African Violets were a favorite of my mother and were always present in our home growing up. After I graduated from college, the first flower I purchased was an African Violet. I have been growing these beauties ever since. My biggest challenge was always watering, yes, I seemed to over-water, but have learned to moderate. It was interesting doing the research for this post as I learned several new things about caring for African Violets and hope you do too!
‘I must have flowers, always, and always.’
Claude Monet
BACKGROUND
African Violets are native to Eastern Africa and were first introduced in the US in the 1890s by a New York florist. It took until the 1930s and the introduction of the fluorescent light bulb for the popularity to increase. Today, the African violet is the most popular flowering house plant. In the 1940s the African Violet Society of America Inc. (AVSA) was organized and incorporated. It is the largest society dedicated to a single indoor plant in the world. Their mission is to promote the cultivation of African violets as house plants.
African violets are a species of herbaceous (no persistent woody stem above ground) perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae and the species Saintpaulia. The number of species expanded to 20 at one time but has now been reduced to approximately 6.
CARING FOR YOUR AFRICAN VIOLET
In this section, I will review the most important growing and caring aspects: light, soil, water, fertilizer, pruning, transplanting and pests/disease.
LIGHT
The most common cause of bloom failure in African violets is insufficient light. African violets prefer bright light but no direct sunlight. Plants should be placed within 3 feet of large south-east or west-facing windows. Artificial light can be used and generally provides more consistent results because the amount of light can be controlled. The best artificial light sources include fluorescent T5 bulbs, as well as LED (light-emitting diode) technology.
To bloom, African violets need 8-16 hours of light a day and 8 hours of darkness. African violets also like it warm with temperatures between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit (warmer in the daytime). I keep my violet by a window that faces north west and receives filtered sunlight.
SOIL
Because of the popularity of African violets, it is one of the few plants where you can purchase specifically formulated soil. If you purchase soil, ensure that it is pest free when you open, otherwise return. Soil should be very light and porous which will promote good drainage and water retention, two attributes required by African violets. African violet soil must have a slightly acidic pH around 6.0 – 6.5.
If you are making your own soil mix, there are two approaches: soil or soilless mixes. A soilless mix is a medium that contains some combination of peat moss, coconut coir, sand, compost, perlite and vermiculite. The downside of soilless mixes is that they dry out quickly. The other option is to create your own mix with soil as follows: mix one-third potting soil, one-third peat moss and one-third perlite or vermiculite.
WATERING
Bottom watering
My favorite topic when it comes to African violets. As I mentioned in my opening, I use to water my African violets too much and learned this by chance. I had the opportunity to spend 6 months working in China and had to leave the care of my plants to my husband and children. When I came home, our African violet was blooming beautifully (much more than when I left). I realized this was in part because it was watered much less.
Before we get to watering, let’s discuss containers because there is a correlation. It is important to plant your African violet in a container that has drainage holes and a removable bottom saucer. Clay containers will dry out quicker than plastic due to the porous nature of the clay.
African violets like to be evenly moist. There are two ways to water an African violet, either from the top or from the bottom. If watering from the top, take care not to get the leaves wet. Use lukewarm water and water until you see the water run out the bottom of the container into the saucer. Dump the water from the saucer after watering. I prefer to water from the bottom. To water from the bottom, set the plant in a bowl with lukewarm water and let the water soak up into the soil (e.g. from the hole in the bottom of the container). Depending on how dry the soil is and how large the container, this could take anywhere from 15 minutes to over 1 hour.
FERTILIZING
There are a few variables when it comes to fertilizing that you need to consider.
The first variable is the potting mix that was used. If the potting mix contains a fertilizer, then it may not be necessary to fertilize your African violet for a few months. This is difficult to understand when purchasing a potted plant from a supermarket or superstore. One option is to replant in your own mixture.
The second variable is the water supply used. If you use tap water, then there are likely micro-nutrients already in the water. If you use rainwater or distilled water, it may be necessary to add calcium and magnesium (micro-nutrients).
Putting aside the type of water used, let’s discuss the macronutrients commonly found in fertilizers: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (K), and Potassium (P). African violets will require more fertilizer during the growing cycle in spring, summer and early fall. Plants can better utilize the nutrients of fertilizer during this growth cycle. Most commercial fertilizers for African Violets will have a formulation of 8-14-9 (NKP) or 12-36-14 (NKP). Higher phosphorus (K) promotes blooming.
When it comes to fertilizer, it is important to observe your plant. Fertilize weekly during the active growth period. During the resting period from late fall through early spring, water and fertilize less often.
PRUNING
It is important to remove the old and wilted leaves and flowers, as this will allow the plant to redirect energy to producing more flowers. You can either pinch them off with your hands or use a scissor. Pinch as close to the stem as possible. When the whole stem of flowers has faded, the whole flower stem should be removed. To keep the plant symmetrical, you should remove a few healthy leaves at the bottom of the plant each month. The healthy leaves can be used for propagation as described below.
African violets can develop ‘suckers’ which are clusters of leaves that grow out from the main stem as opposed to a leaf stem. These should be removed as soon as possible and can also be used to propagate a new plant. Suckers drain energy from the plant and can distort the symmetry of the plant and lead to less flowering. Suckering is a means of survival for the plant and there can be increased suckering when the plant is stressed or its environmental conditions have changed to a significant extent.
TRANSPLANTING
African violets like to be somewhat pot bound as this encourages blooming. It is time to transplant when the overall width of the leaf span is three times the diameter of the container. If the overall width of the leaf span is 9 inches and the container has a 3-inch diameter, then it is time to transplant. When transplanting, only go up one size in a container. For example, if your plant is in a 3-inch diameter container, the next size should be a 4-inch container. Don’t ‘go big’ to avoid repotting, take it one step at a time!
PROPAGATING
Roots developing on the stem
African violets can be propagated from leaf cuttings. Start by choosing a healthy leaf and cut the leaf where the stem (petiole) meets the main plant stem. Shorten the petiole to one-inch and plant in a rooting medium. A rooting medium can be as simple as one of the following: vermiculite, peat moss, perlite, sand or a combination (soilless mixture).
Now, you need to be patient as the process takes multiple months. After the roots have developed, tiny leaves will develop at the base of the stem. Once these leaves develop, it can take a month for them to reach the surface of the soil. It can then take several additional months for the leaves to be large enough for separation. Once the leaflets reach the size of a dime, the leaves can be separated and planted in a medium of half regular potting mix and half rooting medium. For a complete article on propagation, please reference this link from the African Violet Society of America.
Flowers and healthy buds
When purchasing African violets, look for the following qualities:
Healthy deep green leaves that are spot free. Check the underside of the leaf for any signs of pests. Check the top of the leaf for any unusual spots.
Flowers/buds. There should be bright flowers and buds. If you look just under the flowers, you should notice buds as in the picture on the left.
Wow, that seems like a lot of information. As with most plants, the key to success is good light, good soil, and proper watering and fertilization. I hope your African Violets bring you as much joy as mine bring me.
Resources:
University of Florida Fact Sheet on African violets
Clemson University Fact Sheet on African violets
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