African Violets: Mat Watering скачать в хорошем качестве

African Violets: Mat Watering

Today I'll show you how I set up my mat watering trays. These have been a huge time saver for me and have been a wonderful way to grow the harder to water varieties like the minis. In this simple system: The water is stored in the tray, which is acting as a reservoir. The blanket square is acting as a wick, drawing water from the reservoir. The water is then absorbed up into the potting medium, keeping the plant evenly moist. Things to watch out for: It's important to have a very light mix. You need air pockets in your mix to prevent your plants from drowning or rotting. I use a 1:3 ratio of Pro-Mix BX and chunky perlite for new transplants or younger plants. I also add a small layer of chunky perlite to the bottom of each pot for aeration and a yarn wick to ensure wicking. Everyone's conditions are different so it's best to experiment with a few plants at a time to create a mix that works well for you. Materials: Sturdy standard 1020 tray: My favorite are from Bootstrap Farmer. https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/colle... Something to hold the plastic grid above the water: I use 1oz portion cups, but anything plastic will work. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01... Plastic Grid cut into rectangles that fit inside the 1020 tray. These come in 2'x4' sheets from Lowes and Home Depot and I cut them to size with wire cutters (side cutters). https://www.lowes.com/pd/PLASKOLITE-C... https://www.homedepot.com/p/Plaskolit... Wire Cutters: https://www.amazon.com/Dykes-Cutter-D... Cheap fleece throw from Walmart. These are $2.50 and are 50 x 60 inches. One throw will make quite a few mats! https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-...