LP>   Holy cow! I'm not allowed to set anything like that up! Not yet anyway!
LP>:)  I always had my violets in an east window, used a moisture meter (I
LP>like watering plants!), and still they died. My mom couldn't kill them, on
LP>the other hand. I guess they just don't like me.
LP>  Right now, I'm just trying to scrounge some space to start my seeds.
LP>We'll see what happens.
  Lisa, I tried for several years to raise AV's, and lost them all. Then
  suddenly, I got some that actually lived. What did I do differently?
  First, I banished all cats. (Don't ask.) Then I gave them more light,
  as much as I had in winter. I had bought into the "low light" theory,
  and starved most to death. I also paid more attention to drainage, and
  began testing pots individually by hefting them (light = dry), and
  watering only the ones that needed water. Formerly, I used to water
  everything all along the windowsill.
  At the same time, I began having lots of success raising plantlets
  from leaves. I started using vermiculite, then switched to perlite for
  rooting leaves, and the plants grown here did even better for me than
  any bought ones. (That is generally true of baby anythings- they adapt
  more easily to local conditions than adults.)
  Of course, along my learning curve, I lost a few plants. :-( I let
  some get fried by the sun, until I learned that shade is mandatory for
  my west windows in summer. I let some get too dry, until I learned
  that what is OK to let go another day in winter is a death knell in
  summer; so my technique evolved to suit the season. (Elementary stuff?
  Yes, but it takes time to learn your own particular situation.)
  I also learned that fertilizing dying plants is usually the final
  straw - fertilizer won't replace light, proper soil, or proper
  drainage. It is the least important item, and the very first one
  beginners worry about. Oh well, if they keep trying, they'll learn.
  :-)
                       ...Sandra...
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