time In one soil mixture, fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers is necessary.

I add organic fertilizers in the form of dry manure in VERY small quantities to the soil mixture. And these are the mineral fertilizers that I use:

Fertilizers "Sinpolia" and "Living Drop" are BALANCED fertilizers based on BIOHUMUS. I want to emphasize these two words. Balanced means all microelements are balanced in composition and quantity, and vermicompost improves the composition of the soil. These fertilizers are available in liquid form; they can be used not only as a top dressing, but also for foliar treatment of plants. The leaves are wiped with a solution on both sides; this is usually done when preparing flowers for an exhibition (20-30 plants can be treated this way, but it is not possible to treat the entire collection).

More often I use Kemira Lux fertilizer

I feed as follows:

1. After transplantation, I don’t feed the baby for 2 months, because... fresh nutritious soil. I put it on the wick.

2. Then, instead of water, I pour the fertilizer solution into the glass (it is important to make the concentration of the solution 2 times less than what is written on the package). The plant “drinks” this amount in about a week.

3. I pour water as for normal watering for 3 weeks.

4 I alternate points 2 and 3.

In this way, the plants are nourished (1 week) and excess minerals are washed away (3 weeks).

In this mode, the plant does not “fatten”, the rosettes are even, the flowers are large. And in my opinion, they are growing faster. The photo shows the baby and the starter before flowering. The difference is 4 months.

The use of a cord, the capillary properties of which ensure the flow of water from the container into the pot with the substrate, moistening it and maintaining humidity, depending on changes in the conditions of the plants, is called wick watering.

A change in living conditions means a change in air humidity, a change in temperature (cold or hot), as well as the growth of the plant itself.

To make a decision about switching to wick irrigation, you need to know about the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

Advantages of the method:

• security good conditions for the growth of violets - the plants bloom earlier and bloom more luxuriantly;
• makes the work of owners easier - there is no need for individual watering;
• with the correct ratio of water and fertilizer solution, plants do not overeat and do not experience hunger;
• plants do not need watering during a long absence of the owners - there is no need to ask anyone to water the flowers;
• the possibility of flooding the plant is reduced, because water flows evenly during wick watering - when the top layer dries, it rises from below, wetting the substrate;
• mini violets growing in very small pots grow better precisely on a wick that prevents them from drying out;
• small pots are used - plants that do not receive nutrition from the soil do not need large capacity. The cost of such a pot is less than a large one, and less substrate is required - small, but savings;
• The smaller the diameter of the pot, the better the violet develops - larger flowers, fewer leaves.

Disadvantages of the method:

• with an incorrectly selected cord ( large diameter, water absorption is too high) the substrate becomes waterlogged, which leads to rotting of the roots and death of the violets;
• with wick irrigation, the rosette enlarges. Plants take up a lot of space, which is undesirable when growing different varieties violets - less space, fewer varieties;
• during cold weather, the water on the windowsills cools down and enters the substrate cold, which has a bad effect on the roots of plants;
• when keeping violets on shelves and racks, it is necessary to take into account an additional load equal to the weight of the container with the solution, and the distance between the shelves so that there is a gap between them and the violets.

On winter time, if the window sill is not insulated, it is better to move the violets to another, warmer place, or switch to regular watering.

Remove the containers with the solution and place the pots along with the wick in trays - you can return to wick watering at any time.

What should the pot be like?

As mentioned above, violets develop better in small pots, receiving nutrition not from the soil, but from the solution.

A pot diameter of 5 to 8 cm is enough to get a beautifully formed rosette with a large head of flowers.

To avoid the accumulation of harmful impurities in small quantities of the substrate, violets must be replanted once every six months.

Soil selection

Regular soil used for growing plants is too heavy for violets and absorbs a lot of water, causing it to become compacted and sour.

When using wick irrigation, the soil should be loose and breathable. Baking powder is placed in the pots along with peat ( river sand, vermiculite, perlite) - soil is completely excluded.

The soil may consist of:

• store-bought soil for violets + pressed coconut peat + perlite or vermiculite - all in equal proportions;
• coconut peat + perlite or vermiculite - in equal proportions;
• soil for violets + perlite + vermiculite.

To prevent molding of the substrate, phytosporin is added. But if the proportions are violated and the conditions for keeping violets are not met, then phytosporin will not help.

Coco peat needs to be washed as it contains a large number of salts You need to wash it several times.

Wick or cord

A synthetic cord is used as a wick, since natural material undergoes rapid rotting.

The cord must have good water absorption.

The thickness of the cord is selected experimentally. Typically, for a pot with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm, a cord thickness of 0.5 cm is used.

When using wicks from nylon stockings or tights, the soil becomes soaked due to too much water absorption.

Fertilizers used

Any fertilizer suitable for violets can be used. Let's look at some of them:

• Agrecol NPK 9:4:5 - during growth;
• Agrecol NPK 4:5:8 - when buds appear and flower;
• solution concentration - 0.5 ml per liter of water;
• Fertika - solution concentration: 100 g pack per 2.5 liters of water. Add to the solution during wick watering at the rate of 1 tsp. per 1 liter of solution;
• Kemira Combi - 2% concentrated solution: 20 g pack per 1 liter of water. To obtain a 0.05% solution used for wick irrigation: 5 tsp. (25 ml) per 1 liter of water.

If the plant is constantly on a solution containing fertilizer, then the concentration of the solution should be 3-4 times less than indicated in the instructions.

Wick irrigation system

For containers for the solution, thick disposable cups with the bottoms cut off are used. plastic bottles- keeping each plant separately.

If you plan to install several pots, then use containers with lids in which holes are cut for the pots.

The height of the containers depends on the choice of the violet owners, but should not exceed 8-10 cm - more solution will be required.

Ceramic pots already have holes in the bottom, and when used plastic dishes, you need to make holes in it. To do this, use a nail or awl heated over a fire.

We cut the cord into pieces 15-20 cm long. Insert one end into the hole 1.5-2 cm or place the wick on the bottom of the pot in a circle with a diameter smaller than the bottom. This depends on the water conductivity of the cord.

If the substrate gets very wet, the cord can be carefully pulled out, leaving a shorter length in the pot.

Pour the substrate selected according to its composition and place the pot in the tray. Sprinkle the substrate with water on top until it is completely wet. If the soil settles, then add more substrate.

Drain excess water, plant the plant in the ground and place it on a container with a solution. The water in the container should be filled with settled water, preferably warm.

The distance from the surface of the solution to the bottom of the pot should be 1.5-2 cm. As the top layer of the substrate dries, the water will rise along the cord, moistening the soil to the desired state.

With wick watering upper layer the soil always remains moist. The soil is spilled from above once when placing the pot on the solution - it does not need any more watering from above.

The substrate can dry out if the cord silts up and water is not supplied to the pot, or if the solution was not added to the container in time.

The cord must be replaced with a new one, carefully inserting it into the hole using a knitting needle or hook.

In order for the wick irrigation system to work again, the soil is spilled from above and the pot is placed on a container filled with solution.

It is undesirable to overdry the soil, since the lateral roots in the root system die, which affects the development of the plant.

Sometimes algae appears on the walls of containers - this is greenery on the walls that does not harm the flowers. It is enough to wash the containers occasionally so that the greens are not so noticeable.

In order to master wick watering, transfer several violets to it. While observing the plants, decide on the choice of cord and the correct concentration of the solution.

If the violets feel great, the rosettes are even, and the flower caps are pleasing to the eye, then you can transfer the remaining plants to be kept in the solution. This will make your work much easier, and the plants will develop in more comfortable conditions.

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Many gardeners who grow violets use the usual method of watering these indoor plants. Some people moisten the soil, while others pour water into the pan. As a result, the problem of drying out or waterlogging of the earthen clod often arises, which does not have the best effect on the plant.

The only effective solution to this problem is wick watering of violets. This type of cultivation is very convenient and allows you to create optimal growing conditions for flowers.

Wick irrigation technology

The standard watering method is not suitable for violets. This leads to the fact that these delicate plants shed their foliage and flower buds en masse, their root system rots, and the plant dies altogether. Despite the fact that most gardeners try to adhere to all the rules for care and maintenance, it is still not easy to grow a healthy and beautiful indoor plant without loss.

Unique watering with a wick is based on the use of a regular cord: water from the container rises up the wick, giving moisture to the ground. As a result, the violet receives required amount moisture, without the risk of waterlogging. Depending on the time of year and the level of air humidity, the flower will use water in different volumes.

Wick watering for violets has some features:

• Improper installation of the wick in combination with waterlogging of the soil can lead to rotting of the flower roots. Although this occurs more often with regular watering.
• Waterlogged soil promotes the appearance of midges - fungus gnats. Since their larvae feed on the remains of organic matter, the risk of their appearance in ordinary soil is much higher when there is excess moisture.
• Some gardeners are guilty of the fact that violets become larger when watered with wicks. And this is true if they grow in large flowerpots– 10-12 cm. To achieve vigorous flowering of violets and maintain their miniature size, they are planted in pots 5-6 cm in diameter.
• To ensure that the water feeding the plants through the wick does not cool down in winter, experienced gardeners recommend insulating the window sills or moving flower pots to a warmer place for the winter.

How to change the watering system to wick when propagating violets?

Translate this indoor plant Wick watering is quite simple. To root leaves with petioles in sphagnum using wick irrigation, you will need: a plastic cup small size, live sphagnum moss, wick and complex fertilizer, for example, Nutrisol. Auxiliary tools will be scissors and a blade, an awl or wire, a felt-tip pen and sticks.

The first step is to make a hole in the cup through which you can pass the wick. To do this, you can use a heated awl or wire. You can also make a hole with a knife.

In order not to confuse the varieties of violets, their names are written with a felt-tip pen on the cup. Some people use adhesive price tags that they sign with a pen and stick on the cup, or sticks that they use to stir the coffee. They can then be stuck into the ground.

The moss is crushed into small pieces of 3-5 cm, which will make it easier to separate the children with roots from the sphagnum in the future. Very often the moss begins to sprout, forming a green mass. This is a completely natural process that prevents rotting of the planting material. After all, sphagnum has strong bactericidal properties. In some cases, it is necessary to remove its excess so that in the future it does not interfere with the separation of babies.

To achieve successful rooting and the speedy appearance of children, use a 0.05% Nutrisol solution. Some gardeners root cuttings in plain water.

Next, prepare the container for planting. We pull the wick filter through the hole so that a ring of cord is formed inside the pot. The rest of the material should remain outside. Place a 3-centimeter layer of moss on top of the ring, compacting it slightly. On each cutting using sharp knife or use a blade to make cuts, leaving the length of the cutting 2-3 cm. Some gardeners do not cut, but simply break off the cutting, which will also be correct. For those who are starting to grow violets and are afraid of rotting of the cuttings, it is recommended to make smaller cuts. But it is worth remembering that for ease of rooting, the cuts need to be made higher. Prepared planting material can be dipped into the drug Kornevin, which accelerates the process of the emergence of the root system in the plant.

For the planted leaves, make a support from sticks for stirring coffee or any other suitable material. It is not recommended to use wooden sticks, as this may cause rotting of the leaf plate. The cuttings are planted in cups separately. If one specimen becomes infected with diseases, the others will be protected. If the leaves are large and do not fit in the cup, they can be safely cut off along the edges parallel to the walls of the container. It is advisable to treat the sections with charcoal powder.

After planting, the cups are placed on a container with Nutrisol solution so that the wicks become completely wet and provide moisture to the moss. This is one of the first and main conditions successful work irrigation systems using wicks. After this procedure, the cups are placed on a container intended for wick watering.

After 2 weeks, you can observe the revival of the leaves - they seem to have risen above the glass. You can pull them slightly to feel resistance. This indicates that everything is going well, and the cuttings have put down their first roots.

In order to speed up the birth process, you need to use additional lighting. The period for the appearance of children depends on the variety and conditions of violets, and on average ranges from 1 to 3 months.

If during this time the babies have not appeared, stimulation is carried out. To do this, the leaves are cut one third from the top. If the leaves large sizes- they are cut in half.

For successful and full growth, violets need to be provided with the correct temperature regime within 20-22 degrees. Some gardeners practice transplanting cuttings immediately after the first roots appear. You can also wait for the babies to appear and then perform a transplant. As soon as the babies reach 1/3 the size of the mother leaf, they can be safely separated and replanted. By the way, you can leave the rooted cutting; after a while it will give another generation of young plants.

How to prepare for the transition to wick irrigation?

If you have been growing violets for a long time, wick watering can be organized at any stage, and the principles of the transition are as follows:

1. Correct selection of soil mixture for planting. It is prohibited to add soil to the mixture, since soil can attract moisture. In the future, this will lead to rotting of the roots. A mixture of vermiculite, peat and perlite in equal parts. Using coco peat mixed with perlite will be equally effective. Such a composition, which does not include soil, will be porous and will ensure the active formation of roots in the flower. Coco peat is washed before use because it is rich in salts. Such a loose mixture, which does not contain soil, is air- and moisture-permeable and ensures uniform development of the root system.
2. We stretch the wick through the hole, forming a ring at the bottom of the pot, then fill the pot with substrate and plant it there young plant. The important thing is that wick irrigation does not require drainage. Even the smallest specimens take root quite successfully in such a mixture.
3. In order to ensure uniform impregnation, flowerpots with flowers are placed on a large tray or tray with water. Some spill flowers from above, covering the leaves of the plants. If necessary, add more substrate. Here it is very important not to sprinkle the growing point, so as not to ruin the young plant. Then the pot is placed on a container for wick watering, adding the solution.
4. Since such soil does not contain nutritional components, young plants need to be fed periodically. Fertilizer is applied through a wick. Nutrisol 0.05% concentration is perfect as a feed for violets.

The wick ensures an even supply and distribution of nutrients, which reduces the risk of excess or deficiency for plants. At the same time, it is very important to monitor the condition of the violet. If the plant grows successfully, then everything was done correctly. If the leaves of a flower begin to turn yellow and fall off, the concentration of the fertilizer is increased. Reddish or white coating formed inside the outlet indicates the need to reduce the concentration of fertilizing.

After some time, when the children grow up, their root system wraps around the wick and can grow out through the holes. This is normal.

Such a specimen can be transplanted without separating the roots from the wick. Only that part of the root system that will really interfere with growth and replanting should be cut. In addition, root rejuvenation promotes the growth of young lateral roots.

If the wick system has stopped working due to untimely application of the solution or the wick has simply dried out, this is not a problem. In this situation, the substrate is simply spilled or placed in a container with solution or water so that it is saturated again.

Violets grown in the ground can be easily transferred to wick watering. To do this, carefully remove the plants from the pot, shake off the soil from the roots and plant them in a new pot under wick watering. In just a few days, the plants will come to life again and will delight you with their beautiful and healthy appearance.

Wick watering is a really convenient method that many gardeners use. In order not to damage or destroy all the plants, you should conduct an experiment - transfer only a few low-value specimens to wick watering and observe their condition for a month.

Benefits of watering using a wick

They are as follows:

• Eliminates the risk of overwatering or lack of moisture for flowers. Violets grow in optimally comfortable conditions.
• Having determined the required concentration, there is no possibility of overfeeding or lack of nutritional components, unlike those plants for which soil is used during planting.
• This greatly simplifies the process of growing violets.
• Uniform moistening of the substrate throughout the year.
• Violets on wick irrigation can be safely left unattended for a long time, which cannot be said about flowers planted in the ground.
• In such plants, flower buds open faster. Thanks to optimal conditions, their flower buds are more magnificent and brighter than those of specimens planted in the ground.
• Considering what violets love high humidity air, this growing method is ideal for them. The water that will slowly evaporate from the wick tray will provide the necessary moisture to the plants.
• Planting in small flowerpots will ensure lush and colorful flowering of violets. All energy will be directed to flowering, and not to the formation of green mass.