Yes. This is how I prefer to water - from the top. I make sure to pour out any water left in the saucer after 30 minutes Well...it's because I'd read so much about over-watering and root rot ...I waited quite a bit between waterings as I kept testing the soil and when my finger would reach all the way down towards the bottom of the pot, it still felt a tad damp so I kept waiting. I may have waited a bit too long to the point where the lower leaves of this one started to cry for water. As I said, one leaf got really bent in the process and it seemed to have suffered a bit of breakage - so I cut it off. But the other leaves seemed to have recovered after the watering, except one that is till slightly bent towards the ground, but OK - so I am leaving it there. Goodness, I only remembered this at the end - unfortunately; so I ended up adding a bottom layer of perlite with only ONE of the four AV-s. However, I changed the soil for all of them to a 30% AV, 30% peat and 40% perlite. Or something like that. I hope the soil is airy-er now. As mentioned above. . Although the pots I have are supposed to be self-watering (with that lip saucer), I don't use the self-watering technique. I don't trust it in these pots - they have too many draining holes and I am afraid the AV-s would just sit in water for too long if I just filled up that saucer and left the pots sitting on it. ... I think it was indeed very high time for watering, even though, like I said, I didn't think the bottom soil was bone dry or anything when I took the plant out of the pot; it still seemed very slightly damp to me, but then again, it could be that AV-s would literally die by the time the bottom mix would become bone dry too, just like the one at the top! <... and getting too little light>. Yes. I think this is a problem. They are on an East-facing windown...which I later realized is actually a slightly North-East facing window, and I have been keeping them with the sheer curtains on (the sheers have in fact a slightly opaque texture)...so I really think they were not getting enough light. I thought I wanted to make sure they don't get into direct light, but now I think they will be better off with the curtains drawn away, even if they will get a few direct sun-rays on them through the window, during the first part of the day. After 1:00pm it's complete shade anyway and the morning sun is not that strong. . This is why I cut the one that was really bad. Yes, I realized mine is not a case of "necky-ness", at least not yet. But it's clearly asking for more light. Funnily enough, the other AV which was sitting to the right of the one with problems, remained shorter and with leaves parallel to the ground (even though they both looked the same height and size when I got them). It just so happens that the normal one was to the right (east), so slightly closer to where the sun-rays are falling. I am just not sure whether being slightly more to the right in such a small area would really make a difference. You can see the two AV-s in the link below. The one to the right stayed OK, the one to the left developed the problems I mentioned. Thank you so much for all the info, no such thing as TMI for me. As you may have noticed, I am not exactly the concise writer either! :-) Here is a link that might be useful:

The only thing I know about lady bugs is that one year I had an indoor infestation. Now I love them, so I didn't hurt them. I did think, hey this could be good for the violets, they didn't want to stay in the same room as the plants though I would catch them and bring them to the plants. Well, I ended up catching and releasing them outdoors on nice days. I was okay with them, but they obviously were not going to live in the house either and my family didn't like their company as much as me. I think if violets are not getting enough light the leaves will grow leggy, reaching for light. I grow a couple violets in a window in a room where I have a fireplace insert we use for additional heat all winter. These violets dry out very quickly but I usually don't water them until I see them start to wilt a bit. They are violets I got at the grocery store and are still growing in the peat they came in and that peat holds too much water if I water too often, it will be fatal. So I just let them wilt a bit and then I know for sure they need water. Actually the peat is good for them as anything else would dry out everyday and I couldn't keep up with that. Wick watering might be an option, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. I think if your growing conditions are about the same from week to week, you could just wait until they wilt a bit before you water and count the days it takes them to get to that point, then after you know it's every 5 days (or 7 days or more or less), you can start watering just a day or so before that. Feeding, I just use deluted fertilizer most times I water and then every so often I just use plain water. If you repotted your plants...they may take a while to bloom again as they need to be pot bound/root bound to bloom Some plants I downsized their pots so they would bloom sooner and more often. Change one thing at a time and soon you will have great plants. We all go thru trial and error. And what works with one person, won't work for another. One lady in our violet group grows hers in dirt. She buys it in bags at home depot. Doesn't add anything to it. Well, when you think about it, at one time all there was to grow plants in was dirt. Good luck.

yosemite bill - thanks for answering this in details. Wanted address your questions in kind. Posted by yosemitebill (My Page) on Thu, Jul 19, 12 at 19:26 While you're heading in the right direction, I would highly recommend talking with a reputable home audio/video installer first - not just a low voltage contractor - to help determine your needs. I really thought I was going the simplest route LOL! Dedicate video distribution to all the rooms & really audio to only one room. ********************************************************* Posted by yosemitebill (My Page) on Thu, Jul 19, 12 at 19:26 Running 2x2 cable right now is the minimum since products may require one CAT5e for signal distribution and the other for an internet connection. What about a wired internet connection for a computer in that room? What about some wired land-line telephone connections? The 2 RG6s should be OK though the inflexible quad-shielding coax is only used due to interference from the CAT5e's running along inside the cable jacket. Distributing video+data was really my main objective. But wire internet & phone are being taken cared of by wireless for the most part in most of the rooms. & if some1 really needs to plug in, they will have one of those CAT5e or maybe even the newer Cat6 wires. ********************************************************* Posted by yosemitebill (My Page) on Thu, Jul 19, 12 at 19:26 If you're planning whole house audio, you'll need another feed, maybe CAT5e (for line level distribution and control signals) or 16/4 (for speaker distribution) for that as well. I am unfamiliar with the term "16/4" - can you please explain? ********************************************************* Posted by yosemitebill (My Page) on Thu, Jul 19, 12 at 19:26 BTW 2x2 cable ran before the rock goes up for most construction is usually pretty good to work with, but sometimes it can also be a real bear to work with - talk to the person who will be installing it. Noted! ********************************************************* Posted by yosemitebill (My Page) on Thu, Jul 19, 12 at 19:26 Regarding your specific questions: 1) Depending on the video content you are attempting to stream from the NAS, I don't believe Synology is DLNA certified and may not be your best solution. NAS media streamers from companies such as Buffalo Technology may be a better option, especially if you're also trying to distribute auido streams such as iTunes. Like I said above, I am not locked into the appliances yet. It's more about getting the pipes ready for what will eventually come on down & you are helping me with all the talking points! ********************************************************* Posted by yosemitebill (My Page) on Thu, Jul 19, 12 at 19:26 2)Rather than centralizing all the equipment, which would also require cross point switching in the equipment rack, just put equipment such as Blu-Ray players in each room. I think my feeling on this has always been I'm trying to reach that Utopian ideal of centralization of the equipment to cut the clutter in each room but also fully knowing that it we are not there yet as enthusiasts & equipment makers & thus this could be very painful & costly! LOL! ********************************************************* Posted by yosemitebill (My Page) on Thu, Jul 19, 12 at 19:26 3)5.1 surround in the family room would be standard in-wall speaker wiring to the speakers - which if for home theater, the speakers should be in the walls - not the ceiling! But then maybe consider wiring for a 7.1 receiver with 2-zone capabilities so that you could send a separate source to the kitchen or patio areas. I.E. - 5.1 surround sound video playing in the family room and stereo music in the kitchen or on the patio. Great suggestion! However, due to budgetary constraints, I was going to overcome the remote audio to kitchen or patio by either putting in portable stereo or using something like an Apple Airport Express to stream music. Question: where does a receiver go in the entire scheme with a server? Does the receiver go through the server? or the server goes through the receiver? ********************************************************* Thanks again yosemitebill!!

As Rosie has said, the first step to enjoying successful violets is effective watering. In addition to what Rosie has said, I would suggest feeling the top of the soil in your violets' pots, ... and only watering when the soil is drier. Overwatering is the easiest way to kill an African Violet, ... but now that you know, you are forewarned. Also, check to see if your water provider uses Chloramine in their water processing. If so, you will need to use a different source of water, as Chloramine can kill African Violets. Spring water from a grocery or grocery dispensery is a good alternate source of water. Giving your plants sufficient light will help to ensure that they continue to bloom. African Violets do not bloom continuously, but, with proper lighting, they can bloom their best, hopefully giving you bloom from one (or more) of your plants most of the time. Your violets will need natural light (from a window no more that a foot or so away) ... and/or fluorescent artificial light for 8-12 hours/day. I think that the new LED lighting will work as well, ... but not the old incandescents. After awhile, your violets will need fertilizer ... look for an African Violet fertilizer ... and mix 1/2 the recommended amount into your water for your plants. After a year or so, ... your violets will likely need repotting, though they, likely, should stay in the same size pot (4" diameter). If your violets reach 15" across, you can pot up to a 5" diameter pot. If they reach, 18", go for a 6" pot. IOW, keep the pot diameter to 1/3 the plant's width. When you repot, use a mixture of 1/2 commercial African Violet potting soil, and 1/2 Pearlite. You should be able to get both at the local box hardware store (Lowe's or Home Depot). You have time to enjoy your new plants ... while you learn to care for them. Check out the following link for more information about caring for your new plants. http://www.optimara.com/africanvioletcare1.html It really isn't so tough, once you learn the basics of watering, and lighting. Learning those two alone will get you healthy blooming plants for a few months ...