African Violets are the favorite blooming houseplant and the easiest to grow. With good bright light and regular feedings, they will be blooming joyfully all year long. Just follow these easy tips and tricks to properly care for your Violets.
There are numerous cultivars of African Violets, so it's easy to find what suits your need. They have different flower colors too.
PROPAGATION
African violets are the easiest to propagate. There are various ways to propagate the plant. You can propagate using leaf cuttings or micro propagation using leaf discs.
LIGHT
Insufficient light is one of the major reasons Violets do not bloom well. Violets must have 10-14 (16 is max) hours of bright light per day (no direct sun). If adequate natural light is not available or desired, twin tube fluorescent lights are ideal. Place the plants so the leaves are about ten inches below the tubes. Because violets process nutrients during the "resting phase" (i.e. darkness) they should also have 8 hours of darkness per day.
TEMPERATURE
70° - 75° Fahrenheit is usually ideal, although 80° - 85° Fahrenheit is tolerated for short periods of time.
HUMIDITY
40% - 50% relative humidity is usually ideal. Supporting the plants over water can raise the humidity near your plants. Wick watering is ideal for this because the plant sits on top of a reservoir of water.
POTS
Use "clean" plastic or ceramic pots. Terracotta pots tend to collect salts, harmful chemicals, and pests. We advice against using them. Don't use a pot that is too large. Never move a plant to a larger pot until the roots fill the present pot. Violets tend to bloom most when they are slightly root bound.
FERTILIZER
Either lack of fertilizer or too infrequent feeding is one of the reasons for lack of blossoms. Most growers use a "soil-less" potting mix with little nutrient content; this requires using a dilute fertilizer solution each time the plant is watered.
Peters 12-36-14 is recommended. Mix 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water and use this mixture each time you water. Use "Natures Miracle" sprinkled over the top of the soil every 10 weeks. This will increase the amount of blooming by 4 times.
WATER
Never use water that has been through a softener. Use water that is room temperature (neither cold or warm.) Keep the violet "just moist", not wet. Never allow the plant to become completely dry. "Wick" watering is also a good technique. Place a nylon wick on the bottom of the pot with the loose end extending out of the pot about 4 inches. Hang the loose end of the wick in a container of fertilizer/water mixture. Never let the pot touch the water - only the wick should touch the water. This wick will keep the violet watered for 2-4 weeks depending on the size of the reservoir.
SOIL
Violets need a light, airy soil mix that will not pack hard and allows for easy root penetration. Be sure the soil mix has been sterilized to eliminate harmful pests and bacteria. Repot at least twice a year by removing 1/3 of the old soil and replacing with new soil.
GROOMING
Remove up to 3 leaves per month from the bottom row. This keeps all
the leaves new and fresh and promotes a burst of new growth from the crown.
Brush leaves with a natural bristle, soft brush to remove dust and dirt.
Keep old blossoms picked off and remove the old bloom stalk completely
when all blooms are finished.
PESTS
If you find spilled pollen on the leaves it could mean that you have a pest infestation of "thrips". Conserve SC is especially effective for control thrips.
If you find white sticky flecks on the leaves, or find that the leaves are sticky all over, treat the affected plant with Marathon granules.
Diseases
There are a number of diseases that affect African Violets. Some of
the diseases include Crown Rot, Botrytis Blight, Powdery Mildew, Petiole
Rot, Ring Spot, Root Knot, Root Knot and Viruses. There are various ways
to prevent
and control these diseases.
Works Cited:
The African Violet Society Of America
www.avsa.org
African Violets, By Florists of Fredericks
www.african-violets.com
African Violet (Saintpaulia)
www.cygnus.tamu.edu
Artificial Vegetative Propagation
www.koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu
Plant Micropropagation Using African Violets
www.biotech.iastate.edu