Experiment # 1a and #1b -- Soil versus Soil-less

Comparing two methods of pot/soil combinations:  the old-fashioned ( and my mom's much preferred) method of good soil (loam) in a clay pot  -- versus --  the modern ( and my usual) method of soil-less medium in a plastic pot.  Both will be bottom watered with a bowl.

Experiment #1a :    Two large plants are Amethyst, which is one of the Original Ten African violet varieties introduced in 1957, which I thought proper to use in an 'old-fashioned' experiment! 
Experiment #1b:     Three small plants of Ness' Cranberry Lace, with the third pot in upper left containing Miracle Gro African Violet Potting Mix.

I used 'garden dirt' rather than the good virgin soil that my mom recommends, simply for the fact that it is not a good time to go exploring for gopher mounds in virgin pastures!  If the ground isn't covered by ice, it is sloppy muddy, and mostly frozen.  So, I used a bit of the soil I have saved in a bucket for use in the spring while potting up veggie transplants.  It is good soil, with good structure, but may include some pathogens, etc. and of course may be lower in fertility and humus content because it was 'used' this summer.

The soil-less mix is my usual 1 1/2 part peat moss, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite.

I had bought the bag of Miracle Gro AV mix for the house plant class, and decided to give it a test!